Footbrake quicker than transbrake

[Bobby Fazio]

The maverick has better ETs on footbrake than transbrake even though transbrake pops a better wheelie. The ladder bars are in middle hole should they be somewhere else?

[Alan Roehrich]

Over the years I worked in a transmission shop in Nashville, I worked mainly on racing transmissions, and in around 90% of the Super Stock cars, a foot brake transmission was always measurably quicker, consistently. We even built identical transmissions, except for the valvebody, and in nearly every case, the foot brake setup went quicker, regardless of how the chassis was adjusted, even in 4 link cars. We also tried changing rear end gears and low gears in the transmissions, as well as torque converters. In many cases, I think it may be that the engine is happier with the RPM held well below the flash speed, so that the converter flashes hard/higher and does a better job of multiplying torque. Also, a torque converter really needs to be built for the way you intend to use it, either with a transbrake, or foot braking.


I think the modified cars, and maybe some others with high RPM small displacement engines that need a very high stall speed may be quicker with a transbrake, if the car can be adjusted for it, simply due to how hard it is to make the converter work well. I know they are easier to drive well with a transbrake.

[Duane Eiskant II]

Bobby I agree with Alan. (yes I know Alan, it is hard to believe). On a side note tho, I will say that I believe you have to take every variable into consideration. Like my car with the Cleveland, it likes to leave off the two-step (haven't tried a transbrake yet).

[ALMACK]

I have never drove a transbrake car, but does the t.b. preload the car's suspension like foot braking does ?

Or is the suspension relaxed while on the brake ?

[bigfoot584]

Originally Posted by ALMACK

I have never drove a transbrake car, but does the t.b. preload the car's suspension like foot braking does ?

Or is the suspension relaxed while on the brake ?

It's relaxed.
No power to the output shaft in trans until botton is released.

[ALMACK]

OK.
I can see where the footbrake might be quicker (e.t. wise) than the t.b. then.

[Ed Wright]

Depends on the combo. Mine is faster off the trans brake. About a tenth.

[Kevin Panzino]

My car has always been faster footbraking from an idle than transbrake off the two step (~3,000 rpm). But mine is a carburated combo. I've always chalked the difference up to all the nasty raw fuel flowing through the manifold, ports and cyls while the throttle was wide open and the car was at only 3,000 rpm coughing and barking on the two step. then when you let the button go there is a period of time where its very rich until all that mess cleans up. Now that I have a logger, sure enough the O2 graphs show this exact thing to be the case.

I suspect the guys with fuel injection don't have the same problem, since when you are on the two step, the program is also limiting fuel as well????

[Bimbo Jones]

I have never drove a transbrake car, but does the t.b. preload the car's suspension like foot braking does ?

Or is the suspension relaxed while on the brake ?

During heat of summer leaving off of the t-brake and a relaxed suspension the converter flash stall will often cause my small tires to spin causing a couple hundredths variance in the 60'. But when the track is below 115 degrees it will dead hook and feels like it's going to break the windshield due to the torque. It is only 2 or 3 hundredths quicker in the heat. I wish I was better at footbreaking because the car leaves so much better. With a preload on the suspension the leaves level and real smooth. where as the brake it lifts the driver side wheel about a foot off ground and is all twisted. Like I mentioned in the heat ET's are real close but in cool weather there is about a tenth difference. Just wish I was a better footbreaker, it agrees with my car much better. BTW, this is a 3400lb wagon converted from stock which runs in the low elevens and still using 9" slicks, causing my traction issues in the heat.

[Ron Gusack]

So it makes sense that a lower rpm launch in a footbrake car could make RT's quicker? Sometimes I increase RPM's and the RT gets worse. I never know if it's me or the car.

Kinda off topic, but what do trans temps do to RT's?