I've been noticing the AutoX thread lately and just noticed there was no official Track / HPDE threads, mostly threads from MikeJ that get a lot of attention. So I think this should be the official Track / HPDE talk and chat thread.
I'll attempt to post up any links I find here that relate to this thread so they're easily found.
Name: Alex
Cars: 2009 Civic Si (Just a progress sway bar on it), 1998 BMW M3 Sedan (Track Rat)
Info: This will be my second track season and will be my first with the Civic, last year I had the pleasure to drive at New Hampshire International Speedway, and Watkins Glen, in a number of different e36's.
I went through the fog light housings, over my CAI(for driver side), tied it to the strut, and curled it onto the spindle(?) facing the caliper. Same for passenger side except substitute the CAI for a removed windshield washer fluid reservoir. I didn't want to remove the reservoir but combined with my dual heat exchanger oil cooler and Aftercooler lines there just wasn't any room.
Instead of running brake duct hoses through the car by removing ww reservoir (which I gave up on, although you can find smaller reservoirs...), etc., how about either:
1. NACA ducts from hood, run the hose through the inner fender behind the strut towers. This could actually work, and you can buy a track day only hood (junk yard) for like $80. There's a fair amount of room to route the duct down behind the strut towers (2" diameter hoses) but you have to hole-cut the inner fender. Only about two bends in the airlow.
2. Or, install a track day only front lip (4") with duct hose inlet in the lip, and run the hose under the car. Don't think this would stand up to DD, but only 1 bend in the airflow, and highest pressure air intake zone instead of NACA ducts on the hood.
I'm working on Option #2 right now, starting with the Club RSX garden liner front lip design! :laughing: I'll post something if I can get it to work - still playing with intake nozzles for the mounting to the lip.
Before I had ducting I removed the dust sheds in hopes of better cooling. This helps, but depending on how hard the track is on brakes and how hot they get, the ball joints in the arms can get overheated since they're only an inch or so away from the inside of the rotor. I'd find a way to keep the dust shield or otherwise insulate the ball joints. Gold foil?
Maybe I'll stay away from that then. Or, ill cut off like 3/4 of the shield and leave some in front of the suspension components. I was worried about the dust possibly reducing the longevity and performance of nearby suspension components, but never thought of heat doing that, thanks!
Before I had ducting I removed the dust sheds in hopes of better cooling. This helps, but depending on how hard the track is on brakes and how hot they get, the ball joints in the arms can get overheated since they're only an inch or so away from the inside of the rotor. I'd find a way to keep the dust shield or otherwise insulate the ball joints. Gold foil?
You could also bend the dust shield back a bit, it will not solve your issue but how could it hurt? I'd think you'd have more air flowing if they were a bit pulled back.
Thanks for the pics! Is the tape on your headlights for protection, drag, or noise?
I can't wait for my next HPDE. Hopefully Atlanta Motorsports Park will be open by the date I've set aside. Got all my supplies together. (ATE Superblue, Cobalt Friction XR2, Brembo Blanks, Camber bolts)
Saw it as well really just want to jump on it, since its so cheap, are the shocks for sedan / coupe the same? I think the spring rates are different so I'm wondering if it'd be worth getting it and just trying to score a set of rear sedan springs. or koni rear?
Spring rates are the exact same from every source I've read. Only difference is the dampers, which the fronts will be the same or very very close. Blisteins cost about 280($70 each for E46 3 series sport shocks and 65$ to revalve, then grind down the mounting point a bit and they fit perfectly, but its custom revalving so we can pick compression/rebound curves). Rear koni's are 289 from corsport, so id just do those as i dont want to have to do the whole revalve/grind down thing.
I wont be going to the track until summer so i might as well just do this now, then camber bolts and progress rsb too possibly
The only thing is by the time your done with it you've spent the same as the cost of sedan hfp, I guess the benefit would be that since the coupe is heavier in the front the dampers are probably slightly stiffer and with the rear koni tuned you probably end up with a slightly stiffer version of hfp?
LOL, he is using that rumble strip the best he can....he must have been flying.
His car is all biz-naz too. It seems to have quick release bumpers, hood scoops and gutted inside. the 215/255 is just the stock combo of a s2000 in reverse...
What dampers does the red civic have?
