What is the best way to launch an Auto Trans

[Glenns05]

Before I get all the what automatic BS.

The only way I could keep my Z06 (which I don't drive in the winter) and get the new Stang was to agree to an automatic trans so my wife could drive the car if she needed to.

I have never had an automatic transmssion so I don't know how to launch the car. It seem there are only 2-ways.

1. Rev it up with the brakes applied - seems like a bad idea to me.
2. Rev it up in neutral and throw it in gear - seems like a worse idea to me.

Is there any other way that I'm not thinking of?

 

[slegos888stang]

ive have always been told to do #1 just hold teh brakes with your left foot and gas it up with the right until its just about to break loose then when the light turns green(tree at the strip) you mash the gas to the floor and release the brakes!!! if there is any other way i havent heard of it and cant imagine it being better!!! never do a neutral drop!!!

neutral drop=new tranny!!

 

[Glenns05]

Thanks - I figured a neutral drop was not good. Miss a manual trans but I also live in Chicago and I don't miss the constant up/down shifting. If I drove the vette more than I do I would probably already have a new clutch

 

[jmk97GT]

Torque 'em until the car wants to move. That way you can just let loose at around 1500-1700 or so rpms instead of idle.

 

[slegos888stang]

Torque 'em until the car wants to move. That way you can just let loose at around 1500-1700 or so rpms instead of idle.

didnt i already say that??

 

[willy_sc5.0]

If you wait to see the green (tree at the strip) you will have a terrible reaction time of 1 second plus. Go at the third amber better.

 

[slegos888stang]

If you wait to see the green (tree at the strip) you will have a terrible reaction time of 1 second plus. Go at the third amber better.

go at green means go not decide to go!! so i basically alreday stated this but on a side note what do you consider a terrible reaction time???

 

[bigaloz]

I took my 2005 auto to the track last sunday.

Drive thru the water box slowly, and just spin the tires enough to clean them off.

Turn the traction control and overdrive off.

Bring the rpm's up to about 2200 (left foot on brake right on gas)

Leave as soon as last yellow light comes on.

Just leave it in drive.

I ran 13.64 @ 99.68

 

[LightningBug]

Never drive through the waterbox with a street tire. It does nothing for you. In fact, you will most likely have a worse '60ft time due to the water trapped in the tread dripping onto the track. I have found my best times on street radials come from driving around the water and "dry" burning the tires just enough to clean them off.

 

[RICKS]

Just to address your worries of it to be a "bad idea" to hold the brakes as you rev-up the gas.....it's fine, it doesn't do ANYTHING bad to your brake system. Furthermore, every track is different when it comes to traction, so you'll need to experiment to find the best rpm to launch at. If you go hog-wild, and spool it up too high at the line, as soon as you release the brake and go you'll be spinning wildly. If you go too tame, well, that's obvious. Basically, you've got enough time in the "box" to do a couple "practice launches" before rolling up to the beams. I always drive AROUND the water box, as that's for cars with slicks. You don't want a bunch of water up inside your tread pattern, dripping all over the place even if you do a smoky burnout, there's still going to be water up in your treads that will cause mayhem at the starting line, and at many tracks, the starter-guy will yell at you for driving through the water box on street tires. Anyhow, then just to a quick spin of the tires to clean them off. Don't do a big smoky burnout with radials, it just makes them more slippery in my experience. Then, before you roll in to stage, while you're still back there off of the line, do a couple practice launches to see what seems to work well and to get "prepared" for the one that will count. Then roll up and do your thing. After each run, when you get back into the staging lanes, towel-off all the crap and pebbles and grit/dirt off your tires. The return trip from the timing house to the staging lanes, you pick up all kinds of crap in your warm tires. It really makes a difference to get that wiped down, prior to going into stage. Hope I didn't bore you with a bunch of crap you didn't already know!!

 

[Mr_dcj2001]

Thanks for the info Rick.

 

[RICKS]

I apologize for the over-use of the word "crap" in my prior post...

 

[Mr_dcj2001]

I apologize for the over-use of the word "crap" in my prior post...

. Don't feel bad man. I have to use that word and friggin whenever I am around my daughters all the time. I feel like a retard, but you gotta do it.

 

[Mr_dcj2001]

:OT: I'll give it before someone else does.

 

[bigaloz]

When I raced on Sunday, there was no way to get around the water box, so I had to drive through.

 

[damien2003gt]

I took my 2005 auto to the track last sunday.

Drive thru the water box slowly, and just spin the tires enough to clean them off.

Turn the traction control and overdrive off.

Bring the rpm's up to about 2200 (left foot on brake right on gas)

Leave as soon as last yellow light comes on.

Just leave it in drive.

I ran 13.64 @ 99.68

Really? What in Gods name was your 60 ft time? 1.5?

It would have to be in an auto trapping at 99. I call B.S on this post.
I'd raise the flage if I wasn't too lazy to find it.

 

[RICKS]

I used to run 13.90's at 100 mph flat in my bone-stock-new '96 Cobra with a not-so-amazing 2.10 60-ft time, so, seeing that most 2005 automatics have been easily cutting sub-2 second 60-ft times, I find it EXTREMELY logical and believable that it could run the time he listed. What would be his motivation to make up a time like that anyway? You guys are paranoid.....

 

[bigaloz]

13.64 @ 99.68 street tires

automatic 2.078 60 foot

If you think it's bs, call Joe Amato at Downs Ford.

He was there as well.

Ask him what the silver GT ran.

 

[REDFIRE 05 GT]

ive have always been told to do #1 just hold teh brakes with your left foot and gas it up with the right until its just about to break loose then when the light turns green(tree at the strip) you mash the gas to the floor and release the brakes!!! if there is any other way i havent heard of it and cant imagine it being better!!! never do a neutral drop!!!

neutral drop=new tranny!!

neutral drop= new spider gears

 

[351CJ]

Some comments:

1. Ricks is correct you will NOT harm your brakes holding the brakes on the car and reving it up. HOWEVER, when you are doing this ALL the engine's power has to go somewhere, and the place it goes is into the torque converter. The energy is converted to heat. If you brake torque for too long a time you can burn up your trannie fluid and / or cause damage to your torque converter. Nothing wrong with brake torqueing, but don't do it for too long a time!

2. The Auto '05 Stangs have a 3,000 RPM rev limiter to prevent trannine, driveshaft & rear end damage from reving it up and dropping it into drive. This is NOT recommended as you can break lots of things.

3. damien2003gt I don't see why you don't belive bigaloz's time . M/T ran a 13.6 @ 99 when they tested an '05 Stang GT Auto, so bigaloz's time appears to be legit.