Drive it hard!!!

[MY Cobra]

I was wondering. Some people say "Oh it is bad to drive a car like that" then some people say "Cobras are made to be driven like that" I was wondering what your thgouths are on this. For me when i start a burn out i will dump the clutch from under 2 grand. and let them spin. Is is bad to do this ? (Yes for the tires but how bad is it for the tranny) Also what about shifting real fast? Some times the car will jerk me back in my seat and grab me by the balls when i really get on it. And down shifting when comeing to a light to hear my baby purrrr? A few comments on what is bad and what is good if the car can take it and how much it can take. thanks in advance

 

[Shalenboy]

The motor's in these things can take the punishment no prob, but the tranny's are for ****! Be careful on the hard shift's or you will bend shift forks and/or trash syncro's in a hurry. Since you're out of warranty (unless you bought extended), that's a pricey fix. Just my .02.

 

[MY Cobra]

so just take it easy on the shifting? No throwing it in to gear and screwing up the syncros and i should be good lol.

 

[MY Cobra]

This guy at the track told me "You shoudl not dump the clutch like that to warm up the tires" (He was driving a old firebird pos) he said it will trash my engine in a hurry. How else am i spose to get them spinning in one spot or as close as i can to that spot? i know with the IRS you can not do a standing burn out. Can you? i wish i could with out playing musical pedals with my feet.

 

[Shalenboy]

If you are on street tires, you should not be heating them up anyway, and don't go anywhere near the water box! Just spin them enough to clean em up a little. You're car has the power to spin tires without dumping the clutch, just bring your revs up and let her out easyish ..the tires should break. Dumping the clutch with IRS can be ugly my friend.

 

[Joe 5.0]

F that old hoser. When I wanna do a bunrout I dump it from ~ 4k and brake-tq it so it doesnt roll forward. I beat the **** outta mine and it has never hiccuped once. Granted I dont have the tq that a Terminator has, but I have stickier tires and a weaker tranny. I say drive it how you want to, and if something goes just get something stronger.

 

[MY Cobra]

HA HA HA thanks for the info. i just laughed at the guy cause he told me that after he was about 7 car lenghts back on the track and we stopped at the ticket stand.

 

[svtguy]

I was wondering. Some people say "Oh it is bad to drive a car like that" then some people say "Cobras are made to be driven like that" I was wondering what your thgouths are on this. For me when i start a burn out i will dump the clutch from under 2 grand. and let them spin. Is is bad to do this ? (Yes for the tires but how bad is it for the tranny) Also what about shifting real fast? Some times the car will jerk me back in my seat and grab me by the balls when i really get on it. And down shifting when comeing to a light to hear my baby purrrr? A few comments on what is bad and what is good if the car can take it and how much it can take. thanks in advance

Cobra's are made to be driven harder than your average commuter car, however if you plan to drive harder also expect to do more service work.
Burning off a bit of rubber or down shifting for a light isn't going to kill your car. But if your an idiot about it, then it will eventually take its toll.

 

[Craig Mack]

Downshifting when coming to a light can stress/wear out your engine and clutch twice as fast.

I ALWAYS just put it in nuetral and brake. ONCE in a while, when I wanna hear it roar, I will downshift, but I will make sure to revv match and let out the clutch very slowly.

Other than that, the T-45 is a weak @ss tranny, but can easily handle 2k clutch dumps on street tires. The only time I would worry if I was you is if I was running slicks and dumping the clutch at 4k+ rpm. *KABOOM*.

 

[MY Cobra]

lol yea do not see me dumping the clutch at 4 grand on slicks. so you double clutch it when down shifting to a light? i guess i should just pull it out of gear and coast to the stop light/sign. can not hear my baby roar but guess it is better than having it parking in the shop for the rest of the year lol.

 

[Snarf]

Nah man you can downshift coming to lights, I do this often, but I don't shift below third and I allways either double clutch it, or let the clutch out real slowly. Just downshift from 5th to fourth, then *maybe* third, then toss her in neutral and coast it on it. Theres no need to drop into anything below third. Just be gentle on the downshifts and you'll be fine.

