hey guys, how do you launch with your 5spd?

 

I launch at 1500 and slip the clutch a bit. I give it too much gas too soon though so I keep spinning. I'll try what I read in the past few days or so, rev to 2500, slip the clutch and don't go WOT til about 5000 rpm.

 

you guys got too much nutz under your hood, launch from 2nd

 

i'm not lucky enough to own a manual maxima, but i've raced manual cars at the track, and i've never heard of launching from second

 

Ecko has an auto too, he doesn't know ****. On top of that he's from Wiscansin, when was the last time you had a civilized conversation, that didn't involve cow rectums, with someone from 'scansin?

 

I'm going to practice tomorrow night in an empty parking lot. First trip to 1/4 track coming friday night, don't wanna ruin all my times with 2.4 60's like I got at the 1/8 mile.

I will post what I find to be the best technique for getting traction without bogging.

 

I found that a 2,500-3,400rpm slip clutch launch will always result in a high 2.3-2.4 60ft times with me. I don't know how else to do it? I tried doing it at a lower rpm, but I get a higher 60ft time. Any higher than 3,400rpm and I get very bad wheelhop. I am going back to the track this weekend and try not to go WOT until higher rpms also.

 

The thing about that is the track surface is much much different to launch on than a street surface.

 

I know but you can get a general idea. The key to slipping the clutch though is how quickly you can let it out without spinning too much. You might be slipping it from 3,000 rpm but if you slip it too slowly you're losing time, and too quickly you are losing traction. You have to find a medium

 

i slipped from 1500 and pulled a low 2.3, would be better if i had my spec stage II in, so i hope to pull a 2.2 or maybe a 2.1 when i have that installed

 

lol launch in 2nd eh? mabye if u had like 900 hp and didnt have slicks

 

Buy my Drag Radials and Millenia rims and you won't have any problems

 

lol, i was kidding with duck and dave about launching from second, and im from chicago genius, cow rectums arent my interest. GO BEARS!

 

there is a process to launching a manual and getting good times but it takes a lot of practice and time to get the finesse. Once you stage, hold the brake pedal down with the corner of your big toe on your right foot while simultaneously reving to about 3K, let the clutch out just enough so that it "power stands" just like it does when you have an automatic and power brake. When its time to launch simply let the clutch go all the way and floor it. I've been able to reduce a lot of wheel spin with this method because the clutch is already partially engaged at launch. Sounds hoaky..i thought the same thing when our crewchief told us about it the first time but it DOES work.

 

So what kind of 60 foots are you getting then doing this? What's your tire/wheel/suspension/motor mount setup etc? All those things factor in also when trying to get a good launch.

Would that wear out the clutch pretty quick holding it in a constantly slipping position though? Was that on a stock clutch or aftemarket?

EDIT: sorry just saw your sig.. can I assume that's your current setup?

 

Well this was drawing on information only. For what times I'm getting stay tuned in June I havn't been to the track yet in this car since the 5spd conversion. I was A/T last season. Right now, I'm doing a N2O/SAFC/LM1 installation on stock engine, stock mounts, racing with 15" wheels and BFG Gforce Drag Radials. The clutch I have is an aftermarket clutch from Clutchnet.com rated at 450ftlbs TQ. 6 puck sprung hub design and it catches like a mothaluvva. I've been practicing this launch technique at stops here and there. I don't think it hurts the clutch too much once you find the "sweet spot" between slipping and not.

 

Slamming on the gas pedal right from the get go will get you nowhere. You'll be sitting at the line spinning your wheels all day and get 2.5s 60fts.

 

well said dave... just slip it and zip it

 

That's what I was thinking... that's why I asked him for actual 60 foots. It sounds a little iffy to me...

 

Like I said in my last post...this was drawing on information given me. I haven't had a chance to practice 5spd launches yet. I was simply trying to add information to the pot for discussion. Obviously, it's not the right approach. lol

 

i was pulling 2.1 60fts launching at 2.5k and slamming it.. and 2.2's at 3k slamming it(but faster times)

 

I'm going to have to run at GLD sometime this spring and see what I get out there. It seems to be a better track than what I run at

 

No, GLD is a slow track and isn't well prepped some of the time. Go to Byron dragway to make yourself feel much better.

 

i keep it around 2k then drop the clutch...works best for me, got a .632 reaction time so im happy with that...

 

Reaction time has nothing to do with how well or poorly you launch your car man.

Max1man's technique he listed is incredibly hard, I've tried to do it in an effort to reduce driveline shock. 60' times in a fwd are limited by weight transfer and friction, both of which will be unaffected by the use of that technique or not.

imho it's also pointless as far as 60' times is concerned unless you are in a turbocharged car which can benefit from brake boosting.

 

When i went to the track i was watching alot of cars and one car would get a really good launch by holding up the E-brake and then letting the clutch out with some gas so that way as soon as the green light came he could jump.

 

I pull consistant mid to low 2.1's launching right off my 1500 rpm idle on street tires. I slip is a little and floor it gradually in 1st.

 

I have been practicing this since i bought my Maxima. At first i would launch at about 1500rpm with my stock 15s, i would use partial throttle entill the tires got grip then run full throttle. This technic would almost always return a 2.5 ish 60ft time with an occasional 2.4xx.
1500rpm was the highest i could launch without excessive wheel SPIN. I later switched to forged 17s and tried to launch at the same 1500rpm and got tons of wheel HOP so i switched my motor mounts and control arm bushings to poly ones from ES. After the poly bushings i could launch at 2000rpm with out a problem, but still would only pull 2.5 60ft times.
I just dont get how you guys pull those low low 60ft times. My next plan is to go with a better and lighter tire such as a Kumho ecsta asx 215-50-17 or a Continental Contiextreme contact. <i need an all season for the occasional snow in new york>
I should note the 15s had 205-65-15 goodyears
and the 17s had 205-50-17 bridgestone potenza's USED from a buddy.

 

don't go throwing more money at the problem, just work on a different technique. I've cut identical 60' times on really good high end wide and sticky tires as I have on really crappy all season tires. actually, if you want to get really technical, my best street tire 60' times ever have been on really bad tires. I've cut a 2.160 on super old and dry rotted Dayona all season, a 2.166 on mediocre goodyear all seasons, and many 2.17s on all sorts of different tires ranging from the ones mentioned already to Toyo T1-S tires in 235mm widths.

for my style, launching on street tires is more about clutch-work than throttle-work. manipulating the clutch properly is what I feel is key.

 

Yeah, ive tried quite a few techniques, and what i find on all of them is how you can modulate the clutch, really you are trying to use the clutch to minimize wheel spin. Since ive gone to a much lighter wheel/tire combo i notice traction is a BIG issue for me, especially off the line. I still havent gotten a really good launch on my new setup because i seem to get too much spin resulting in poor 60fts. But i think what seems to work best is to hold the revs at ~2200rpm and slip the clutch while trying to minimize wheel spin.

I tried the above mentioned way, with holding the clutch just at its friction point with the ebrake on(heel/toe was hard with my nike shox because they have no center support). While it did reduce driveline shock, i could smell my clutch a bit and i still got a fair amount of spin, it is a good technique if you can master it, for most people they will have a very hard time doing it though.

so far my best 60ft was done on 97-99 se 5 spokes with 215/55/16 bfg traction t/as, and it wasnt even that good..2.23 i believe

 

1800 rpm tires at 18 psi i get 2.2 60ft i come off the clutch super hard and floor it. I am all stock and i ran a 15.1. Find your tire psi sweet spot.

 

a 2.2 60 ft stock is very good

 

Yea the track where i go is nice and sticky too so that helps.