What's better a Stage Right T Brake or Foot Brake??

[Black Air]

I have a Stage Right T Brake but I hear there really hard on everything..... My Issue is I can't build any real boost above 2 or 3 LBS before its starts to push the front tires.

 

[jpratt]

That would depend on your goals and mods to the drive train. A trans brake turns into a trans-line-break if things are not up to snuff. The drive shaft and u joints need beefed and the axles need be tougher. The ring and pinion are going to take a beating so better build them up too. I have a trans brake which is fun to use on a prepped track. My line lock foot brake using vac brakes does not keep me from rolling through.

 

[jasjamz]

This is becoming a common problem. What brake system do you have? That trans brake will kill u joints, driveshafts, axles, gear, and yokes. Somewhat in that order.

 

[Duke]

If you make enough power and get it to hook you will break all of the above anyway. What brake mods have you done? with the right brake set up you can leave with more boost than most tracks can handle with the g body suspension.

 

[Red C5]

Does it build boost on the trans brake?

 

[87WE4BOOSTED]

With the right converter and good brakes, I would say one is not needed. On my MT slicks, I've left at 13psi off the foot brake. Don't get me wrong, the trans-brake is cool and all, but it's hard on the parts. I've only used mine once at the track and I left @ 15psi. I thought I broke something.

 

[turbofabricator]

Good brakes, correct converter, Bailey two-step (back order until October, by the way), good brakes, and if all that fails.........GOOD brakes. We have no issues running foot brake launches and running 1.4x 60 ft times. ('Course having 750 HP and launching with 2-3 psi boost helps a TON)

 

[bison]

With a proper chassis setup s transbrake will net better times than any foot brake setup.

 

[Nick Micale]

With a proper chassis setup a transbrake will net better times than any foot brake setup.

.....And more consistent reaction times as well! {Assuming you are actually competing at the track, not just playing?}

 

[HelloBozos]

All else fails theres allways the " E-Brake "...8^)...
With soft compound soft sidewall tires If don't screw the tires to the rims you'll spin the rims On the tires using T-brake,some cases of F-braking
(white line of shoe polish will show you how much between the tire an rim)
There's no taking it easy at the dragstrip...8^)..buy the track proven parts for your HP rating save you Some down time

 

[Ttype6]

That trans brake will kill u joints, driveshafts, axles, gear, and yokes. Somewhat in that order.

The first thing it will break is the shaft on the forward drum in the transmission.

There's no substitute for a trans break. If the transbreak is working as it should,it won't bang when released it will just cause the car to start moving forward. It should be quite smooth. Of course you'll be sending a greater load to the drive train because the motor will be making much more power when you leave. If it hooks things might break.If something breaks,replace it with a stronger part. The transbreak isn't hard on the drive train. Leaving the line quickly is. No matter what method you use to leave hard,you are more likely to break something as you leave harder and harder. Just like drag racing itself,it's fun to leave hard. Of course,you don't have to leave with 25 lbs of boost.

 

[JimP]

My trans brake doesn't bang, I just feel a sudden forward motion with no bang. There is a lot of suspension loading when I let it go, front end comes up and stays up for a good 100 feet. I'm using the manual brake, put it in first, to go push shifter into second, it shifts 1-2 on it's own, I have to shift 2-3. Works very well but takes a bit of practice.

 

[TurboDave]

.....And more consistent reaction times as well! {Assuming you are actually competing at the track, not just playing?}

All perfectly valid points, IF.... you're refering to a good high quality electric brake. NOT the one in question in this thread.

I've been bracket racing since the mid 60's and doing so on a foot brake launch the entire time. Quite some number of years ago I decided to try the trans brake in question, and ran it for an entire season.
Try as I may, I could never get my reaction times anywhere even close to my foot brake times. It reacts incredibly slow, and on top of that there's the extra motion of moving the shifter from first to second by hand, all that adds up to a lot of lost time that has to be made up by moving further up the tree to start your motions. The extra time and it's inherent inconsistency make it a poor choice for bracket racing.
It's a good piece for playing around, but not for serious racing. If one is serious about quick/consistent reaction times then a good high quality electric brake is the only way to go.

