I just came back from the track tonight and unlike my expectations, I did horrible...now this isnt my first time at the track, i used to go alot with my FWD turbo'd RSX-S and I got the hang of that car running a 2.1 60ft on street tires, but when it came to the STI and AWD I just cant seem to get it...my best 60ft tonight was 2.0 and my best trap was 98.9...I thought i would surely be easily into low 13's but that was not the case this time...

I would launch at around 4-5k with slipping the clutch but i think i was slipping the clutch to much because i could smelll alot of clutch burning, and i was told i shouldnt be smelling all that much if any at all, does anyone have any tips for launching cause i could sure use em, slippping is sure not as easy as dumping :( ...i was also shifting around redline (7100-7200ish)

and does anyone know why the shifting sucks on the 05 STI? cause i mis-shifted 5th gear damn near every time and that sucked...would bushings help me?...and also what about a heaver shift knob? i was told that might help too...

I just came back from the track tonight and unlike my expectations, I did horrible...now this isnt my first time at the track, i used to go alot with my FWD turbo'd RSX-S and I got the hang of that car running a 2.1 60ft on street tires, but when it came to the STI and AWD I just cant seem to get it...my best 60ft tonight was 2.0 and my best trap was 98.9...I thought i would surely be easily into low 13's but that was not the case this time...

I would launch at around 4-5k with slipping the clutch but i think i was slipping the clutch to much because i could smelll alot of clutch burning, and i was told i shouldnt be smelling all that much if any at all, does anyone have any tips for launching cause i could sure use em, slippping is sure not as easy as dumping :( ...i was also shifting around redline (7100-7200ish)

and does anyone know why the shifting sucks on the 05 STI? cause i mis-shifted 5th gear damn near every time and that sucked...would bushings help me?...and also what about a heaver shift knob? i was told that might help too...

Yea i really had to slow down my 5th gear shifting to not miss it..

It will take some time to adjust fom your previous car to the STI, just be patient and notice what works and what doesnt..

I am not sure the preferred method of launching....but I have had good success with dropping the clutch at around 5500 rpm. I am forced to drive through the water patch at our local 1/8th track and can still net 1.82 60fts on stock tire pressure. Try that method, it takes a little getting used to coming from the FWD community.

You will know you are going to have a good run when your head gets sucked to the back of the seat instantly.

As for missing 5th gear, dunno its all the way over and up seems hard to miss. Maybe your seat is too far back making 5th gear a little bit of a reach!?

5th gear damn near every time and that sucked...


i hate that i am in the same boat as you i pulled a 1.8 60 am fudged up my 5th gear
i can't get it down.......... :confused:

i wouldnt dump the clutch, itll be too much stress for the tranny. as for fifth gear, its not hard, but it takes practice and time with the car. good luck, keep us updated if you go again

Dont shift so high. I shifted my stock STi at or around 6k and ran 13.2@103 with a 1.85 60'

~v6

thanks yalll...ill try shifting around 6k too and see where that lands me, i think its my launches mainly that suck though

A coworker of mine went to fontana and his first few runs were in the 15s (but it was over 110f). He doesnt know how to drag but by the end of the night he pulled a 13.1 at 103. Its an '05 with probably 3k miles on it and he drives it like its a throw away car.

His car is stock besides progress springs, rear sway and a ton of ricer stereo gear.

Dont shift so high. I shifted my stock STi at or around 6k and ran 13.2@103 with a 1.85 60'

~v6

i agree, i set my shift warning to 6k and usually shift @ 6200 or so
i also launch with the dccd set to full open and i rarely get clutch smell or harsh drivetrain shock.

I think mine is set at 5800. Usually shift around 6000.
Now with no cats the car likes to rev a little higher tho. I havent gotten back to the track tho so time will tell.

~v6

Jeez

My forester pulled a 13.7 STOCK :lol:

Sorry for asking a question like this, but where's redline in an STi? 7K?

Do you guys suggest shifting before redline on a 'normal' WRX too?

yes, the STI redline is @ 7k.

My wrx was quicker when shifted before 7k. I would shift 1st to 2nd near 7000, then shift at or around 6700 the rest of the gears. I would be in 4th gear in my wrx by the 1000' mark. My mods at the time were mbc, air filter, silencer mod... and some other non power stuff the car was running 13.6-13.8@96-98mph on average. Once you get a full TBE on the WRX (and the STi for that matter) the car makes power further up the rpm range.

Others will say it isnt, but basicly it comes down to your setup. Try both and see what happens. Keep doing what works :D

~v6

Uh...I don't know about you USDM guys but my JDM reds at 8000rpm :) I am launching in the 5500/6000 range and am shifting now at 7000. I have an APS 3" twin tip exhaust with cat, Turbo XS FMIC and a HKS EVC5.

