Questions from a noob

[twEeker]

I'm taking a road racing course at thunderhill next month, and I'm looking into getting some sway and/or strut bars. I don't really know what would be best. I see lower arm bars, adustable sway bars, triangle bars. For those of you that have this stuff on their car, or know what would be best please post here. I don't want to buy front and rear struts, and front in rear sways, and a lower arm bar if one of those isn't needed. Maybe like an rs trunk bar would be good too?

[vtluu]

If you're starting out, I think your best bet is to do as little to the car as possible, get a feel for how it feels stock, then make improvements one at a time. Remember, the factory setup is designed to keep the car fairly easy to drive and forgiving. Changes you make to improve handling will come at the cost of making the car more difficult to drive and less forgiving. Speaking from personal experience, I'm only starting to put on mods after a season and a half of autocrossing and I think I'm in a much (much!) better position to exploit and appreciate those mods now than I would have been a year ago when I first got the car and first started autocrossing.

For starters, I say just go with an alignment job: straighten the toe front and back, max out the negative camber in front, put more negative camber in the back as well. The difference this makes over the factory setup will be fairly dramatic.

BTW which event are you signed up for? I'm running with NCRC, 11/15.

If you're starting out, I think your best bet is to do as little to the car as possible, get a feel for how it feels stock, then make improvements one at a time. Remember, the factory setup is designed to keep the car fairly easy to drive and forgiving. Changes you make to improve handling will come at the cost of making the car more difficult to drive and less forgiving. Speaking from personal experience, I'm only starting to put on mods after a season and a half of autocrossing and I think I'm in a much (much!) better position to exploit and appreciate those mods now than I would have been a year ago when I first got the car and first started autocrossing.

For starters, I say just go with an alignment job: straighten the toe front and back, max out the negative camber in front, put more negative camber in the back as well. The difference this makes over the factory setup will be fairly dramatic.

BTW which event are you signed up for? I'm running with NCRC, 11/15.

hey Tam,

Who would you recommend to do the alignment job??

[e8]

hey Tam,

Who would you recommend to do the alignment job??

Roger Kraus Racing in Hayward.

http://www.rogerkrausracing.com/

[vtluu]

I get mine done by Auto Innovations in Milpitas. Custom Alignment (Mountain View?) is a really good place as well. Motorsport Techniques (Hayward) is the cheapest ($60 I think) but I don't know how good a job they do.

[GokuSSJ4]

Tam said it best
learn the car and how it handles, and once you have you can move on from there.
changing suspension items can affect the handleing of the car for good or bad.

i'll be at T-hill as well next month,11-14. All Stock with just ferrodo pads

[twEeker]

I'm supposed to be there on the 21st, but the class is full. A freind of mine with an s2k knows the instructor though, so were hoping he will cut us in. If not I'll have to reschedual some other time. I definetly want to take a performance driving course, I don't want to be one of those punk ass kids that don't know what the're doing, guess I'll just stay stock suspension wise for now. Thanks all for your input!

[GokuSSJ4]

you can always invest on getting another set of wheels for the track (stock rims or aftermarket) some nice tires like Toyo RA's and some nice brake pads like : projecy mu kai, ferrodo 2500 or Endless pads.
making sure you have a nice alignment helps as well