Tapout Tuning

LF4 Performance Tuning Specialists

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Tapout Tune of the Week!

Paul came to us after having his ATS-V tuned by a well-known competitor. He went to a local dyno to see what kind of numbers he was making after their tune and found that his ATS-V was peaking at dangerous levels of boost and running far leaner than it should have been. He brought this up with his original tuner but was disappointed when they gave a two-sentence response and didn’t acknowledge the fact his engine was in serious danger.

A Tapout Tune can be completed anywhere in the world so when Paul (Florida) reached out to us with his  concerns we immediately began working on a remote tune. After he completed his first data log we found all kinds of red flags in his KR (knock retard) table and made Paul aware of the situation. “Scott answered every one of my questions and worked out all the kinks” he said. At Tapout we want to make sure each customer completely understands what we are doing, and our logic behind it. The more each customer knows, the better informed they are down the road as they continue to make modifications.

Competitive Tune Average Knock Retard                         Tapout Tune Average Knock Retard

                                

After multiple iterations and several tune revisions, Paul’s ATS-V runs smoother, responds better, and most importantly, his engine is no longer in any danger. He also let us know he will be ordering colder plugs and will be working with Tapout Tuning again as he adds more mods to the car. At Tapout we’re here to make more power, safely!

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Getting to Know your Drag Radials!

If you like going to the drag strip you are certainly no stranger to the various types of drag radials or slicks people run. What you might not know is how someone came to decide what would be the best tire for their application.

When researching what would be the best drag radial for our ATS-V we knew that we wanted something that we could drive both on the street and on the track. While we wouldn’t be driving these tires on the street that often, our ATS-V is no trailer queen and we drive it to and from the drag strip every time we go. Because of that we selected Mickey Thompson ET Street R, P275/40R17s as our drag radials. These do exactly what we need on the drag strip and handle regular street driving just as well.

Something interesting we focused on while researching the best tire for us was that Mickey Thompson recommends a different drag tire for a manual versus an automatic. For an automatic you want  your tire to dead hook because the torque converter prevents the motor from bogging and provide a less violent launch. But in the case of a manual transmission as we have in our ATS-V, a slight amount of controlled spin is preferable because a dead hook can bog down the motor or shake the tires. If you execute this correctly it will allow for the right amount of wheel speed and traction so that you can continue to rapidly accelerate while going through the gears. What differentiates our M/T ET Street R’s from their regular ET Streets is that the R allows for more flex in the sidewall. This allows the tire to absorb some of the shock from the launch. Ideally you would want a bias ply for a manual transmission car as the tire is able to “wrinkle” at launch, far more than a radial tire can. However you do not want to mix bias plys in the rear with radials up front as the car will not track well at all. The next tire upgrade we will have for our ATS-V next year is a set of bias-ply slicks with skinnies up front.

These are all important factors when considering the best tires for your drag racing applications. If you want to put down the best times at the track you have to know what the best tires for your specific vehicle are. We have had an absolute blast taking our ATS-V to the drag strip and having the right tires has made it that much more fun!

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Low Mass Battery Now Available!

Tapout Tuning is proud to announce that we now offer the Cadillac ATS-V low mass battery. Not excited about a battery? Well get this, our low mass battery saves from 13.0 to 16.5 pounds over stock! And less weight equals faster time slips and better handling. We call that a win in our book. Take a look below to see the specs of this new offering:

  • ACDelco Low Mass Battery
  • Normally included in ATS-V option Track Performance Package
  • Includes lightweight mounting bracket
  • Fits perfectly in factory location
  • Includes vent just like OEM
  • Specifications: 565 CCA, 80 RC, 50 AH
  • Weight: 33.5 pounds including lightweight mounting bracket

low mass battery

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Getting Schooled at V-Performance Academy!

Last week Tapout’s owner, Scott Cook attended the V-Performance Academy in Pahrump, Nevada. This is a two-day performance driving school at Spring Mountain Motor Resort where participants are guided by experienced instructors on one of the most challenging race tracks in America. This gives drivers the ability to test the limit’s of either an ATS-V or CTS-V all while improving their performance driving abilities.

Scott had an incredible time here and recommends everyone add this to their bucket list. The combination of in-class instruction and on-track guidance made this an experience he will not soon forget. It was humbling being here because you really can’t imagine what it takes to be a truly good driver until you’re on an actual track. It was a very challenging track even with Scott’s ATS-V able to pull more than 1G around every corner. These are totally stock Cadillacs and their ability on the track straight from the factory is almost unbelievable. Their combination of handling, power and overall performance never ceases to amaze us and getting to experience that on a race track was even more awe-inspiring. If you have the ability to get on a race track with an ATS-V or CTS-V we highly recommend it, because what good is your car is you don’t take it to its limits?

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Tapout Tune of the Week!

Like so many of our customers, John from Texas loves his ATS-V but felt it wasn’t quite living up to its potential. John came to us to see if we could remedy the situation, and we had the perfect solution to unleash the full potential of the ATS-V, a Remote Tapout Tune!

Aside from AFE intake filters, John’s ATS-V was completely stock. He knew the filters had provided additional power, but it certainly wasn’t enough. We completed a preliminary scan of John’s car to see the current state of the engine and found that even though the AFE filters had helped him pick up power, the car was actually running too lean and was dealing with knock retard as well.

We recommended installing the stock filters, so we could see how the car would perform after its first initial tune. After checking the scans completed on John’s car we were able to determine the best course for tuning his car remotely. John is now running a set of NGK spark plugs and is making significantly more power than stock or with the AFE filters, all while keeping the drivability of the car intact. We want to ensure that no matter how much additional power we can bring out of your ATS-V, you can still drive it anywhere, anytime and any distance. These cars were meant to be driven to their limit, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be comfortable when they’re not.

On a side note, we’re curious what John is working on with that engine block in the corner of his picture.