Best street strip rpm ?

[273]

Was wondering peoples take on the best powerband to build to for a street strip car ?

What's the best compromise for power and reasonable streetability?

Not for any particular engine and or size unless you feel that really matters, obviously smaller engine just generally gonna make less power if built to same powerband as larger.

Eg.. peak power at 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500, 7000 rpm etc..

 

[Demonracer]

Different builds will have varying power bands, it all depends on the components.

 

[66 Sat]

Idle to 5,000 for more street than strip, but the more strip oriented you get then both values shift upwards e.g 2,000 - 7,000.with gearing and converter to match.

 

[Killer6]

What's the budget again????

 

[273]

What's the budget again????

Whatever you want.

It's what you feel is the best NA powerband compromise between a street and strip car.
But it's got to reasonably streetable and reliable.

 

[273]

Different builds will have varying power bands, it all depends on the components.

I get what your saying but there got to be an rpm that's not too crazy for the street for you but up there where you can make good power. Where would your compromise be ?

 

[318willrun]

in general, most of the mild small block mopars I had shifted between 5500 - 6k rpms. But I had several engines that were small cubes that shifted at 6500 so not sure how it's relevant. I think my truck now shifts at 6500 and I drive it daily... '13 ram.

 

[273]

The reason I asked this question is when I see builds with dyno results engines that peak around 6500 rpms especially if they carry that peak to 7000 rpm (shift point) and make peak torque around 5000 rpm especially if fairly flat so it's still making around 90% of peak torque 1500 rpms above and below 5000 rpms (3500-6500 rpm) seems to me with the right gear and stall
would probably be best balance between street and strip engine, especially if built with decent heads to keep cam reasonable.

An engine that makes 1.25 lbs-ft per cid (reasonably attainable) should make around 1.4 hp per cid around 6500 rpms.

 

[Map63Vette]

I think it's largely driven by engine size. For instance, my Viper at 8.3L factory redlines at 6000 rpm, but makes 400+ ft-lbs of torque from 1500 rpm all the way to redline. Makes it a very easy engine to street while still punching hard when you wind it up. Ultimately though driving style is going to have a lot to do with it as well. Knowing how I drive, I don't tend to wind engines up much past 3k in normal driving for everyday commuting stuff. I once drove a friend's WRX that seemed to just start kicking into boost right where I was normally shifting, which made it kind of annoying to drive based on the way I drove it at least. I've never really been one for higher revving engines though, so I tend to shift early.

I guess it also depends on how you want to characterize street vs strip. Do you want a drag car that you can drive on the street, or a street car that does okay on the strip? For the former I would agree with your idea of pushing the powerband up a little bit and aiming for area under the curve between 5-7000. For the latter I'd probably focus more around the 3-5000 range where you might actually see it in street driving from time to time.

 

[318willrun]

The reason I asked this question is when I see builds with dyno results engines that peak around 6500 rpms especially if they carry that peak to 7000 rpm (shift point) and make peak torque around 5000 rpm especially if fairly flat so it's still making around 90% of peak torque 1500 rpms above and below 5000 rpms (3500-6500 rpm) seems to me with the right gear and stall
would probably be best balance between street and strip engine, especially if built with decent heads to keep cam reasonable.

An engine that makes 1.25 lbs-ft per cid (reasonably attainable) should make around 1.4 hp per cid around 6500 rpms.

I'll just say for me, I let the ET slip tell me when to shift. My old Dart ran the same ET/MPH at 5600 rpm's as it did at 6000 rpm's, so I always shift at the lowest RPM without losing ET. In the example I gave, I shifted my Dart at 5600 rpm's.

 

[273]

Basically engines with this powerband curve not necessarily the power numbers.

 

[318willrun]

Basically engines with this powerband curve not necessarily the power numbers.

View attachment 1716359348

I knew this would lead to a youtube clip... lol

 

[273]

Pic of a youtube clip

 

[318willrun]

Pic of a youtube clip

So this is probably the best thread to ask, means it's your thread. I am in no wise being sarcastic or "calling out" or anything like that. But it seems the last 3 years you have posted more youtube videos than any youtube creator has on his/her channel. It seems you have countless hours viewing videos and math... more math that a HS math teacher. So my question is.....
.....
Are you working on building the most mathematical engine to race or compete on street outlaws ? Or do you ever plan on racing or making a pass at a local track with an exotic built engine? Or is all this study to just post right here at FABO? Again, I ask in sincerity.

 

[273]

I knew this would lead to a youtube clip... lol

To me that curve looks pretty ideal for a street strip engine, looks to be best compromise of rpm (streetability) and power.

