being in SM sucks :(

[larryd]

man Ill tell you what.. being in SM with my Eclipse is driving me insane.. I mean even with a full suspension on this beast Im still getting my butt handed to me at every event.. I was 5 seconds off the best car in SM yesterday though I didnt do to bad in PAX.. I really need to learn how to drive..but most of the other SM cars are AWD turbo.. FWD is killing me..

[autxr]

Are you still running street tires? Sticky tires are good for about 2 seconds right off the bat.

Do you have a LSD yet? The FWD Eclipses I see with big boost just sit and spin most of the time. You might be better off running less boost until you get the traction issues solved.

Scott

[pitcrew]

Try to take as many Evolution schools as you can afford/ get to. Each phase is the equivilant of a years worth of trial and error runs. If nothing else try to find local schools or a top AXer that drives a similar layout car i.e. FWD and ask if he'll provide instruction during fun runs or at events that allow riders. Don't worry about your times compared to others during this learning phase, just in making personal gains and perfecting your driving technique. AX is 90% driver...

[larryd]

nope no LSD.. and yes still on street tires.. they are Kuhmo Ecstas.. I have my boost turned all the way down for autox already..cant get it any lower.. its not even so much of spinning issues its just turning I guess.. the car doesnt get in and out of the corners as fast as the other AWD ones do it seems.

[Karim]

larry take your back seats and some more weight out, cutting weight stickier tires w/ lighter rims, and an lsd will really hep you out, hmmm just like drag racing. Also are you sure your suspension is tuned right? playing with that might help some and yup driver is the key, evo school will help out nicely. There is no replacement for seat time. G'luck sm is a tough class but the most important thing is you have a good time while learning.

Karim

[icyjaws]

SM2 is nice :) only the 300Z then never got on it and the S/C miata :p

[mwz26]

welcome to my world...you get used to last place after a while :)

[Fourgig]

Originally posted by mwz26
welcome to my world...you get used to last place after a while :)

BWAHAHAHA!! Nice quote!

[scapamouche]

The Kumhos SUCK for autox!!!!!!

You've GOT to get better tires!!!!!!

If you want to use street-ish tires, go with Azenis, but if you want to reach the limit of the rules, get some Victoracer V700s. You'll see a difference!!

Do you stagger the tire pressures? When I was on Kumhos, I ran 45+psi in front, and about 25psi rear to try and even out the car. Maybe that will help you....

[Kry]

i am in sm coz my carbon fiber hood.. -_-.. doh

[TRD Liquid Silver]

try and play with the tire pressure. with a FWD you want higher pressure in the front and lower tire pressure in the rear. it will rotate the rear end a bit more and reduce understeer.. the stock oem rims on the gts with kuhmo's 712 i'm running 48psi front and 40psi rear and that helps a bit to rotate the car around corners..

also some of the tracks that the clubs build are geared for certain cars. i know when the miata club builds the tracks at our solo2 events we see lots of turns and slaloms with very few straights.

[larryd]

actually i was around 40psi in the front and 30psi in te backs.. I dont want specific tires for autox and the Ecstas were cheap so they worked for good all purpose tires :)

[scapamouche]

Just a counter: I'm not sure about the larger sizes, but the Azenis are only about $15 to 20 more than similar Kumhos.

My Kumhos have lasted 20K miles, with lots of life left, though. They've even got about 60 autox runs on them. I don't see the Falkens doing so well. My Falkens have about 90 runs total on them, split between front and rear duty. There is definite wear, but they seem good so far. I'll let you know by the end of the year if I need another set.

