Top 10 Auto-X Mods?

[Slimjimx701x]

I'll do what I can , but serisouly in "real" racing every grams count. So that one inch make a differents.

Another thing i just remember is that the wider the wheel...the less aerodynamic you become...but that if the fit get up that speed to make it count . And also the wider the wheel, it take more heat up the tires.

[Lyshk0]

i think someone already mentioned it, but i would stick with a 15x6 for stock classification

[hiphapa]

yeah they mentioned that and i think that is a good idea for stock. Man i cant tell you how much i love these kinds of discussions haha. we should start another one...

[mahout]

Originally Posted by Sugarphreak

I figured this might be a fun little hypothetical thread to start up;

If you could pick 10 things to change on your Fit to prepare it for an unrestricted Autocross style event, what would they be? Would you turbo? Would you focus strictly on suspension? How about a K20 swap?

Post up what you think would be the way to go if money was no object. here is my example wish-list

1. Mugen NR 17" (Mirror Face of course)
2. Pirelli PZero Nero 195/40/17 Tires
3. JR 10psi Supercharger Kit
4. T1R Suspension
5. J's Racing Header
6. J's Racing Titanium full exhaust
7. T1R Sway Bar
8. T1R Carbon Strut Bar
9. Oversize front brake Kit
10. Mugen short shifter

Anyway, have some fun with it.

Cheers!

After good tuneup and setting proper valve clearance:
1. Get better lighter wheels, 17x7/42 mm offsetwithout lowering. 16x7/42 with 205/45x16 tires good also. Experiment with 195 section tires.
2. Get better lighter tires, Hoosier, Kumho, stickiest legal 205/40x17 or 205/45x16 tires on 16x7/42 mm offset wheels. Experiment with 195 section tires.
If mismatched tires allowed use 'comp' tires up front and good street tires rear.. Experiment with no antisway front bar.
3. Disengage front antisway bar by removing shock to bar link on driver's side
4. Improve rear shocks with Monroe AirLift MA811's
5. Add comp belts for lap and antisubmarine. If you're not tied to your car you won't know what its doing when it counts.
6. Practice learning rotation of your Fit in corners. As you ikprove so will your times.
7. Get a good Snell 2005 rated helmet at least.
8. Install a good video camera mount to record your efforts so you can study them later for ways to improve. A good stopwatch to time specific course sections is necessary.
8. Get a good, accurate, and repeatable tire pressure gage. Generally speaking you can expect 5 to 10 psi higher pressure front to rear unless you need higher rear pressures to help add oversteer to the rar. Then both front and rear may be the same. Some nice white shoe polish can be used to determine what pressures maximize the use of the tread width.
And experiment with differing pressures across the axles as that can be an improvement for cornering.
9. Keep a notebook on all your settings and results. They will be very handy after you walk the course and decide what the course matches previously. If rules allow - most won't - use tire solutions to 'improve' the tread sticky if you look to win. Your competitors will.
10. Fill up with high test gas the prior one to tracking; the morning of don't fill the tank more than half with high test. (most high test gas is somewhat higher energy fuel as well and more energy is more power is better acceleration.)
11. And last but not least mount front brake pads like Hawk HPS 412's or whatwever the winning racers are using. If they don't use them their high tech claims are pure fiction. And take spare fronts and rears with you. You never know when a pad wil delaminate or crack and at least you need to get home.
And you thought that autocrossing stuff wasn't serious.

[mahout]

Originally Posted by Sugarphreak

I figured this might be a fun little hypothetical thread to start up;

If you could pick 10 things to change on your Fit to prepare it for an unrestricted Autocross style event, what would they be? Would you turbo? Would you focus strictly on suspension? How about a K20 swap?

Post up what you think would be the way to go if money was no object. here is my example wish-list

1. Mugen NR 17" (Mirror Face of course)
2. Pirelli PZero Nero 195/40/17 Tires
3. JR 10psi Supercharger Kit
4. T1R Suspension
5. J's Racing Header
6. J's Racing Titanium full exhaust
7. T1R Sway Bar
8. T1R Carbon Strut Bar
9. Oversize front brake Kit
10. Mugen short shifter

Anyway, have some fun with it.

