Below are some comments from DSMtalk members that have been posted to the racing forum dealing with AWD launch techniques. We've noticed that this is a topic which seems to come up again and again, and it's our hope that by starting this new thread, we can keep all of the ideas and discussions in one place.
If you look at the third post in this thread, you will see links to all of the AWD launch threads that have been posted to DSMTalk in the past.
Please read through the threads which have already been posted instead of starting a new one. If you have something to add, a technique or comment, please add it to this thread (preferably), or to one of these existing threads. This thread will be moderated to keep things on topic, so please try and keep the discussion focused and we'll keep it going.
Hope you guys find it useful... Thanks, and enjoy!
-Dsmtalk moderating team
Originally posted by 91eclipsegsx16boy 1. rev to 5500 with car in 1st and clutch pushed
2. "pulse" the throttle once or twice from 5000 to 5500 to get the turbo movin'
3. while stil moderating throtle, begin to let out clutch like normal (slow) and when you feel it grip (about 3/5 of the way - at least on my car) just take your foot off and BAM! you should be off!
on stock (K&N, free mods stock), with +32 psi front and +29psi rear tyre pressure(factory recommended), you should chirp the fronts and if you're on a road surface with a crown, the car may tq steer a bit down with the crown.
if the car launches and then the revs fall to around 4000 rpm and hesistate for a sec, you've bogged and let the clutch out too fast - the car should stay squatted in the rear through 1st if you've done it right, otherwise itll squat on launch and then see saw back on it's face.
if you can smell your clutch in the air, you may have taken too long to let it out.
if you pulse the revs too long, you start building up mad knock (as far as i've seen with a logger on my car), so if you're street light racing - you may want to make sure you won't be holding the revs so high too long.
a begginer way i learned to launch was to simply just floor it from idle and when it got to 5500 start letting it out. you should see revs as high as 6000 before you start movin'
-aaron
[quote]Originally posted by Quadcylla
[b]I'd say don't get water on your tires and don't do a burnout. Then get your rpms up to 5000~5500 rpm. Then give'er. If you bog again then next run ease the clutch out a little more slowly and be more aggressive with the gas durring transition... this will allow the turbo to spool and get rid of the bog. If you loose grip and don't bog then you need to be less aggressive with the gas and rpms. If you don't bog and don't loose grip remember everything you did and redo it everytime.
Becareful cuz you'll be thru first faster then you can say 'holy sh#t'.
------------------ Quadcylla
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Originally posted by Jehu Something else too...make sure there's no slack in your driveline before your launch. I.E. if you go over the start line, don't reverse to stage, stop, and launch right away. Reverse far enough that you have to move forward to stage. Leaving slop in your driveline before a launch is a sure way to kill parts.
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Originally posted by eagletalonawd All Wheel Drive T/E/L
Hold the RPM at 4500 while sitting on the line, and then slip the clutch out very quickly while adding throttle at the same rate.
Credited to: David Buschur the4bangr@aol.com
Later,
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Originally posted by BigUnitGSX Ok on the tree, the best way is once you see the last yellow light, the one right before green light, lights up GO!, Thats if you still have both stage lights lit up.
For the RPM range, it can be up to 5700, thats the best start launch, but might caust you some parts. Try to sort of roll of the clutch too. DONT DROP IT!
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Originally posted by greenstreak I have the best results with holding the rpms at 5k at the line. I alleviate any slack in the driveline by letting the clutch out very slightly to creep up but remain staged. When it is time to go I slip the clutch out quickly while flooring the gas. If you bog slip the clutch a little more if you over rev then slip it less. This is good for high 1.7s..
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Originally posted by shazamtsi I will bestow a small tidbit of information that was given to me. I was told never to side step or dump the clutch with an awd car. This didn't sink in until I saw someone who didn't heed that warning. He made transfer case soup that day, adn they towed it out later on a flatbed.
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Originally posted by Xtasy GSX The last yellow light before the green is actually when the reaction timing starts. Each light in is .500 intervals so as soon as the green comes on the time is at .500 which as you know is the perfect reaction time. But that's why you're supposed to go when you SEE the last yellow because of the time it takes you to react. That's just for the tree part of the drag.
