Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track STS Contour Project

I've never seen anyone leave to get gas at autox.

And I also agree that less weight is always better.

If you're serious about it, and a good enough driver that a change in weight is going to make a difference, then you'll also be serious enough to have the right springs and ride heights (coilovers). Adding weight would just be a temporary fix for a car that isn't setup correctly. Besides that, changing tire pressures can probably negate any positive effects additional weight would result in.

I've had fuel starvation before. I crossed my fingers when I went to the station and bought a single gallon of gas to finish up my runs.

I have seen two types of people make any changes to their car during an event:

1) Very fast drivers with fully prepped cars that are still getting sorted out, or turned out to be set up very wrong for the course. Usually this is all done beforehand, but I've seen someone fast mess with their car a few times.

2) Relative newbies (or even old-timers) who are not fast - at all - and are blaming the car.

You have to be quite good to be able to make a small weight distribution, tire pressure, or even alignment change for the better. My worst days were where I got frustrated and worked on the car instead of me. At the event, the only thing you need to to is relax, and drive better. That's where all the time will come from - not the car.

Adjusting tires to keep wear even under changing temperatures is an exception, by the way: you're usually actually keeping the pressure the same to keep the car constant, not changing it.

I guess I must fall into #2

I make changes to tire pressures/shock settings after a run or two on a new surface and it seems to help (but it could just be me driving better after doing it).

auto-x,

You gonna come out to MI this year to run a Open track with us?

Maybe. I'll be looking for opportunities, but I have a lot going on (new house, marraige, etc.)

I was debating the whole shifting weight thing the other day. Even with an aussie bar I still think the car is nowhere as neutral as it should be.

I believe that without tuned spring rates sending weight backwards will not help the car. Making the most of the tire's contact pack is the best way to be quick, period. By moving weight backward you are just hurting the understeer problem, essentially making the front end act more stiff in the car's over all balance, and the rear less stiff.

My point is, moving weight backward is a waste of time. We really should be trying to remove weight, and try to balance spring rates, although I really feel trying to remove weight is a waste of time on a DD. I'm a bit short on money, so i've been toying with the idea of running eibachs front with H&Rs in the rear. I'm curious how well that would balance the car.

The statement about running much higher spring rates in the rear is a good idea. We have some room for a larger bar in front, so even if that is too aggressive it could probably be tuned out easily.

After installing a rear strut tower brace, my understeer has disappeared and I now have mild oversteer. I'm trying to reduce the oversteer by playing with my rear tire pressure.

So... I used to run 51psi in the front and 28 psi in the rear to have pretty much neutral control with mild (controllable) oversteer. I've run only 2 events since installing the RSTB. 1st event I was drifting all over the place. The 2nd event (last month) I upped the rear to 32psi and it was pretty much neutral until I pushed a little harder, then I was drifting again. I'm going to try more pressure in the rear (~35) next month and see what happens. I also haven't been removing my spare+jack for several events... and I run with about 1/2 tank. I once ran with about 1/3 tank, and I fried my pump

My suspension is SVT stock except for front and rear urethane swaybar bushings, boxed rear swaybar mounts, and tubular rear control arms.