Whenever I roast my tires in first I don't know exactly what i'm doing, and I still can't chirp second...it's only on accident or when i'm not paying attention I do it.

I CAN CHIRP SECOND!! WOO HOO!! Actually I can squeel it!

Please educate me guys..I searched and found NADA about specifically chirping second and launching on the street.

Second, Launching...sometimes I revv high and sometimes I just revv to 2k rpms to make sure I don't stall....today when I was alone in the car I revved to 3.5k +/- rpms then released the clutch moderately and spun like a madman and smoked the tires a little for my bro and his friend, but then tonite with my sis and her b-friend in the car I had to revv higher. But then he was telling me I can do it without revving and without hurting the tranny. He had to leave though and I don't think he knew what he was sayin'. So...how is the BEST way to do it? I am all over the place on this one and don't want to destroy my transmission/clutch by dumping it @4k everytime.

Thanks in advanced!

 

Yes, I said V-6 mustang. It didn't really "Go" fast but it felt like it was. It whipped you back into the seat good.





















And no he is not stock. He has headers, full exhaust, CAI, Superchip, pulleys, ect. And we all know how crappy domestics are from the factory so these gave him big gains.

 

You chirped second while turning because while turning ur tires had less grip and they spun easily.
Chirping second for me just happens. I guess when u shift quick into second u step on the gas and release the clutch at the same time and if the revs are high enuff it would chirp.

Launching is something u gotta practice. I usually rev upto like 1100-1200 RPM and easily let go of the clutch (but dont feather it too long cuz it will hurt the transmission) and then once you feel that the clutch has gripped properly then give it more gas while taking ur foot off the clutch completely.

Heres a link to some video that shows how to launch an M5 that someone linked in another thread.

http://playground.sun.com/greg/

Hope this helps.
So how do u like the change from an auto to a stick shift?
Nas

 

When I shifted my tires were only slightly turned, I was almost completely straightened out...but I guess still a slight turn helps



I wasn't talking about launching for regular driving... I know perfectly fine how to do that and I pretty much do exactly what you do. I was talking about launching to roast the tires and launching for race-like driving.



The Change is amazing. I will never buy another automatic car again unless it's an SUV or some car that isn't made for speed. If I supercharged my automatic I bet it wouldn't feel any faster than this...plus I do the shifting, my car doesn't.

 

I bet you have a stock nissan clutch and pressure plate. Its hard to chirp with it. Its actually easier to chirp at around 3500 rpm as the clutch grabs easier. I never chirped with the stock clutch at 6krpm. If you get an act street disc, chirps third fairly easily, screeches 2nd. You basically just shift and drop the clutch fast. You're probably doing nothing wrong, just your clutch sucks. Anyway, if you do have an act, maybe your clutch hydraulic pressure is too high b/c of poorly adjusted master cylinder/clutch pedal

 

I don't have a stock clutch and pressure plate, but I don't have an ACT either. I have something called a "dynomaxx" or something like that..Chaz said it gripped better then stock, but not as good as ACT. It's just soo soft though, I hate it. I'll email him about that though...

But regardless what clutch I have, shouldn't I be able to at least get a squeek out of second!? I mean to top it off my tires are worn and are overdue to be replaced!

 

Glad to see you got your 5-speed in.
I would imagine its tougher to chirp second with a combination of heat and heavier wheels. It will also get easier with time and if your like me you drive alot more now. So you'll learn quick.

When my car is loaded down with people and my stereo, it puts more strain on the clutch and it seems to slip alot, but I am also passed the max load for the car.

 

Oh my bad
In that case when I'm racing I feather it around 2K-3K range but I try to do it just before the light turns green and then then dump the clutch and stomp the gas.
For tire smokin just rev high and dump the clutch and stomp on the gas at the same time.

