Davis Traction Control!

Discussion in 'PSI Superchargers Tech Questions' started by RUGSTER, May 7, 2009.

  1. RUGSTER

    RUGSTER New Member

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    Has anyone tried or had anything to do with the "Traction control" electronics offered by Davis Technologies?Apparentley they add to a Pro-mag 44 points box a gizmo or "chip"that monitors crankshaft acceleration rate and drops cylinders if needed to all but stop the vehicle turning the tyres on a slick track.Once the rpm's have fallen to a safe level full power to all cylinders is restored! I believe cars that have it installed can't even be detected as the time frame in which this happens is so small it can't even be heard!:eek:I know it just sounds like another rev-limiter!but i think there's more to it than that. Any thoughts....Just curious:D
     
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  2. Mike Canter

    Mike Canter Top Dragster
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    I believe it monitors driveshaft RPM accelaration rate and if it is too great too fast it retards the ignition to pull power out of the motor. If you have a 8973 then it uses the Step Retards. Without a 8973 you have to have another Davis box to control the ignition retard. It works very well but not all associations allow it and it is expensive.
     
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  3. Andy C

    Andy C Member

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  4. RUGSTER

    RUGSTER New Member

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    Thanks for the insight Mike! I was speaking to someone tonite who mentioned them and how they can help a hi -horsepower car get down a less than perfect track!And yes!your correct i don't believe they are cheap,but nothing is.:(I was just curious to how well and if they indeed do work? The only reason i thought it would work off the crank sensor is that the acceleration ramp at the driveshaft would differ with each gear change?Correct? Would'nt it be much easier using a "Set" acceleration ramp off the engine as once the pedal is mashed the rate won't differ as much as the driveshaft? Providing the clutch is Locked up of course.:confused:
     
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  5. RUGSTER

    RUGSTER New Member

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  6. Toby G

    Toby G New Member

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    HI
    I handle all the drag sales and support for the Davis Tech traction control. I will say the hardest part of selling this product is we keep our customer list confidential. I do have some customers that let me use their names as references. Mike Janis and Roger Henson (Bubba Stantons car owner) don't mind me using their names.

    Shannon Davis approached me about ten years ago. I was doing alot of electronics for PS and TF. Long story short, we decided to work together to build a traction control unit for drag racing. I have sold alot of units, from NHRA to ADRL to 10.5 to Bracket. It isn't something that is going to allow you to leave the starting line at 10000 rpm with three stages of nitrous activated It is something that will allow you to always be on the aggressive side of your tune up. There is no reason to go up to the starting line weak with the TC.

    Its also handy as a tuning aid. First off, you will be getting down the track more often. Secondly, I suggest to each of my customers to log the traction control output with their data acq system. Then after each run, the team can see where the TC saved them. Then they can adjust the car for that spot. In essence it helps them make a timing curve for a track/lane eventually.

    I wrote an article for a racing magazine a while ago talking about different traction control systems. Here is the link.
    http://dragtraction.com/Articles.htm

    If you have any other questions, feel free to call (303.885.7428) or email (toby@dragtraction.com)
     
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  7. Will Hanna

    Will Hanna We put the 'inside' in Top Alcohol
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    Traction control

    The Davis TM traction control devises are primarily designed to work with driveshaft rpm, not so much engine rpm.

    The box has several sensitivity settings that allow faster rates of accelleration of the driveshaft. The box activates if the driveshaft is accelleratiing quicker than the alloted setting-curve. It triggers a 12v signal that goes to either a digital msd retard or six shooter. Older models had two phases, an initial hit of timing out, then a intermediate to ramp it back in, usually half of whatever you took out.

    The old boxes weren't 'smart' you had to pre program a set amount of timing to retard. So it definitely wasn't, and still isn't a bolt on cureall. It's just another tuning tool that as the box says, 'doesn't make bad tuneups good, it makes good tuneups better'...

    The latest box offered is a bit smarter. All you have to do now is tell it the maximum amount of timing it can take out, and if the driveshaft sensitivity goes over it's limit, it starts taking timing out until either the driveshaft comes back within range or it reaches it's max timing to retard. It also ramps it in at a rate to control spin.

    Even with this smart box, it's not a cureall. It would be perfect if it wasn't for that damn clutch bolted to the crank...LOL. Sometimes if too much timing is taken out, I've heard the clutch can grab the motor, resulting in weak shake....in which taking more timing out isn't necessarily what it needs.

    Alot of the outlaw PM guys are using these boxes. I figure if the opportunity ever arose again to tune a Pro Mod car, I'd better get smart on the traction control and clutch management stuff...:D
     
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  8. RUGSTER

    RUGSTER New Member

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    Will,sounds like another valuable tuning parameter! With this "Box" in conjunction with an upmarket data logger the ability to tune would have to be that much easier!:D Providing,like you said,"the clutch" is adjusted correctly for the said track! Also as Toby stated,you can go to the line with a much more "Agressive" tune with the underlying benefit of having the unit being able to catch an RPM spike if infact the car shook or unloaded the tyres altogether.Would'nt this set-up stop or at least help a massive over-rev if this occured?:eek:Could save $$ yes??
     
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  9. shawn davis

    shawn davis Member

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  10. Randy G.

    Randy G. Top Alcohol

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    After Will Hanna told me all about it I got one. Works great!

    It took me several days to hide it well enough so Collins wouldn't find it...oops, Let's see... how do I delete this post?:eek:



    .
     
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    Last edited: May 7, 2009
  11. Toby G

    Toby G New Member

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    Randy you will be fine until you see Collins walk up to you wearing rubber gloves.

     
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