That is correct, you can sit there at the starting line for 30 minutes, but until you actually move, the timer never starts.

 

i thought that the time started when that light on the tree turned green on the tree.

 

The timer does not start until you cross that beam by moving forward. Your opponent will go on the last yellow, to get the best reaction time, and cross the beam at or just after the green, so he does not redlight. You've got to do the same thing, but neither of you start your respective timers until you each move forward.

 

A key that I didn't see in any of the posts was the fact that everything done to the truck so far only shifts the peak numbers for torque and horse power further to the right (higher in rpms). So either you increase the intake runner length (like the old tunnels rams) or you stuff as much air per charge as you can via a supercharger or densen up the air with nitrous as Jimmy (LxMan) put before.

This way you have the numbers closer to the rpm you need at launch and you accelerate faster. What kind of gears you got? The lower the ratio the better the launch rate... faster acceleration...

I'm sure with the mods you have you can outpass people on the highway.... that's how they're designed. The companies give you numbers but they don't tell you where you'll see them. When you combine several mods the overall numbers don't necessarily add up either. All the mods may give you 75 hp and 50 lb-ft if added individually, but these mods together probably give you more like 25 hp and 15 lb-ft and all those numbers are at 5000rpm (hp) and 3000rpm (torque). Also remember you have done nothing to the heads... the intake and exhaust valves will need a porting.

-Kerry

 

I like the idea of changing gears, but will that have any adverse affects on the vehicle? Besides lower top end speed of course.

 

Changing gears may be the best thing. The Ford automatic transmission needs an extra gear. There is nothing you can do about that or the poor spacing of the existing gears. But dropping down to a 4.10 rear end, maybe even a little lower would probably help a lot. I don't think you will lose any top end, because you'll probably hit the speed limiter anyway. You will lose some fuel mileage, but since you are modding the truck, that is probably not a consideration.

 

The speed limiter can be overcome with an ECM chip reprogrammer/code reader, like the kind sold at Autohaven (my shameless site plug). Rather than going with the chip as you did, the programmer would have been a better choice.... especially since your continually modding/upgrading the truck. I know cost is generally the deciding factor in that battle. I'm kinda hoping to get a programmer myself rather soon.

There really is not an adverse condition to a gear swap that is done correctly and matched to the use of the truck. The true top speed will drop only slightly, but your only going a quarter mile at a time and not running a 500 mile race.

The deeper the gear the better the acceleration, but if you're running 4.30s with 29" tall tires and doing alot of 70+ mph highway driving the truck's drive train will wear out faster. Another plug for that programmer I mentioned above: you could alter the gear ratio, and your speedo to match with one.

-Kerry