Autox mods help

[Ty07allstar]

I just raced in my first event last Sunday and I'm thinking about getting more serious with autox. What mods would you guys recommend first? I really don't want to spend a ton of money. I was thinking a new set of rims and tires or brakes? What do you guys think?

 

[aMaff]

What does the car have now? Honestly, stick with what you've got and learn the car and figure out what category you want to run in (talk to the locals running in different classes, figure out what you want). Because all 'modz' will depend on where you want to end up. That said, your biggest gains are going to be tires.

 

[Ty07allstar]

What does the car have now? Honestly, stick with what you've got and learn the car and figure out what category you want to run in (talk to the locals running in different classes, figure out what you want). Because all 'modz' will depend on where you want to end up. That said, your biggest gains are going to be tires.

Right now all I have is the MP3 ECU and that puts me in ST. I am planning on staying in ST, so I was thinking about tires and brakes since my brakes are going to need changing soon anyways.

 

[benjpi]

You're going to get whupped in ST. If you want to win, get a Civic. If you want to have fun, show up and drive.

Keep in mind that 4 or 5 autocrosses is equal to about one trackday. The trackday will teach you more.

But, if you're into autocrossing & like the weekend atmosphere & cameraderie, I get it. TIRES will make the largest difference after operator skill.

 

[sm76]

Right now all I have is the MP3 ECU and that puts me in ST. I am planning on staying in ST, so I was thinking about tires and brakes since my brakes are going to need changing soon anyways.

If you are just starting out, there is no need to spend a lot of money on changing the car. At local events it is mostly all up to how good the driver is anyway.
A good set of tires is a good idea. With all the current high performance summer tires that are popular for ST you should be fine driving them at autocross and on the street in the summer so you don't necessarily need an extra set of wheels yet.
For brakes, don't try to get too agressive. You will want to get something like the Hawk HPS or Carbotech AX6 because autocross doesn't build a lot of heat in the brakes and those are better for both autocross and street.
The next big thing I would suggest is to get a good alignment. Get as much negative camber as you can in the front and somewhere around -1 degrees in the rear and get close to 0 toe front and rear (maybe a little toe-in). As you get better you will probably like toe out, but its not as stable so its not as good for daily driving.
That will get you a long way to being competitive. Spending your money on going to more events will make you faster than more parts.
Most of all, just have fun!

 

[Ty07allstar]

If you are just starting out, there is no need to spend a lot of money on changing the car. At local events it is mostly all up to how good the driver is anyway.
A good set of tires is a good idea. With all the current high performance summer tires that are popular for ST you should be fine driving them at autocross and on the street in the summer so you don't necessarily need an extra set of wheels yet.
For brakes, don't try to get too agressive. You will want to get something like the Hawk HPS or Carbotech AX6 because autocross doesn't build a lot of heat in the brakes and those are better for both autocross and street.
The next big thing I would suggest is to get a good alignment. Get as much negative camber as you can in the front and somewhere around -1 degrees in the rear and get close to 0 toe front and rear (maybe a little toe-in). As you get better you will probably like toe out, but its not as stable so its not as good for daily driving.
That will get you a long way to being competitive. Spending your money on going to more events will make you faster than more parts.
Most of all, just have fun!

If I went to the dealer for an alignment would they listen if I told them that I wanted the alignment done a specific way or would they tell me to go somewhere that specializes in alignment?

 

[sm76]

If I went to the dealer for an alignment would they listen if I told them that I wanted the alignment done a specific way or would they tell me to go somewhere that specializes in alignment?

It all depends on the individual dealer/shop. Some will do them to customers specs, while others will only set it to be within the manufacturers suggested settings. You may have to call a few places to find one willing to do what you want.

 

[Ty07allstar]

Will the HPS pads eat up the OE rotors if I use them for daily driving and track?

 

[pw~mp5]

Hawk claims that the HPS pads are gentle on your rotors. You could have your rotors cryo treated. Cryo treated rotors last 2-4 times longer. http://www.metal-wear.com/Brakes.html

 

[Ty07allstar]

Where would I be able to get the rotors cyro treated?

 

[pw~mp5]

The link in my last post is one place, they several locations around the US. They do cryo treating for several of the NASCAR teams here in NC.

 

[Ty07allstar]

Would it be worth $25 each to get the rotors treated? I really don't want to spend tons of money but if its worth it I might give it a try.

 

[sm76]

No need to get the rotors cryotreated. Just use a set of Advance Autoparts or Autozone (but not NAPA!) rotors and you will be fine for 3 sets of brake pads before needing to replace the rotors. Then replace those for the same cost as cryotreating. I have been running both stores rotors for years on my Mazdaspeed with VERY aggressive brake pads (I would burn HPS pads off my car in a few laps) and I get two sets of pads for each set of rotors.

Edit for more info: The NAPA rotors warped on me when I tried them, that is why I wouldn't recommend them. Also, always use a torque wrench when putting the wheels on. The hotter you get the rotors the more important it is to have equal torque on all the lug nuts.

 

[Ty07allstar]

How would the HPS pads hold up with the OE rotors on the street? I plan to use my car for 10-20 autocross events next year and daily drive the car. Would I be better off just using the OE pads too?

 

[CulRidr]

HPS pads should be fine. I've done roughly that many events this year and last, and have driven on the street since spring 2009 and I still have a good amount of meat left on them using cheap blank rotors. The HPS are great pads for the money.

 

[sm76]

Like CulRidr said, the HPS with either OEM or other cheap rotors sounds perfect for what you are planning.

 

[Ty07allstar]

How hard is it to change the brakes, pads and rotors, brake hoses, and change the fluid? Would Autozone hoses be fine? I really don't want to have the dealer do it because I would rather get the parts and the fluid that I want and to save money. I also just want to learn how to do it so I know how for the future.

 

[aMaff]

Depends on your level of expertise. If you've done a handful of brake jobs before, it'll take about an hour to do all 4 corners including the lines. If you haven't... set aside an afternoon and get someone who knows what they're doing to teach you the ropes.

 

[Ty07allstar]

Depends on your level of expertise. If you've done a handful of brake jobs before, it'll take about an hour to do all 4 corners including the lines. If you haven't... set aside an afternoon and get someone who knows what they're doing to teach you the ropes.

This would be my first attempt at brakes. They don't look too hard but I want them done right because if they are not then I'm dead, literally.

 

[aMaff]

Yeah, they're not that complicated once you know what you're looking at, but if it's your 1st time, definitely get with someone that knows what they're doing