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Figured I would start a total auto-x thread since we have been useing max Hp as our auto-x discussion.
Auto-X
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Good idea. Good place to put updates/pics on everyones seasons as well. I am waiting impatiently for May 2 & 3 for our first two events, we always have the first two at the Valley Fair parking lot south of the twin cities. Huge lot, so that course is usually pretty spread out. Fun place to run for sure. Last year in May, there were constant winds of 40mph and gusts well over 50, so hopefully it is a bit nicer this year! It was even blowing the cones over, shaking the timing lights around enough to cause false trips, etc.
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Damn Yea in the south they run Auto-X all year round. but I get out of the south in 4 months and ill be back in NY trying to find the SCCA guys up there.
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Engi My new ideas after todays event. Soon to be on order Endlinks, Camber bolts for the front for +/- 2 degrees camber adjustability, H&R race springs, and TRD struts.
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Yeah.. I dont keep a database of each states autox stuff
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Well the auto-x with so much power, terrible springs and a crushed right index finger (had to drive with one hand, yes it sucked) also my first time it went ok i guess. I now know what the week points are of my suspension and plan on buying some new parts for that. Tires Tires Tires one of the main problem with the setup. I had asked a guy with a Subaru Impreza 2.5RS that was running the neo gens how they were griping. He replied that he felt some sliding but it wasnt to bad. Right than I knew they are going to suck for me since he is AWD and N/A and had them sliding on him.
The springs were def the major downfall of my setup S-Techs SUCK for any kind of racing period. The spring rates suck they are merely for looks that is it. They were to soft and cause the car to bounce to much. The Sway's and strut bar def helped out alot but could not defeat those damn S-Tech bounce. So I am going to try and order some new springs, camber bolts and endlinks immediately to get ready for the events on April 6th. Than after looking to buy some new struts and 17x8 wheels with tires 245/40/17 Nitto NT-01 takes me out of street tire class but who cares I need them.
The springs were def the major downfall of my setup S-Techs SUCK for any kind of racing period. The spring rates suck they are merely for looks that is it. They were to soft and cause the car to bounce to much. The Sway's and strut bar def helped out alot but could not defeat those damn S-Tech bounce. So I am going to try and order some new springs, camber bolts and endlinks immediately to get ready for the events on April 6th. Than after looking to buy some new struts and 17x8 wheels with tires 245/40/17 Nitto NT-01 takes me out of street tire class but who cares I need them.
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Learning every day about springs and spring rates. Threw discussion and research I have figured out why the S-Techs are the suxor. The spring rate is very very high, Reasoning behind it is because it is such and extreme drop it has to be other wise it would be bottoming out all the time. So by Tein making the spring have such a high spring rate it causes them to bounce under extreme load in hard turn ins. Thus compressing the struts to the bottom (reason why I hear clunking now) and transferring everything threw the chassis of the car causing tremendous understeer in low speed corners.
This is just one of a couple things that I learned about my car driving it threw the harsh low speed corners of the Auto-x course yesterday.
This is just one of a couple things that I learned about my car driving it threw the harsh low speed corners of the Auto-x course yesterday.
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There was a completely stock tC running out there and he was doing very well in his class. As for what I said about the Tein S-Techs what they do is since they are so low and the spring rate is so high, under extreme load in corner turn-in the shock bottom's out and the car starts to bounce due to the very high spring rate. If you have a slightly lower spring rate with a not so drastic of a drop the car will be able to handle the turn better because the shock will have more travel. Thus not making the bottom out on the bump stops and allowing it to grip threw the turn with out so much understeer.
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Arent the S-Techs close to a 2" drop or so? For the tC it looks like (From what Raamaudio/Rick has done as well as some other sources) that 1.4 inches is about the max you want to go. As you lower excessively, you run into the issue of needing overly high rates, like is happening here as well as the roll couple actually getting larger at some point, so you really arent battling roll any longer, but actually making it worse to some degree. I would go with a milder drop for sure.