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Originally posted by scsu I got my launch down the other day, finally!!! Rev it to 5-5.5K and then slip/dump the clutch. So far this has been good for neck snapping acceleration as well as some spinning of the rear tires on take off!!! All I can say is WOW, If I think launching this car now feels incredible, I cant wait until I start to seriously mod it!!! Heads will roll, literally......
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Originally posted by wkd20 practice , practice, practice, and more practice. my 2 cents, good luck
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Originally posted by dyezak On my last AWD I did the slip and dump meathod from 5-6000 RPM. With stock tires and stock clutch gave me a 1.69 60ft with a 13.51 @ 99.99 mph. Rear end would chirp and kick out to the left a little, made for a neck snapping launch. Best thing about our cars...they can do the same launch on the street and track. I had my brother in the car with me and got a WICKED launch once...harder than any of my 1.6-1.7 track launches. His ball cap flew off his head and ended up in the hatch area...as well as the windshield wipers coming on because of such a hard launch. Gotta love AWD.
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Originally posted by DSMscreamer Slipping the clutch is releasing the clutch gradually while applying the throttle. then as you feel the car move foward you continue releasing the clutch until it is fully engaged. Dropping the clutch is done by reving the motor to an elevated RPM, say 5000RPM, and then releasng the cutch very quick with no slip while flooring the go pedal.
[Edited by DSMscreamer on 06-26-2001 at 03:03 AM]
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Originally posted by Fast16G I used the TMO stutterbox (which used the lower starter switch on the clutch pedal) and launched at 4000-4500 RPM depending on traction. Then I switched to the DIS2 stutterbox/ignition which uses the higher cruise control switch and launch at 4000-4500 depending on traction.
My average 60 foots with the TMO was around 1.73 or so with a best of 1.70. My average 60 foots with the DIS2 are 1.70 with a best (so far) of 1.68. Bascially, between using the two different switches, I just needed to adjust how quickly I let the clutch out.
If you are just adamant about using the starter switch on the clutch pedal (the lower one), you will need to rig up a relay to reverse the polarity as there is no ground on that switch at all. I was going to do it, but became used to launching off of the top switch so now I am not going to bother.
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Originally posted by SAfrican
Todd told me that John Sheppard ran his stutter-box at the clutch pedal, that way he kept his throttle to the floor all through the run. After a couple fo drive-line and tranny failures, he's gone to a switch on his steering wheel.
I really like using the stutterbox, with 1.70s being the norm. The only problem I have is that I only get on it when the first orange comes on, that leaves me very little time to concentrate on reaction cause I'm off on the third yellow. Once, and only once did I get on it earlier than that (limiter at 4500rpm), built up too much boost and broke my 4-bolt.
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Originally posted by 95GSXracer The TMO stutter box was the best thing I have done for my driving. At the max of 6k I hold 16 psi on the line with the 14b. At a more typical 5k launch I get around 12 psi on the start line. The best thing is rpm and boost are always the same, and the gas pedal is floored even through shifting all the way through the traps. The only variable as far as driving is concerned is clutch work. On a cold 30 somethign degree night in NH, I started at 4k and 30 psi in the tires. As the night went on I gradually lowered pressures to 22 and raised stutter rpm to 5.5k. Thats when I pulled the 1.73 on the run in my sig. That was the last street night of the year, so I'm sure the improvement trend would have continued. I can't wait for some decent temps/traction this spring... Sorry for the long, semi-off topic post, but just wanted to share my experience with what I think is the best thing to happen to launching DSMs. Good luck.
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Originally posted by Taboo I use a technique similar to 91eclipsegsx16boy's. I rev very fast to 6K - 3 times. The fourth time I go all the way to the floor and slip the clutch very fast at 6K. It's basically like counting 1-2-3-4 very fast. The 2nd gear is part of the launch, watch your RPM and bang it in as fast as you can once you hit 6800 RPM. If your wipers don't turn on, you're doing something wrong...
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Originally posted by Taboo
Exactly. Basically, the goal is slipping the clutch as little as possible without bogging the launch and overheating the clutch. You notice the launch has a kind of two very short stages: The clutch starts to grab, the ass goes down and nose goes up. You should dump the clutch all the way at that moment (with the gas pedal to the floor), the ass goes even more down, you chirp the fronts and off you are. As 91eclipsegsx16boy said, if the car falls back on its face, your RPM were too low. The car must be sitting on its rears all the way through first. If you smell the clutch, you didn't dump it fast enough.
