hints for the 1/4 mile

[17UCK!]

planning on running down the quarter mile soon for the first time. ive got some semi slicks 255s 16s. just wanta know what pressure to put in. and any other tips.

i got a manual vr ute 355.hp w/ 4.11s

what revs to stall up to on take off?

ive also heard people take off in second for better times. should i?

any other little tips would be great. thanks guys.

[17UCK!]

any one?.........

[karlos]

Ill try to answer the questions.

-Tyre pressure would be around 18psi cold,after the burnout it will have around 20psi in it which is what suits my semis fine.What brand are you using ect?As soon as you see a decent plume of smoke(not see through)get off the brake if on it and slowly stage.Do the skid at the end of the water spray(last foot)as to not wet your guards underneath and having water drip on tyres.This may be able to be done in 2nd(burnout)?

-Because you have the semis and assuming they are still grippy and not old Im going to suggest 4000 rpm launches with clutch control of some sort,I dont know how your engine behaves or condition of track.Its not a case of in or out,what clutch does it run?

-Dont take-off in 2nd.

-Use your handbrake to roll gently into deepstage(1 light on),pull handbrake to stop you,dial up the revs and release clutch/handbrake at the same time if you want to attack the 60ftrs.@ lights if you just want to keep it simple.Its all in when you like to leave when the tree is dropping.As soon as the last yellow is up(I means soon as lol)release the clutch,dont wait for the green

-Dont worry about the person next to you,run your own race.

-Shiftpoints are critical to ET's,memorize the exact optimum numbers.

-When you get back go over the vehicle for any abnormalities,check tyre pressures if going back out(2psi less in burnout so it gains to the psi you need)

-Dont be afraid to experiment with techniques,its a gradual step up usually to the best ET your vehicle can get due to so many variables on the day/s.

-Have fun and keep hydrated.

[17UCK!]

thanks mate helps heaps , not sure of the clutch brand but its a heavy duty. the semis are worn but 50% left in them. not sure of the brand ill have to go have a look later.

[Bz Kn33z]

keep us updated on the times?

[17UCK!]

yeh mate, wont be for awhile but ill let ya's kno

[17UCK!]

no1 else has any tips?

[BradSV8]

You shouldn't use your handbrake if its your first time out, it will only complicate things. Your car will not roll as the track will be flat. Stop your burnout short of the start line and roll up to it slowly until the car is staged. Hold your clutch at the friction point and bring up the RPM as the the lights start. When you launch try different rpms. Start at say 2000 and go up in 500rpm increments till you find out what works the best. Also SLIP the clutch do not drop it, if you drop the clutch the car will never hook up and you will most likely break something. When I say slip the clutch I mean take off like you would in the rain, just a quick slip so the wheels don't spin. This is hard too do but once you work it out you will be very consistant and quick off the start line.
Also dont worry bout trying to get killer reaction times off the tree. If it is your first time out take your time and concentrate on launching the car it doesn't matter if your reaction is .3 or 2 seconds just concentrate on getting a good 60 foot. You should be aiming for around a 1.7-1.9 sixty foot time depending on track conditions. On a good track you should be able to see these sort of 60 foot times on regular street tyres.

[17UCK!]

thanks mate. i have alot to practice. i might practice sliping the clutch around the streets a bit first so im ready for the big day lol

[BradSV8]

Just dont slip it too much driving around otherwise you will fark the clutch. It should only take around a 1/2 a second to a second in the total travel of the pedal the is a fine line between a quick slip and dropping the clutch.

[eaton v8]

semi slicks 255s 16s

are they drag radials?????

[wraith]

Well considering no one has said it yet I will say my part. Yes these are fairly standard things how ever some times every little bit helps. Make sure your not carrying any excess weight with you. Heck you could go crazy and pull the spare tire and jack out if you wanted and re fit it when your done. Half a tank of fuel could help as well (at a rough guess half a tank is around 30 kilos where as a full tank is around 60 kilos.)

In the end it's you who will find the optimum shift and launch point's and what work's best. As hard as it may be you shouldn't need to touch red line in a fairly standard commodore.

Oh and also. No matter what any one says just go at your own pace. If it take's you 10 trips down before you start getting good times then it takes 10 trips.

[VT-565]

As said, take your time.
You will be nervous as all hell, try and pick a test & tune or street meet to go to, you'll feel a little less under pressure as it is more of a fun atmosphere, even the best of them f**k up from time to time and if so, this is the place and time to do it.

Now, onto the car.
Get as much weight out as want, I generally drop the spare, take out all the tools, clean out the centre console & glovebox, take seatcovers and floor mats out. It's free hp, all that shit adds up.
Make sure your car is serviced well and has no leaks, make sure its as clean as you can get it.
Since you haven't been out before, I'd say just go and do what feels right in the car, see what times you pull.

If you are going to change ANYTHING on your car, do one thing at a time or adjust only by a little bit.

