I have seen power braking done before but never asked how they did it. Is it as easy as stomping on your brakes and stomping on the gas and wait till your RPM's get up then let go of the brakes. If this is the way it is done then why don't the rear brakes burn up during the process?

 

Yes, you've got it. The point is to get the engine RPM up into the power band prior to launch. The rear wheels are not turning and creating friction, so there is no heat generated to 'burn them up'. The brakes are far stronger than the engine (just ask Audi).

 

Its also known as Brake Torqueing. It when you hold down your brake {not all the way} and throttle the gas to the point where the rear wheels spin. This is bad on your tranny though.

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1999 Ford F150 XLT 4x2, Cloth Seats, Amazon green, 16" All season tires, Soft Tonneau Cover, CD Player, 4.6 liter Triton V8, 3:55 ls, towing package, 4 speed auto, K&N Airfilter, soon Superchip and K&N GEN II.

Fast46Triton

The Terminator!

 

"Power braking" is one of the *worst* things you can do to your vehicle, both in terms of performance *and* wear and tear. You will launch out of the hole quicker and harder if you do NOT brake torque, but instead just press the gas pedal to the floor as quickly as you can. This allows the torque converter to "flash" to maximum stall speed, without all the wear and tear of power braking.

Power braking is only good for burning rubber and overheating your transmission fluid & torque converter. If you want best possible ET's at the drag strip, or at the stoplight, don't run the converter up against the brakes like that, you just induce heat. Simply stay at idle until you're ready to actually launch, then stand on the gas. You'll launch harder and last longer.

By the way, the above applies to non-race vehicles. Some types of drag-race vehicles use transmission brakes on automatics, to allow them to bring the rpm's *way* up at the starting line, then launch at high rpms by releasing the transmission brake.

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Mike Troyer
Performance Products, Inc.
National Distributor of Superchips
(540) 862-9515
Email: mtroyer@compuserve.com

 

Re: torque braking
I've tried it both ways with a stock 4.0 Ranger on street tires. Best et torque braking: 16.3, best et "flashing" the converter: 16.3. The torque braking gives a little more tire burn, but best 60ft times were 2.2 both ways.
With slicks and a lot of horsepower and not a high enough stall converter, torque braking may be necessary to make the tires work, but if you're stock why bother?

 

test

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1999 Ford F150 XLT 4x2, Cloth Seats, Amazon green, 16" All season tires, Soft Tonneau Cover, CD Player, 4.6 liter Triton V8, 3:55 ls, towing package, 4 speed auto, K&N Airfilter, soon Superchip and K&N GEN II.

Fast46Triton

The Terminator!




[This message has been edited by fast46triton (edited 07-08-1999).]