 

I could drive up to Lake Mary and show you how to do it right, heh heh heh. I hope you have tire insurance. J/K

 

You should find that it is much easier to chirp 2nd when shifting at around 3500 to 4000 RPM vs. 6000 RPM. At the lower engine speed there is less of a RPM spread between the gears and the clutch finds it easier to grab the flywheel & plate. At the higher RPMs the speed difference is greater between the gears so the clutch just slips instead of grabs. Quick shifting is the way to go to do this while lifting the gas pedal. If you shift and don't lift you're likely to not chirp the gears either unless you can shift fast enough to keep the engine from revving much higher between those shifts.

 

How did you know I live in Lake Mary? You ever been up here? Great city..

IronLung, I also have 17x8's (caffeines) but they only weigh 20 pounds a peice. Not heavy at all, but not especially light either. I think you are very right about amount of people in the car..when I am along the car feels MUCH faster then when I have 2 or more people. I guess with a car as light as the Max weight makes a huge difference.

Nizmo...lol I think i've tried that too I just wasn't consiously thinking about it but you've just reminded me.

Does anyone know why my sisters b-friend was talking about? Spinning the wheels off the line without launching?! His friend with a 2000 V6 5-speed camaro is supposedly a VERY good driver and can spin the tires without launching really. He also doesn't pull to the side becuase of RWD, but I think our cars pulling to the side while roasting is freakn cool!

 

I also went on a quest once to chirp second(with stock clutch). Once it happened when I was rolling slowly in neutral, then I put the shifter in second reved really high and dumped the clutch. The other two times happened after an aggressive take of followed by a quick shift at ~5.5k rpms.


P.S. chirping on turns is nothing. My dads 84 camry can peel out if you stomp the gas while turning.

 

wheel weight could be an issue but i could still chirp into second when i had my 2k se 17's on my 4th gen ...ironically when i upgraded to my 18's its alot easier to chirp into second my car damn near does it everytime i get on it ...it just comes down to experience how long have you been driving stick...if just takes getting use to i when im racing i usually shift after 6k and a very quick motion where im nearly dumping the clutch going into second ..practice makes perfect good luck

Jon

 

You should be able to chirp in 2nd gear consistently even with a stock clutch. I've got a stock clutch and I'm able to chirp 2nd with it as long as I shift fast. I usually shift from 1st->2nd around 6k when I chirp. But again, I have to do it fast...if I do it slowly it won't chirp. I haven't tried chirping at lower rpms like the others have said.

 

I just got my 99 5spd last month...
and i just started driving stick when i got the car and i have no trouble at all in chirping in 2nd. everything is stock performance wise right now. Sometimes the chirp is so big its like a small burnout. Also, with the launching thing, even if my car is on a roll going about 10mph and clutch is released, if i floor it, it burns out through first.
my car chirps super easily, but if i want a small burnout type chirp, i go to about 5.5 or 6k rpms and QUICKLY shift into second and punch the gas as i come off the clutch.
if you're having trouble, try going uphill, tires spin easier that way, and just shift very fast, and be sure to drop the clutch quickly to get a good chirp.

Dev

 

I don't know that you should be actively looking to chirp second. This reminds me of the recent post where someone said they bought an ACT clutch just to chirp third. This, of course, depends on the tires and other conditions, but in the end, your tires are losing traction, and if you're dropping the clutch hard to do it, that's some added stress that doesn't need to be there. But I guess I never thought it was cool, and some people do. My roomie got a $223 ticket just cause a cop heard him chirp 2nd in his 240


AFA launching, I think really in our FWD beasts that the best way to launch on street tires is aggressive feathering from about 1,5 rpms, and not an all-out dropping of the clutch. Again here I go for no wheelspin....at most a tiny chirp/squeak. Seems the max is fairly prone to wheelhop as I've found out when I tried to drop the clutch from not even that high.

 

I find it funny that you WANT to chirp and I want to STOP chirping

i think its' because of the 15's that i have...i do it all the time in first and second and it annoys the heck out of me cause i feel like im eating up my tires from doing it all the time

you can have my rims and tires and i'll take yours!!!

then you can chirp all the time too

 

did you get the ACT Clutch when you did your swap? if you did? then you should have no problem chirping second.. and third isn't htat hard ither

 

Stop trying to ruin your tires Craig!

