Yes. Even in comp mode, it kicks in traction control quite a bit on track. ESC off for me, but there seems to be some engine safety limit around 300% load, where it cuts back some power. I notice it at low RPM, high boost situations, like coming out of a slow corner, with the car loaded up in a turn.

 

Awesome, thanks a lot man.

For the bolt enlargement method to get camber, should I just open up the bolt holes 1/8" or so? Or should I put it on a mill and with the same diameter bit as the stock bolt hole bring the hole in towards the strut 1/8"?

 

a circular file works just fine. don't open it up past the outer larger diameter hole.

 

Did you mark the sidewall? Because if that's the case then you want to add a little more pressure up front to keep from rolling on the sidewall. The rears are fine. I usually run 42 lbs up front and 50 lbs in the rear. Gives me a little oversteer when I trailbrake into corners, and generally keeps the understeer to a minimum.

Your line through a slalom should be as tight and as fast as you can take the car without hitting a cone or losing control. Experience is the best teacher in this regard. If you aren't hitting a few cones during the day, you aren't pushing hard enough. It really takes practice and knocking a few of them over to get the hang of it.

Brake fade. I've been spoiled by the brembos on my car so I never have that problem. Somebody with some experience will have to help you with that.

Hope some of that helped. Good luck out there.

 

Its fluid fade not brake fade.(pedal doesnt get soft during brake fade) Means its time for a brake fluid flush, and an upgrade in fluid. ATE Typ200/Superblue and Wilwood 570 are the most economical high performance fluids. Amsoil 600 is probably the highest performing for the money.

 

What do you mean by the larger diameter hole? Is one of the strut bolt holes larger than the other? I haven't taken my struts off in a while so I don't quite remember.

That helps a lot, thanks! Last weekend I didn't hit one cone in the slaloms, thought that was a good thing but what you're saying makes sense. This weekend I'll try to be a lot more aggressive.

Also your saying to run more rear pressure than front? I thought less rear pressure caused move oversteer?

 

A few more pics from last weekend.

 

Ok. I didn't know there was a difference. Thanks

I've been wrong before in this thread already so I could be now, but from my understanding tire pressure also affects your tires contact pacth with the ground. Less pressure, more contact patch. More pressure, less contact patch. Obvioulsy the more tire you have in contact with the ground the more grip you get out of the tire. I run more in the rear because the car doesn't need as much grip back there. Allows the rear to slide a bit and that helps me point the car in the direction I want to go.

I run with just enough air in the front to keep the tire from rolling on the side wall. In the rear I usually start with the pressure around 44 and then let it build up over the runs. Usually on my fastest run I'm running 42 up front and 50 in the rear. I forgot to add that 42/50 is my hot pressure (the pressure they get to after the tires have warmed up) My cold pressures are 42/44. Play with your tire pressures while your out there and see what you think helps you best.

 

Scott just undo the leading bushing bolts, even with stock bushings and springs it makes spring changes easier; if you run my leading delrins, you need our free stainless pin upgrade (machinist at the time made them of wrong material ) ; if you run rubber trailing thats your choice but you are giving up brake and turn in stability, as well as permitting camber deflection to positive all of which the cross axis joint takes care of for a lifetime. cheers

 

yup happy to help out ; our stuff works and lasts a long time... my hXc front arms although pricey are the best of all worlds;stock appearing and full spherical front or rear, or you can go delrin leading /spherical rear for 400 dollars, add 260 and I can supply them installed in new arms... so 620 + shipping on a budget, 900 + shipping for the hXc package. Ask Matty O I just shipped a set to him.
Good luck, looks like you are having lotsa fun out there!

 

Thanks John! It's a great time, I'm so addicted already. I would love to run your sphericals but due to class restrictions the bushings cannot be metallic. So knowing this what would you suggest I do? I thought that just getting the rubber replacements (Moog, Mevotech or Rebestos) without voids would help the play in the lca under hard braking but I could definitely be wrong.

 

the stock bushings are metallic outer case and inner sleeve. Mine is no different. lol I just have some little tiny ***** and grease in between. every race driver needs *****.

