My stutterbox launching technique

[v8s_are_slow]

I'm always hearing about people who say they have fast cars but when they go to the track, their times suck cause they bog the launch with their stutterbox. I had the problem too and I use to launch better without it. But got to thinking about why I was having the problem and thought about how to fix the problem.

Problem for most- Gas to the floor and then bogs the launch. Every person I talk to say they hold the gas to the floor. Problem I was having was that I couldn't tell how fast I needed to let off the clutch. Kinda like when you're driving a car and you can tell how fast you need to press in on the gas and out on the clutch as you're feeling it engage. But it's more difficult to do that when the gas is to the floor right?

Simple solution- Wherever your stutterbox range is set at, just press the gas down until the needle hits that rpm and then stop. You still get the stutterbox function, still build boost off the line, and when you let off the clutch, you can still press in on the gas so that you can better judge how fast you need to let out on the clutch. This is what I'm doing and I've been killing guys outta the hole. Even the awd guys and I'm fwd on slicks launching at 5k rpm.

Went racing this past Friday night and killed every single person outta the hole. Sorry, couldn't give you a 60ft cause the tree was messed up so they were flagging us "Pinks" style. Anyway, hope this helps for anyone who's having a problem trying to launch with a stutterbox.

 

[1998dsmtalon]

Thats a good idea, still get the 2 step but with light throttle.

After you let go and launch are you slamming the throttle or easing into it?

I'll have to give this a try when I get my ECU back from being rebuilt.

 

[v8s_are_slow]

I'm still able to slip into the clutch a bit but doing it pretty dang quick.

 

[fwdeclipse]

I have never had a problem with my foot to the floor with the stutterbox. I have been cutting 1.8 60ft. I need to try and get those down but I am already launching at 5500.

 

[v8s_are_slow]

Yes, but some people do have that problem. It's a lot harder to tell how fast you need to let out on the clutch if the gas pedal is buried to the floor. You also have to make sure not to let out too slow cause you'll burn up the clutch, too fast and you bog. If you don't bury the gas pedal you can still judge how fast to let out. This thread isn't for people who launch great. It's for people who don't.

 

[1fastlaser]

great little tip, thats how ive always done it, just get hit to hit the box and slip her out fast enough to go, but slow enough not to bog. I never did full studderbox launches mainly because i dont want to break

 

[DiamondStarAwd]

I always had the problem with Walmart special tires + 3065 + anti lag + 15 psi = smoke show. Took off the anti lag to even launch.

 

[STI2TALON]

Im not sure I understand but you say the rpms hold steady at your launch rpm even though youre not on the gas anymore?

 

[BrokenTsi]

That works great when youre using tiny little fast spooling turbos. I have my studder box at 7k and I pre-load with the ebrake and hold the gas to the floor. Im on a t67 p-trim .82.

 

[v8s_are_slow]

Im not sure I understand but you say the rpms hold steady at your launch rpm even though youre not on the gas anymore?

No, not what I'm saying at all. Let's say you have your stutterbox set at 5k rpm. Just press the gas down until your rpm's climb to 5k rpm and don't press it any further. You only wanna press it down enough so that the stutterbox engages to help you build boost. Regardless of how far you press the gas pedal down, it's only gonna go to 5k rpm and no higher. So anyway, as I was saying, just press it down far enough to engage the stutterbox and stop. When the light drops, you can let out on the clutch and still hammer the throttle to the floor and be able to feel the engagement of the clutch pedal. Cause when the gas pedal is all the way to the floor, it's hard to tell how fast you need to let out on the clutch. I know a lot of people that either bog, or burn their clutch by doing this.

Hope that helps you to better understand.

 

[v8s_are_slow]

That works great when youre using tiny little fast spooling turbos. I have my studder box at 7k and I pre-load with the ebrake and hold the gas to the floor. Im on a t67 p-trim .82.

Even at 7k rpm, I wouldn't think the pedal would HAVE to be held all the way to the floor. Preloading with the e-brake is one thing that might help. Just wouldn't think you'd have to have the pedal to the floor though.

 

[BrokenTsi]

The only problem I might see with NOT holding the gas pedal down, is that my car is tuned for WOT, not 1/2 or partial throttle.

 

[v8s_are_slow]

What are you talking about??? This is only when sitting still and getting ready to launch. Not when cruising.

 

[ceedawg]

Excellent advise here!!!

