Best Launching technique w/ Quaife?

Next week will be my 1st time @ the track and I wanted to know what RPM the quaife users are launching at. Also, how much noise from the tires (aka wheelspin) should I be shooting for to get the best 60'?

CB99SVT launches @ 5500rpms....

This is in no way a suggestion that you should do that...

Did you upgrade the clutch as well. 5000 rpm launches on the stock clutch and it will wear out pretty quick. I launch mine at about 3-4000, with a little bit of clutch slip. even at that rpm, too quick with the clutch and they spin.

Also CB99SVT has drag radials IIRC, so his launch will be completely different.

He also was running Nitto Drag Radials!

Quiafe or no Quaife the limiting factor of your launch is your tires.

The Quaife really shows is prowress when corners are involved.
If one can spin both tires indefinitely (in a straight line) without a Quaife then adding a quaife accomplishes nothing by itself except for peace of mind from wheel hop & added diff strength for the previously mentioned drag radials and the increased strain they put on the drivetrain.

So I would start with light clutch slips from 3000rpm and adjust from there.

I am not going to tell anyone how to drive their car but I will say that 5000 plus rpm launches like I typically do are most likely going to shorten the life of many parts in the drivetrain. It should cause less wear than slipping the clutch will but there is a much greater chance of parts breaking. I am running a stock clutch and pressure plate in my car (60,000 miles) and with the drag radials and 5000 rpm launches I get no clutch slip. If you are going to slip the clutch you might as well spin the tires because either way you are going to have poor 60' times and tires are much easier to replace than your clutch.

I've got a grizzly OEM style clutch pressing against a Fidanza flywheel. Unfortuantely, I'm still on my stock Comp T/A tires. I only plan on doing a couple of runs, so if I need to abuse the drivetrain a little to get the best time, so be it. I'm just interested in some advice as to how to get the best 60' time.

I'm running a Quaife, stock clutch (with about 80 - 90 k miles on it), and Potenza RE730 tires. And 3L, etc. I launch at 2250 - 2750 (depending on the quality of the starting box surface).

I basically use the highest RPM that will get me out of the box with no wheelhop (or just a little). A few times I have had better 60' times driving through a bit of wheel hop than not, mostly because its a choice between wheelhop and bog at that RPM range.

If it's the first time at the track for you, you'll end up launching super low and bogging then too high and wheelhopping (or vice versa), and then you'll narrow it down to a good RPM after a few runs.

A good track will have little to no gray area between sticking tires and wheelhop (i.e. not much tire noise unless they break loose, especially with the Quaife). You should be pushng the limits of the traction available from your tires to get good launches.

Shoot for 60' times of 2.2 - 2.3 (or better). Beat my 2.201 on street tires and I'll buy you an ice cream cone.

Originally posted by PA 3L SVT:

Shoot for 60' times of 2.2 - 2.3 (or better). Beat my 2.201 on street tires and I'll buy you an ice cream cone.

Does that go for everyone

French vanilla my man.....a large french vanilla. In case anyone's interested, I'll post my slip here after this weekend.

Mmmm, french vanilla. Yummy. Hey, if you can put down a 2.1x 60' time, you deserve it! (And no, Drag Radials do NOT count, in case anyone was thinking that. Real street tires only.)

Of course, I have no idea how to pay this debt I might get into, but with my luck somebody relatively local will call me on it.

Maybe I need to limit it to N/A - nah. If you drop a couple grand to better your 60' times, I'll chip in an ice cream cone for the cause. Anyone know a good ice cream shop near SZ2003?

I am not sure what you are calling a real street tire but a drag radial definately is. They have tread that looks like most other street tires and are a steel belted radial that is Z rated. My DRs stood up to 15,000 miles of abuse without rotating which is over half the life of my KDW's or any other tire I have had on this car that were rotated every 5000 miles. In addition they are DOT approved so you need to rethink what you call a real street tire. I think but am not sure that Brad N had 60' times only slightly slower than my 2.04's on a non drag radial street tire. Also for what it is worth traction is still very limited with drag radials, it is very difficult to be consistent my car still suffers from bogging if you launch to low or spinning if you launch to high.

C'mon, a drag radial is a drag tire. Sure it can be used on the street, and it is DOT approved, but comparing 60 foot times on a DR and the tires I have is apples to oranges. It's a tire purposely designed with drag racing in mind, within the paramaters of DOT specifications. I doubt Bridgestone was thinking drag racing with the RE730, or Firestone with the SZ50, or Goodyear with the Eagle GS-C, etc.

I do have a question though: How much benefit did you see with the DR compared to a "regular" street tire? I'm just wondering what kind of 60's I could put down with DRs. I get the "on those tires?

" reaction a lot when discussing my times with people at the strip. Of course, if they only knew I wasn't driving the car to its full potential (granny shifter, I admit it freely).

Oh, I'm also not saying I'm the king of launching either. I'm sure there are people out there that can put down better 60's than me. But hey, if you are doing 2.1x or better in a Contour (or New Cougar) then you are doing a darn good job and deserve kudos. Even more so if handicapped with a tire not purpose built for drag racing. That's all I'm trying to say, really.

I am going to assume from your comments you have never driven a car with drag radials or one with a tire that was designed with nothing but racing in mind. The drag radial has one advantage over what you refer to as regular street tires and that is the relatively soft rubber compound. Yes it is possible to achieve fairly good results with a drag radial but I will assure you that it is still a big compromise from a true race tire. I have said this before and will say it again if you are not willing to abuse your car you aren't going to go fast. Our cars are heavy and have small motors without a great deal of torque so it takes rpm and lots of to go fast. Even with drag radials you will not be able to launch without spinning your tires. I have run quite a few passes in the 14.5-14.6 and have rarely had a launch without the tires spinning or bogging the motor. I can't tell you how much of an improvement the drag radials make because I haven't been to the track without them. If it ever cools off down here I will be able to tell you how much improvment a true race tire makes.

CB is ur car on a serious diet. Or is ur driving that good.!!

No diet at all, the only thing I remove is my spare tire, jack, and sub from the trunk. The times in my sig were with just headers, Quaife, K&N drop in filter and drag radials. The car weighs 3070 lbs with me in it according to the scale at Houston Raceway Park.

ah...thats strange my car weighed 3300 with me in it.