2nd gear launch?

[07graygt]

Hey guys I'm woundering if anybody has tried launching from 2nd gear? I have 4.56's and first gear is really short. When I had 4.10's I know that an extra shift made me slower. So I was thinking of maybe trying to launch from second to save a shift. I know it would slow me down of the start but once it got back up to speed I'd only have 2 more shifts instead of three.

 

[Wicked GT]

I used to launch out of second in my old fox body before I got slicks but never got my 2006 to the strip to try... sorry can't be any more help.

 

[NotQuik]

I'm sure you're clutch would love you

 

[07graygt]

My Theory is if I launch in second with 4.56's it would be like launching from first with 3.55's.

 

[86GT351]

Will destroy your torque multiplication and slow the car down. Will also smoke your clutch pretty quickly!

 

[07graygt]

I'm all ready launching at 5000 in first and doing a burn out before each race. I'm sure that's not good for the clutch either.

 

[weather man]

If your not hooking with the 4.56's, you need to figure out why. Now the real drag racers need to pipe up

 

[ArtQ]

What tires are you using?

That 13.05 is still your best time?

 

[07graygt]

Yes 13.05 is my best time DA sucks here last week it was around 9000+. I'm not having any problems hooking up. I have 28in m&h drag radials. I know when I had 4.10's and banging the rev at the traps if I shifted to 4th it would add a couple of tenths. So I'm thing that launching in 2nd with 4.56's will skip a shift. I don't know that's why I'm asking. But the guys saying its gonna toast the clutch all I really do is race the car nothing I'm doing is easy on the clutch.

 

[ArtQ]

Your combo suggests to me that you should be shifting at a minimum of 6500. The 5000 launch sounds pretty good, although I used to dead hook launching at 7200 with those tires. We have a relatively similar set up. I have since switched to Hoosier quick time pros at 26" speed shifting at 6800 I run through the traps at 6800. Yes 1st goes quick, especially with the 26" inch tires, but the point is the engine stays in the power band all the way down the track. launching in 2nd will just bog you and cancel out the extra shift you are trying to avoid. Do you speed shift? Flat out foot to the floor shift?

 

[07graygt]

Foot to the floor. I'm also think about launching a little harder. I really want to break into the twelves. I am shifting at 6500.

 

[ArtQ]

Sounds good, try getting your launch higher for sure. The stock clutch can take a beating, I launched wheels up and in the 1.4x 60's with the stock clutch. My shift point is higher due to the 127500 cams I use. That 6500 should work good for you. What RPM are you going through the traps at?

 

[07graygt]

Hi wanna say rpm is 4-5000 but not sure but my trap speed is usually 103-105

 

[ArtQ]

Next mod should be light weight wheels and I would drop down to a 26" bias ply tire like the Hoosiers. That's a rough DA you have to work with but I bet you pick up a minimum of .3 tenths

 

[07graygt]

I really want to keep the stock wheels. I was thinking about having them narrowed. We have a place locally that does that. I was gonna go with a 205/50/17 should drop about 20lbs. I was thinking about taking the pass seat and back seat out for the next race to see if that would get me a little more. In September when the temps start dropping I know ill get a 12 time slip but I want it now lol.

 

[fdjizm]

My Theory is if I launch in second with 4.56's it would be like launching from first with 3.55's.

No, stop it.
There is an 11mph difference in what you just said, you will bog, go slower and destroy your clutch.

But go ahead and try it out, sounds like you have your mind made up.
Some people like to learn the hard way.

 

[ArtQ]

I really want to keep the stock wheels. I was thinking about having them narrowed. We have a place locally that does that. I was gonna go with a 205/50/17 should drop about 20lbs.

Been there, understand, however the 205/50 is going to be pretty short. Weight transfer will move to the front. I used 215/55/17's on a set of narrowed bullets that worked pretty good. It wasn't 20 lbs. worth more like about 9 if I remember right.

 

[NotQuik]

Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like you just need to keep on practicing. You're on the right track but an extra shift shouldn't cost you a couple tenths.

As an example, I went from 3.31's (going through the traps in 3rd) to 4.10s (going throught the traps in 4th). The car went 12.97 with 3.31's and mods listed in my sig...You can see the difference in the more recent times below. I know others on here have had the same experience. Given equal 1.9 60's on the 3.31's vs 4.10's I was still averaging two to three tenths quicker with an equal mph.

I was assuming you were on a 26" tire...On a 28" tire (taller than stock) that will go over alittle worst. An N/A 3v doesn't have the low end torque to recover from a hard bog.

Best of luck to you on the next outting. You're right there!

 

[86GT351]

Yes 13.05 is my best time DA sucks here last week it was around 9000+. I'm not having any problems hooking up. I have 28in m&h drag radials. I know when I had 4.10's and banging the rev at the traps if I shifted to 4th it would add a couple of tenths. So I'm thing that launching in 2nd with 4.56's will skip a shift. I don't know that's why I'm asking. But the guys saying its gonna toast the clutch all I really do is race the car nothing I'm doing is easy on the clutch.

With a DA around 9000 you are never going to see anything much better. Putting your info into a DA calculator at Sea Level you should be going 11.56 @ 117.

 

[quiksilver15]

Can you spin the motor safely above 6500 with hot rods and stock springs? I'm just assuming you're on stock springs. Just launch that bitch in 1st and work on your shifting, launching in 2nd is going to bog like a MF.