Jim Mills

This is my first M6 car that I've ever owned... I've owned manual cars before (88 Honda Civic 5 speed) but my 95 T/A was auto and that's the only car I've drag raced... I now have a 2001 Firehawk /w 6 speed and now I need to know how to do a burnout... any help out there for firstimers like me???

1HoTTZ28

Drive around the water, get the car straight. Turn off ASR, put it in first, rev it up to 4k, dump the clutch and quickly move your left foot onto the brake pedal. Depress the brake and floor the gas at the same time. Then just keep modulating between throttle and brake, keeping it in the 4-5k rpm range until you think the tires are hot enough. Then let off the brake and burn them up until the line, but don't go over <img src="images/icons/wink.gif" border="0">

I'd suggest practicing before the track, that way you'll be more comfortable and ready to rock <img src="images/icons/cool.gif" border="0">


P.S. Get a line lock, this will warp your rear rotors pretty damn quickly if you race alot.

timelord

Very light pressure on brake pedal unless you like changing diffs....

AAron

i dont even power break my car i just rev her up and keep her at 6000-6400(i have it reprogramed) and the ET streets do the rest <img src="images/icons/smile.gif" border="0">

BIGBOS

Are you saying you don't use the break?

BIGBOS

I still haven't gotten the burnout perfect...

First time I ever attempted I stalled it...gave too much break...

2nd time was perfect....just barely holding the break will keep it still or a lot of people like to do the heel toe burnout...

Keep your heel on the break and your toe on the gas...rev up to 4k and dump the clutch with your left foot...your other foot is already on the break so you don't have to worry...once your in the burnout you can put your left foot on the break... <img src="images/icons/smile.gif" border="0">

I'm still experimenting...

timelord

BIGBOS!!You're looking for trouble that way,3/4 flooring it gets them spinning no problem.All you need do is modulate brake with left foot,much simpler this way.Too many ways to blow it your way. <img src="images/icons/cool.gif" border="0">

AAron

[quote]Originally posted by BIGBOS:
<strong>Are you saying you don't use the break?</strong><hr></blockquote>

nope with the ET streets the breaks wouldnt hold anyways so its like what ever. i cherp them in the water to get them go and wet then i pull forward and do my burn out she dosent move much <img src="images/icons/smile.gif" border="0">

Mike

GET A LINE LOCK! I got pretty good at doing burnouts with a basically stock M6 w/Nittos. Clutch in, car in 1st, give gas (4000rpm) drop clutch, hold gas constant and brake a little. Release brake, clutch in, take car out of gear. The line lock is so easy, I don't get sideways at all anymore. If you are going to do burnouts frequently, definatly get a line lock.

Mike

BBYZED

If you're lucky like us up here in Ottawa, your track has a little lip between the waterbox and the launch area (the asphalt is higher on the launch area). You park the rear wheels up against the ridge, crank it to 4000 rpm and drop clutch. Spin, spin, then hit the brakes cause your at the line! Now, if you are running slicks, yeah, rev, dump clutch, slight brake like the others said. Street tires usually only need a quick spin.

BBYZED

I guess you won't be trying this until spring now eh Jim?

Jim Mills

[quote]Originally posted by BBYZED:
<strong>I guess you won't be trying this until spring now eh Jim?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Guess your right now Gary.. Spring time now <img src="images/icons/grin.gif" border="0">

Onyx LS1

iTrader: (5)

Get a line lock! It makes it SO simple and doesn't put unnecessary strain on your car.

Terry Burger

iTrader: (4)

The tires have to be wet to start, then dump the clutch at high RPM. If you are doing it right, you shouldn't have to rush moving from the clutch to the brake. The most common problem is not getting both tires wet. I've seen a couple line locks get stuck on while guys were trying to race down the track, they are expensive, and make the process more complicated. Just learn how to do it with the stock system, it doesn't wear on your rear brakes much at all as long as you don't push the brake down too hard.

2000 Camaro SS

[quote]Originally posted by Terry Burger:
<strong> I've seen a couple line locks get stuck on while guys were trying to race down the track,.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Man I bet that was a sight <img src="images/icons/shocked.gif" border="0"> Guys thinking " I can't hook up " <img src="graemlins/gr_barf.gif" border="0" alt="[barf]" /> OPPS! line locks on.

TA_2001

that puke thing is just right for the line lock
stuck on..

