How many th400 street racers actually use transbrake on street? 98 % street 2% strip cause everyone wants to see what she'll run.
Just hate the thought of having to shift everytime I start and stop on the street. If you had it to do over what would you go with?
May just go with 2-step to build boost at first. Whats everyone experience with decision?

 

I have a C4 and really cant use it on the street, just blows the tires away. Its nice at the track though. IMO any automatic making BIG power will need a full manual VB regardless.


Jeremy

 

Why is full manual valve necessary with big power auto? Can't you just manual shift youself? Is trans stronger with manual valve body?

 

I can't use my trans brake at all on the street. Well, I can but it is usless even with 15X15" slicks. That is unless you like smoke shows.

 

I thought people were using them to build boost instead of foot braking on the street. Friend has Buick v6 we put s10 brake pads on rear so he can build more boost before launch trys to push while building boost. Trans brake would be nice for him. So everyone that street races just footbrakes and pedals car? I guess some turbo lag is good but when your racing someone with blower you want to be up on boost or its over in a few seconds.

 

I can use the T brake or just foot brake it on the street.

What I'm saying is if I build even just a few pounds of boost on the street and let the T brake fly I will blow the tires off. And I have full blown 15X15" slicks. It still blows them off.

I had a 671 small block that I used to street race and it was crazy stupid. I had to just roll into the throttle and it would still blow the tires off if I was not careful. That is why I liked the turbo on the street. It would hit the tires soft and then when I was hooked ....sssssssssssssssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Street and strip are two different things around here. The roads around here are harsh and give almost no grip. At the strip I can wind it up to 5 grand against the converter and I will hook when I let go of the button. Where you live might be different.

 

Reverse pattern VBs just scare me to death... the faster you're going, the farther you are from neutral in case something goes wrong, and you have to go through 2nd and 1st gear to get there.

 

I've had a brake in my C4 forever, I couldn't use it with my N/A 302, with 28x12 sportsmans on the back, still couldn't use it with 28x15 sportsmans either. I tried it at the track with the same 28x15 sportsmans, turns out i need to invest in some real tires, because it still blew the tires off and i got yelled at for chewing up the track prep.

 

Full manual vb will make it last longer. More pressure, better shifts etc. Not to mention a stock th400 shifts from 1st to 2nd by itself at around 5500 even if the shifter is in low.

 

Well I might as well use the glide I've got and just change the bellhousing from BBF to SBC for my LS. It's already got the t-brake this way I wont have to change the driveshaft. I bought a th400 thinking this was the way to go for the street but I'm having second thoughts. #1. Power robber 2. Heavy 3. Change drive shaft 4. Change crossmember 5. Buy new transbrake 6. Rebuild transmission 7. Reverse shift pattern only 8. Car only weighs 2700 lbs. with BBF. should be faster with glide anyway. 9. Shifter is already set for glide. 10. Only 275.00 for J&W and I'm set instead of what say 1000 for th400 what was I thinking? Any thoughts?

 

I agree with every one of your reasons. A glide is the way to go for your deal. A friend just switched from a 400 to a glide after his second input shaft failure. He could have got a Vasco shaft but he said screw it for a lot of the reasons you stated.

 

On mine with the B&M Pro Stick when your in 3rd all you do is grab the lever and push forward and it stops in neutral.

 

Ive been told not to do this at speed. Th400 , Th350's anyway. I guess some of the internals can double in RPM and could blow right through the case.

 

My mentality has always been. 400 for a car with bars and or hooks and a glide for a car with no bars/traction problems. What I mean by traction problems is simply over powering what anyone can tune for

It all comes down to the setup. Any street racing I do is done on a sticky surface in bfe, not a busy road with oil leaks, etc.. the glide will be much easier to get it to launch but you may have to give up a little gear due to the first gear. May also need a higher stall. Really comes down to how the car reacts on the street ti start with and what your have to work with. I've dead hooked 6 speed supras that trap 140+ on the street and another grudge 6 speed supra from a low first gear roll at 1000+ with 18" drag radials. Setup setup setup. You may get it leaving great on the street and take it to the track and spin city. Two completely diff situations.
Me personally I would go with the 400. Will take a little more patience but will pay off with the gearing/stall imo.
Goodluck and keep us posted

 

I'm a th400 guy thru and thru. If you can't hook the 1st gear in a th400, and don't want to re-gear it.....get a 1+2 transbrake valvebody and leave in 2nd.....even a (numerically) lower ratio than a glide.

 

Now you got me thinking slow67. I have never heard of doing this but it makes sense. Do you happen to know if leaving in 2nd with a T400 is hard on it? It just feels like it is? The Vega I drive has a T400 but the owner wanted to put a glide in it but now he has so much $$$ in it he can't afford a glide.

If I could leave in 2 and just make the 2/3 shift I would be more consistant in my bracket races. I just don't want to hurt the owners fing transmission because if I smoke this thing we are done.

 

Griner makes one. It is actually easier on the transmission, as a 1-2 shift is what usually kills the intermediate sprag...if you launch in 2nd, you are already there. I've read a few accounts of mid 5 second 1/8 mile cars that only lost about ~.10 when they accidentally shifted to 2nd right at the launch. It also lets you keep 1st for cruising around on the street, which helps keep transmission temps down with a big converter.

 

Decided to go with glide 1.76, Hoosier Quick time pro 31x16.50x15 and 3.89 rear gear with 9 inch & ladder bars with coil overs. I hope with the sidewall flex and glide it'll cushion the blow from the trans brake. How many of you have limiters on your front ends? I have Qa1 struts in front and don't have instructions on how to adjust them theres a knob on top anyone else have these and know the different settings?

 

Thanks for your thoughts on this slow.

 

QA1 makes a lot of shocks. Double adj, single adj and even non adj. Take the shock and screw the knob down all the way and yank them full stroke. Then screw the knob all the other way and do the same thing. See what it does.