So I tried something last night. On my drive home from work I stopped on a service road and launched the car by holding the brake, getting the engine to 1500-1700rpms, pegging the throttle and simultaneously releasing the brake. Car takes off with very little wheel spin and TC intervention. I got up to 125mph. On another road I launched by just going from the brake to the gas so basically from idle. Much more wheel spin and TC intervention before it hooked up. Now this is around midnight 40 degrees or so. Tires were warm, 41 PSI. I did not time my 0-60 runs, but I would say that the first method was faster. Also the pavement surface felt different. Anyone else experiment?
Launching the SS
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From my experience with a stock converter it is better to just mat it from idle instead of stalling it up and going. The fact that you spun more on the second run shows the car did take off harder, but your tires weren't capable of putting it down due to conditions.
With both my GTO and SS I have gotten better 60' times going from idle compared to stalling it up.
With both my GTO and SS I have gotten better 60' times going from idle compared to stalling it up.
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100% opposite for me. Turning everything off andholding @ 1,500 or so is where my best times and 60' was in my G8 GT. 1.83 was my best on Drag Radials and Stock converter.
I did notice on the SS, trying to launch hard without disabling the TC and Stabilitrak that the car does launch soft and smooth, almost like the car knew the tires would break lose and did not have full power. Turning all off by holding the T/C button for about 10seconds and doing the same, yeah....... Tires up in smoke and bouncing off the Rev limiter.
I personally have not had great times at the track just stomping from an idle off the line. My best times were [email protected] & [email protected] 30 mins apart in opposite lanes both with a 1.8 60'
Hoping the SS will perform the same.
I did notice on the SS, trying to launch hard without disabling the TC and Stabilitrak that the car does launch soft and smooth, almost like the car knew the tires would break lose and did not have full power. Turning all off by holding the T/C button for about 10seconds and doing the same, yeah....... Tires up in smoke and bouncing off the Rev limiter.
I personally have not had great times at the track just stomping from an idle off the line. My best times were [email protected] & [email protected] 30 mins apart in opposite lanes both with a 1.8 60'
Hoping the SS will perform the same.
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My guess on the 2nd launch is you caught the car off guard by stomping the pedal and the T/C had to try and react and react hard and fast causing you to lose power for a moment and then catching back up.
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As far as a Radial Tire, I'm not sure how guys do it with lowering the PSI. With a Good Drag Radial you are looking for the Compound of the Tire to grip and hold tightly.
On Slicks, yes... Air down and get some wrinkles on the Sidewalls
I must have made 200+ passes on the track with my G8. Leaving the tires @ 30psi on my NT05r Drag Radials was the best. Airing down the tires just seem to make the car slower with a lower MPH. I went to 25-20-18-15psi etc and each got worse. Soooooo I talked to the guys @ Discount Tire and they called their source who said "Run them at 30-35psi" and I did from there on out. Never lowered them again at the track and focused on actually being consistent.
This was the last day at the track for my G8 GT - I knew my tires were 100% smooth and the last track day was 1.83 60' - Seeing these 60' times made me realize that the tires were DONE!
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However, even slipping off the line almost showing cords they were EXTREMELY consistent on each day at the track @ 30psi.
Not sure the Very small sidewall on the Stock 19s would be a good idea to lower the PSI to "Try" and get better grip. I would be worried about damage to the structure of the tire doing so.
Just my 0.02 cents
On Slicks, yes... Air down and get some wrinkles on the Sidewalls
I must have made 200+ passes on the track with my G8. Leaving the tires @ 30psi on my NT05r Drag Radials was the best. Airing down the tires just seem to make the car slower with a lower MPH. I went to 25-20-18-15psi etc and each got worse. Soooooo I talked to the guys @ Discount Tire and they called their source who said "Run them at 30-35psi" and I did from there on out. Never lowered them again at the track and focused on actually being consistent.
This was the last day at the track for my G8 GT - I knew my tires were 100% smooth and the last track day was 1.83 60' - Seeing these 60' times made me realize that the tires were DONE!
However, even slipping off the line almost showing cords they were EXTREMELY consistent on each day at the track @ 30psi.
Not sure the Very small sidewall on the Stock 19s would be a good idea to lower the PSI to "Try" and get better grip. I would be worried about damage to the structure of the tire doing so.
Just my 0.02 cents
For street radials, small PSI changes will not affect the contact patch much, but larger changes will in three ways - one good, one bad, and one it depends.
Dropping PSI a bunch will result in a slightly wider and more than slightly longer contact patch - probably good.
It also results in a contact patch that's non-uniform. Think undulating potato chip w/ the ridges running longitudinally - not good.
The resultant spring rate of the tire/sidewall is lower - maybe good or bad depending on how it interacts w/ the suspension and road surface conditions.
Purpose built drag radials or cheater slicks are different in terms of materials and construction - experiment away w/ these guys
I had everything on, I didn't touch the TC button. I learned with my friends GT-R that pavement surface is everything. He would use the launch control and all 4 wheels would spin and then hook up, on certain surfaces the car would take off without any spin. I'll try to lunch the SS from the same spot next time both ways and see what results I get.
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