 

Craig, your shooting for low to mid 14's down in florida this fall, right?? I hope you can shift well enough to full that off. Goodluck.

 

Chirping the tires only makes you slower, HOWEVER most decent powered manuals will chirp on the 1-2 with minimal effort at WOT. On a stock suspension and with the stock 15s, my Max would spin hard into 2nd due to the redicuous weight transfer to the back of the car. With a lowered suspension and 46lb combo 17s with stick Z-rated tires, traction was even worse. I attribute this to the fact that short and wide radial street tires aren't great for the straightline (wide, but narrow contact patch). With my current setup of Z-rated 225/50s on light 16s, I can barely chirp 2nd. I spin more into 2nd at the track.

Hot weather will affect chirping gears in a lot of ways. Hot weather makes for a hot engine and poor oxygen content in the air which kill power. The streets are more grippy overall which reduce the chances of spinning. The high heat within the tranny case on a hot day will also heat the clutch reducing it's clamping force. Another possibility is that your clutch is slipping a bit. There are only two clutches on the market that I know of that can handle the power of a modded VQ. The ACT and factory OEM clutch are both up to the task. I've got 85K miles on my factory clutch and it's never slipped on me once. Every WOT shift is hard. Clutches by Centerforce, the cheap Nissan "blue" clutch, and other aftermarket clutches have reputations for not holding up well behind these engines. The VQs aren't overly powerful, but they do require are relatively strong clutch because of the small diameter of the clutch in comparison to the torque output of this motor.

I do not recommend doing rolling drop-clutch burnouts and chirps in any gear. IMO, you are setting yourself up for disaster. I would think a massive amount of stress would be placed on clutch. differential, axles, and engine mounts when dumping the clutch from high rpms while rolling because the tires are less prone to spinning therefore all the torque is transferred internally. Dumping the clutch while at a standstill is a bit more forgiving because the tires will spin therefore reducing the torque load on the tranny and mounts. I also don't recommend popping the clutch and shifting hard into gears at lower rpms like 3000-4000rpms.

Dave

 

Hmm...let me think....15x7's for 17x8's....eh I think i'll pass. I hate my 17's becuase they are way too small. 18" is the only rim that fits the Max's huge well perfectly. I would probubly never drive my max becuase I couldn't bare such small rims! (disclaimer: for a chick small rims are better and so is gap...we don't want any tom-boys after all)

Sprint, No I didn't get an ACT. That would run me a few hundred more and I barely had enough to convert in the first place. I need to ask Cbr2 which clutch he gave me but like I said it's a dynomaxx or something and he swore it grips better then stock. I let him and my dad drive my car and they both agree it along with the tranny grab hard and shift nicely with no slipping or lag.

Calvin....joO are just envious of the 5-speed that's why you don't want me chirpin' But seriously the ONLY reason I am roasting them is becuase today I am supposed to get new tires.

Dave, As always thanks for educating me. I always learn a little everytime you post...

I still can't freaking chirp, but then again I take about .8 seconds to shift from 1-2 as fast as I can Don't laugh, I am still a newbie when it comes to 5-speeds...on the 2-3 and 3-4 I can shift lightning quick.

Everyone, for new tires I decided on Kumho Ecstas 235/45/17 H-rated. I am coming from cheap Nankang 225/45/17-H. Dave, didn't you say that in straight line dragging there is minimal differences between H and Z rated? If so good because I need traction. I chose H because I can't afford the good stuff right now and H has the most treadlife. What do yall think

 

Did you consider anything from Sumitomo? Their tires are extremely nice and fairly low priced. I got my Z-rated 225/50R16 HTRZs for $74. How much are you spending on the Ecstas?

H-rated are fine for the straight, but I think you'll be disappointed in the cornering. What is the traction rating? Anything over 300 will wear well, but cornering will be sucky.


Dave

 

Dave,

I just got back from discount tire co. with my new Kumho's...I spent $463 for the 4 new tires, free rotation/life time balance, warranty, blah blah blah ect.

