Another Momo Thread... this time about torque converters

TQ without DR's is usually pretty useless isn't it?

 

not unless you want to do some really cool burnouts!!!! hahahahahaha

 

Too poor as it is! Lol!

 

The TC IMO is not a great street mod, especially if you've got some mods done to the car. Like Ron said, if you brake torque it around 2000rpms or higher and then stay in the throttle you'll roast the tires pretty hard. If you just stomp on the pedal from a dead stop the TC will in my terms 'flash' itself(stall to the 2800 rpms) and then let loose in a tire smoke show. Now if you can brake torque it and then somehow feather the throttle off the line then it seems you can launch better that without the TC on the street on street tires. In reality...the TC is going to be mostly a track only mod unless you can run DR's on the street and take advantage of being able to stall the converter higher off the line and actually get traction!!!

 

Here's my speculation on the TC and DRs and needing half shafts (and we've had this discussion before).

First there is (the coefficient of) static friction. That's when 2 objects are at rest relative to each other and how much it takes to get them moving with respect to each other. How much force it takes to initially break the tires loose.
Then there is (the coefficient of) kinetic friction. That's the force to keep 2 objects moving with respect to each other. How much force it takes to keep the tires spinning.

Static is usually greater than kinetic. It's like when you go to slide your refrigerator on the floor. It takes a lot more push to get it moving than it does to keep it moving after it starts.

Stock, you can break the tires loose by flooring the car from a stop. It takes a certain amount of force on the half shafts to do that. Add more power and it still takes the same amount of force on the half shafts to break traction. Breaking traction when you're hooked up is pretty much overcoming static friction (not exactly when you're moving since there is always a tiny bit of slip).

The static friction at launch (for most of us) is going to be less than the "static" friction once moving since you haven't transfered weight to the rear while you're sitting still. You can break the tires loose by just mashing the pedal sitting still but you can't do it if you roll into it and have the pedal on the floor after moving a half car length or so. Adding enough power to do that would put some additional force on the half shafts. How much I'm not sure. Certainly if you have JMatt's coilovers setup for the track it will be more than a stock suspension. We have to assume that the stock half shafts are not right on the edge of snapping every time you launch with a stock car. They have to be engineered with some margin to handle some abnormal situations and abuse like someone in first gear flooring it, lifting completely and then immediately flooring it again.

In short, I'm pretty sure you're just fine with the stock half shafts on street tires with a "normal" suspension. It doesn't matter if you add power or not since you have enough to spin your tires now. Yea, I know one or two people broke half shafts on street tires but... they may have been stressed before? they may not have been in tolerance? Point is, there are a whole lot of stock half shafts spinning street tires on the street and at the tracks and there have only been a couple of failures.

Anybody think that holds water?

 

Plus the TQ on the street will KILL your MPG in the city. And I mean KILL. so if your really not driving it like you stole it all them time and dont care about gas then this mod is not for you

Jason just get a meth kit man thats your best bet as of right now. maybe some longtube headers?

 

No! No! Not that! It'll take a crane to get him off the speed bump next time :rofl:

 

**Moved to SRT-8 LX General Discussion as requested**

I'm gonna try and read more of these threads and moderate more

 

Chris, you can look at the throttle response in that sense I suppose. I say this because, to exemplify, if you're going up a hill and don't provide enough throttle (as you normally would) the RPMS will start to slowly drop. This is where the learning curve comes in. More throttle (when in D) and the car has no issue and drives like a stocker. The tricky part can be that that "more throttle" you give can at times be a bit too much and the car just downshifts and goes like a bat outta hell. Adjusting the throttle position with subtlety when having a new converter takes a bit to get used to....otherwise, you'll find yourself blasting off and scaring the crap out of the little old lady you were just trying to pass.

 

Some of you guys are wrong mainly because you aren't speaking from 1st hand experience of a converter ON your LX.

My best buddy has a 3000 stall converter on his 300 Srt8 from GSM.

His mods are Afe cai, spacers, zoomers catback, predator, and thermostat.

After he got the torque converter, Toyo proxes 4, and dyno tune he beat his previous best of 12.9 to a 12.4!

His gas mileage has not changed, driveability is nearly the same as stock, and launching takes a little more practice but he still street races with good results.

It's his daily driver and commuter car as well.

Do it MoMo. It's worth it just remember to throw on some 275/40/20 Toyo Proxes as wel

LOL, you poor LX guys gotta dump the dough on shalfs, quaife, converter, drag tires and wheels just to launch like us Jeep guys!

Too bad!

 

Dave, intellectually, it makes sense...

I do want a meth kit... I liked how John's car ran with his.

Ha ha ha... fucking clown! BTW: nice shot!

I already have Vredesteins in 275... see question below...




OK Folks: BIG question for me...

Are DR's of ANY use on the twisties?!?! I would initially think no. That is an issue for me, as I like to follow WAY behind Rick on our proving ground runs... while I LOVE the straight line acceleration to no end, I also do not want to lose the handling characteristics of our well engineered beasts.

So, with that said and considering DRs are not twisty tires, I STILL want more power, as if I can't use it off the line, I sure can experience it once rolling. So.... now I'm lost again.

 

I would only use the 555r's in a 20 inch tire if your tring to road race them to. my et streets would never work on a track like that

 

They do have the Nitto 555R variation for road racing.

 

So are the 555R's 'streetable' on the twisties? What would you compare their lateral grip to? Toyo Proxy's? Invos? RSAs?

Really?!?!? AND their drag radials?!?!

Do they come in 20"?!?! I only saw up to 18" on a quick google search. I want/need to keep 20"... for daily driving/looks.

 

I think I might get a torque converter. I'm only in the 11's without one, normally aspirated. I think my trailer hitch helps too.

 

Hey Jaak, congrats on the 11's man.

Do not even think twice about getting a TC. Just get one. You will be very happy you did.