 

[Black Air]

My trans brake doesn't bang, I just feel a sudden forward motion with no bang. There is a lot of suspension loading when I let it go, front end comes up and stays up for a good 100 feet. I'm using the manual brake, put it in first, to go push shifter into second, it shifts 1-2 on it's own, I have to shift 2-3. Works very well but takes a bit of practice.

What brand of T brake?

 

[toofastforyou]

Having tried all three types of launches (foot brake, "Stage Right" trans brake and electric "Bat brake" trans brake), I can tell you that:
1°: foot brake is ok for a stock type car, but has it's limitations. You won't be able to hold very high boost that way (5-6 pounds...)
2°: Stage right type of trans brake where you have to push the shifter forward to release it will allow you to build higher boost, but next to impossible to cut a good light unless you're lucky on some occasions...
3°: An electric release type trans brake will allow you to leave with as much boost as you want, is way more precise allowing you to cut great lights at the release of a button, but the rest of the car has to be "built" to handle such hard launches (good u-joints, driveshaft, axles, gears, etc...) but definitely the best of these three.

Claude.

 

[TurboDave]

Having tried all three types of launches (foot brake, "Stage Right" trans brake and electric "Bat brake" trans brake), I can tell you that:
1°: foot brake is ok for a stock type car, but has it's limitations. You won't be able to hold very high boost that way (5-6 pounds...)
2°: Stage right type of trans brake where you have to push the shifter forward to release it will allow you to build higher boost, but next to impossible to cut a good light unless you're lucky on some occasions...
3°: An electric release type trans brake will allow you to leave with as much boost as you want, is way more precise allowing you to cut great lights at the release of a button, but the rest of the car has to be "built" to handle such hard launches (good u-joints, driveshaft, axles, gears, etc...) but definitely the best of these three.

Claude.

Not entirely true on point one. even my old beater 86 can still hold in excess 15# on the foot brake. A good track would only allow about a 10# launch on mine (tire limitations).

Sent from my iPad using Turbo Buick

 

[jasjamz]

Foot braking the car while building boost is like using a wrench. Longer the wrench, the more torque applied with less energy by the user. Better the brakes, the more boost it will hold. A transbrake is like using an Impact Gun. Both will snap the heads off bolts LOL!


This is what pisses me of about people that won't use the search function. You get a thread full of opinions and disagreements like this one. Transbrake threads are plentiful here and all repeat the same things. Know it alls pop up and so do the whiners. No two cars are the same, anything can happen, and the board will not reimburse you for your misfortune if you are somehow mislead.

 

[Black Air]

Thanks guys

 

[Franks86gn]

I used the Stage Right T-brake for 2 seasons. Stock U-joints/driveshaft/rear end/axles. Convo pros screwed to M/T ET Drags. 45k miles of light use until I bought the car.
Before the t-brake, my vacuum brakes would not hold 3psi. 1.70 sixty foots all I was getting with a 12.0 ET. Put the t-brake in... BAM! 1.45 - 1.52 sixty foots and 11.50s all day long. Plus it's a lot of fun!

I'm sure I'll be breaking driveline components soon as I plan on continued use.

 

[Black Air]

I used the Stage Right T-brake for 2 seasons. Stock U-joints/driveshaft/rear end/axles. Convo pros screwed to M/T ET Drags. 45k miles of light use until I bought the car.
Before the t-brake, my vacuum brakes would not hold 3psi. 1.70 sixty foots all I was getting with a 12.0 ET. Put the t-brake in... BAM! 1.45 - 1.52 sixty foots and 11.50s all day long. Plus it's a lot of fun!

I'm sure I'll be breaking driveline components soon as I plan on continued use.

How many runs with how much boost???