93_z28

i just got a th400 with a trans brake and ive never ran one before.

i have a bolt on only LT1 and a B&M holeshot 3500 converter,9 inch rear with a spool and 4.10s with 28x9x15 M/T ET drags.i have a spohn adjustable TA thats tunal mounted and cromaly LCA`s with LCA relocaton brakets and subframe conectors,wolf single anti roll bar,CE rear drag shocks set at 50/50.also i have a 2 step.race weight is just over 3100 lbs

the questions i have are,

1.what rpm should i try to launch at?
2.how long can i hold the trans brake button?
3.is my TC going to be able to handle a trans brake?
4.do i preload the suspention before aplying the trans brake?
5.do i still leave as soon as i see the last amber light?(dont want to red light and i usualy cut .010-.060 lights with a t56)

anything els you guys can help me with would be great

Steve Burger

iTrader: (33)

Start about 3K and work your way up. That way you can get used to the brake
Every ONE second on the brake is roughlt 50 DEG of trans temp. As little as possible
Yes
It will load itself to some extent.
yes.

93_z28

thank you

Camaro Jearmy

your not going to be able to prevent red lighting the first few times. Once you get it down its great. You eventually want to be holding your throttle on the wood when you release the button. The engine will not just rev rev rev, the converter will hold the motor in your case probably 4500 - 5000. Plus thats what your 2-step is for. A trans brake is ideally supposed to increase your consistency in your reaction times. By trying to hold the engine at a certain rpm then focus on the tree, it wont work. Holding it on the floor and letting your converter and 2 step take care of your rpms will make you consistent.
Like he said^ less time of holding the brake the better.

93_z28

i wasnt planning on trying to hold it at a certen rpm,that is why i got the 2 step.

so when i see the guy in the other lane stage all the way then i shold get on the trans break and hold tha gas to the floor right?with the 2 step set to whatever i am trying to launch at.

Camaro Jearmy

exactly, and make sure your leaned all the way back in the seat lol...i had a reverse manual valve body in a car and a couple times i wasn't all the way back in the seat and launched, whenever it through me back, my hand being on the shifter, i jerked it in 2nd right away! really makes for high mph, but kills the 60'. It took me a couple times to get over the fact of holding it on the floor, you think in your head its going to just keep revving, or i did at least.

93_z28

i cant weight to get to the track now i could only manage 1.9 60 foot times before,im hopeing for some 1.6`s now.i went from 3.23`s to 4.10`s as well.i was also on a stock clutch before

95z28camaro

iTrader: (15)

So how much of an e.t. drop can be expected from leaving of the trans brake vs. footbrake? Im "kinda" familair with how they work along with delay boxes and all but never really asked anybodys comparison.

No, because the idea is to be able to let off of the brakes once you engage the transbrake so the car will leave as soon as you let off the button, not button and foot. If you preload the suspension the car will just sit back down once you let off the brakes, and i guess it could possibly roll a tad when you unload the suspension...

93_z28

i hope a lot,lol if i dont get an 11 second pass im buying a nitrous kit.unless its real close to 11,then ill just try to do it with moter only for now

95z28camaro

iTrader: (15)

What are you at now? Lookin at what you have done we seem to be pretty close mod wise. if i was you id look into some drag radials... i ran a 12.03 then a 12.05 at about 106mph with a 275/50/15 m/t dr and ran out of gear about the 1200' mark and just held the rpms past the finish line, then went to a 28x10.5 m/t bias ply street slick and slowed down 2 tenths both passes. i know that the smaller tire gives me more gear to get there quicker but i figured the fact i got to run it out made up for that since i ran 110mph. youll get it man!

93_z28

i dont know what im at sence ive done so much to my car sence ive had it to the track.i went 12.9 2 years ago with a t56 and stock 10 bolt with 3.23 gears.also my rear was a 1 legger from beating on it,lol.

Camaro Jearmy

I had this before, being so close. I ran a 10.08, then 10.03, so i was SURE that i would hit a 9.99 9.98 or so that night, never happened, people had oil spills slowing everything down, just nothing went right after that. SUCKED!

As far as drop in ET i dont know how much to expect by using a break, maybe .02, the main advantage i think is just to be more consistent.

Villain281H

iTrader: (5)

In responses to your questions, Steve gives good answers on them. However I'd avoid loading the suspension since once you stage, set the transbrake and get off the footbrake the car will "settle." Ssome cars like a little more than idle rpm to get the transmission line pressure up to make staging easier, but I stage my TH400 at idle. I take a big chunk out of the pre-stage bulb to make lighting the stage bulb a little easier.

On your question of quickness of a transbrake vs. a footbrake, the reaction times are usually much quicker since hand to eye coordination is much better than hand to foot. My Nova usually picks up 2-4 hundredths in the 60 foot times on the TB, but a lot of it will depend on your suspension, tires, etc. Some cars that do well off the footbrake may not handle the violence of the TB like others.

Derek