This Technique only applies when you are racing from a roll in an AWD. Say your cruizn around say 30mph when someone pulls alongside and wants to run. Just simply flooring it will yeild in a very slow takeoff(due to spoolup time and low rpms), but just as you floor it, tap the clutch pedal quickly(just enough to make the rpms jump) and release. You should take off like a jet. This push and release technique(clutching it) shouldn't be longer than 1 sec. Try it a few times when racing from a roll, be sure to have a heavy duty clutch assembly in place as the stocker will be toast after a few slips like this. Your opponent will be shocked.
Originally posted by Josh95TSiAWD This Technique only applies when you are racing from a roll in an AWD. Say your cruizn around say 30mph when someone pulls alongside and wants to run. Just simply flooring it will yeild in a very slow takeoff(due to spoolup time and low rpms), but just as you floor it, tap the clutch pedal quickly(just enough to make the rpms jump) and release. You should take off like a jet. This push and release technique(clutching it) shouldn't be longer than 1 sec. Try it a few times when racing from a roll, be sure to have a heavy duty clutch assembly in place as the stocker will be toast after a few slips like this. Your opponent will be shocked.
if you like to abuse your car, use the above technique...the rest of us will brake spool.
I have an ACT 2600 in my Talon AWD. I slip it around 4500 at most. Ive heard bad things will happen if I go at a higher RPM. These posts are saying 5/5.5k. Isnt that too much or... Please let me know. My current 60ft now is a 1.82. Thanks!
Originally posted by highonpsi What is brake spooling? And how do you brake spool from a roll?
simultaneously give the car gas while holding the brake and go WOT, but use the brake to hold the engine RPMs at 3000,3500,4000rpm, wherever you prefer, and watch your boost gauge hit max, let go of the brake pedal and the car can LAUNCH from a roll
supra owners love it because they can race from a roll on full spool and not drop way back until their massive t88's spool up
You guys are easy on your cars, All the 5spd cars I have owned I always left at 7000rpm and slipped the clutch. I was also famous for doing the clutch snap at a roll, but I never had a pressure plate or flywheel failure. I have always used ACT clutches and always will. I used the 6 puck disk a short time and my t-cases didnt like it, so I stick to the organic disks. I have also used findanza flywheels which seemed to give more top end pull, but the turbo was slower to spool. The largest turbo I have used on a 5spd car was an ETE52, but I prefer a Big 16G/ported 8cm no clip/wg mod and a little spray.
Originally posted by 4SFED4 You guys are easy on your cars, All the 5spd cars I have owned I always left at 7000rpm and slipped the clutch. I was also famous for doing the clutch snap at a roll, but I never had a pressure plate or flywheel failure. I have always used ACT clutches and always will. I used the 6 puck disk a short time and my t-cases didnt like it, so I stick to the organic disks. I have also used findanza flywheels which seemed to give more top end pull, but the turbo was slower to spool. The largest turbo I have used on a 5spd car was an ETE52, but I prefer a Big 16G/ported 8cm no clip/wg mod and a little spray.
The best way is to use a TMO launch or 2-step rev limit to get consistent launches.
If you dont have one of those, do the 4500 slip! Let the clutch out at the same speed as you do when taking off like a grandma from a light, but floor the gas at the same time!
ive got the centerforce df so im not worried to much about tranny probs. I take it up to around 5k and just dump the clutch as hard as i can while giving full throttle same time. My clutch slips enough so that i wont bog. I have a friend with a puck disk and this does not work by any means. Best so far is a 1.701 and consisntent 1.79's and below on street tires
My technique goes like this from the line..rev to 6000k to 6500k quickly..side step the clutch down...light drops..slide my foot off the clutch..Rolling start, i usually put it into neutral..rev high..and slam it into 2nd..and take off..you have to do it quickly or else that Honda will eat you up!
Near future mod's: Toyo t1s tires, 3" HKS stealth cat back exhaust, RRE 2.5 dp, and whole suspension is being redone...sway's,strut's,adjustable shocks,springs, and bushings! MOUNTAIN RACING BABY!
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Good luck.
awd launch w/ act 2600
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