i haven't got any new 60' times doing this but someone explained it to me. they said i was in 1st way too long struggling with traction. it makes sense that you don't need to wrap out that short initiator gear. just use it to holeshoot and immediately speed shift into second and i can throttle harder. i was wondering why my auto tranny was launching 2.1 60's all night on stock 13" tires and the 5 speed with bf goodrich drag radials only gets 2.2-2.4??? so is this technique true and required and why don't you guys ever talk about it for those that want advice on better launching? so who does it? some do and some don't even know what it means.

 

Umm........how many 's did you have today??
I read your post like 5 times and have no friggin idea what the hell you are asking

EDIT** Ok I see now. Sorry, I think the 's I had last night were still effecting my judgement

I would think that if you shifted too soon into second then you would drop under your torque curve. Remember you have an LS motor. I would ride it out in first with feathering your clutch/gas for traction. If you want to try this, then do it at the track on the same day (so conditions or anything else wouldnt play a major variable) -- just check your 330' and 1/8 mile times with trying it both ways.
Oh yeah--what woofer said. DONT do this, this is how you WILL break shitt


[Modified by 93LSivic, 8:06 PM 2/17/2002]

 

I kinda understood it, but what I'm pondering is that when you already shifted into 2nd and caught traction, the rpms will probably be too low....

 

not really too low. i am boosting a 1.8...i tried it on the street and it pulled much harder (though spinning) than trying to redline 1st where that just breaks too hard and there is no pull. it was a very complete technical explanation which i completely understood and probably didn't make myself clear when i asked or tried to explain. just wondering if this guy is full of bull or what. i will know when i get some new 60's. i know it helped a lot on a friend's new accord with jrsc'd h22.


[Modified by not so civic, 11:39 PM 2/17/2002]

 

Makes a lot of sense to me; I don't drag personally but on my turbo GSR with the ITR tranny I do the same thing on a street launch - 1st is just completely worthless and 2nd is still low enough that you hit your powerband right after it hooks up. I say the only way to prove it is to track test it though.

 

If second gear works so well for you, why don't you launch the car in second? Problem I see is that the tires would be spinning faster and take longer to get traction for moving the car.

 

i have tried launching out of second. i tried at about 6k rpms and it just bogged. unless you have mega horses, i don't think most people can do that. my friend explained why that happened. it maybe had something to do with initiation... that's why 1st is only 'supposed' to be used for a split second when you drop the clutch and then immediately shift to second. he said that i should hit second by about 15 feet from the line and he said he floors it. when i had the ls auto tranny in, i would launch at 6k and at that instant it would shoot and already be in second from 1st just like he was saying. 1st gear is to initiate moving forward from a dead stop. 2nd is direct driveline between the crank and shaft and is for acceleration or pull. he described the whole concept as like a 'rubber band', front drive cars have to be slung forward and the whole idea includes the way the motor torques backward from 1st but the weight transfer lifts the front and when you shift the motor has torqued forward countering the weight transfer and when you hit second this shift presses the tires down for a moment giving a better grab...something like that.

 

i forgot to tell you 93lsivic...i didn't have any today or any last night. i did go out to a club in jacksonville till 6 in the morning and they don't even serve alchohol and no it is not 18 and under. got three hours of sleep so my judgement is slightly affected still. it's ok man...yeah, if you shift too early it would probably bog like you guys are thinking.