[larryd]

yeah i know but the shop I got the rims/tires from didnt carry the Azenis.. they will prolly be my next tires :)

[nxracer]

The Kumho's will work just fine. Currently there are too many people putting all their marbles on the Falkens. Are they a good tire? Yes. Are they the "perceived" to be the best? By many yes! BUT are they? Well remember they were around last year and many of the fast STS drivers had them, they also did not win Nationals. The the top two cars were on Bridgestone RE-71's (in my opinion the best "street" tire ever made)

[Fourgig]

Originally posted by TRD Liquid Silver
try and play with the tire pressure. with a FWD you want higher pressure in the front and lower tire pressure in the rear. it will rotate the rear end a bit more and reduce understeer.. the stock oem rims on the gts with kuhmo's 712 i'm running 48psi front and 40psi rear and that helps a bit to rotate the car around corners..

also some of the tracks that the clubs build are geared for certain cars. i know when the miata club builds the tracks at our solo2 events we see lots of turns and slaloms with very few straights.


Wait...isn't it decrease front pressure and increase rear pressure to decrease understeer??

[NoCones]

depends.

depends on why the tires at a particular end are losing grip. they could be sliding or they could be rolling over. each tire has an optimum...what you do to increase or decrease grip at a particular end depends on which side of the optimum you're on.

[nxracer]

They way I look at it.... On a FWD car you adjust the front pressure to get the correct "roll over" and adjust the rear pressure to correct over or under steer condition created by the correct front tire pressure.

All the rear tires really do is keep the rear bumper off the ground.

[NoCones]

I can go with that.

I don't think I've ever seen my rear tires roll over too far (and I've been below 20 psi back there)...so I let air out of the rears to decrease oversteer and put air into the rears to increase oversteer

Bryan

[scapamouche]

NX: you may be right about the Falkens not being the best. I don't know. My racing budget is pretty tight, so I can't afford to keep testing different tires.

If the Bridgestones are better, though, I'd be impressed! The Falkens only feel marginally less grippy than the Victoracers I used last year.

[nxracer]

Top five at the 2002 Nationals
Tipple on Bridgestone RE-71's
Lipsinic on Bridgestone RE-71's
West on Bridgestone (maybe BFG KD's)
Kriemelmeyer on ??? (listed as N/A maybe Falkens)
Burns on BFG KD's

Jack Burns was bringing three that's right three (STS is cheap right) sets of tires to most of the CenDiv events last year. Bridgestones, BFGoodrich and the Falkens, he usually ended up running the Bridgestones or BFG's (I was paddocked very close).

In 2002 I think you will see some of the fast drivers jump onto the Hankook's. Why? For the money

[B1mmer]

From what I've read, you need not be on Hankook's to take home the money. The top STS driver will get paid the contigency just for running the decal. - Aaron

[Fourgig]

Are the RE-71's discontinued? I can't seem to find them.

[erok]

Tire manufacturers paying off the top drivers is sorta like corporate lobbyists paying off politicians. Whichever company pays the most will win the championship! Who needs an R&D budget anyway?! Uh, j/k.

[maxQ]

Tipple on Bridgestone RE-71's
Lipsinic on Bridgestone RE-71's
West on Bridgestone (maybe BFG KD's)
Kriemelmeyer on ??? (listed as N/A maybe Falkens)
Burns on BFG KD's

Kriemelmeyer was on Falkens. I remember looking at them when I was stealing the magnetics off his car. :D

Andy

[pitcrew]

RE71's were discontinued >two years ago, but Tire Rack contracted to have them continue building them on idle equipment as an exclusive to TR. Bridgestone suddenly cancelled the contract last spring prolly because of their tire fiasco. (Bridgstone is the parent of Firestone) Too bad, they were excellent tires. I'm running my second set on my Miata as my street tires. There is a real dearth of 14" high performance street tires.

[larryd]

so can any of you guys tell me how I should setup the car for autox in regards to setting the Koni Yellows and the tire pressure on the wheels?

[scapamouche]

It's really hard to do, since your car is so different....

I always seemed to end up with the front shocks soft, and the rears hard (nearly full adjust on each) and high pressures in front and low in the rear. I always seemed to have more problems with understeer than oversteer. With the balance I have now, though, my settings are Much more neutral.

I'd do what nx says (if fact, I will next event!) set the fronts at the lowest pressure where they don't roll over, and adjust the rears for balance.

[Kry]

try to improve driver's skills first

http://www.wcsllc.net/stlsolo/EV2IDX.TXT

the type R is stock and front wheel drive..