Got a track related question? I'll try to answer.

[I<3Twisties]

Anyone know how much camber do the OEM crash bolts allow?

[dp1]

Originally Posted by Tainen

Good tire buy right now at tirerack- the DZ101s in 225/45/17 are $73 a pop. incredible. I'm struggling on impulse buying them for an upgrade over stock for the rest of the year's track days...

May want to research sidewall bubbles on these...never owned them but saw a couple and heard of a few...

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by I<3Twisties

Anyone know how much camber do the OEM crash bolts allow?

Not sure on the OEM bolts, but the Whiteline bolts claim up to 1.5* of adjustment.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by THEmailman

Mike,

I really wore out the outsides of my front tires after two days at Texas World Speedway this weekend and the tires only had ~1500 miles on them before it. Temps were in the high 70s to low 80s and I was trying to maintain hot pressure in the tires at 36 PSI. My mods are: ATE brake fluid, ProjectMu Club Racer pads, SS brake lines, Whiteline camber bolts, Kosei K4R 17x8 wheels and Bridgestone S-04 225/45 tires.

With only -1.0 degrees of camber in the front, my guess is that I still do not have enough camber and the extra wear is coming from the tires rolling too much to the outside. I would prefer to stay on the stock suspension as long as possible as I find it quite capable for my abilities; so with that said, what are other routes for me to maximize front camber with the stock suspension? I appreciate the help.

You'll need to get a LOT more camber. While it's not cheap, the real solution is for you to get camber plates that are compatible with the stock dampers.

After you get front camber, your rear will get the same wear; so you'll need to get rear lower control arms to get an appropriate amount of camber in the rear too.

Fortunately, the rear lower control arms are a part that you'll never need to replace or "outgrow".

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by PoWn3d_0704

Hi @CSG Mike,

I just got done with my first AutoX and am looking to run racing slicks like the Hoosier A6's.

Is there anything like that for cheaper that is 'good enough' for short AutoX runs? My slowest lap of the weekend was a 50.2, and there is quite a bit of cooldown time between each run. (To give you an idea of the application.) With that said, I do plan on attending a drivers weekend at Portland International in the summer, and I'm betting slicks are the way to go for that.

So are the Hoosiers what you would buy? Secondly, I already have a Wilwood BBK that fits under the stock rim, is it a better idea to stay at 17"(17x9, proabably as that is the max in my class) to have the most rubber?

Can you recommend a AutoX brake pad?

I'm on stock supension.

It really depends on what class of AutoX you're going to run. I'd recommend running your car as-is for a bit, and you'll figure out what you really want.

Winmax W1, or Carbotech AX6, since it sounds like you don't have much experience yet. Get brake fluid as well.

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by I<3Twisties

Anyone know how much camber do the OEM crash bolts allow?

On stock suspension, they add about -0.7

[Griever423]

Originally Posted by ddeflyer

For me anyway, I have to disagree; I can usually feel the aides coming on when I mess up. My first two days on track I think they saved me because I got myself in trouble without even knowing I was in trouble. At the beginner level your realization of issues can come well after things can be saved.

I can only imagine what would have happened without traction control when, on my second day of my first track event, I touched the brakes at the top of turn one at Laguna Seca (basically a panic reflex at seeing the normal line without lifting through the straight (also in my car (civic si) before the BRZ)). That moment when the car got squirrely I knew I was just along for the ride. The traction control got the car stabilized and nothing bad happened but I learned a very major lesson about weight transfer at speed which could have been a very, very expensive lesson without it. going sideways at 95 MPH would not have been fun. Also, I didn't even realize that the track had those dynamics until I saw it at that speed.

By all means turn off the traction control once the tunnel vision is gone and you've experienced a few hiccups (and be aware that the amazingly well put together car saved your freshman ass), but don't add more distractions to an already hostile alien environment. I've seen the looks of a driver after they mangled the side of their car on a tire wall in the beginner group; it is better to take a little longer to learn and not go through that than to rush things and go home with your car merely a reflection of its prior glory.

It is a fantastic thing that we have cars as forgiving as we do in order to learn with.

I agree. In a new car or one that hasn't been tracked I've noticed doing a session or two with the aides on made me appreciate turning them off after. That being said, once I figure the car out I can't stand to do a track day with them on.

[kavanagh]

For what it's worth in the tire discussion and camber needs: We're on stock suspension with no camber adjustments (yet) running 17x8 with PSS 225/45 and here is how they look after 4 track days running between 37 and 39 hot pressures.


LEFT FRONT


LEFT REAR

[smbstyle]

My Pilot Super Sports after about 9 track days with around -1.6* camber, TONS of tread left (in the middle) but shoulders corded.

[Fish Eagle]

Originally Posted by I<3Twisties

Anyone know how much camber do the OEM crash bolts allow?

I got -1.1° with OEM bolts and my friend got -1.2°

[kavanagh]

Originally Posted by smbstyle

My Pilot Super Sports after about 9 track days with around -1.6* camber, TONS of tread left (in the middle) but shoulders corded.

Are you on a fast track? Our two events were on short tracks with top speeds of 87. 1.3 mile courses.


Sent from a secret volcano base using trained sharks

[ayau]

I was able to get -1.5 with just the OEM bolts. My alignment guy loosened the top and bottom bolts and used the weight of the car to push the top part of the tire inward. He placed a piece of 2x4 on the outer edge of the wheel, lowered the wheel on top of the 2x4, then tightened the bolts.

There's actually too much camber that tires wider than 215 on OEM +48 offset will rub against the lower spring perch under cornering..

[smbstyle]

Originally Posted by kavanagh

Are you on a fast track? Our two events were on short tracks with top speeds of 87. 1.3 mile courses.

Yep, Sebring Int'l Raceway, 3.7 mile course, very fast track.

Plus, I'm a fairly advanced driver and push the car HARD.

[AZP Installs]

Originally Posted by ddeflyer

For me anyway, I have to disagree; I can usually feel the aides coming on when I mess up. My first two days on track I think they saved me because I got myself in trouble without even knowing I was in trouble. At the beginner level your realization of issues can come well after things can be saved.

I can only imagine what would have happened without traction control when, on my second day of my first track event, I touched the brakes at the top of turn one at Laguna Seca (basically a panic reflex at seeing the normal line without lifting through the straight (also in my car (civic si) before the BRZ)). That moment when the car got squirrely I knew I was just along for the ride. The traction control got the car stabilized and nothing bad happened but I learned a very major lesson about weight transfer at speed which could have been a very, very expensive lesson without it. going sideways at 95 MPH would not have been fun. Also, I didn't even realize that the track had those dynamics until I saw it at that speed.

By all means turn off the traction control once the tunnel vision is gone and you've experienced a few hiccups (and be aware that the amazingly well put together car saved your freshman ass), but don't add more distractions to an already hostile alien environment. I've seen the looks of a driver after they mangled the side of their car on a tire wall in the beginner group; it is better to take a little longer to learn and not go through that than to rush things and go home with your car merely a reflection of its prior glory.

It is a fantastic thing that we have cars as forgiving as we do in order to learn with.

I agree with you. Having been a DE and Race instructor for the past 12 or so years, anything you can remove from the equation as a first time or novice driver will only aid in the experience and allow the student to return. If they come out and wrap their car around the armco the first event out, they will likely not continue in the hobby after paying to fix their car.

As you move up in the ranks and get more comfortable with your car, you can begin to remove the aids and add in better tires and suspension etc.

Heck I just took my BRZ out for the first time a few weeks ago, and even being a very experienced instructor and racer, I left the TC on for my first 2 sessions just to get a feel for the car since I had never tracked it before.

-mike