Also, this bilstein mod I am reading about here for the 1st time is very interesting. So, the struts from an E46 m3 fit? I don't understand if front and rear fit - assuming just rears at this point...
Renzo bought Evasive's old Si and he did a built k24..... 312whp all NA!
I rode in the car at Auto Club Speedway, too wild! but still only 220 lbs of trq.
I'm going to get kw v3, swift race springs, and ASR camber plates by the end of the year.
Quite the build list - If you need mods like clutch, flywheel etc look up JBAutosports, my buddy just bought a spec stage 2 plus for his FG2 for a great deal.
Guerra:
Yes, I'd much rather have koni's in the rear, especially being adjustable (which made me scratch the idea of blisteins). The fronts would be set softer anyways if I had konis all around so the hfp up front is perfect, and HFP is the only linear drop spring, and ground control costs as much as HFP itself!
I was also thinking of tokico HTS in the rear because they have higher compression and i might be able to get them cheaper, and most put compression and rebound all the way up w/ DA shocks anyways for autox. Idk we'll see..
Wondering if the grass is greener on the other side (meaning coilovers)...
I'm not planning on ever running r-comps so i think HFP spring rates will be fine, plus i save money and can fit big tires (245 or 235) w/o fender mods basically
I think we're on the same track (haha) I don't think I plan on doing coil overs on my Civic since my M will be my true track rate I just need something to get me through on the handful of events I attend while at school. As of now I'm thinking this.
1st: Pads / Fluid (EBC Yellow and ATE Super Blue)
2nd: Track rims, a set of 06ish stockies for 200$ bucks with 235 summers all the way around.
3rd: Grab HFP coupe suspension off ebay, and put tokico performance in the rear with sedan springs, or just grab used sedan hfp for 300$.
4: Profit?
The only issue with this is I want my Civic track ready but can't neglect my M....Need another job!
Yeah, just finished installing the Koni yellow/Neuspeed sport (Redshift built) setup with double camber bolts up front, Ingalls camber in rear, and Buddy Club P-1 front lower ball joints. Already had the Progress rear sway bar. Still playing with damper stiffness settings, but on full soft it rides almost identical to stock for DD use. It was between this and HFP - a close call which way to go for me.
I'm also supercharged, which is a whole other story...needless to say, I'm in one of those autox classes where anything goes. :shrug: I like my DD to be fun off the track, and I'm kinda addicted to car mods. 30 years now...
But this car now has far more capabilities than it's driver! mg:
So a bunch of people have been telling me to keep an eye on the camber bolts which tend to slip under hard driving, have you thought / looked into the ASR camber plates? They are bit pricey (~$400) but they look to be top tier. I know the owner of ASR so hopefully he will be nice enough to give me a discount in the future
Still thinking about this mod sometime, depending on how often I can track the car. Any suggestions on size cooler to get, personal experience with brands, etc?
SC is already running water/meth or just water (have tunes for both, depending on how strict the tech inspection is), with a 3 gal. reservoir in the trunk (uses almost all of it in one session at my spray rate!). Aftercooler market is still a work in progress so I'm holding off, but lots of experience out there with water/meth on our K20's. Oil cooler might be a good idea, thanks.
Still have another season or more on the Star Specs which I got for the stock rims, but after they're trashed I might consider the wider/lower profile idea. One of my autox friends is taunting us with his massive 275's for his WRX - now that's some contact patch!
HFP Suspension and nothing else a.k.a. no camber adjustment.
225/45/17 R1R
Teh bad:
Crap response, crap wear, feathered badly, fell off like a brick when heated. Needs a metric (yes, metric. 10% moar!) F__k-ton of camber to offset any of the above...and it still won't.
Le good:
Good on road noise, absorbed impact well, and once you got over the initial lack of response at turn in plus the sidewall squirm it had very good grip on long sustained G sweepers.
Personally would not get again.
DDZ1SS 225/45/17s and 235/40/17
Teh good:
Above average response(aka WAY better than R1R), handles low heat and high heat admirably, wears a bit better than the R1Rs, Stiff sidewall doesn't require as much camber.
Le bad:
Usually more expensive than R1R, Only TireRack has them, Does not ride as comfortable, gets pretty loud as they wear.
On my 8th set combined and it won't be my last!
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