 

[273]

So this is probably the best thread to ask, means it's your thread. I am in no wise being sarcastic or "calling out" or anything like that. But it seems the last 3 years you have posted more youtube videos than any youtube creator has on his/her channel. It seems you have countless hours viewing videos and math... more math that a HS math teacher. So my question is.....
.....
Are you working on building the most mathematical engine to race or compete on street outlaws ? Or do you ever plan on racing or making a pass at a local track an exotic built engine? Or is all this study to post right here at FABO? Again, I ask in sincerity.

I already have a decent engine 5.9l 380hp crate, makes more than enough power for me. Wouldn't mind taking it to the track and see what she does.

 

[318willrun]

To me that curve looks pretty ideal for a street strip engine, looks to be best compromise of rpm (streetability) and power.

May I suggest spending more time watching Unity Motorsports Garage (Andy Wood). All the graphs and charts and dyno test got some moved aside when "in a vehicle at the track". He had to change the tune of mixed up boss, and it responded differently in real time doing real work. You can have all the graphs and not disregarding them but engines on a dyno can't simulate what happens when you are in, per say, a truck cutting wind at 110 mph.

 

[318willrun]

I already have a decent engine 5.9l 380hp crate, makes more than enough power for me. Wouldn't mind taking it to the track and see what she does.

so the answer is for posting here at FABO. And that's ok, I just wanted to know. It's not a knock at all.

 

[B3422w5]

To me, street rpm is 95% of the time below 3500 rpm. I keep my foot and tickets out of play.
At the track, my zone is 5000 to 6500. Car lives in that range from the hit to the stripe. Nice long happy life keeping rpm down.

 

[273]

May I suggest spending more time watching Unity Motorsports Garage (Andy Wood). All the graphs and charts and dyno test got some moved aside when "in a vehicle at the track". He had to change the tune of mixed up boss, and it responded differently in real time doing real work. You can have all the graphs and not disregarding them but engines on a dyno can't simulate what happens when you are in, per say, a truck cutting wind at 110 mph.

I generally watch custom builds of 20-50's cars, more than engine stuff. But mainly post the engine stuff here since I feel might help some.

 

[273]

so the answer is for posting here at FABO. And that's ok, I just wanted to know. It's not a knock at all.

It's all good, after I get my Bronco back on the road (hopefully this year), wouldn't mind building a roadster truck and maybe a hot 273 for it.

 

[273]

To me, street rpm is 95% of the time below 3500 rpm. I keep my foot and tickets out of play.
At the track, my zone is 5000 to 6500. Car lives in that range from the hit to the stripe. Nice long happy life keeping rpm down.

To me seem like the sweet spot between race and street.

Under 3500 rpm engine don't need much power to drive around just has to run acceptably down there.

 

[Oldmanmopar]

I always thought when it sounds like a chainsaw pull the next gear. LOL

That said , If money is no issue swing for the highest RPM you can afford. It gets pretty expensive the higher you go. .

Take the cost of fuel into thoughts. Higher rpm Cams take a higher compression for power at lower rpm's. I know myself and some friends needed to buy race fuel to drive our cars on the street. C12 race fuel is $20.00 per gal. unless you get 50 gals.

 

[273]

I think it's largely driven by engine size. For instance, my Viper at 8.3L factory redlines at 6000 rpm, but makes 400+ ft-lbs of torque from 1500 rpm all the way to redline. Makes it a very easy engine to street while still punching hard when you wind it up. Ultimately though driving style is going to have a lot to do with it as well. Knowing how I drive, I don't tend to wind engines up much past 3k in normal driving for everyday commuting stuff. I once drove a friend's WRX that seemed to just start kicking into boost right where I was normally shifting, which made it kind of annoying to drive based on the way I drove it at least. I've never really been one for higher revving engines though, so I tend to shift early.

I get that.

I guess it also depends on how you want to characterize street vs strip. Do you want a drag car that you can drive on the street,

definitely not that, has to be able to drive further than a zip around town

or a street car that does okay on the strip?

But only has to be reasonably street friendly, so kind of in between.

For the former I would agree with your idea of pushing the powerband up a little bit and aiming for area under the curve between 5-7000.

agree

For the latter I'd probably focus more around the 3-5000 range where you might actually see it in street driving from time to time.

Definitely more streetable (daily driver) but leaving a lot of power on the table. An engine that makes peak torque at 5000 rpm generally makes more power between 3500-5000 rpm plus still has 5000-7000 rpm, that why it looks to be best compromise for street strip, decent power 3000-7000+ rpm, under 3000 rpms might be ruff depends how you built it.

but you would probably at least run 3500-4500 rpm stall and 4+:1 gears, OD make it more livable.

 

[1MeanA]

To me its nice to have lots of torque with a light throttle squeeze on the street. That's not to say there isn't lots more power up top.