DS Autocross Mods

I'm still on stock tires and wheels. I'm too poor to get an autocross only set :(
 
That's fine. I don't have dedicated tires either...
The only money I've spent specifically for AX was on the helmet, numbers, and a pair of cg-locks from soloracer.com

I thoroughly trashed my tires last season, so once the snow is gone I'm planning on a set of Kumho SPTs
 
+1

I've only been able to get the rear end loose once, and it wasn't the greatest feeling in the world...
I was more concerned with not spinning out, but I'm fairly certain it was off-throttle, snap oversteer (in the middle of a slalom on a slight grade.)

The biggest bang-for-the-buck improvement you can make is tires. After that, you need to tune the loose nut behind the wheel.

X2... get some Kumho ecstas then see what your car is/isn't doing. But if you wanna stick in stree tire class I'd say get some adjustable shocks to dial in the response you want.
 
I know when you turn off the stability control, the MS3 really likes to oversteer. Really felt uneasy when I tried it, but definitely if I could have had more seat time with it, I could have started to swing the rear end.

I thought you had to increase tire pressure to make the rear swing out and lower tire pressure to increase traction...right up before the point sidewalls start giving out.

I wouldn't want to roll my sidewalls and blow a tire...
 
Do y'all turn traction control off when you are autocrossing? I tried it for one event last season and my tires sounded really pissed. Any preferences?
 
Do y'all turn traction control off when you are autocrossing? I tried it for one event last season and my tires sounded really pissed. Any preferences?

I like it better on (stability control), with traction control off. The car feels a lot more stable. Though my fastest time was with it off (stability control)...
 
I know when you turn off the stability control, the MS3 really likes to oversteer. Really felt uneasy when I tried it, but definitely if I could have had more seat time with it, I could have started to swing the rear end.

I thought you had to increase tire pressure to make the rear swing out and lower tire pressure to increase traction...right up before the point sidewalls start giving out.

I wouldn't want to roll my sidewalls and blow a tire...
Drag launches will gain grip with lower psi. However with lower psi you lose lateral grip. This is becuase the contact patch deforms when the sidewall flexes. This is true up untill a certain piont, rock hard tires will not do anything properly. Knowing this you can change the balance of the car much like the effect of sway bar adjustments.
Do y'all turn traction control off when you are autocrossing? I tried it for one event last season and my tires sounded really pissed. Any preferences?
The traction control intervenes way to early on these cars for AX. You guys really gotta turn that stuff off. The tc dos not allow for proper car control. I find it is to intrusive for daily driving, for AX you have to turn it off.;)
Anybody try messing around with tire pressure yet?
 
I know I should probably just look in the manual, but how does one turn the Traction Control off? I know how to run off the DSC, is it the same button, or a different process?
 
Its the same process... Traction Control can be turned off just by pressing the DSC button while the car is running. And press it again to turn it on.

To disable stability control, you have to press the button before turning on the car and keep it pressed till the two lights turn on/stay on.

To turn it all back on, just press the button once...

The settings will always reset when you turn the car off...
 
You can very easily setup your car to oversteer by toeing out the rear wheels.
A simple lift of the throttle will get the rear swinging out.
Just a little toe, though. Too much and you'll turn your 3 into a FWD drift car :-p
 
Its the same process... Traction Control can be turned off just by pressing the DSC button while the car is running. And press it again to turn it on.

To disable stability control, you have to press the button before turning on the car and keep it pressed till the two lights turn on/stay on.

To turn it all back on, just press the button once...

The settings will always reset when you turn the car off...

Think you have it backwards. You turn off DSC by pressing the DSC button at any time. Traction control you have to hold the button down during startup. When traction control is off you see the light that looks like this (drive2)

The way I see it DSC is your turning traction. It keeps your car from skidding aroud corners (which is bad for trying to rotate the back end)

Traction control is more for keeping the wheels from spinning when accelerating or changing road surfaces.
 
Think you have it backwards. You turn off DSC by pressing the DSC button at any time. Traction control you have to hold the button down during startup. When traction control is off you see the light that looks like this (drive2)

The way I see it DSC is your turning traction. It keeps your car from skidding aroud corners (which is bad for trying to rotate the back end)

Traction control is more for keeping the wheels from spinning when accelerating or changing road surfaces.

The lights on the dashboard are backwards...

I know on my 2008, pressing the button any time will disable the traction control. Doing the hold before startup and shortly after, will disable stability control.

I always thought the dashboard lights were a little misleading...I think they are backwards...
 
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The lights on the dashboard are inverted...

I know on my 2008, pressing the button any time will disable the traction control. Doing the hold before startup and shortly after, will disable stability control.

Crazy. Must have been a 2007-2008 change. I know with the 2007 it is crazy easy to spin wheels with the hold down method and harder with just DSC off.
 
How does your MS3 class in STU...?
My local SCCA club says I only fit in one class...DSP.

What classes does the MS3 qualify for?
 
How does your MS3 class in STU...?
My local SCCA club says I only fit in one class...DSP.

What classes does the MS3 qualify for?

All I have is intake, motor mount, and short shifter and bushings (and manifold coming soon (cabpatch)). Displacement between 2.0 and 3.1 liters for forced injection puts me in STU.

Your intercooler puts you in DSP.

Classes are DS STU DSP and SM.

Here is the link to the 2008 rules: 2008 National Solo Rules.pdf (3.0mb)
 
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The lights on the dashboard are backwards...

I know on my 2008, pressing the button any time will disable the traction control. Doing the hold before startup and shortly after, will disable stability control.

I always thought the dashboard lights were a little misleading...I think they are backwards...

Are you sure??

My 2008 Sport has a button for turning off the DSC; the only way to get rid of TCS is on start -up.
 
From personal testing, when I want to turn off traction control, I just hit the button any time. And when I want to loosen the car up so it oversteers (which feels totally loose) I do the startup thing where you hold it before and after you start the engine.

When I press the button anytime, the DSC light turns on, but traction control is off, and if I do the start up thing both lights. turn on DSC and (drive2); car no longer controls wheel spin and feels loose.

Is my car the only one that behaves this way? (huh)
 

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