Launching an Auto???

[trav_19]

ok ive said this in other posts and i will say it again i have always driven sticks i know how to line then up at the tree and launch a stick... but how do you do this in an auto with out a trans brake or line loc? do you just hold the brake and hit it?? seems like you would want to launch at a higher rpm?

 

[drakesdad]

OOOOOHHHHHH.....a lot of people have told me that you can be more consistent with a auto.......
When I had a 2300 stall I could floor it.................not the case since I've went to the 3400....If I floor it all I do is spin.....you'll have to practice with the car and find what rpm is good. I don't have drag radials so I have to hit the right rpm to come off the line and once rolling stuff it. I have a best of around 1.8 60 foot........I'd like to better it of course....

 

[gcomfx.com]

Depends on the stall and the setup of the car. My car cuts a better ET going from a dead idle to WOT and NOT stalling it up. But with a stock engine (low on compression) and a converter that currently flashes to 2,800 it works better for me.

Basically I recommend going to the track and spending a day launching with different techniques. Foot Stall it up. Try an idle to WOT launch. If that doesn't stick, try Drakesdad's method.

It gets fun... especially when you mix the juice into the equation.

 

[Stanger007]

Man drakesdad, you are smoking my 60ft w/ your 1.8 on street tires... and I've got Nittos haha.

I've got a 2840rpm stall (custom Edge racing stall).

I was hoping w/ the Nittos I could get on it pretty hard off the line without spin but last time out it just didn't happen. My previous best on 245 Sumitomo HTRZII+ street tires was low 2.1s and one 2.08 - this time was my first time out with the Nittos - I mustered an anemic 1.920 60ft - still audibly spinning the tires.

Anyways, back to the question... how to launch an auto...
I thought it was just point and shoot before I really got into it. I mean c'mon how hard can it be.

I've found precisely working the stall with my right foot to be a bit tricky or perhaps I'm just retarded - launching an auto is easy but it seems like launching a manual gives you more precise control w/ the clutch/gas. I'm still working on that sweet spot for launches.

Here's what I've learned so far... (for my combo... jmod 4R70W, 2840 stall, 4.10s)
On the last yellow nail the gas around 2/3, once you start rolling steadily put it to the floor. If you hear spinning, hit the return road and repeat cuz you just screwed the launch.

I was hoping to launch off the stall a bit (hold brake, rev car up) but at the present I can't even launch off idle without spinning. My car is low HP (stock long block, cobra intake) - I can't even imagine launching a higher HP car than what I've got.

I think I've got easy low 1.8s in the Nittos with a good burnout... I was doing wimpy 2-3sec burnouts last Sunday and the Nitto's compound likes to be HOT to stick. Next time out I'm looking to go at least 6-7seconds.

Oh yeah and upper/lower control arms start going on this weekend. Trying to make the track on the 17th to get a bit more practice in with the control arms.

I'd love to have the built rear end to be able to step up to stickier tires and not worry about hard launches but I would sorta like to master the Nittos now that I've got 'em before I go that far... I'm after learning the finer points of how to drag/bracket race rather than getting the fastest time possible. My goals (at the moment haha) for my car is to run it just like I run it on the street so the Nittos are a perfect fit so far. However... expecting to get 10k miles out of them haha. After Sunday they are... umm noticable thinner.

If you spinnin' you ain't winnin'!
Wes

 

[gcomfx.com]

To me it's a catch 22. You need the power to get the speed to cut a good 60ft. My car will pull high 1.9s all day long off the bottle. I can pull mid 1.8s on the juice. Go figure.

 

[Stanger007]

Awesome... just what I needed, yet another way to justify adding more power...

"Yeah I'm adding this supercharger to make it faster on the topend AND to cut better 60 foots"

Wes

 

[gcomfx.com]

:funny: That's the fun part of modding our cars. Excuses are SOOO easy to come up with.

 

[Dan95-5.0]

great thread going on here.

never been to the track yet, so most of my attempts are on the street.

besides subframes, i have a stock suspension and nitto 555 (not R's) 245's

i never tried foot-braking so I dont know how that works for me.

what i have done a few times that works out pretty good for me is stepping on the brake with the left foot right down to the floor and have your right foot just above the gas. as soon as the light changes, at the same time take your foot off the brake and apply the gas about half throttle. slight tire spin but launches pretty good. works great when theres a ******* at a light wanting to pass you on the turning lane LOL


my favorite is flashing the stall just to hear the tires scream, smoke, and chirping 2nd for fun tho.

 

[Stanger007]

Anyone that brings their Nittos to the track notice that they seem to hook better on the street than at the track?

Me and sage2k were talking about it the other day and both had the same thought.

On the street after a decent burnout I can almost floor the car without it spinning, at the track I have noticeably less traction.

Anyone else notice this?

 

[drakesdad]

That's funny Wes........I cut my best with a set of Cooper Zeons that were on the stock width rims..........I went with the SVT rims that are on it now with BG Goodrich tires and thought I'd get better but they don't hook up as good as the Zeon's did.............................

 

[gcomfx.com]

My nittos hook descent. They just like lots of heat. Perhaps on the street they get it when you drive around and they heat soak?

 

[Bosko5.0]

driving on the street your tires constantly build up heat since your always moving but when your at the track they cant build up heat unless you do a burn out


mot!

never been to a track but for me i slowly get on the gas til i gete to like 5mph then i floor it less tire spin more go
But it all depends on your trans, tires, and rear suspension

I just love the thrill of acceleration