Smooth launch in 1st Gear?
 

I seem to have trouble getting a smooth rollout from a stop in 1st gear, just normal driving. My clutch either feels juddery if I let it out too slow, or I don't have the right revs and let it out too fast, resulting in the car lurching.

Any tips? Perfect RPM to roll away in 1st gear? fast or slow clutch release? Try 2nd gear?

Thanks.

Personally, I have to have a pretty slow clutch release to make 1st go smoothly, at least compared to other manuals I've driven.

keep rpms steady at 1.5k, ease out until it engages, dont be too quick with it.

Somewhere between 1.5k and 2k gives me a nice smooth launch. Anything less and I get some "shuttering" through the clutch.

I agree. Practice Practice Practice. 1.5k-2k and you should be rolling smooooth. Keep in mind, I've noticed with this car you have to hold the clutch a little longer for it to engage compared to other cars.

I do a slow tug at 1k rpm and it seems to work. The clutch in my car judders like an SOB, and I've found that not putting much of a load on it negates a lot of it.

Ironically though, slipping it at 2k rpms works well too, but I just cringe when I do that...but I'm a bit of a clutch-o-phobe. I hate slipping clutches. :icon14:

As your clutch foot rises, lower your right foot. do this in synchrony and your set, i've been doing it for a long time now.

I've had my Z for a little of 3wks and I'm finally getting the 1st gear engagement thing to a manageable point. Do what the other guys have said...1.5-2k although I've been starting off at 1.5-1.8k...2k seems like a little too much for a casual (normal) start. Let the clutch out to the point where it starts to grip and the car starts moving and then keep it there while the car starts to roll. Once you get a little bit of momentum (this doesn't take too long maybe 10-20ft) then you can let the clutch out all the way. No lurching or neck snapping.

idk what anyone else thinks.. but that seems like a little bit of a long time to keep the clutch at the friction point..Clutch shouldn't be picking up the slack to keep the car smooth. That would end up costly.

So rolling that out at 10-20ft max would be too much on the clutch? It seems like any faster and I get the lurching. What I explained takes probably about 3seconds.

Maybe just thinking about the distance online and actually doing it in the car is what is throwing me off. I could be totally wrong so take what I said as a grain of salt!

Hehehehe Since I'm still feeling the clutch out I'm open to any tips as well. I've just found what works now. If I could let the clutch out any sooner without lurching I would but it seems like there is a sweet spot where once you have some wheel speed, letting the clutch out is a lot smoother. If I let it out an sooner I get that lurch.

like i said above, as the left rises the right lowers, if done correctly and with experience, the motion is seamless. you wont have to hold off from letting up as the car gets rolling.

If the clutch is brand new (ie, less than 1K on it) it'll be a bit grabby. Do a couple takeoffs in 3rd @ around 3-4K (just get the car rolling, then drop to 2nd) and it'll get some material transferred to the flywheel side and smooth things out.

My motorcycle (I know, wet clutch vs dry clutch, still same principals) had a very grabby clutch. I did that (in 2nd, 5 speed gearbox with 3 OD's), a fwe times, and that tamed it.

My (old) truck, I did a take off in 5th (of 5) and BURNED that clutch. Kind of overdid it, but it wasn't grabby, nice and smooth.

On my way home last night I was thinking about this thread, and trying to see how long I was actually on the clutch. My POS juddering clutch is similar to the Z, and to make it smooth, you have to be on it for a little longer than other cars.

I had the clutch hooked up completely by time my front tires would touch the far side of a crosswalk. Only issue is IDK exactly how far that is...:icon14:

If I have time today I'll see if I can take a Z out and make a video of starting it without cooking the clutch or lurching it.