DakarM

So I'm faster now then before. The people that are usually 5-6 seconds faster than me are now only 2seconds faster.

The bench mark I'm using is running M Roadster with a nice GC setup and sway bars. Also more importantly he has been autoxing for about 4+ years.

I use him as the bench mark because he is also running street tires (Azenis).

Anyways his car rotates beautifiully. My car has wayyy tooo much grip in the rear. I can get the rear end to step out on the slaloms by getting on the gas but that's not anywhere else on the course.

I think part of my problem is that both my front tires outer edges are worn out. I'll need to replace them soon but I want to make them last through this season which ends at November (approximately 8 more events). I think my tires can last 2 maybe 3 more events.

I already have about -2degree camber. I can bring it up to -3 with the use of the camber correction bolt.

However I guess my real question is, do you think the worn edges can be making my understeering problem worse?


BTW I'm running Toyo Proxes T1-S 235/45/17 fronts and 255/40/17 rears.

Front Drivers side






Front Passenger side






BTW my rears are similarly worn. :dunno:

Gasoline Fumes

Can you fit your rear tires in the front?

DakarM

the fronts are 8" wide so I can fit 245/40 but not 255. Also the wheels can't be swapped because the front has a 41mm offset and the rear has a 8mm offset :doh:


I think I need to change my driving style. One suggestion was go get a thicker rollbar up front as I was guessing earlier this year. However I don't have the funds to spend on it yet. Changing/correcting the driving is cheaper

I have to get an oil cooler at ~$1000 since I want the engine to last a long long long time.

CivicSiRacer

You can flip the tires on the wheels. So the rear right is now the rear left and vice versa.

I would think a worn shoulder would contribute to understeering more than tires with better shoulders.

Stowaway

looks like you could use more air pressure in the front, less in the rear. Try changing those air pressures a little, just like 3psi in each direction, and see how the handling is. Then you can change the camber to -3, which should help too. I ran about 45-47 cold on my old BMW in the fronts with the Bridgestone Potenza RE730's, but had to use over 50 cold on Dunlop SP8000s because the sidewall was softer, causing more roll. The Toyos there look like the sidewall is fairly stiff, but the shoulder isn't square anymore. What pressures are you running and what surface are most of your autocrosses on?

DakarM

I was running 41psi front and 37psi rear to start with.

At one point the front left was 47psi and front right 43psi and the rear at 38psi.

However my fastest time was with 43psi front left, 41psi front right and 38psi rear.

I'm going to try the flipping of the tires and see if that helps and also max out my camber. I should have a bit over -3 at that point.

worse comes to worse I'm going to try 245/40/17 up front.

Stowaway

damn, pressures already way up there. when you do replace these tires, might want to try something with a slightly more square shoulder and stiffer sidewall, like the Bridgestones or Firestones, or go to a track only tire like Falken Azenis Sport or Kumho Ecsta MX. Both of those have been doing well on the autocross, while still being streetable.

00R101

1) The tire wear is not having much effect on grip.
2) You mention that your rear tires have too much grip - WRONG - Your fronts don't have enough. Never, never wish for less grip anywhere. Wish for more balance
3) Judging by the wear, the large differential in hot pressures, and your admittedly limited experience autoxing, I humbly suggest that the problem is not entirely with the car. Please try to drive slower into corners. Most novices complain about understeer when the problem is overdriving.
4) Get an experienced driver to ride with you. He can determmine if you are driving too hard.
5) Get an experienced driver to drive your car (like the guy in the other BMW) He will be able to tell you if the car is a pushing pig or not.

Good luck - Alan

DakarM

I've actually tried going into the corner about 5-8mph slower. It was fine for the initial turnin but once I started applying a bit of throttle after the apex the car started to understeer again. The only way I could reduce prevent it was to get off the gas completely to transfer weight to the front and/or unwinding the wheel.

I've had a national level driver try out my car but that was before the new shocks and camber so I'll need to ask him to drive my car again and see. At that time he told me the car has a tendency to understeer in mid corners and that I would probably benefit from a larger front sway bars.

but at the same time i'm going to try the slow (er) in fast out approach again and slow the entry speed even more.

CivicSiRacer

IN most cases we all do drive the car 11/10ths instead of 9/10ths 10/10ths.