 

[1qkfwd]

You have to remember launching a fwd is differant than an awd. I had a mid 11sec fwd and if I used your way of launching it wouldnt work with the turbo I was using. Part of the problem is that people dont stay on the 2-step long enough to build all the boost that they can so the launch fails cause it doesnt have all the power out of the hole. A car I was working on ran consistant low 1.6 60 ft. times with a fully stock drivetrain and a set of drag radials. The only way to get the car not to bog was to get to the line and sit on the 2-step until boost was at its highest point and then find the right slip of the clutch.

 

[v8s_are_slow]

Uh, my car is fwd and doing it this way is working just fine. Other than a different rpm level between fwd and awd, there's not any difference. If it's bogging outta the hole it's because you're either launching at too low of an rpm, or you're letting out on the clutch too fast.

You guys are killing me as to why ya'll say this method doesn't work. It doesn't work on fwd cars and for cars that are tuned for wot launches. Uh, okay. Any other reasons you guys have?

 

[Sam@RRE]

I don't see what the big deal is. He is giving out FREE advice as to how to launch a car. Not saying its THE way to launch it. It is his opinion and is what works for him. He is sharing it with the community so some other people can try it too. Take it, try it, if you don't like it or it doesn't work for you, or if you already cut 1.6 60' times, then stick to the way you do it.

 

[98GSXtreme07]

I don't see what the big deal is. He is giving out FREE advice as to how to launch a car. Not saying its THE way to launch it. It is his opinion and is what works for him. He is sharing it with the community so some other people can try it too. Take it, try it, if you don't like it or it doesn't work for you, or if you already cut 1.6 60' times, then stick to the way you do it.

Agreed. Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[atlguyinbama]

Wonderfully put Sam...

Don't knock someone else's technique. He is trying to share his personal experience on here to help others that are having trouble. That's what this community is all about.

 

[assault187]

V8's are slow, I PM'ed you about a few questions about your car...

 

[v8s_are_slow]

Thanks guys. Just trying to help other people out. Feels like people are trying to pick me to death. Sheesh!!! Wonder if people do this when Shep, Jake, or others try and give advice ya know? Anywho, yes, if you don't want the advice or it doesn't work well for you then fine. But please don't ruin it for the guys that just might put it to good use. I mean last time I was at the track I beat every single person outta the hole. Rwd, Awd, and Fwd's. Couldn't get a 60ft (sorry) cause the tree was down and we were racing pinks style (I posted up a couple of vids in this section as well. Just look it up) but I know I was launching way better than when I pulled my 1.752 60ft without the stutterbox. I can literally feel the difference when I run 2 or 3 tenths slower. Also definately helps me to stay focused on the tree instead of the rpm gauge.

 

[Sam@RRE]

I got your back dawg!

 

[ceedawg]

Thanks guys. Just trying to help other people out. Feels like people are trying to pick me to death. Sheesh!!! Wonder if people do this when Shep, Jake, or others try and give advice ya know? Anywho, yes, if you don't want the advice or it doesn't work well for you then fine. But please don't ruin it for the guys that just might put it to good use. I mean last time I was at the track I beat every single person outta the hole. Rwd, Awd, and Fwd's. Couldn't get a 60ft (sorry) cause the tree was down and we were racing pinks style (I posted up a couple of vids in this section as well. Just look it up) but I know I was launching way better than when I pulled my 1.752 60ft without the stutterbox. I can literally feel the difference when I run 2 or 3 tenths slower. Also definately helps me to stay focused on the tree instead of the rpm gauge.

Well your method is proven and with my AWD I will follow thru with your advice!

 

[mach4g63t]

I think all of this makes a lot of sense. For instance, the other night I was driving my buddy's 2gb GSX and this Z28 wanted a run. Knowing my buddy would want me to run him into the ground sneaky I agreed. He pulled me a car from the 40-130 roll, so I wanted a dig. This was my first time launching his car with the studder box and when I went to launch I bogged the car badly. I've launched his car with no studder box several times to have the resulting head-snapping, tire-pealing launch everyone loves from a DSM. Couldn't figure out why I had such a shitty launch with a studderbox. I'll give this information a try sometime.

 

[Slippi84]

Only thing I will say to play devils advocate, your syaing you know how much to let your clutch out when you only hold the throttle down part way to get to a given rpm point and build boost but you don't know how much to let it out when it's all the way down??? The amount you let the clutch out when you do your tech is the same as when you floor it and then slip. I'm not saying I'm john shep when it comes to my driving but I"m good enough to try something feel if it's bad or not and switch it up to make it better. Knowing that it shouldn't take more than 2 trips to the track to get a good launch, not perfect but good. I will try your tech to see if it works better because it does make sense but my only point would be the other way(flooring it) yoru cutting out the giving more gas step so that should be quicker but still great tip