2000 Camaro SS

When I first started without a line lock ...
I use to go around the water, back into it just a little get my tires wet move forward out of the water.. with the clutch in I would get the RPM's up with three short raps of the gas between 3000 - 3500 RPM's then I would dump the clutch and floor it. If I had enough RPM's I would let my tires smoke but if I did not have enough RPM's I would be rolling forward and I would have to let off before I went through the lights. They don't like it when you do that with the exception of rails or funny car. (At least in Alaska this was so) <img src="graemlins/burnout.gif" border="0" alt="[Burnout]" />

WS6 TransAm Girl

This is what I do with my nittos and so far, so good!
I was advised to pull through the water, helps the tires break loose more easily. Bring the RPM's up to 4k, drop the clutch, wait a second until you feel the tires start spinning, then touch the brakes to keep from going forward. When people stall, normally they are jumping from the clutch to the brake too fast, and hitting the brakes before the tires break loose. Keep the rpm's around 4k-5k, make sure both tires are smoking, then let off the brake, back to the clutch, let off the gas and roll up to the line. This is what I was taught to do, I was SO nervous about it, but it ended up being much easier than I thought. Just don't get too anxious when jumping from the clutch to the brake, make sure the tires break loose first before applying the brakes, and don't slam on the brakes, just feather them enough to keep from moving forward.
Good luck <img src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />

Bob Cosby

1) Ensure your traction control is off.

- Very important, but needs no further explanation. Been there, done that.

2) Pull around the water and get straight.

- Pulling around the water will help keep the remainder of the track dry, because there will be no water dripping from your big front radials.

3) Back into the water.

- DO NOT DO A DRY BURNOUT! You'll only hurt parts. The only time you'll want to do a 'dry burnout' is when you simply want to 'clean' real radials...even then, you only just spin em a tad...not a real burnout.

4) Put the tranny in 1st gear, and lightly spin the tires...no brake needed.

- This ensures the rear tires are good and wet - not just one patch of the tires.

5) Pull up just forward of the water.

- Staying in the water will throw it all over the underside of you car (and everywhere else). It will then drip all over the track, and we all know what that does.

Also, staying in the water will also increase the amount of time needed to get the tires hot (which is the reason you're doing the burnout in the first place).

6) Put the car in 2nd gear.

- You need tire speed, and 1st gear simply won't give you enough tire speed. In other words, you're wasting your time, clutch, etc by doing a 1st gear burnout.

7) Wind the motor up to 5000-ish rpm and dump the clutch.

- With water all over the tires, the car should hardly move at all, and the tires will spin very easily.

8) As soon as you're off the clutch, stab and hold the brake.

- Because the rear tires are spinning pretty fast, the rear brakes will be pretty much ineffective. When you stab the brake pedal, the fronts should easily hold you, while allowing the rear tires to continue spinning.

9) Holding the brake firm, work the throttle slightly to keep the rpm around 5500 rpm.

- The idea here is to keep tire speed up (you need it), and keep the engine from stalling.

10) The burnout should laste 3-6 seconds, depending upon tire speed, the track, etc.

- I like to see a good amount of smoke in my mirrors before I let it go.

11) Release the brakes. As the car starts moving forward, push the clutch in.

- Lots of folks 'drive through' their burnout. I do not. 2 reasons. First, when the tires catch traction, it is a totally unnecessary strain on the drivetrain. Second, when the tires catch traction, you tend to 'ruin' that contact spot on the slicks that you just prepared by spinning them. The extra rubber sometimes '*****' in that area, which can hurt traction.

12) Pull up to the line, stage, and go.

A couple of other things I've learned over the years...

- Don't be afraid to drop your air pressure. I go down to 12 psi on 15" BFG Drag Radials (have pulled the front left tire like this with a stone stock suspension), and as low as 9 psi on M/T slicks. That said, all tires and cars are unique, and you need to experiment with air pressure and launch rpm combinations.

- I would not recommend a real burnout on regular radials. Some folks say it does some good, and I will admit to having very little experience with these types of tires. However, with the hard compound, I doubt the benefit is worth the effort. If others have different opinions, please chime in. Again, I have very little experience on this.

- Do not do 'dry hops'. There is an old saying that "your first launch is your best launch". If you do a dry hop, you just did your first launch. Of course, its also another point of extra strain on your driveline (I have lots of experience breaking driveline parts).

- Get a line lock. <img src="images/icons/smile.gif" border="0">

Hope this helps somebody.

BIGBOS

Just to clear up what I said at the top, I have never actually done a heel/toe burnout...I was just saying that I've heard of people douing it...