How to Do a Perfect Burnout With Your Car

Are you guilty of burning tyre skid marks on your garage floor? Given our penchant for doing burnouts, it's no wonder Australians are conducting their burnout experiments in their own homes. We love our burnouts so much that we hold regular competitions for them at the Summernats and Kandos Street Machine Festival.

But why are we so enamoured with burnouts? And how can you do a perfect one as safely as possible? Read this article to find out.

 

What Is a Burnout?

A burnout involves spinning your car wheels fast without letting them roll forward or backward. As the rubber spins, it rubs against the pavement, creating smoke and burn marks on the ground. Drag racers typically do burnouts to heat the tyres and increase their traction. After doing them, the drivers release the clutch, propelling their cars into racing action. However, you can do a burnout without the racing bit and just for pure enjoyment.

 

How Do Burnouts Work?

The key to completing a burnout is to overcome the road's grip. Narrow tyres are ideal for lowering friction, while a high-powered engine produces enough force to exceed the remaining friction.

When the wheels start turning, the tyres heat up and smoke because of the vaporisation of tread chemicals and ambient moisture. We're warning you as early as now: if you want to prevent your car from getting damaged, immediately stop once you see the impressive billows of smoke.

If you still want to go ahead with your burnout attempt, you need the following:

• A car with a strong motor
• A right foot that is well-trained to push the throttle to the ground
• Friends that love a spectacle

 

 

4 Steps in Doing a Basic Burnout

Here are the steps in achieving a basic burnout.

1. Choose the right car.

You need a car with enough horsepower to keep your wheels spinning furiously. Your tyres' torque force should exceed your car's weight, so the tyres won't grip the road while turning, producing the dramatic smoke. A manual transmission car is ideal for burnouts, but you can still use an automatic one. To get the best smoky results, choose street tyres that have smoother surfaces.

 

2. Floor the clutch.

Ensure the clutch is fully depressed before putting your car in first gear. Start firing up the engine, placing enough pressure on the throttle or accelerator, so the tachometer hits 3,000 to 3,500 RPM (revolutions per minute). This effectively heats your tyres!

You can also try doing them yourself! Read our step-by-step DIY that's as fun as it is fulfilling.

 

3. Apply the handbrake.

If your car is a front-wheel drive, locking the handbrake ensures that your car won't lurch forward when you release the clutch.

 

4. Pop the clutch.

Once you let go of the clutch, your tyres will start spinning quickly. Your friends need to have their cameras ready because this is when burnout smoke appears. To stop the burnout, release the accelerator and push the clutch.

 

 

Care for a Donut?

A burnout means the car is at a standstill while the tyres spin. But the rubber can also burn while the car is spinning in circles. This manoeuvre is called a "donut".

A donut is a sharp corner taken at full throttle. So instead of revving the engine without moving, you begin slowly driving in circles. Turning the steering wheel to one side will perform a donut when hitting the throttle. When you press hard on the gas, your rear tyres lose traction and keep the wheel in place, making the donut possible.

 

Tyroola's Fun FAQs on Doing Burnouts

Tyroola answers your burning questions on burnouts.

1. Why does my engine keep dying when I attempt a burnout?

This may be caused by any of these two:

• Your car doesn't have enough power.
• You haven't roared the engine enough before releasing the clutch.

 

2. Can burnouts damage my car?

Yes, so don't them do too long! Burnouts may cause damage by:

• Overheating your engine, clutch, transmission
• Wearing out your brake
• Burning away rubber. You reduce your tyre mileage by 30,000 kilometres for every twenty seconds of burnout.

 

3. Is doing a burnout illegal?

If you're doing it outside a sanctioned competition, then yes, you're breaking the law. Burnouts are considered a hoon offence, along with street racing. The New South Wales government metes out a maximum fine of $3,300 for a first offence. Subsequent offences entail months of jail time and a yearlong disqualification period.

You may wonder if doing a burnout is illegal if you do it on your private property. Though there is no specific regulation, the neighbours can complain about the noise you're making. When this happens, the police have the right to invade your property if they suspect something fishy.

 

4. Are burnouts potentially dangerous?

Again, it's a yes, which is why they're illegal. Aside from damaging your car, you can also hurt yourself or other people. Burnout smoke may harm the environment and your health.

 

5. How do you keep burnouts as safe as possible?

Follow these tips:

• Do burnouts under the guidance of a professional.
• To avoid a blowout, ensure that your tyres have enough tread before attempting a burnout.
• Do it in a wide, empty space, so you don't hurt anyone or anything.

 

 

Australia, the Land of Rev Heads

You can't deny this country's love for burnouts. Skid freaks are constantly thinking of inventing new features to make this stunt even more exciting. There are even coloured tyres that produce multi-coloured smoke! If you want your tyres to stand out during a burnout, try doing your own whitewall tyres. But after your burnout fun, you'll most probably need new tyres. Get them only at Tyroola.

 

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