which launch method is faster?

i'm having a debate over in the 240sx forums. and one of the guys says that its faster to launch at 5k rpm and then ride the clutch soo it just chirps then your off. what i argue against and experimented was that. it does launch with very little wheelspin. but as soon as it bites you have no first gear left. which also happens to be the strongest gear in the 240. now my method is the more traditional method of launching. rev it to where the torque curve starts (around 3000-3500 rpm) then launch. wheel spins for a second but i still ahve about 2000 revs of my first gear to accel me to higher speeds. what do you guys think? from experiences or whatever.

I'd go for the slight wheelspin approach, tires are easier to replace than clutches.

what i find works is rev to 3k or 35k like you said let the clutch out to where the car starts to move then press it back a little so when you have to go theres almost no delay. Also you said you get a sec of wheel spin maybe you should back off the rev a little or if you have a Rwd car put somthing heavy in your trunk (TRY IT FIRST before you use it in a real race). This my sound funny but it can work people used to do it in the winter so there Rwd cars chould get better tracktion but then me and my friends said why not use it on the track it worked for my friend at first he used bricks then he put a nice sound system back there for the weight but remember the added weight might make your car bog so rev a little higher if that happens.

Im really not sure which is faster but Id say launch at 35k and back off the gas a bit to keep down the wheelspin
Ps I gotta give ya props on the ride Nissan all the way baby!!

well i asked alot of my classmates ( i got a auto school ) and one said that its better to ride the clutch at around 4000K then as you let go. you barely get wheel spin and you keep your foot at that point until you really start goin. then you floor it as you get full traction. i guess that way is the faster, cause he said thats what people do in pro street classes.

You don't have a pro street car though. Try a few different ones, whichever gets you the best 60' time is the one i'd go with. I just dump the clutch high enough to get just a hair of wheelspin, then mat it.

Okay, in pro street, they tear their car down every couple of runs, to replace things like destroyed clutches and rebuild their transmissions...

Tires may not be too cheap, but they are easy to replace, and they're certainly cheaper than clutches, which you have to drop a tranny for... labour$$$ or tools $$$ either way.

hmm, 35k? wow......lol:D

you know what i mean 3,500k

Originally posted by RACER D12
you know what i mean 3,500k
Wow that would be 3,500,000 RPM's!!!! That technology is just out of this world!! maybe you mean 3.5k?:D

Originally posted by street_racer_00

Wow that would be 3,500,000 RPM's!!!! That technology is just out of this world!! maybe you mean 3.5k?:D


wow thats some funny shit. even though i said 4000K myself once in this topic. :D

Originally posted by street_racer_00
Wow that would be 3,500,000 RPM's!!!! That technology is just out of this world!! maybe you mean 3.5k?:D
Hey come on... his car had the turbine / Mr. Fusion engine conversion didn't ya know? ;) :D

Hey man, what I do to get my best launches w/o my Nitrous, is rev it up to 5k and start releasing the clutch. I have been racing my car for 5 years and that is how I get my best 60' and et times. I also have an act stage 3 clutch which helps out an insane amount. With my nitrous I rev it up to about 3k and dump it.

sooo i guess you do get the best times this way. but the thing is. it burns soo much clutch. i can realy realy smell it.

I always try to pull my launches off @ 3k-3.5k.....with my experiance, thats usually the 'sweet spot' for the nissan's:D

Personally i think 2500 on the RPM meter, pop the clutch, and when the tire squak is over, floor it!

If the first gear is the best gear like you say it is, then in theory this would maximize your gear use....



:cool:

I just want to point something out about the first gear issue. No matter whether you drop it at 2.5k or 5k when it comes time to shift you will be traveling the same speed. "using more of the gear" means nothing. at redline the car goes the same speed no matter who you entered the gear.

Yes, but if the engine is too low in the powerband to effective move the car, you will not acellerate nearly as fast, especially if you have an anemic 4 cylinder with no torque :rolleyes:

Not to say all 4 cylinders have no torque, after all, the Porsche 968 engine makes 220lbft, and it's a very broad powerband.

Originally posted by higgimonster
I just want to point something out about the first gear issue. No matter whether you drop it at 2.5k or 5k when it comes time to shift you will be traveling the same speed. "using more of the gear" means nothing. at redline the car goes the same speed no matter who you entered the gear.

Also if you drop the cluch at too high rpm you will lose traction. So the best lunch is at the highest rpm (ussually means that you are somewere good in the powerband) posible without spinning the tires.