 

[Craig Mack]

Nah man you can downshift coming to lights, I do this often, but I don't shift below third and I allways either double clutch it, or let the clutch out real slowly. Just downshift from 5th to fourth, then *maybe* third, then toss her in neutral and coast it on it. Theres no need to drop into anything below third. Just be gentle on the downshifts and you'll be fine.

Exactly. Keep it below 3000rpm, revv match, be extremely gentle, and try not to use 2nd gear unless your going real slow.

Ideally, dropping it into nuetral and braking will put the least amount of stress on everything. In fact, it will put no stress on engine/driveline parts, but clutch braking will.

 

[MY Cobra]

alright sounds good. i like to hear it come down from the RPM's <Drools> ha ha

 

[slidemaster101]

The motor's in these things can take the punishment no prob, but the tranny's are for ****! Be careful on the hard shift's or you will bend shift forks and/or trash syncro's in a hurry. Since you're out of warranty (unless you bought extended), that's a pricey fix. Just my .02.

03 and 04 have different transmissions...

 

[tygr1]

OK kids...the old man is going to share something with you.

Braking with your transmission and your brakes is a perfectly NORMAL way to drive a manual automobile! Not at high rpm of course. No dumping the clutch or locking of the rear tires...just letting the compression of the motor slow you down is all.

This is how the car was INTENDED to be driven. NOT in neutral. OK, coasting down to a stoplight is pretty much up to the driver. Bringing the car down rapidly however, is another thing, definitely, grab a gear...the transmission was not intended to suffer UPshifting only...it is equally strong during downshifting.

Clutch material goes away, no matter how you drive the car, just like brakes. Don't worry about it, brake with the transmission first, save your brakes. Why do you guys think an AUTOMATIC downshifts when you slow it? Because your car should not be driven in neutral, that's why. The brakes and the engine are to be used in unison.

An engine should NEVER be broken in without LOTS of nice long DEceleration periods to seal up both sides of the rings for a good future performer.

Not trying to educate anyone...just sharing guys.

OH...BTW...BEST use of a clutch is fully engaged or fully dis-engaged. The more you slip that clutch, the faster it wears out...period! Try and make all your clutching decisive and positive, slipping only as much as necessary. Less heat, less disc wear, LESS USE OF THE throwout bearing, which can give more trouble than most discs ever do!

All the above pertains to street driven cars of normal performance (<500 rwhp let's say). Race cars are a different game altogether.

Having said all that...drive YOUR car the way YOU want and can afford to! I do!



Carry on.

 

[Craig Mack]

Having said all that...drive YOUR car the way YOU want and can afford to! I do!



Carry on.

Right. I like putting it in nuetral and using the brakes. It's what has always worked best for me, it requires the least amount of work, and I don't put the extra wear on the engine/tranny/clutch. Our engines/driveline can handle easy downshifts when coming to a stop, but I choose not to, and so far this way has been great for me.

 

[tygr1]

Craig Mack...I do the same thing.

 

[Craig Mack]

Craig Mack...I do the same thing.

Good man

 

[chuckystang]

Ya but you guys have not mentioned an actually use for downshifting hard other than to just hear the engine. What about if your going 50mph in 4th and need to go full blast by an ss, so you throw it in 2nd and nail the gas. That seems normal other than the fact that you went to 2nd instead of 3rd?So with that said, is that bad to do, even when rev matching, and Im not sure everyone here has a clear understanding of dumping the clutch because that is the only way to spin the tires

 

[tygr1]

chuckystang...4th to 2nd at 50 mph?!




Abolutely! Now THAT's when you dump the clutch! Rev match too. Or just do what I would and blip the throttle and then go WFO as you engage the clutch. It's ok to do in YOUR car man...it's not that fragile!




However, blowing PAST a Camaro that is NOT in 2nd is just chickenshoot!


JK