Honda S2000
1st Gear
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 123
From: jacksonville, florida
Awesome to hear from another SCCA competitor. What kind of specs are you looking at for the alignment? I'm wanting to do one as well but I'm not sure what specs I should give the alignment folks. I asked on this forum last year and have never heard or seen anything about it.
I have raced my wifes's 2.5L Z4 against S2000s and have done pretty well - 2nd out of 4 a couple times, where the winner clearly had me out-tired.
I currently own the NWR champion BMW 325is in SCCA D/SP. It's not quite a Nationals car (next year - flare the fenders and go from 245s to 275s).
I also have a 2006 A3 with SR Gran Prix Coilovers (statrs as a Vogtland C/O kit but adds Custom-valved Koni Sports and custom-rate progressive wound springs), a Neuspeed RSB, Revo Stage One, with Oz Ultraleggeras and Dunlop Direzza Star Spec tires and an autocross alignment on order for playing in STX class with the Subies.
The fast DSG gearchanges and low-end torque favor the A3, especially with the Revo chip, and but the lack of a Quaife limited slip differential gives it back. I'm very happy with the dry handling with my setup. In the rain, though, the WRXs eat me alive - but that's their element. It's also complicated by the fact that the reigning SCCA STX National Champ lives up here. And he is a better driver than I. So's his wife for that matter - she's a national Champ in their car also.
I currently own the NWR champion BMW 325is in SCCA D/SP. It's not quite a Nationals car (next year - flare the fenders and go from 245s to 275s).
I also have a 2006 A3 with SR Gran Prix Coilovers (statrs as a Vogtland C/O kit but adds Custom-valved Koni Sports and custom-rate progressive wound springs), a Neuspeed RSB, Revo Stage One, with Oz Ultraleggeras and Dunlop Direzza Star Spec tires and an autocross alignment on order for playing in STX class with the Subies.
The fast DSG gearchanges and low-end torque favor the A3, especially with the Revo chip, and but the lack of a Quaife limited slip differential gives it back. I'm very happy with the dry handling with my setup. In the rain, though, the WRXs eat me alive - but that's their element. It's also complicated by the fact that the reigning SCCA STX National Champ lives up here. And he is a better driver than I. So's his wife for that matter - she's a national Champ in their car also.
1st Gear
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 127
From:
A3 Autocross Alignment
Alignment depends on a few tradeoffs, how 'daily driver-able' you want the car to be, do you mind having to pay more attention on the freeway, does stability on rutted pavement matter on your daily commute, if you are willing to trade a little tire wear for handling, things like that.
As a general rule, a full Autocross alignment would be something like as much caster as you can get, 2-3 degrees of negative camber in front, 1-2 degrees in the rear, 1/8-1/4" of front toe-out and zero to 1/8" rear toe out. That car will turn in like crazy, have great mid-corner grip, trail-brake better than straight-line brake. Conversely, it will be nervous and jumpy on all but the smoothest roads, and if you drive at greater than posted Interstate speeds, an absolute handful. Maybe even scary in the wet. And you would scrub out a set of tires in about 10 or 12K miles at most.
You would likely never be able to get a non-race shop to even try that setup, and without crash bolts, camber plates, or adjustable shock mounts, never see those camber numbers.
So a compromise street/autocross alignment would look like Negative camber 1+ degrees F&R, zero toe F&R. This will be noticeably quicker than stock, without compromising daily driveability and tire wear too much. It will be less forgiving of things like ruts and you may want to keep both hands on the wheel more often.
If you don't like it or want a touch more, say, rear toe, to improve rotation into a corner, or less toe for greater highway stability, it's just alignment. The settings are very personal and depend on where and how you drive, your suspension setup, the season, and tires. They're not canon law, they can be changed.
IMHO / YMMV / Etc. Etc.
As a general rule, a full Autocross alignment would be something like as much caster as you can get, 2-3 degrees of negative camber in front, 1-2 degrees in the rear, 1/8-1/4" of front toe-out and zero to 1/8" rear toe out. That car will turn in like crazy, have great mid-corner grip, trail-brake better than straight-line brake. Conversely, it will be nervous and jumpy on all but the smoothest roads, and if you drive at greater than posted Interstate speeds, an absolute handful. Maybe even scary in the wet. And you would scrub out a set of tires in about 10 or 12K miles at most.
You would likely never be able to get a non-race shop to even try that setup, and without crash bolts, camber plates, or adjustable shock mounts, never see those camber numbers.
So a compromise street/autocross alignment would look like Negative camber 1+ degrees F&R, zero toe F&R. This will be noticeably quicker than stock, without compromising daily driveability and tire wear too much. It will be less forgiving of things like ruts and you may want to keep both hands on the wheel more often.
If you don't like it or want a touch more, say, rear toe, to improve rotation into a corner, or less toe for greater highway stability, it's just alignment. The settings are very personal and depend on where and how you drive, your suspension setup, the season, and tires. They're not canon law, they can be changed.
IMHO / YMMV / Etc. Etc.
Last edited by panzrwagn; Oct 2, 2008 at 01:24 PM.
2nd Gear
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 736
From:
Back in the day I used to catch a few s2000's at the light or on a roll. If they were anywhere 1k RPM or more below VTEC they would get killed easily. Usually so bad that they gave up within 1 or 2 gears. Now, when I had the stage 2 apr chip, it was a whole new story. Problem is the s2000 is a 10 year old car with very little performance improvements over its life. Stock for stock a lot of cars are starting to give it a run for its money. Heck, even the new civic RR outruns the s2000 now.
Anywho, its funny that this thread is here. A few days ago I ran into a white A3 with the titanium package in Irvine and decided to give it a run in my s2000. Lets just say I took one back for the Honda team.
Anywho, its funny that this thread is here. A few days ago I ran into a white A3 with the titanium package in Irvine and decided to give it a run in my s2000. Lets just say I took one back for the Honda team.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Presidential_Detail
Detailing
9
Feb 2, 2009 09:34 PM
