What mods, if any can I do and still stay in the stock class? I have never autocrossed before, so I would like some practice before I change classes. Please be as specific as possible in your answers. Thank you in advance. This is a solo2 event I am going to run in August.

 

here is a link to a FANTASTIC self classing chart and the rule book

Easy 2 read chart:
http://www.odr-scca.org/DIY-classing.htm

Long winded rule book:
http://www.scca.com/_FileLibrary/Fil...solo_rules.pdf

 

lol there are a whooping 3 things I can do. So by this I can put on trd or koni shocks and thats about it? Man I thought there was a little more that couldve been done. Thanks for the killer links though

 

What year is your tC?

If it is an 06 you can do the following:

drop in air filter (k&n or TRD are the best drop in options)
Brake pads (any)
shocks
front sway bar (any)
R-Compound tires kumho v700, v710 or hoosier a6
cat back exhaust (any)
17x7 Wheels (the Lightest you can afford)

rear sway bar and front strut tie bar
Yes, the rear sway bar and front tie bar are legal because on the 06 tC the were each an factory option not tied to a package or special edition. So the car could have come shipped with them already installed on the car and listed on the window sticker. Which means you can add them to your car and still be legal in SCCA H-Stock .

However they have do to be the TRD rear sway bar and TRD front strut tie bar.

Hope this helps.

BTW. I'm running all of the above except for the air filter and Shocks

 

Man that sucks, I have a 05. What specific pads are you running? And can I change my stock brake and clutch lines to braided? Thanks for the info. Good stuff to know.

 

I'm trying out the TRD pads. But I'll prob. end up with Hawk or EBC.

You can't change out to braided brake or clutch lines. When it comes to autox the stock brake system with upgraded pads will be all that most people need.

Now if you go to any kind of track day event you will be using the brakes enough to think about upgrading beyond the pads and find a brake system that can deal with heat because your on the brakes alot more. StopTech BBK would be my 1st choice once I get tired of running in H-Stock class.

 

wow, that's a great link chunk13. i'm looking into hopefully participating in an STS class event with my xB in pittsburgh during the school year.

but yeah, staying in stock class is pretty hard if you've been bitten by the mod bug haha.

 

Stock is kind of like putting your self on a budget. Even though you've got the money to do a bunch of other stuff, you can't because of the rules for stock class competitors. I figure I can hold out for another season just to see how far I can get in H-Stock. If I can do pretty well I'll stay, if I'm not competitive I'll be heading to a street tire class of some sort and go for more power and suspension mods that I've been wanting to do anyway and not worry about being competitive. At least thats what I keep telling myself

 

heh yeah, i don't want to be competitive yet, as i have no racetrack experience. i just want to improve and hone my driving skills with the xB. good luck with H-Stock.

 

Well I'm sure you've been told this before, but get as much "seat time" as you can. "Seat time" is a lot cheaper than mods and will almost always improve your times for the least amount of money.

I learned from personal experiance to never assume that you are driving the car as fast as it will go. If you get to that point, humble yourself (like me) and ask one of the other "seasoned" drivers that you respect to drive your car and compare times, the results are almost always eye-opening.

 

^^^ i definitely agree with your statement. i have watched enough top gear to know that i am an extreme novice when it comes to performance driving.

for these AutoX events, are they mostly parking lot / stadium courses or do they have them on full road / course tracks ? or is it just dependent upon the location ...

 

An event that takes place on a real road course or race track is different than an autox/solo event. Something like that could be any number of things: trackday, time trial, club race, or full on pro race.

The SCCA, NASA, and other racing organizations will often setup these types of events so that they take into account all types of driver skill levels so that everyone is comfortable joining in.

But these are different from autox/solo event in terms of speed and level of risk, so if you have a chance you might check out an event before you sign up.

 

I agree with everything S_S has said in each of his post except the cmment about the ST BBK. There is absolutely no reason to get bigger calipers on your car unless you are actually racing your car, and even then I might put the money to better use. The tC has very good brakes, contrary to what most people say. I've doen a dozen AXes and one PDA at Watkins glenn and the stock rotors and calipers held up great.

My .02:
Upgrade your pads. I run Hawk HP+ on the track, HPS at autox and stock Toyota pads on the street. THey take about 20 minutes per axel to swap out after you get comfortable with the process.

Upgrade your fluid. Motul RF600 is the best. Bleed your lines after each autox event or between run groups at track days.

If you are mainly doing PDA/HPDE track evetns and minimal AX then SS lines might help, but they are only worth it if you do a lot of events.

The best thing you can do before you put money into any mods (even the new pads/shocks) is to participate in a few events to decide if you're going to commit to a class.

The worst thing about stock classes is that every one who wins runs the R compounds and they can be pricey.

 

^^^ ah very informative stuff. yes, most people overlook the complete brake system as a major factor in performance driving and racing.