What is the difference between Trans Abuse Mode and Shift Torque Management, and should abuse mode be disabled?

They protect against different things (HP Tuners VCM Editor, GM transmission torque management):

• Abuse mode cuts engine torque during "abusive" launches: high throttle at low engine and vehicle speed. It has its own rpm, throttle %, vehicle-speed and input-speed thresholds, a torque-reduction-vs-rpm table, and a duration limit that depends on transmission temperature.
• Shift torque management reduces torque during upshifts and downshifts. There are separate enables for upshift, downshift, garage shifts, closed-throttle and power downshifts, plus %-reduction tables for normal, performance and downshift modes.

Should abuse mode be disabled? HP Tuners' caution applies to both: changing or disabling these values can shorten transmission life or damage it. On a street car with a stock transmission, it's protection worth keeping. See transmission tuning.

Want to do it yourself? See who tunes it, and how to learn.