Gentlemen,

Just hit 2500 miles on my 23 Stingray, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the car, except for one thing -- The extremely inconsistent launch.

For background, I live in Orlando FL and only take the car out on sunny weekend days (75-90 degree weather). I always wait for the coolant to hit 170+ degrees, all 4 tire pressures are always the same and in the 28-30 psi range, and I always wait for the tire temperature to say normal. I always launch the car on the exact same nicely paved, pothole-free, straight road. My car is Z51 (Summer tires) but has no mag ride, which means no PTM or any suspension settings. When ready to launch the car, I always put it in track mode, and double-tap the ESC Off button until both the traction control and ESC off lights come on in the gauge. I then floor both the brake and gas until the car hits 3500 RPM, I wait for a second or 2, and I let off the brake.

The launch condition and method cannot be any more ideal right? I thought so too, but the results are faaaarrrr from expectations. Half the time I get massive wheel hops where I felt like the axel is about to snap any second, the other half of the time I get bad wheel spins. Out of the dozens of launches I have done in the past 8 months, I have only managed to get 2 launches where it hooked perfectly. The rest of the launches are anywhere from 3.2-3.5 second range according to the car, and we both know the built-in timer in the car is wildly inaccurate, especially when the wheels spin for 2 seconds out of the "3.2" seconds 0-60.

Now here are my questions: Has anyone ever been able to consistently launch the vehicle free of wheel hop and spin? If so, what are the best practices in your experience? Also, do the occasional violent wheel hops damage the C8 over time (The reason why I asked specifically about the C8 is that my local Corvette service supervisor said the Axel on the C8 is really thick, and have yet to see a snapped axel)?

Thanks,

Steve

 

Have they changed Z51 for 2023? No PTM’s? No two turns clockwise on the mode selector followed by two taps on the TC button to select a PTM?

My 2020 is not a Z51 so all I have is competitive mode and Z mode.

 

PTM is not a Z51 thing, it's a mag ride thing. No mag ride means no PTM, once you get both traction control and ESC off you are good to do the 2.9 sec launch.

 

At Ron Fellows they taught us to slip your left foot off the brake (to the left) rather than lift it. Try that.

 

Thanks for the suggestion but I already do that.

 

I do have mag ride and thus PTM and with the OEM tires and alignment my car would dead hook off LC 4 out of 5 times on a decent surface It was comically good! No wheel hop and if any spin it was well managed. I got a few 2.6s on the timer, which I know is not accurate, but relative. Now.. with the track alignment at -2.5° it's a completely different story. It mostly spins and I've had a few occasions of wheel hop. No more launch control fun. Can't have it both ways and these days I'd rather have the car turn... Unfortunately I never got around to using the Dragy before the track alignment; I do still think it might have been sub-3, though! Now it's mid-3s on the Dragy.

Maybe there's a difference on launch control with mag/PTM vs not..?

 

I air down to 26 psi and do burnouts before launch and still may get 1.8 to 1.9 sec 60 foots on street tires without prep. Ptm sport although that doesn't matter. Competitive esp mode or all off is fine for non mag.

 

Thanks. I am now better educated. If mag ride had been available stand alone my car would have it.

 

Where did this info come from? PTM is Z51 + Mag Ride, as you can have Mag Ride without Z51 but will not have PTM.

I could be wrong but this was what I thought.

 

No, you are correct. PTM requires the electronic limited slip differential, which only comes with z51, PLUS the mag ride option. Said differently, PTM requires the FE4 suspension set up.

That said, I have no advice to offer the OP on why his launches have been inconsistent, or how to better them.

 

With Launch Control on any of my cars you:

1 - hold brake down hard
2 - floor the gas until revs come up to programmed amount, do not hold for more than a couple of seconds
3 - lift off brake quickly
On the C8, First put it in Track mode, press TC off button twice to get to ecs competitive mode before doing the above

OP, try this method and see what happens.
I am going to try to get a couple of Dragy runs in today if it is warm enough later.
Looks like sunny and upper 50s today by 2pm, not ideal for my z51 summer rubber, but worth a try.
Temp is 32 now at 8am, hopefully the streets heat up a little.

 

Ah good to know. I wanted mag ride but my dealership told me they were saving the mag ride for Z06 when I was ordering my car middle of last year so I skipped it. Does anyone know definitively that it makes any difference during launch control?

 

I would wait until the oil gets up to 160 rather than the coolant to 170.
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