Well, i finally racked up 3,000 miles on my 5 speed BCP, and it was time to take it autocrossing. I have the TRD springs by the way.

Needless to say, i was really bummed out. The course takes my brother's base RSX about 47-48 seconds (his only mod is eibach springs) and after about 30 laps, the best time I could manage was 53 seconds, and most of them were 54-55. Is anyone else disappointed with the car's turn-in and lateral stability? I was really expecting to be able to be able to turn in at least the same times as my brother's RSX, but the TC simply couldnt. The cars are pretty much identical in a straight line, but the RSX just feels so much better in the handling dept.

Is anyone else feeling this way? Maybe I just had my hopes set too high.

 

RSX = 180 HP
Scion tC = 160 HP + a lot of weight.

 

Do the springs, strut bar, rear anti-sway bar, rinse, repeat

 

false, the rsx has 160 just like the tc, but the weight is a factor. And i would say that eibach springs perform better than trd springs which are made to be under warranty. But i am still surprised that the rsx did better especially by that margain because they are only 2.0 ltrs and dont have a lot of torque (141 as opposed to the tc's 163).

 

My mistake on the HP ratings, but the weight definitely is an issue. Maybe the way you were driving it?

 

Not sure about tC, but in Matrix/Corolla world Eibach pro kit = TRD springs, just with $50 TRD markup...

 

Did you try to switch drivers? Let us know the results :D

 

get better tires, it should help a lot.

 

Yea, I am the one who drives both cars, so the times are both from me. I am using the same nittos that we use on the rsx (i always use nittos for auto-x'ing) so the tires arent a factor. Any other ideas?

 

Sway bar would make a big difference. Strut bar would probably do nothing (but add more weight.) Also, because the RSX has less torque, it probably does better with the open (non-limited slip) diff, which both cars have. I know it's easy to spin the tires on the tC coming out of turns, less so in the RSX.

 

we aren't talking type Slow here are we? you'd probably have to lighten the car, reinforce the body, and get some go faster mods

 

30 laps in a solo2 event? what solo2 region is this? here in san diego were lucky if we get 5 laps in one day.

http://www.sdsolo.com/forums/index.php?s=

rsx isn't that much better at autoxing it got moved down a few classes in the last couple of years cause it was doing poorly. maybe its the driver , not all drivers are the same. when i took my celica to streets of willow or solo2 events there would be other celica gts there that were faster or slower than me.

 

how come a strut bar wont do any help
i was gona get one of those :oops:

 

Because the front strut towers on the tC are already attached to the firewall and A-pillars. Check out the welds and gussetting when you have a chance. It's already stiff as hell, a strut bar will do next to nothing.

I wondered about the rear, and if a strut bar would do anything there. After looking at the shop manual, I realize the strut towers are very low, and there is a beam that runs across the car between them. A strut bar would do nothing there, too.

 

thanks u saved me 150 bucks

 

wait but doenst it add at last 5 -10 hp

 

autox or solo2 events always benefits the lighter cars. that's why you have miata's, mr2 domintating these events and soon the elise. one thing i've noticed racing my celica the last 4yrs at willow or qualcomm, its 10% car and 90% driver. if the driver has a full understanding of what their car can do it can be faster than the other car that has more power and a better set-up. yes, tires, tire pressure, suspension and power has soemthing to do with it but put the elise in the hands of an average driver and you'll get average times. now, put it in the hands of a great driver and you'll get a lot lower times.

 

before poeple go nuts and start ordering suspension parts for the tC, make sure you run your car stock and little by little change a few things to make it handle better. by running your car at the local solo2 events you can see which area you need to improve to make the tC handle better. there's no use of putting a sway bar or strut bar if you don't plan on racing your tC. if you want it to handle and look better for street use just get the lowering springs.

 

Man, I don't know what y'all are talking about. I just came back from a "ride and drive" where we had the Scion up against an RSX. Yes, the RSX is a hell of a car in the corners, but it has no low end torque. Punching the throttle in the apex left it gasping. The Scion takes some getting used to because it is VERY easy to spin the tires when coming out of a corner. The professional drivers at the event claim the front strut bar actually does make a considerable difference for that.

Beyond getting used to it, what about tires? Are your better times in the RSX possibly the result of better shoes?

 

no we're running the same tires. I also don't think inside wheelspin is the issue, because im pretty easy on the gas coming out of turns, and i know what wheelspin would feel like (ive auto-x'd a every other weekend for about 8 years now). it really just feels like the TC isn't capable of turning at the speeds that the RSX can.