Best Et 12.62 and best trap speed 108.xx. This was doing a let off the gas shift on 1st to 2nd flat shift all the way to 5th. I got one good flat shift to 5th and then it got hard and I broke my 5th syncro. So I would suggest taking it easy on the 5th shift cause that seems to be the week link in the STi trans. I was talking to a guy at the Tri State meet that works in a Sunaru dealership and he told me they had a few 5 syncros break so far :confused:

today at MZM performance, i was told that their guys dump the clutch...rev up to 5500 and dump, it kinda caught me by surprise but is this true?..they say theyve done it and gotten around 13.2-12.9 quarter mile times with 1.65 60 ft times to match...they said that the STI has a damn strong set of axles and tranny...im so confused

My two runs at the track with the 05 Sti I ran 13.2@100(misshifting blah, crappy Mph) while launching at 5500 and dumping the clutch. I think better times are to be had with slipping a bit, as wheel hop was quite profound when dumping.

I found a fast lift off the clutch not dumping did best for me. Seemed the higher the RPM too helped with any wheelhop problems. Probably spun the front tires faster and didn't give them a chance to hop. When I was launching a lil over 5300 or so I seemed to have bad wheelhop. Higher RPM and everything seemed smoother :D

today at MZM performance, i was told that their guys dump the clutch...rev up to 5500 and dump, it kinda caught me by surprise but is this true?..they say theyve done it and gotten around 13.2-12.9 quarter mile times with 1.65 60 ft times to match...they said that the STI has a damn strong set of axles and tranny...im so confused


I also do a very fast dump/slip of the clutch. (Many 1.6x sec 60' times). If its done correctly all 4 tires will break loose (big time) leaving the line and the car hauls ass. Slipping out the clutch makes it much harder to break the tires loose and causes most (beginners) to bogg. (+ 1.90 sec 60' times - which is slow for an STi).


Also for the poster
I see by your sig your in Hot and humid Texas. So your trap speeds and times will also be a little slower than some others. Just get those 60' times down and with some cooler air , you should see those low 13s your expecting.
For now I would shift at around 6500 rpms or so. Please don't drop down to 5800 rpms, that will not help your times. I have a stack of time slips in an STi that proves this. I myself shift at 7000 rpms, but it takes very fast shifting to pull it off. If you can't shift fast it can slow you down. (by missing shifts or hitting the rev limiter). So shifting around 6500 rpms should be a nice safe and fast shift point.

ya i went with a couple of experienced drivers today to work on launches and what seemed to work was having the DCCD on the 2nd lowest setting, which is the smallest triangle and reving to 6k and doing a slip/dump of the clutch...i think im just afraid to break something because in my last car i tore up my tranny at the track...but we'll see, my other car also wasnt near an STI (RSX-S)...

Slipping out the clutch makes it much harder to break the tires loose and causes most (beginners) to bogg.

I've always been curious about this...If the technique is the same from person to person, then how can some be bogging and some not?

Honestly, I'm not trying to be a wiseass, but I'll take my STi to the track as soon as I get the launch down, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to do it.

I just don't really get how a clutch dump could NOT bog, I'd love to get the science of it down though.

And Inprogress, I tried launching once with full rear, and the launch seemed to be strong, less bogging, and more wheelspin, however...I read multiple instances where people were getting on average, a .1-.2 slower ET by using full rear, and the best times were with the DCCD on auto. Not sure how long your launch practices went after the launch, and you may or may not care about what I just said lol...but just some more input from someone trying to learn as well.

launch full rear then switch to auto after 1-2 shift. :)

Fess

launch full rear then switch to auto after 1-2 shift. :)

Fess

Yeah I'd love to hear some results with that method. Anyone tried it?

My DCCD is slightly different then the USDM but i picked up 3 tenths by launching in the Locked position. Full rear i got way too much wheel spin.

I just don't really get how a clutch dump could NOT bog, I'd love to get the science of it down though.

.
The STI has enough power to spin all 4 wheels in a clutch dump.
Thus spin, not bog.
I would also recommend a fast release, if not a dump.

^^ However, that only holds true with a launch at a high enough RPM, correct?

I haven't launched the STi yet, really, but the one time I tried it with the DCCD on auto, I only launched at maybe 4, and got some decent bog (with a dump).

I guess I'll have to try it out then...and do you guys ever come off the gas when you're shifting down the track? I've shifted like this enough times to be able to do it properly, but I haven't been able to test what works best, and that's why I'm asking.

Thanks for all the input and patience with this ricer n00b. :p

I basically beat it like I stole it and got my best times doing that. Also broke the 5th syncro doing that too! I lift off the gas on my 1st 2nd shift then flat shift till I get to 5th and then let off the gas again. No matter what in 5th now it grinds but if I don't lift for that shift it will not go in :mad: