My title says it all. What is a trans-brake, how does it work, and is it better than or comparable to a line-lock, and why?
Transbrakes engage clutches in a transmission in a way that locks the transmission against itself so the engine is loaded and the converter can flash. AFAIK its better than line lock because the drivetrain is locked as opposed to just brakes which can be overpowered by the engine.
Trans brake is a solenoid operated valve in the trans valve body. It essentially locks the tranny in foward and reverse at the same time until the actuating button is released. Really puts a shock on the internals but is instant engagement of foward gears. They are also used mostly with other electronic devices, for quicker reaction times and consistency in et's. Line lock is also a solenoid but is installed in the hydraulic brake line, to lock up the front brakes for burnouts and some even use them on the rear for launching(never seen them work for that to well). They are button or switch operated too, but only releases the brakes and has nothing to do with the trans.
Line lock is for burnouts and burnout contests. Transbrakes are for race cars. The main purpose of a trans brake is so that a driver can mat the gas at the line with the transbrake engaged, and the car will not move. When the button is released (and a delay box is not used) the car is already wide open and it will instantly go. No waiting for the throttle to open, secondaries to come in, timing to advance, etc...it just goes. Also, they're more consistent than just footbraking at the launch...The driver's eye-foot coordination is worse than eye-hand coordination, plus with the use of a delay box you can get near perfect reaction times consistently and easily (yes, "box" racing is easier than footbraking!) as releasing the button and ultimately "unlocking" the transmission is much more consistent than having to push the throttle down, release the brake and steer all at the same time. Don't try a transbrake on the street..unless you have slicks. It just blows the tires off instantly. Used to know a guy with a '77 Camaro with a 509 BBC/powerglide with transbrake that would play around on saturday nights on the streets. It'd come up on the converter (5000 stall), light turns green and he'd release the button...and tiresmoke was almost instant, as was the 7000 RPM limiter. No wonder the motor didn't last long! Line locks were originally designed for standard-shift cars so that they wouldn't roll through the lights at the starting line while the driver had one foot on the clutch and one on the throttle. I remember how much of a challenge it was driving my old Mustang 5 speed without a line lock. Good thing I wear size 15 shoes...makes it a little easier to hold the brake and gas with the same foot.
transbrakes are essential in certain classes of racing. just make sure you have lots of spare parts and money.
The transbrake sounds like it would be hard on internal transmission parts, as well as other driveline parts. For a daily street driver, I think I will install a cheaper and less invasive line-lock. Line lock will free up my rear brakes for burnouts. How hard on brakes is a burnout? It seems that some of that smoke should be brake-shoe heat and powder. Does burning out with the brakes on lead to, not only shoe/pad wear, but warped drums/rotors and other permanently ruined brake parts? Or is it just as much wear as coming to a complete stop 5 or 6 times from 70mph?
i've been doing burnouts with my brakes for 7 years now and no problems. but they don't get any additional use on the street.
the line lock only locks the front brakes when set up for heating the tires. shouldnt bother the brakes at all. trans brake is hardest on the converter & the fluid, but also the axles, gears, tires, etc. also doesnt lock the front brakes, so the car can move forward when tires grab. you should also be off the throttle when the tire do grab, or bad things can happen inside the trans to the sprag, etc.
As Don said, holding the brakes on with your foot is probably the most used way of doing burnouts. However, it sure puts some wear on the rear shoe's as the torque overpowers the brakes to spin the tires. Is not an issue with moderately fast cars, but those pads or shoe's stay hot all the way down the track and on very fast cars, could cause a problem. Line lock on fronts is my choice, even for my turd of a race car. The trans brake release is only used for launch and is compared to holding your foot on the gas, wide open and then sliding your foot off the clutch on a std. shift car. Better have good tranny to take that abuse, and just for info, when you are on the start line and watching the tree come down, you are holding the gas pedal wide open and never letting off. Just releaseing the button and with or without a delay box, crossover, etc, the car should shoot out of the box like a rocket, Most are launched at 6500 to 8000+ RPM's, some even higher. They are useless on the street and very dangerous too.
