How to launch the car?

Yes, I am new to standard trannies. (I did live in San Francisco for
a year, but that is another story.)

Anyway, I am pretty good at getting the car moving now if I do say so
myself. Typically what I do is to give it a little gas (something
like low 1000s RPM), then ease the clutch pedal up as I get on the
throttle. Well, after doing this for a while I actually tend to lift
my left foot up fairly quickly to the funny zone, and _then_ ease it
up, so as not to stall.

So I feel ready for the next level now. As in, how to take off with
some haste. Now of course, some trial and error on my part is
planned. But I would appreciate some pointers as to what is good to
do (and not to do). TIA & ZZ

>
> Yes, I am new to standard trannies. (I did live in San Francisco for
> a year, but that is another story.)
>
> Anyway, I am pretty good at getting the car moving now if I do say so
> myself. Typically what I do is to give it a little gas (something
> like low 1000s RPM), then ease the clutch pedal up as I get on the
> throttle. Well, after doing this for a while I actually tend to lift
> my left foot up fairly quickly to the funny zone, and _then_ ease it
> up, so as not to stall.
>
> So I feel ready for the next level now. As in, how to take off with
> some haste. Now of course, some trial and error on my part is
> planned. But I would appreciate some pointers as to what is good to
> do (and not to do). TIA & ZZ
>

If you have a Torsen (LSD):

- about 3000 rpm
- dump clutch
- simultaneously floor it

Really fun

--
Steve McMahon
Green '07 Sport

In article >,
"McMahon" > wrote:

> - about 3000 rpm
> - dump clutch
> - simultaneously floor it

for maximum effect, use 6000 rpm. Don't just let the clutch out
quickly--sidestep the pedal. Note: this is not very friendly to the
drivetrain.

On Mar 2, 7:15 am, "McMahon" > wrote:
> > Yes, I am new to standard trannies. (I did live in San Francisco for
> > a year, but that is another story.)
>
> > Anyway, I am pretty good at getting the car moving now if I do say so
> > myself. Typically what I do is to give it a little gas (something
> > like low 1000s RPM), then ease the clutch pedal up as I get on the
> > throttle. Well, after doing this for a while I actually tend to lift
> > my left foot up fairly quickly to the funny zone, and _then_ ease it
> > up, so as not to stall.
>
> > So I feel ready for the next level now. As in, how to take off with
> > some haste. Now of course, some trial and error on my part is
> > planned. But I would appreciate some pointers as to what is good to
> > do (and not to do). TIA & ZZ
>
> If you have a Torsen (LSD):
>
> - about 3000 rpm
> - dump clutch
> - simultaneously floor it
>
> Really fun
>
> --
> Steve McMahon
> Green '07 Sport

So up with the left foot and down with the right, eh? That does
sounds like fun. I googled "Shinsen differential" and it looks like
the car has a Tochigi-Fuji LSD. Hopefully that'll do.

Are my car parts gonna break if I end up doing this a lot?

TIA/ZZ

On 2007-03-02, > wrote:

> So up with the left foot and down with the right, eh?

Pretty much. For extra fun, turn the steering wheel a bit once
you start moving.

> That does sounds like fun. I googled "Shinsen differential"
> and it looks like the car has a Tochigi-Fuji LSD. Hopefully
> that'll do.
>
> Are my car parts gonna break if I end up doing this a lot?

That depends on what you run into.

It'll wear out tires, clutch, and the patience of those around
you.

--
Grant Edwards grante Yow! Yow! Are we in the
at perfect mood?
visi.com

TIA/ZZ,

......... are parts going to break if I do this ? "Does a bear **** in
the woods ?? " Sure parts are going to break !!! The car was designed
very well, but that is not how it was designed to be used. It will take
it for a while, but some day it will break. (you can bet on it! )

Bruce Bing '03 LS

On Mar 2, 1:54 pm, (BRUCE HASKIN) wrote:
> TIA/ZZ,
>
> ........ are parts going to break if I do this ? "Does a bear **** in
> the woods ?? " Sure parts are going to break !!! The car was designed
> very well, but that is not how it was designed to be used. It will take
> it for a while, but some day it will break. (you can bet on it! )
>
> Bruce Bing '03 LS

Bruce, I have never seen a bear take a **** firsthand, but I think I
understand what you are saying.

But now I'm wondering, so when BMW or C&D test cars and give their
official 0-60 specs, they're dumping the clutch at 6000rpm or wherever
same as you & me, right? Not to mention auto-crossers.

