Let's discuss SCCA Stock Class

[Areddi]

Originally Posted by Sam Strano

I'm 100% thrilled with the sway bar I've built, and that's on both CS/RTR and STX cars (different tires too). I think Jadrice was pretty happy with the bar with race tires too. I have more being made now. Why pay more for heavier bars when you can see how well the cars work on mine?

All I can do is echo how awesome your bar is Sam. I ended up 5th in STX on Saturday, losing only to those damn E36's! That run makes mine look slow, best I could put down was a 72.5 and watching that video I can see where I needed to be faster:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52HZNlybIS0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52HZNlybIS0[/ame]

Looks like I'll be needing to call you up for some koni's as well

[ViperASR]

Originally Posted by jdrxb9

Here's how to do it right:

Wow

[Sam Strano]

I do have Koni's available. They are $615 for the set on sale (while the sale lasts, can't tell you when that will end could be next week, could be next month). If you want them, don't wait too long, stock is already dwindling.

[xwd]

I think I did pretty well at the ATL event yesterday although I didn't have a clean run and most of the really fast guys got rained out. Mark Davis in an ES MR2 was the only real comparison. My fastest dirty run was .1s faster on a 41s course, he paxed #1.

The car handled great though, just driving error and really pushing the car for the first time since my first event it was wet, and as stated above my alignment was all screwed up. I ran 34F/32R in the A6s. I don't think I found the limit of how much I could have pushed the car in slaloms or in transition. The car seems very easy on the race tires even without a ton of front camber.

I was using a Strano front bar.

[xwd]

I was going to add one thing, the stock brake pads were a little disappointing, so I am going to swap them out for the Stoptech Sport pads, I've had good luck with those in the past.

Here is my 2nd fastest run from Sunday, but to be honest I didn't drive very well or smoothly and I know I left a good bit of time out there. Oddly enough this run was recorded as a DNF...

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l0igJDS55w"]ATL Event #3 run #4? - YouTube[/ame]

[Sam Strano]

Yeah, the stock pads once any kind of decent tire on there aren't very good.

I run/recommend the Ferodo's above all. The Stoptechs are a bit of an upgrade but actually have less ultimate bite than HPS's do. I like pads that stop, but I hate pads that are on/off like HP+, which is why I run Ferodo DS2500's. Very linear torque curve, and will take a pounding (I track mine too).

[suaveflooder]

questions....

Getting ready to autocross myself, and I plan to stay in the stock class for a year or so, and I will also be leaving my car 99% stock for awhile. I'm not planning on picking up a sway bar until I have plenty of seat time and I'm also going to try and take an autox class here in San Diego. Mods will come later after I learn the car a bit.

These are my questions: I picked up some crash bolts today from Subaru. My reading is telling me that this will get me between -1.2 and -1.5 degrees camber or so. When I install these, am I just trying to get as much negative camber as possible and calling it a day, or should I actually go get an alignment? From what I can tell, toe doesn't change. Second question, when I'm not autox-ing, do I just leave this camber or should I put the stock bolt back in? The car is a DD, and I drive about 40-60 miles a day depending on the day.

Thanks for all the great advice in this thread! I haven't had the time to make it all the way through, but so far, I've learned a lot!

[SVThis]

I'd have an alignment done no matter what. There's a good chance the alignment could be way off right off the showroom floor. You probably want to have the rear toe set correctly in either case.

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by SVThis

I'd have an alignment done no matter what. There's a good chance the alignment could be way off right off the showroom floor. You probably want to have the rear toe set correctly in either case.

I was under the impression that the stock suspension can't really be aligned which is the reason for the crash bolts. Adding a crash bolt didn't really change the toe in every case i have seen.

I might be completely wrong. Pretty new with these cars

[xwd]

Originally Posted by Sam Strano

Yeah, the stock pads once any kind of decent tire on there aren't very good.

I run/recommend the Ferodo's above all. The Stoptechs are a bit of an upgrade but actually have less ultimate bite than HPS's do. I like pads that stop, but I hate pads that are on/off like HP+, which is why I run Ferodo DS2500's. Very linear torque curve, and will take a pounding (I track mine too).

I used the DS2500s in the past and liked them but they were super noisy daily driving on the street, not to mention fairly expensive. I was fine using them on a dedicated autox car, maybe I didn't bed them in well enough back then. Thanks for the feedback, I haven't made a final decision just yet what to go with.

[xwd]

Originally Posted by suaveflooder

I was under the impression that the stock suspension can't really be aligned which is the reason for the crash bolts. Adding a crash bolt didn't really change the toe in every case i have seen.

I might be completely wrong. Pretty new with these cars

If the car hasn't had an alignment yet, the toe is not going to be optimal.

You can install the bolts and leave them in. Just try to get as much as you can, push on the spindle and tighten things down. There is some play in the top nuts/studs as well. While you have the bottom bolts loose push in on the top and re-tighten them as well. Every little bit helps.

If you get more than -1.2 out of the crash bolts that would be awesome. You can do the crash bolt install yourself and then have the toe aligned at a shop or do it yourself if you have a setup to do so. They won't touch anything camber related since it's not adjustable so you don't have to worry about that.

[SVThis]

Originally Posted by suaveflooder

I was under the impression that the stock suspension can't really be aligned which is the reason for the crash bolts. Adding a crash bolt didn't really change the toe in every case i have seen.

I might be completely wrong. Pretty new with these cars

You can't change the camber in the rear, but you can adjust the toe. Unless you have already had an alignment since you bought the car it would be a good idea to set the alignment since it's sometimes sporadic what you get from the factory. Changing your camber in the front does have some effect on your toe but not usually by a great amount.

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by SVThis

You can't change the camber in the rear, but you can adjust the toe. Unless you have already had an alignment since you bought the car it would be a good idea to set the alignment since it's sometimes sporadic what you get from the factory. Changing your camber in the front does have some effect on your toe but not usually by a great amount.

Perfect! Thank you!! I will get it aligned after i get the bolts in

[suaveflooder]

Originally Posted by dwx

If the car hasn't had an alignment yet, the toe is not going to be optimal.

You can install the bolts and leave them in. Just try to get as much as you can, push on the spindle and tighten things down. There is some play in the top nuts/studs as well. While you have the bottom bolts loose push in on the top and re-tighten them as well. Every little bit helps.

If you get more than -1.2 out of the crash bolts that would be awesome. You can do the crash bolt install yourself and then have the toe aligned at a shop or do it yourself if you have a setup to do so. They won't touch anything camber related since it's not adjustable so you don't have to worry about that.

Thank you! Sounds like my first order of business is getting my toe set! I'll get the bolts in first and then get her all set up