How to Do a Burnout: Step-by-Step Guide

This updated guide explains how to Do a Burnout through clear steps, practical examples, and important checks that help prevent common errors.

Method 1 of 2:

Performing a Basic Burnout

Make sure you have the right kind of car. To perform a burnout, you need a car with lots of horsepower. Regarding transmissions, it is easiest to do in a manual but is possible in an automatic. For the best effect, street tires are also desirable, which have smoother surfaces that'll put out more smoke. Don't buy a ford Mustang to do a burnout because the only rubber you'll burn is a engine belt.^{[1]XResearch source}
Put the car in first gear. Depress the clutch fully and start revving the engine. You shouldn't start moving, as long as you've got the clutch all the way in. Get your RPMs up so the tires will be hot when you let 'em loose.^{[2]XResearch source}
Lock the handbrake. After you pop the clutch, your tires will be spinning very fast, so you can either pop it to speed off and perform a peel-out, or you can keep the hand brake or parking brake locked to spin your tires and create smoke, performing a burnout.^{[3]XResearch source}
Release the clutch. When you release the clutch fully, the tires should start spinning very quickly, resulting in the burnout smoke. To stop the burnout ease off the accelerator and free the brake.^{[4]XResearch source}
If the car is an automatic, put the transmission into D, hold the footbrake down as firmly as possible, build up the revs of the car by pushing the throttle pedal. When ready, release the footbrake and the car should wheelspin.^{[5]XResearch source}

Method 2 of 2:

Getting Nasty

Try a peel-out. A peel-out is the nicer cousin of the burnout, and happens when the driver spins the wheels on the road before moving. Peel-Outs are far easier and less dangerous to your car than a burnout, and even happen accidentally at stop lights when you jump on the gas too hard. To perform the Peel-Out:^{[6]XResearch source}
- Depress the clutch with the car in gear. Rev the engine high and release the clutch abruptly to peel-out.
Do a donut. A donut is a circular burnout. To do a donut, find a large open area with no other cars, lampposts or other things you can hit. It is easy to lose control of a car with a donut. Begin driving in slow circles and then hit the gas hard so that the rear tires begin to lose traction, holding the wheel in the same position to perform the spinning donut.^{[7]XResearch source}
Try a rollback burnout. A rollback is just like a burnout, but performed on a hill. They are a good way to get a burnout in an underpowered car as the backward movement helps with traction after the burn.
- Find a hill and put the car in first gear. Depress the clutch. Let the car roll backwards down the hill slightly, then start giving the car plenty of gas. Finally, "pop" the clutch to jump into first and take off.
Use a line locker. A line locker is a device that modifies a car so the brake pedal only engages the front brakes. A line lock is a solenoid (fancy name for a switch) that gives you some extra buttons in the drivers seat to control your brakes. To do a burn out with a line locker installed:^{[8]XResearch source}
- To use a line locker, step on the brakes and push the line lock button. When you release the brake pedal, you'll leave your front brakes on but disengaging your back brakes, leaving those wheels free to spin, burn and make smoke. Release the line lock button to release the front brakes and move forward.
- Like burnouts, this device is almost always illegal and is quite dangerous.

FAQ

What is the easiest way to Do a Burnout?

Start with the requirements in this guide, then follow each step in order. Check the result after every major change so problems are easier to identify.