 

Here is the rule for my class:

B. Suspension bushings may be replaced with bushings of any materials
(except metal) as long as they fit in the original location. Offset
bushings may be used. In a replacement bushing the amount
of metal relative to the amount of nonmetallic material may not be
increased. This does not authorize a change in type of bushing (for
example ball and socket replacing a cylindrical bushing), or use of
a bushing with an angled hole whose direction differs from that of
the original bushing. If the Stock bushing accommodated multi-axis
motion via compliance of the component material(s), the replacement
bushing may not be changed to accommodate such motion
via a change in bushing type, for example to a spherical bearing or
similar component involving internal moving parts. Pins or keys may
be used to prevent the rotation of alternate bushings, but may serve
no other purpose than that of retaining the bushing in the desired
position.

As Maven pointed out, I don't think I can run sphericals. I think they add to the amount of metal and change the type of bushing as the rule states. Is this correct according to the rule or could I run sphericals? I would love to I just don't want to break any rules even though no one would really know, I would just feel bad; same reason I swap my throttle body out every sunday haha

 

Qwiks rear spherical bushings are awesome, I ran the prototype ones on my last car for over 60,000 miles. They functioned like new still, no play. But they are definitely illegal in Stock/Tuning classes.

 

Well, you could always run in DSP (Do Spend, Please...). I think they're legal there...

I'm also not recommending that.

It would probably blow your budget, and open up a whole lot of variables right while you're learning to get the most of your car.

Also, about tire pressures in autocross; there are some very good drivers who go lower in the rear to help rotation. I personally couldn't get the hang of it when I tried, but the theory is that the tire has a range that is its sweet spot. Being slightly over or slightly under those pressures reduces traction and helps rotate the car. My experience was that it was easier to go real high, and then drop them down until I found what worked for me. It was about 4 or 5 psi more in the rear than the front in a (different) car with a 57/43 weight distribution. If it's too loose in the rear, you won't do fast transitions well at all. You'll know it. Being just below that point was where I did my best.

 

I don't want to burst any bubbles, but the general ST rules state the following:

STX is for sedans/coupes with four seats and engines up to 5.1L normally aspirated
or up to 2.0L turbo/supercharged.

So you should be running in STX.

Scott

 

I think I'm going to just replace the trailing CABs with full rubber replacements because I definitely don't want to change classes, even next year I think I'll stay in street touring.

Thanks for your experience, I think I'll try 43 in front and 47 in back this weekend. See how that goes and work from there.

I have the LE5, thanks for your concern though.

 

Wang thanks a lot for that link. The AMT camera mount came yesterday, I already love it. Its quality is amazing and fits just about any car. Well the event is tomorrow in Syracuse so I'll post up pics/in car vids tomorrow night!

 

my stuff wont fityour steel arms anyway...try the Malibu replacement style cab with no voids, its a Moog iirc.

 

I have the cast aluminum control arms, I believe the same as the FE5.



Well today went very well! I finished 2nd in novice class and 19th overall out of 45 drivers. The course was pretty difficult but I can already feel myself getting better. There were two major decreasing radius turns, and I actually got one of them down pretty well. One problem I was having though was with my line. I picked out what I thought was a very good line for an understeering car and even the novice chair agreed with me, late apexes on the decreasing turns and tight around slower obstacles. However once I actually started driving I was having a lot of trouble sticking that line. Not sure if that will just come with practice of if I'm doing something wrong.

Here's a vid of my best run, you can't really see the course much but any advice is more than welcome!

Cobalt CNY SCCA Solo Run7.AVI - YouTube

edit: Too tired tonight to post all the pics, I will tomorrow.

 

You sure are doing better. In my opinion, you need to look at how you hold the wheel; looks like you got happy hands, and its hard to get the car settled right that way. Think about how you turn in; do you push with the left hand to turn right, or pull with the right? Pushing is better.
9/3 is best as a default position.

good work!

 

Thanks John!

What do you mean by happy hands? Like too much movement? And I honestly am not sure but I think I pull, I'll try pushing next time!

 

pictarz

By the way, I ran 45psi up front and 42 rear. Seemed like a good amount of rotation, hot pressure measured 47f 43rear
Here's the ones of my car first. Girlfriend took a lot, tried to pick out good ones. She is getting better though haha

 

Nice! Still having a blast?

 

Way too much fun I can't believe I haven't gotten into it until now. BTW are you in d stock? How do you do in it?