It really does happen and it really was some of the best indirect advice I've ever read on these forums. There was a point where I felt really good after like 5-6 months of struggling and then I felt like I took nose dive for a month and really started to question things. Kind of just have to take things in strides. I'm FAR from perfect after 10 months but I've really made great strides from pretty much limping and rolling this car home from the dealership. I still feel a bit anxious when someone's right on my rear bumper and such but I try to really not let things get to me and just negotiate situations efficiently.Today was one of those days where I felt like I regressed. After 2 whole days of not stalling or overreving, I stalled this morning on a very slight incline and then peeled out because I was afraid of holding up traffic. I was the lead car at the light and started to prepare myself to move as cross-traffic's light turned red. Thankfully, by the time I peeled out, I didn't hold anyone up.
Does your car peel out if you launch at 2000 rpm on level ground? Setting the rpm's is definitely half the battle and that will get easier to modulate when you continually do it. I really try and shoot for 1300-1500 rpm and for a semi smooth and progressive launch. I don't really care about the people behind me at this point... if the person is going to floor it and get on my rear bumper it probably wont matter what kind of launch I do or even if I have a manual/automatic (because even when I drove automatic I didn't matte the gas pedal off a red light lol).I've began to balance the throttle and clutch. Most of the time, I do it pretty well (no more than ~1500 rpm),but then there are times where I unintentionally do a 2000 rpm launch on level ground. In the past week, I've definitely been a more nervous driver than I have been in awhile. I'm sure that once this subsides, I'll feel great about myself.
I do this pretty much every opportunity I can. I really do try and watch and gauge the cross pattern traffic light like a hawk (don't really do this with automatic). Any advantage I can take though- I take. Unfortunately some lights are really impossible to see the cross pattern of light pattern because they either aren't angled ideally or they have those "hoods" over them to block out direct sun light. In an instance like this I kind of try and "guestimate". I can't really speak on throwout bearing abuse but I can tell you for sure I don't hold that pedal down to the firewall for longer then 20 seconds at a time. People probably think I'm really weird also because it'll be fairly late at night and only like 2 other cars going the same traffic route as I am and if I see we're approaching a red light as opposed to being a "front runner" in que for the light I'll usually signal SAFELY behind one of other cars first in que so I can have less pressure and go after them.When practical, I like to do a no-gas launch prematurely and creep for just barely a moment before my chance to go. That way I can slap that accelerator pedal like an automatic driver and shoot off like a rocket, faster than any automatic could (because 1st in a manual is much lower, and because there is no energy wasted in a torque converter).
I feel like I can't really launch that quickly... not really sure of the best method in doing so. All I know is if I rev past 2k essentially the tires scream... dry or wet.Fast & Furious launch...leave it to those with more money than sense. Replacing clutches must be a hobby for some. I've only ever done one racing launch and the car wasn't mine. I was at an EcoBoost challenge event and there was a course to time your reaction off the line, mine was laughably slow, wherein you rev to 3 grand or so (peak torque) and wait for the light to chance then let off the clutch. The organizers wouldn't allow any higher revving than that, but still mentioned that the clutches in all of their cars had been replaced multiple times during their run on the demo circuit. Was fun, but not my cup of tea.