[Eudein]

Seasons Greetings! :wave:

So I just got into autocross at the start of 2013 with my 03' GTI 1.8T. I was placed into SMF from the get go(not knowing what that meant of course), and as the season continued I found that I really enjoyed the rush and found it to be a good way to satisfy competitive nature. Being that I'm getting older and my body cant take the repetitive abuse that BMX dishes out when you slam in a concrete bowl.... this seemed like a perfect outlet to concentrate on. I've always loved cars, competition, and driving. Living in the Muskoka area of Ontario has given me the opportunity to drive down some fun roads with a group of friends and learn car control and driving fundamentals. So.. for 2014 I'm looking to improve my times and see how competitive I can be.

I just wanted to know what other people are running in SMF in terms of parts/set up/tire size/tread wear/ect.. and what kind of results you're all getting in your respected areas..

My current set up is far from SMF worthy, but the good thing about that is I can only go up from here! So here's my current set up, and please give me your thoughts on additional parts/changes I can make to decrease time.

Mods:

GIAC X+ Flash (20psi)
N75j replacement
AFE short intake
forge diverter valve
BFI stage 1 engine, tranny, dog bone mounts
ECS lightweight pully kit(when I changed timing belt)
South Bend Stage 2 clutch with AWE light weight flywheel
42 draft design 3" downpipe with high flow 150core cat.
techtonics?? 2.5" cat back system with Borla exhaust.
KW Variant 2 coilovers
19x8" TSW Nurburgring RF wheels
225/35/19 Falken FK453 tires 300UTQG
15mm spacers on rear from ECS
also polished my valve cover.. that's gotta be like 50hp right? :what:

Upcoming mods before 2014 season starts:

Intercooler! front or side.. still not sure which way to go... either eurosport fmic or forge side mount.. your thoughts??
new rims and tires! not sure rim size or tire size yet. 17-18" and a 255 ish.. tire with a 40 UTQG not sure what is best for tire size and rim selection for my car.. help plz
sway bars... still not sure which ones.. still researching.



Last year, on average I was 6-7 seconds off the pace of the top SM car in my area.. (ex. 48sec vs 54sec.) every event was the same. 6-7 seconds difference. My goal for this season is with in 2 seconds of the top car every event. which if you read my current set up, you may see that's completely valid just on tires alone and a bit more seat time.

So give me your thoughts, comments, knowledge. I'm looking to improve, and that will be easier if I can pick a few brains on this forum. thanks for your time.. also i'll be posting time sheets and pics in the future to help compare before and afters. :beer:

 

[Eudein]

Also forgot my brakes.. upgraded eurospec rotors, drilled and slotted 12.1" front.. solid rear 11" hp+ pads.

 

[Eudein]

Video from Huntsville Speed Fest Hosted by Yokohama.. this one was a fun run after the event. 76.8sec run. Some cones were already down from the previous car.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud_Q12EsuSk&feature=youtu.be

guy in the passenger seat had a rx8 in STX

 

[rex_racer]

The car should actually be classed in DSP.

 

[Eudein]

Hey, I just read through the SCAA book. http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/assets/2013 Solo Rules Book updated 5-1.pdf You're absolutely right! I was only placed in SMF on my first outing by someone that was helping run the events for 2013. I figured he would know where to place me since he has been doing this for some time. I do have a few questions then about DSP.. Tire choice. sems to be pretty open, but what is the minimum compound rating I can run in DSP? ex 140 UTQG.. or can I go lower. so long as its road legal? and tire size/rims size is up to you and can exceed the wheel well if needed. does that mean I can change the overall circumference of the wheel, say like a 17" rim with a lower side profile than was given from factory. ex. factory was 225/45/17.. if I did a 225/40/17.. is that allowed?

 

[Eudein]

Also, about wheels.. Offset.. how much offset would I need if I ran a 9" rim up front. I know right now, they are 19x8" with a 35mm offset. not using a spacer, and I have maybe 1/4" or a 1/3' roughly between the lower cup on the coilover and my rim/tire. I can fit my pinky vertically in between them. so if I was to fit a wider rim would my offset increase to say 45mm or 50mm, or do I just run a spacer.

 

[rex_racer]

In DSP, wheel and tire are open. You can run whatever you feel is necessary to put down a fast time. Tires must be of DOT variety, ie a Hoosier, Kumho, or BFG R compound tire. These are typically in the 40 treadwear range. It is only with street tire classes like STS, STC, STU, and soon the new stock classes that have to run a true street tire with real tread. Its not likely that a 19" wheel tire package will be the fastest setup. It will more likely be on a 17" or 18" setup. DSP allows you to cut, flare or pull the factory fenders to fit wider wheels and tires. Nine inch wide wheels can fit under the stock fenders, however not much more than 225 will fit under there. With appropriate spring rates, a 245 can fit, but a 245 will also fit on a 8" wide wheel with minimal rubbing. You can go with various different diameters, however anything over 25" will rub. Most of the tires that are worth buying will come in at around 24.7". This allows for ample clearance in the fenders and greater contact patch.

There are a number of threads in the MKIV and suspension forum which reference the proper et to clear wide wheels. Keep in mind most of those setups are completed with stretched tires, so the widest part of the wheel/tire package is the rim. In a typical autox setup, the tire will be wider than the rim. There isn't really a magically et that works for everyone. Coilovers and shocks have varying diameters, which require a different et. For example, my GC/Advance Design shocks are significantly wider than a typical Bilstein or Koni setup, so I have to run a lower et than many others.

 

[ps2375]

The car should actually be classed in DSP.

Even with the added boost from the flash? It's been awhile since I've looked at the rules, but I thought that was not allowed in SP classes.

 

[rex_racer]

Even with the added boost from the flash? It's been awhile since I've looked at the rules, but I thought that was not allowed in SP classes.

The rules were updated over 5 years ago.

 

[ps2375]

The rules were updated over 5 years ago.

I did say it'd been awhile.

 

[4ceFed4]

SMF is still going to have a PAX advantage over DSP in 2014. Even if you don't take advantage of any of the additional allowances besides removing your rear seat, there's no reason to be in DSP if you have a FWD car.