Here at Treadstone one of our main goals is to educate our customers to provide them with the knowledge to safely boost any vehicle they desire. Which is why we have decided to introduce "the basics," which will be a series of blogs that will present information in a simple to understand format with liberal use of lamens terms. Today we will cover the topic of Boost Spike. Boost Spike is a common side effect of improper wastegate sizing, this can lead to blown head gaskets, bent rods or worse a cracked block. The Truth! Not all high horse power applications need use of a large wastegate. Use this very simple formula to add in waste gate selection Large Turbo + Low Boost = Large Wastegate Large Turbo + High Boost = Smaller Wastegate Small Turbo + High Boost = Smaller Wastegate Small Turbo + Low Boost = Large Wastegate In other words, if you have a 2.0 liter engine, and are using a turbo capable of 600hp, and only pushing 250 to the wheels, you may need a larger wastegate than normal to prevent boost spikes. If you are maxing out your turbo with the HP your pushing, then you may not even need a wastegate at all, so a small wastegate would be needed because the wastegate duty cycle would be very low. Wastegate placement plays a roll in sizing also, bad placement would require use of a larger wastegate than normal Ex. V8 applications using a T76, and pushing a close to 900whp, all you need is a properly placed 38mm wastegate. With the same set up, and only running 500whp, you will need a larger 44-60mm wastegate. Click Here For Product Info!