There is a BIG price hike between 16 and 17" rims. Lots more people have 16" rims so that's why your price is soo damn cheap. It's not fair. My tires were like 103.20 a peice. The treadwear is 320 and it gets an 'A' for traction. They actually corner well..they corner better then my old Nankang's, but those sucked. I don't auto-x like you so these are perfectly fine for the street...my car already can outhandle lots of cars on the road, everyone who gets in my car compliments on how flat and sharp it takes curves.

I want to test these new puppies out! I revved a little to like 3k rpms for a little test launch to see how well they grabbed and I just got a little squeek and took off...that's compared to my spinning with my old nankangs. I look forward to doing more tests and I'm glad I will finally hook up with neck snapping speed instead of just roastin' rubber.

BTW...when people want to see how fast your car is and you take them for a ride, how do you launch? Becuase I have lots of friends who don't know I have a 5spd yet and I'm gonna have to give ALL of them test rides and their all gonna expect neck-snapping speed.

 

do you feel like your car is faster if you chirp? why is it necessary?

 

I just think a car that does 0-60 in 61/2 seconds should be able to chirp into second gear, or at least throw you back in your seat. My shifts are soft, but maybe I am just too good a shifter ...maybe I need to be more wreckless with the clutch and then it'll "feel" faster...hell I don't know what i'm sayin

 

OK if this doesn't work, your clutch probably isn't that great. My stock clutch w/ 105,000 miles chirps 2nd no problem still...

Just shift from 1st to 2nd at when you hit about 6k, but give it a lot of gas when you push the clutch in (still not above redline) and drop that clutch fast. I've done this and spun 2nd so bad my buddy I was racing thought I hit the brakes or something. I lost because of sitting there for 3 seconds spinning the tires.

 

Maybe your not taking your foot off the clutch fast enough. On a WOT shift, there is no need to "slip" the clutch. The motion should be, 6500rpms in 1st, slam the clutch down, lift slightly off the gas, pull the shifter straight back into 2nd, pull your left foot off the clutch, slam the gas. I'd say this entire motion should take no more than .5-.6 seconds.

Dave

 

reading this thread made me want to chip second gear again. I went out today and was able to do it twice, I shifter at around 5k rpms. It was a relatively cool night though, and my tires and engine were not hot from too much driving yet, so that's probably how I did it.

 

This is where I go wrong...what I do when I'm ready to change gears is: let off the gas and RIGHT after that I slam the clutch in, then get back on gas and push down gas more and more AS I lift up clutch more and more, in a simultaneous motion. I would do this in the fastest manner I could, and that's how i'd try to chirp. I probubly lifted the clutch TOO fast without giving enough gas.

Does this make sense to you??

And mb1, quit rubbin' it in!

 

I'm just trying to say that I had the same problem as you. I could not for the life of me chirp second. But under the right conditions, and with more experience I was able to do it.

Just don't kill your car over something trivial like this.

 

Your right mb1 ..I still consider myself a "newbie-intermediate" shifter. All this will come in time.

I just figured out I have been doing a very stupid thing, it involved downshifting from 3-2. A few times when I was going about 40mph in 3rd gear (~3.1k RPMS) I tried to downshift into second to try to practice for racing. Well, I push in the clutch, take my foot off the gas, and move shifter into "2". I then release the clutch and barely push back in the gas. WELL, all i get is a big un-natural THUD that jerks you back in your seat, but it's not natural. I now realize I am almost killing the engine and the only reason it didn't stall is becuase I gave it some gas. What I should do before I release the clutch is revv right? That way I will get a natural healthy punch and accelerate normally.

Well I can safely say that I am a 5-speed idiot.

 

yes, you should bring your rpms up to where they would be when the gear is engaged. rev-matching.

 

I didn't read through all the replies, but sounds like you just need to give a little more gas when shifting. First time I ever drove a Maxima was my friend's 4th gen 5sp SE. I chirped in 2nd without trying to at all. After that, I knew I had to have a Max.