Also when used for drag racing a line-lock allows the rear suspension to be preloaded when the car is staged, ready to spring when the button is released. A trans brake doesn't apply power to the rear suspension during staging so when the trans brake is released the suspension is "shocked" and has to use a small amount of time to "wind up".
So, with the stock 1800 stall, and a line lock. Do I lock the front brakes and rev to 1700-1800, just before the tires let loose? Then let off at the light? Just like I currently do, except the rear brakes are not engaged? How is this going to be different than my current launch. Actually, with my current configuration, I don't make it to 1500 or so before the rear wheels start to break loose from the brake shoes. Slowly at first, but then the rear end starts to swim, usually to the left (mini spool spins both tires, right gets more traction from engine torquing that side downward, pushes car to left). If I really mash the brakes, the engine revs to 1800 and stops, hence "stock stall of 1800". Am I right on this. Sorry to talk about "stall" on a car without a stall converter. May offend some of you more race-oriented types. I am new at this. I will get there with time.
Just my own opinion, but in your case I would forget about using the line lock for starting line launch's. As you have stated, usually the tires will start to either spin or in most cases, grab and actually shove the locked front tires foward. Use it for burnouts only while the tires are wet from the water box, and then as they heat up and begin to grab the track surface, release it and pull up to the line. Foot brake it and stage the same each time, practice getting good lights and watch the 60 ft. times. When they become consistent, you are becoming a good drag racer. If the car wants to walk to one side on burnouts, is normally because you did not get both tires wet enough and one is trying to bite as the other is spinning. Or if it is walking at launch, may have to much preload on one side or the other as you stated. Lots of crap to figure out, but I think you have a pretty good handle on it for being a bit new at it. Stall is another whole subject and you should not worry about it till you get the basic's figured out for good staight launch's and reaction times. Reminds me of a very young bull and a very old bull. standing on a hill overlooking a herd of cow's. The young bull says " Let's run down there and mate with one of those cow's" The old bull says, "Lets walk down there and mate with all of them" Patient's has it's virtue's, so they say.
It's important for you to understand the term "stall speed" as it pertains to your application. Stall speed is relative to the amount of torque the engine produces. Example: A 10" converter advertised at 2500 stall speed may only stall to 1500 when applied against the foot brake behind a 302" engine; the same converter behind a 351" engine will stall higher (say 1900) due to the higher torque produced by the larger engine. Another point to consider: a transbrake will allow you to 'stall' the converter to it's highest possible point by locking the transmission in low/reverse. This lets you use all of the stall built into the converter. If you do not use a transbrake and you are "footbraking" the car, you will see a much lower point at which the car wants to move. Adding a line-lock will NOT change this. A line lock is used for burnouts and staging....not for holding a car against the converter. I am a staunch supporter of transbrakes for street/strip and race cars. My '98 GT has a transbrake and I drive her everyday. My son's Futura has a transbrake also.....takes him back and forth to school/football practice and to the track. Bottom line? You don't use the transbrake on the street for launching. After all.....you only race at the track....RIGHT?!?!?!?!? Using the footbrake at the starting line is ok if you don't have the money for a transbrake. If you can afford one....get it. It is not harder on internal parts either. Also....ever notice how the car tends to "load up" against the suspension when you are using the footbrake? Once you release the footbrake the car has to transfer the weight back down to the suspension/tires and then it launches. More distance for the suspension to travel. With the release of a transbrake, you "shock" the suspension into action. The car leaves quicker which equates into lower elapsed times. Lastly, a transbrake valvebody is no harder to install than a cheap shift kit. In some cases it's easier.
I know it varies from car to car, but every one I've played with ran slower holding against the converter with a foot on the brake. Just initial flash of the converter hits a higher RPM and you start rolling, better weight transfer, better engine acceleration, stronger neck snap during takeoff... See what works for you before buying parts that may not make a difference. Transbrake is a different beast... haven't messed with one yet.