My setup seems to be decent so far. I wouldnt mind having the hotchkis sway bars in place of the TRD, but for a mix of autox and daily driving it is doing well for me the way it is. I am at the point that the driver has more room to improve (which is normally the case) than the suspension does I think
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I will run it another season, then see if I want to further tweak it. This years changes will be tires and some alignment work. A little negative camber up front will help it bite more there and rotate for you.
I am hearing from some guys in our autosports club here that the tC is doing pretty well in its stock class. I cant say, since I have only seen another tC at our events once. Some guys in our club that run in multiple states as well as nationals have seen more of them out there so they have seen more of what they can do.
In STS, it can hold its own if you set it up and drive it right, but the older honda hatches and integras will make things hard for you (and everyone really!) there. I was running around mid pack out of 20 - 25 cars in STS at most of our events last year on all season tires. With that season in the tC under my belt, some stickier tires and some alignment work, I am hoping to be closer to the top 5 this season. In our club, that is very respectable in STS so that would definitely make me happy. STS is very competitive for us here, especially with some nationals level guys and cars in it.
Power wise it does fine in STS. The low end power is handy to have for sure, and most other cars out there in STS are not power mongers either. It is a second gear car all the way. I never shift during a run. There was a very tight pin turn at one event that was slow enough for first gear. But the tough shift to first in the tC and the shortness of the gear wasted more time than just leaving it in 2nd, doing a quick clutch to get the revs up afterward and letting it run.
I am still working to get faster through the slaloms. I enter most standard spaced slaloms at a little over 40mph, but it depends on the lot conditions for sure. It can get a bit touchy with you if you upset it by changing speeds (slaloms should be done at a constant speed) or getting off a smooth line too much. I get some pretty serious rotation every now and then if I get out of time on a slalom, and have had it come all the way around before as well.
Boosted, you will be running with a wide variety of cars as well, so you will have some fun competition for sure there
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But, I have seen some pretty unexpected cars do very well too. The driver is very much the deciding factor.
My setup seems to be decent so far. I wouldnt mind having the hotchkis sway bars in place of the TRD, but for a mix of autox and daily driving it is doing well for me the way it is. I am at the point that the driver has more room to improve (which is normally the case) than the suspension does I think
I am hearing from some guys in our autosports club here that the tC is doing pretty well in its stock class. I cant say, since I have only seen another tC at our events once. Some guys in our club that run in multiple states as well as nationals have seen more of them out there so they have seen more of what they can do.
In STS, it can hold its own if you set it up and drive it right, but the older honda hatches and integras will make things hard for you (and everyone really!) there. I was running around mid pack out of 20 - 25 cars in STS at most of our events last year on all season tires. With that season in the tC under my belt, some stickier tires and some alignment work, I am hoping to be closer to the top 5 this season. In our club, that is very respectable in STS so that would definitely make me happy. STS is very competitive for us here, especially with some nationals level guys and cars in it.
Power wise it does fine in STS. The low end power is handy to have for sure, and most other cars out there in STS are not power mongers either. It is a second gear car all the way. I never shift during a run. There was a very tight pin turn at one event that was slow enough for first gear. But the tough shift to first in the tC and the shortness of the gear wasted more time than just leaving it in 2nd, doing a quick clutch to get the revs up afterward and letting it run.
I am still working to get faster through the slaloms. I enter most standard spaced slaloms at a little over 40mph, but it depends on the lot conditions for sure. It can get a bit touchy with you if you upset it by changing speeds (slaloms should be done at a constant speed) or getting off a smooth line too much. I get some pretty serious rotation every now and then if I get out of time on a slalom, and have had it come all the way around before as well.
Boosted, you will be running with a wide variety of cars as well, so you will have some fun competition for sure there
But, I have seen some pretty unexpected cars do very well too. The driver is very much the deciding factor.
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Oh so very true. How do you like my suspension diagnoses?
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With the Miata's I think it is because of the size and how the car is balanced kind of like the S2000 how the balance is perfect. So what I am thinking is ordering the TRD struts and H&R race springs and see how that goes they will also be assisted by front camber links and front and rear end links with all the energy suspension bushings I can get my hands on.
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