What do I need most for the ocasional drag race with a boosted launch?

 

Output!!!!!

 

flex plate before output. i dont think you need to drop the tranny to replace an output but a bad fp can tear up your tc

brett

 

No doubt,... Flex plate. Better think about the flex plate though. Key word is "Flex". Billet doesn't flex. Oh boy,... here comes the fire storm,... Yikes!!

Just my opinion based on MY research,... ck out Suncoasts laminated Flex plate which gives you the strength you need and doesn't rob you of the Flex you need.

If you put something in your truck at a given point in the drive train that won't break,... then you can bet something downstream of it will break.

 

I heard the same thing a few people were having problem with the solid billet flexplates due to the fact the were too strong and NOT flexing enough

 

Flex plate.




Pics speak a thousand words!

 

I know a lot of guys leave their output shaft stock as it is an easy fix and leaves a weak link should things get bad. Had I been more informed at the time I may have chosen to do that myself. It could be called "the weak link by design and choice".

 

Yep, that's why I left the output shaft stock....If something is gonna give I'd rather give something at the end of the tranny than at the front...in front by the PUMP. Broke the other two shafts....still the stock output!!! It will be the next shaft to go...I hope...as the other two are billet. Kerry

 

I am having my tranny built now as we speak... Have not decided yet between billet or laminated flex plate yet, but will be one of the two. I went with billet input and intermediate. Stock output shaft. If it breaks, no real damage done and you only have to drop the x-fer case and separate the OD from the tranny to replace. A much easier job to do.

 

I run the suncoast flexplate. no issues here. one guy on here with a mega cab tore his up drag racing. I havent been to a track but I dont run my truck very easy either. I would say for sure get a flexplate. A couple known tranny builders told me that. like it was said above, major damage can happen to your converter if you have the stock one

 

so which is 'best'? the billet or laminated flex plate? or are they both pretty much the same, just different materials and cost?

 

There are more guys tearing up that output than there are killing a flex plate. The stock output is terrible. There are reports that the billet flexplate is not FLEXING and breaking billet inputs. If you feel you must go with flex plate, get a laminated one and not the billet unit.

 

I believe I read that Goerends uses Suncoasts' Flex Plate.

 

Our new flexplate is forged steel which has more give than billet, but stronger than laminate. We are priced very well. They are black oxide coated for durability. They also have the SFI approval.

From personal experience here, under mild drag racing, you are more likely to break an output shaft than the flex plate. I personally would go with the output shaft first, then the flexplate. Thats just personal experience though. We have broken stock output shafts at 15psi boost launches and to break a stock flexplate we had to launch at 25psi with a 16" wide slick with over 700hp. The stock flexplate had about 20 launches in the same manner before it broke.