I was thinking today that it seems you can pretty much break the rear tires loose and do a burnout (with an automatic) using the brake/drop it down into first/punch it method. I got to wondering just how much HP/torque one would need to break loose a set of 255/60/15s without doing a brake stand? I use the 255's as an example because that size seems to be the most popular choice overall...

What say you?

 

250-275 RWHP

 

i can spin my tires pretty decently on my stock 80 (just sidepipes) by letting off the brake and stomping the gas pretty quickly. maybe 200 hp and it usually spins for a second or two.. if i power brake it i can ease off the brake and redline it still spinning

 

So are we talking a burnout or a chirp ? I could chirp the tires in my grandmother's 63 Rambler station wagon

 

3-4 feet of tire marks count as a burnout right?

my emissions beast is doing fine. besides my horrible starter grinding

 

mine does it without dumping the clutch.

 

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm happy that you can spin your tires - and fortunately I can as well. That's all part of the fun!!! but the responses I'm looking for could help others have a target RWHP/TQ number if they wanted to get their tires to spin without doing a brake stand, and not necessarily a full-on burnout. As an example, and I don't have the figures (hence the question), how much HP/TQ is required to overcome the forces of friction given the surface area of the contact patches of two 255/60/15 tires? I'm not neccesarily wanting to know if you can spin your tires, but how much HP/TQ will get them to break free and spin... Anything above that magic number will produce a burnout, but how good the burnout will be dependent on how much HP/TQ you have above and beyond that magic number.

I have a buddy (also a member of CF) who owns a 91 vette and dropped a 454 into it. He claims (and I agree with him to a certain degree) that almost anybody with a V8, rear wheel drive w/auto can light up the rears by doing a brake raise. It's his opinion that "real" HP/TQ starts when you can light them up without getting on the brakes from a dead stop. I feel it's impressive when you can light them up from a rolling start. Regardless, this conversation is what led me to wondering just how much power/force is required to actually get the tire to break free and spin.

 

My 79 has ~400 RWHP and can smoke them all day long from a stop or a slow speed. My Trans Am had ~300RWHP and could also smoke them by just dumping the clutch from a few grand. Dunno if that helps any. I'd guess 250-275 as well can smoke them pretty well from a stop or a really slow speed.

 

I have a 71 454/365HP with a TH400 & 3.08 rear gear. I can SMOKE the tires off the line. That help?