So I guess we live with the fact that a good launch = car abuse
basically.

Hmm, what about automatics, or better yet SMTs and the Audi/VW dual-
clutch jobs, if anyone knows - are some of these transmissions
inherently less damaging to launch? Not that I'm switching anytime
soon, just curious.

Well you can look at it this way. If you run the RPM's up to 4, 5, or
6,000, and drop the clutch, something needs to take all that power.
First, the tires may just giveup and spin. Thats a good thing for the
drive shaft and ring and pinion gear, but you don't any place. Next you
buy good "stickey / gooie tires" that will not break loose for anything.
Now you have put all that stress back on the drive shaft, the pinion
gear, the pinion bearings, the ring gear and the half shafts. Of all of
those, the ring and pinion is the weak point. Then the pinion bearings.
If the rinf and pinion hold up long enough, the pinion bearings will go
next because of the load trying to walk the pinion down the ring gear.
The pinion gear will fail !
SO, now eather you build a rear end so strong that it will take that and
add weight to the car, or you just let it go and hope some "jackass"
does not do it too many times and blow it up. I think you will find that
the "Monster Miatas" went to a "T Bird" rear end so they would not blow
the rear end and make the tires pay the price of power. My '91
(unsupercharged) Miata would make the tires (Yokomama 007RS) give up at
5,000 and up in an autocross start, but sooner or later tha rear end
WILL go doing that. It's up to you. :-)

Bruce Bing '03 LS

In article >,
(BRUCE HASKIN) wrote:

> If you run the RPM's up to 4, 5, or
> 6,000, and drop the clutch, something needs to take all that power.
> First, the tires may just giveup and spin. Thats a good thing for the
> drive shaft and ring and pinion gear, but you don't any place.

I assume you meant "you don't GO anyplace." Getting the best launch
takes practice and experimentation. The object is to get the tires
spinning just enough to keep the rpm in the powerband, but not so much
it's just a useless, go-nowhere burnout. Every situation will have a
different optimal launch rpm, according to the tires' grip and the type
of pavement.

Most car magazines try various techniques and publish results from the
one that worked best. Sometimes the car breaks in the process.

On 2 Mar 2007 17:19:33 -0800, wrote:

>On Mar 2, 1:54 pm, (BRUCE HASKIN) wrote:
>> TIA/ZZ,
>>
>> ........ are parts going to break if I do this ? "Does a bear **** in
>> the woods ?? " Sure parts are going to break !!! The car was designed
>> very well, but that is not how it was designed to be used. It will take
>> it for a while, but some day it will break. (you can bet on it! )
>>
>> Bruce Bing '03 LS
>
>Bruce, I have never seen a bear take a **** firsthand, but I think I
>understand what you are saying.
>
>But now I'm wondering, so when BMW or C&D test cars and give their
>official 0-60 specs, they're dumping the clutch at 6000rpm or wherever
>same as you & me, right? Not to mention auto-crossers.

Going fast cost money, unless you are using somebody else's car. C&D
does not own the car and they do break them every once in a while.
They also quote a rolling start number for the acceleration.

The C&D test procedure is to dump the clutch 1000, 2000, 3000 until
they get their best time, tires go up in smoke, axle hops sets in, or
bits fall of the car. They quote the best time adjusted for weather
conditions (a car will go faster at 75 F that 105 on a sunny Las Vegas
day.)

>
>So I guess we live with the fact that a good launch = car abuse
>basically.
>

The engine and drive train of an NHRA competitor has to last for 1/4
of a mile. The guy willing to stress his car to that level will win
the race. If you want to baby your hotrod so it will go 100 k mikes,
you will loose to him.

>Hmm, what about automatics, or better yet SMTs and the Audi/VW dual-
>clutch jobs, if anyone knows - are some of these transmissions
>inherently less damaging to launch? Not that I'm switching anytime
>soon, just curious.

Best launch on an automatic is done by holding the car with the brakes
as you increase rpm. Release the brake suddenly and the car will
launch. This causes high temperatures in the torque converter and,
yes, it will shorten the life of the transmission.

By SMT you mean f-1 paddle no-clutch pedal manuals?

Those have electronic throttles that match rpm's. They will launch
at a pre-set rpm selected by the computer. Some cars have a launch
control mode that will dump the clutch at high rpm's (such systems are
not available in the US because there are too many lawyers - remember
the demonically possesed Audis?)

Dual Clutch transmission use multi plate wet clutches. They act like
a torque convert on shifts.