Most importantly, just go and have fun with it.

[17UCK!]

its a ute so im thinking taking tail gate off, spare tire out, sub out. and run 1/2 tank of fuel. see how that goes. i dont really know what u mean by drag radials but there not street legal, there just for track use ( says on side of the tire ).

ill goto a test and tune for sure. any1 know how much they are? and how many runs you usually get?

ive got a fairly big cam, so i think for most power ill have to get to limiter. what gear will i get to over the line? 3rd or 4th? should i stay in 3rd if the lines not far away rather then changing 4th just b4 line?

thanks every1 for your help so far

[VT-565]

Tell us exactly what brand your tyres are, its not recommended you run a bias ply tyre (traditional slicks, Sportsmans etc) with radials (normal street tyres) on the front.
Most good tracks will pick that up, but you don't want to get caught out trying to run a tyre that isn't permitted.
Shedding weight is a good idea.
If you launch off the limiter you will haze your tyres, unless they're good enough to hold, then you'll break the next weakest link.
Just try driving it off the line for a start and take it up a little each run. You'll soon find the rpm range where you can successfully launch at.
As far as holding gear, if you need to change, then do it. No good bouncing off the limiter for the last 50 metres of the track, remember, if you punch the next gear, it will get you going that little bit quicker.
The street meets in T'ville are usually $30 and you need closed in shoes, long pants, long sleeve shirt and an approved helmet.
Townsville is not ANDRA affiliated, so meets at your track could be a little bit tighter on scrutineering.

Have fun with it.

[wraith]

Leave the tail gate on. Mythbusters proved taking it off does nothing.

[VT-565]

If he doesnt have a hard cover (which should come off as well) then removing the tailgate is more of a weight saving than an aerodynamic improvement

[karlos]

If its a "true" street car then stay in street trim imo.

lol,yeah leave the gate on.

[wraith]

Leaving the tail gate up negates any weight penalty you may have as there is better aerodynamics with it up and it also helps to push the rear of the car down.

[17UCK!]

well i might have to try a few runs with it off and on. see how it goes.

[a1k3m1]

hey dude, dunno if you have read this or not.. It may/may not help ya, but it could give some handy hints..

HOW to race your car

[VT-565]

well i might have to try a few runs with it off and on. see how it goes.

Good idea.
This is what its all about, what works for others may or may not work for you.

Please post up your results when you finally do make it down the strip.

Be warned, its very addictive.

[pied piper]

dont bees so stupid des bloke u look silly as startin 2nd cog whos gavs u dat tip des must bees pullin ur chain wicked una! maybees he playin u for a fool u is! ill gib u a tip u donts needs dem sliks to stik if u just load all da mobs in da bak seat des u bees able to valve bounce in 1st instead mate on ur take off for sure! and i knows on dem utes if u lays dat tailgate open u goes faster cause i seen it done plenty times hey cause dat catch all da winds una. maybe u shuld goes to my uncles in gosnells ways wid some export nd charge him up silly he will show u kickin sideways on aunty wendys hole, lastly stop wastin ur coin on dat sing bruz no mob even work on dem 5ltrs no more i got 6 out bak all pukd, i got mes new plash clubby frm julias gilard now wes flying rnd eberywers una

[Hunter SS]

dont bees so stupid des bloke u look silly as startin 2nd cog whos gavs u dat tip des must bees pullin ur chain wicked una! Maybees he playin u for a fool u is! Ill gib u a tip u donts needs dem sliks to stik if u just load all da mobs in da bak seat des u bees able to valve bounce in 1st instead mate on ur take off for sure! And i knows on dem utes if u lays dat tailgate open u goes faster cause i seen it done plenty times hey cause dat catch all da winds una. Maybe u shuld goes to my uncles in gosnells ways wid some export nd charge him up silly he will show u kickin sideways on aunty wendys hole, lastly stop wastin ur coin on dat sing bruz no mob even work on dem 5ltrs no more i got 6 out bak all pukd, i got mes new plash clubby frm julias gilard now wes flying rnd eberywers una

wtf!!!!!!!!!!

[VTClubby98]

dont bees so stupid des bloke u look silly as startin 2nd cog whos gavs u dat tip des must bees pullin ur chain wicked una! maybees he playin u for a fool u is! ill gib u a tip u donts needs dem sliks to stik if u just load all da mobs in da bak seat des u bees able to valve bounce in 1st instead mate on ur take off for sure! and i knows on dem utes if u lays dat tailgate open u goes faster cause i seen it done plenty times hey cause dat catch all da winds una. maybe u shuld goes to my uncles in gosnells ways wid some export nd charge him up silly he will show u kickin sideways on aunty wendys hole, lastly stop wastin ur coin on dat sing bruz no mob even work on dem 5ltrs no more i got 6 out bak all pukd, i got mes new plash clubby frm julias gilard now wes flying rnd eberywers una

Wow... Really? i feel dumber having attempted to read this