Suspension for Autocross
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Suspension for Autocross
Switching gears (pardon the pun) from drag to auto
Well this past weekend went with some friends to Barber Motorsports in Birmingham, AL (which was not the party town i was hoping despite staying just off campus in downtown).
Rode with my bud in his Corvette Z06. Holy crap that is some fun there.
So im completely redoing the car and i dont know what suspension to get.
Im hoping to be eventually running 400 to 450 HP
I want to be able to adjust caster for sure but im on a budget.
Basically its gonna be a track/show/weekend car. Gonna keep a/c but gutting the back of car adding a rool bar cage thingy racing seats and harnesses
Any ideas?
Well this past weekend went with some friends to Barber Motorsports in Birmingham, AL (which was not the party town i was hoping despite staying just off campus in downtown).
Rode with my bud in his Corvette Z06. Holy crap that is some fun there.
So im completely redoing the car and i dont know what suspension to get.
Im hoping to be eventually running 400 to 450 HP
I want to be able to adjust caster for sure but im on a budget.
Basically its gonna be a track/show/weekend car. Gonna keep a/c but gutting the back of car adding a rool bar cage thingy racing seats and harnesses
Any ideas?
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As shown in my sig I have pedders, stock shocks, and a OTTP hardcore swaybar with some different tires and I have a blast. More horsepower doesn't necessarily help with autocross events. I have seen guys in pretty well stock neons with dot-r tires be competitive. Not to say that the hp goals won't be an adventure or hinder you but I would probably focus on suspension first and then get more power once your chassis is set up how you like it.
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The 400hp is for my own personal reasons. All types of racing like this are won or lost in the corners, not the straight aways. Just like drag racing is won at the tree. Ive been racing since 13, motorcross and such, drag racing since 16. i know about racing, just didnt know what suspension set ups people are using in the balts and 400 hp is low hp even in a fwd, if you do it right.
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But like i said this wont be a track only car.
The events ill be going to have mixes of next to stock ricers and muscles to GTR's Audi R8's Ferrari's Porsche. I did see a built Dodge Dart (1969 i think) hold its own. I was riding (passenger) in a Z06 over 500 HP full suspension gutted "track rat" as he called it, running Hoosier slicks, and we had one of thsoe GTR's just fly past us. BTW this isnt racing, non competitive events. You go run in a class normally 2-3 days, 3 or more 20 or 30 min track sessions per day run as hard as you want. If i wanted to get competitive id build a car from the ground up
The events ill be going to have mixes of next to stock ricers and muscles to GTR's Audi R8's Ferrari's Porsche. I did see a built Dodge Dart (1969 i think) hold its own. I was riding (passenger) in a Z06 over 500 HP full suspension gutted "track rat" as he called it, running Hoosier slicks, and we had one of thsoe GTR's just fly past us. BTW this isnt racing, non competitive events. You go run in a class normally 2-3 days, 3 or more 20 or 30 min track sessions per day run as hard as you want. If i wanted to get competitive id build a car from the ground up
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well to answer your question, Pedders springs + SS/TC Struts an Shocks (if you are not TC) would be a good set up
also grab an OTTP Hardcore rear sway bar and you should be in pretty good shape suspension wise
also grab an OTTP Hardcore rear sway bar and you should be in pretty good shape suspension wise
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FE5 suspension bits with pedders springs, powell harcore bar, delrin leading and spherical trailing CABS. First thing to get would be good tires. Like was said above, for auto-x more hp isn't always better. Had a guy(superb driver) come to a local auto-x (miata club) in a late 80's Corolla basically stock minus wider rims with Star Specs. The Corolla whipped at least 90% of the competition. Auto-x is all about driver skill.
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Short answer is no but the long answer is sort of. If you've got someone who's got the car on an alignment rack and has access to a port-a-power (type of bottle jack) you can loosen some of the cradle bolts and then use the port-a-power to push the cradle around. Caster is just the difference between the upper and lower mounting points, doesn't matter which moves as long as they move in the right direction. I haven't tried in on my car but I have seen it done and it does work.
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Wait he's talking about 400 horse and you guys keep suggesting some springs on the stock struts? COil overs my man, dual ride height adjustable ones with pillow ball mounts, a rear swaybar, bigger brakes, poly bushings, running the proper tire for you track. A good street tire for a car like this would be something like a bridgestone re11 or dunlop star specs. If you're going to spend all the money in the engine bay spend some money on the chassis too.
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Wait he's talking about 400 horse and you guys keep suggesting some springs on the stock struts? COil overs my man, dual ride height adjustable ones with pillow ball mounts, a rear swaybar, bigger brakes, poly bushings, running the proper tire for you track. A good street tire for a car like this would be something like a bridgestone re11 or dunlop star specs. If you're going to spend all the money in the engine bay spend some money on the chassis too.
but of course a decent set of coilover would be better, if is is not a DD in my opinion
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coilovers are fine for a dd, not for a family car though. If you're only auto-xing for fun then build your car however you want then figure out what class that puts you in and go out there an have fun. If you're actually a good enough driver to be competitive then consider staying in stock class and buying a set of R comps.
#21
ok this kills me, if youve never wrecked then its all so clear. You have this false confidence in your abilities. We see this ALL THE TIME right up till the first time you slam into tire wall because you thought you could start racing a 400+hp FF car. I mean seriously, you do realize that gt2 cars typically only push 550. Racing on dirt, entirely different discipline. Drag racing? seriously? your talking circuit track here, the two dont even compare. The undertone in this post right here? tells me you are not ready to be on the track, at all. i hope you can prove me wrong, but youll have to kill your ego before it kills you.
#22
Thought that would be the whole point of going from drag to autox...
Beating a Z06 in your 260hp FWD will be soooo satisfying.... though beating his 400+hp FWD Cobalt SS
in a stock Cobalt SS will be too.. heh
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