does anyone set their suspension up for autocrossing?

I just set my toe to factory specs, and the front and rear camber at -1.3 degs. Used a laser hunter alignment machine. Havn't run it yet, but I am curious if anyone else has.

 

i pretty much do the same thing, i try ot get everything down to factory spec when i go to the track, i dont bother with extra camber and stuff like that because im not full-race, but in the long run i will hopefully have adjustable camber and toe.

 

What products did you use to change the front and rear camber?

-Pete

 

Front eccentric bolts, rear shims

like these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/SPC-F...spagenameZWDVW

 

Yeah, similar to what I use.

I get a race alignment from one of the top suspension guys in CA - Darin Nishimura. His place is West End alignment in Gardena. Last time I was there, there was a Porche Carrera, 2 WRXs and 2 Evos (all were going to the track). At that time there was a 2-month waiting list for an alignment. He said my xA was the first one he's worked on, but he has done some xBs. He's also done my S2000 (he's done thousands of S2000 alignments).

With -1.75 degrees of negative camber in the front, the car wants to turn with very little input. I can feel the tire flatten out and get full contact when cornering. Lateral grip is greatly increased. I'm not sure what other kind of info you're looking for.

Increasing the negative camber is a must for autocross. My stock camber was -0.25 degrees. Darin told me that's what he runs on his grandma's car!

-Pete

 

With -1.75 degrees of negitive camber, is your tire wear effected?

 

Yeah, but not that bad. You still need to rotate the tires, though. I use R compound tires, so I have to do it pretty often.

When I say rotate the tires, I mean you have to dismount them and turn them around, or swich sides - so that the worn inside edge is now on the outside.

-Pete

 

Gotcha. Do you use the vehicle for a daily driver or just an autocrosser?

 

DD + autocross/gymkhana + track. When my xA is down, I drive the S2000.

Building the 2nd xA now, the 1st went up in flames.

Have JIC-FLTA-2, Volk TE-37, Yoko A048, Hotchkis Bars, ES End Links, SP camber Bolts, rear camber shims, WR ETD, SB Brake Lines, EBC Red Stuff, CG-Lock.

Looking at JIC CF STB, Tanabe braces, Momo Cup seats and custom roll cage next. Long way to go before it's a race car.

There's a gymkhana in May, and I'm going to try to make it, with what ever parts I have installed.

-Pete

 

Which one are these parts:

ES End Links
WR ETD
CG-Lock

I race all the time, but ive never heard of these parts. Maybe they are some abreviations i dont understand.

 

Pretty common stuff:

Energy Suspension End Links - attach to the ends of the front sway bar.
Weapon-R Engine Torque Damper - reduces the movement of the engine and trans.
CG-Lock - goes on the OEM seat belt and locks it tight, so your body doesn't move.

-Pete

 

Are the SP camber bolts any good?? Ive heard a few people that run camber bolts say they constantly need re-adjsuting because they loose their setting. Is this true??

Your running an xB, right?? I would love to get the Energy Bushing for the sway bar, but i dont htink they fit the xA...

Im running with Sparco 4 Point harness and SPW Racing bucket. I say out of ALL the parts ive put on my ride, this has been by far the BEST upgrade. Just to give you some numbers i usually run low 1:39 and high 1:38 on the track and when i installed the seat and harness i pulled a 1:37.8, tell me that isnt a VAST IMPROVEMENT!! Who would have known that keeping your a$$ in place is going to know 1 second off your time. If you race, which im pretty sure you do, then you know that shaving 1 second off your time is a difficult task to complete.

 

I had the SP bolts in for over 2 months without any issues. Beyond that, I can't say. I did have them professionally installed at the alignment shop.

I'm on my 2nd xA, but I run Hotchkis bars in the front and rear. The Hotchkis front bar is larger in diameter than the OEM bar, and comes with polyurethane bushings.

My End Links are from Energy but I have no idea about their bushings for the OEM bar.

I agree that keeping your body in place improves control. That's what the CG-Lock is all about. After the roll cage is in, I'll start using a harness.

-Pete

 

I'm thinkin' most people don't use a torque wrench, to make sure the bolts are tight enough. Mine were 100ft. lbs., no movement yet

 

Thanks for those numbers i'll give it a shot, I think the bolts maxed out at -2.25 degs., the -1.3 was as straight up as i could get them, with the drop. I was worried about tire wear, which currently isn't noticable. So, i fugre the extra half a degree or so should be harmless (with rotating). Thanks!

 

So suspension wise with a DF210 spring set up, DC Sport front strut tower bar and a C Pillar bar would make the xB handle decent correct? Or do I need to look into other bars as well?

 

look into a rear sway bar.

 

working on it...:

http://bp1.blogger.com/_A8n2xvZ_tkQ/...h/HPIM0565.JPG

http://bp2.blogger.com/_A8n2xvZ_tkQ/...h/HPIM0557.JPG

Hotbits.ca

 

I wish i had coilovers....

 

they are lovely