 

With all this talk, I too went out yesterday and barked the tires on the 1-2. I didn't even shift hard either. I had the AC at full blast and the temp was ~95 degrees with a 105 degree induce.

Craig-
You need to shift, clutch in/clutch out, and lay into the gas much faster. You just need experience. I think you need to stick with learning to drive the manual smoothly first. With smoothness comes the cooridination to bang the gears.

The "thud" you are describing is indeed the lack gas given between a downshift. The thud is because you didn't rev-match the rpms and released the clutch to quickly. You've got to rev match on a downshift, especially a hard downshift or you'll eventually destroy engine mounts.

When you get really good at shifting, you'll be able to do a wicked 4-3 downshift on the highway that will really impress gearhead friends. From a 60mph roll, I push the clutch in quickly, floor the gas, push the shifter into 3rd, and release the clutch quickly. This motion is lightning quick and extremely smooth. It feels just like an automatic downshifting. The motion is so quick in fact that as I'm slamming the gas in neutral and releasing the clutch, the rpms are perfectly rev-matched to the gear. DO NOT TRY this until you become very familiar with shifting a manual. Serious damage can be done if you don't know what you are doing.


Dave

 

Don't worry there is no way in hell i'd try a 4-3 shift on the highway!!..I am already too scared to downshift from 5th to 4th from 70mph. It's mainly becuase I am usually in lots of traffic and don't want my car to jolt left or right, or die on me...or even worse taking off real fast and slamming into the guy in front of me. After all, I hear 5-speed Max's are highway beasts.

I don't know why I don't give it enough gas when downshifting hard, I guess I just get caught up in the drama and forget. Whenever I am normally driving and need to downshift for traffic purposes, I give it plenty of revvs to ensure a safe and smooth downshift. Like I said I just get caught up in the action of trying to impress people and forget. I think you are exactly right Dave, I'll just still with learning to drive smoothly. I am almost perfect at that and I am pretty good at launching. Eventually i'll get it!

As far as launching...it seems logical that you MUST revv in order to get enough power to the wheels to get a strong launch. The only way I bark and spin off the line is if I revv to 2.4k+ rpms. With my new tires I just bark and take off...but I see no other way for getting neck snapping speed off the line other then dumping the clutch at a certain RPMS...isn't that correct?

 

I CAN CHIRP SECOND! WooHoo!



Actually, I can SQUEEL into it!! Today on the way home from my tutor I chirped second 3 times, SQUEELED into it once, and did a long chirp once. It was awesome. I figured out my problem, I am shifting TOO DAMN SLOW! I was loosing too much power in between shifts, but now I can shift faster and a nice melodious EEEERCH comes from my NEW sticky tires.

I tried downshifting into 4th from 5th on the highway today. I did it several times, revving at different points in the RPM band and it was pretty puny. I was going about 60-70mph. Not a whole lotta speed there. I bet the only downshift on the highway that'll throw you back into your seat is a 4-3 shift.

Chaz was tellin' me Harold aka hlh did a 5-2 downshift @ 55mph!! Talk about killing your engine

 

Hehe, that might be a little on the too-much side....really, why would you want to downshift right into the 5k+ range without VI?

Don't be afraid to mess around w/downshifting - 5-4 and 4-3 are the easier of the downshifts. Just tap the gas lightly and hold with the same pressure as you raise off the clutch. The max seems to rev-match a lot easier than other sticks I've driven - it's almost automatic the way it hovers at the right RPM sometimes with just a tad bit of pressure on the gas pedal.

 

I here that. But the thing that scares me about the 5-4 downshift is accidentally shifting into reverse! What would happen if I did? Everytime I downshift from 5-4 I take my time to make sure I didn't throw into reverse..is there some kind of lockout that prevents a 5-R downshift? If someone did accidentally do that It would blow their reverse gear to peices!

 

]


you won't be able to physicaly put the stick into reverse. I read why on www.howstuffworks.com , but I forgot . They have a great article on manual transmitions. You should read it.