Cheers!

After good tuneup nd setting valve clearance:
1. Get better lighter wheels, 17x7/42 mm offsetwithout lowering. 16x7/42 with 205/45x16 tires good also. Experiment with 195 section tires.
2. Get better lighter tires, Hoosier, Kumho, stickiest legal 205/40x17 or 205/45x16 tires on 16x7/42 mm offset wheels. Experiment with 195 section tires.
If mismatched tires allowed use 'comp' tires up front and good street tires rear.. Experiment with no antisway front bar.
3. Disengage front antisway bar by removing shock to bar link on driver's side
4. Improve rear shocks with Monroe AirLift MA811's
5. Add comp belts for lap and antisubmarine. If you're not tied to your car you won't know what its doing when it counts.
6. Practice learning rotation of your Fit in corners. As you ikprove so will your times.
7. Get a good Snell 2005 rated helmet at least.
8. Install a good video camera mount to record your efforts so you can study them later for ways to improve. A good stopwatch to time specific course sections is necessary.
8. Get a good, accurate, and repeatable tire pressure gage. Generally speaking you can expect 5 to 10 psi higher pressure front to rear unless you need higher rear pressures to help add oversteer to the rar. Then both front and rear may be the same. Some nice white shoe polish can be used to determine what pressures maximize the use of the tread width.
And experiment with differing pressures across the axles as that can be an improvement for cornering.
9. Keep a notebook on all your settings and results. They will be very handy after you walk the course and decide what the course matches previously. If rules allow - most won't - use tire solutions to 'improve' the tread sticky if you look to win. Your competitors will.
10. Fill up with high test gas the prior one to tracking; the morning of don't fill the tank more than half with high test. (most high test gas is somewhat higher energy fuel as well and more energy is more power is better acceleration.)
11. And last but not least mount front brake pads like Hawk HPS 412's or whatwever the winning racers are using. If they don't use them their high tech claims are pure fiction. And take spare fronts and rears with you. You never know when a pad wil delaminate or crack and at least you need to get home.
And you thought that autocrossing stuff wasn't serious.

[Sugarphreak]

hehe, funny coming back to this list. I already want to change almost everything on it now!

[SpokanejdmGD3]

I'm suprised nobody has said

#1 a reputable driving school. Getting instruction on performance driving technique often is the most beneficial modifaction you can get. And heck yes it is a mod because you are modding yourself the driver.

So:

1 - Driving School
2 - Bucket Seat - ending up on the console sucks
3 - I'm partial to R compound RT615 (yes they do exist)
4 - 15x7 35mm offset Magnesium Watanabes
5 - Rear Sway bar
6 - a Nice stiff set of springs in the rear and a softer set up front
7 - Hawk Pads and Motul Brake Fluid
8 - Suspension braces - as many as exist and fit
9 - Custom Camber/Caster plates
10 - Adjustable dampers

[sfACTOR1]

1. LSD (quaife only)
2. 245-40-15 R-comp on ultra light forged wheels (widened fenders)
3. KW 10 psi
4. gut the entire car inside and out (that means no power anything and strippinig the sound deadening too), seam weld body (might as well weld the doors shut too) and replace rest with exotic materials (you know, the good stuff) (a single piece CF body ala funny car style would be ideal)
5. roll cage with extra bracing here and there
6. full coilovers
7. race alignment (what ever it takes)
8. adjustable sway bars
9. all metal bushings
10. close ratio gears with short final gear

Or

Ideally, make a full suspension go-kart (I know its an oxymoron) using a racing snowmobile powertrain and slap on a 1 piece carbon fiber honda fit look-a-like body (if you use fiber glass this is actually plausible!)

[Sugarphreak]

Hmmm, more thought into this one; here is my revised list!

1. Driving School FTW!
2. J's Racing Suspension
3. T1R Front Sway (Sorry RSB guys, I freaking love the front sway)
4. Hawk Brakes (stainless Brake lines of course)
5. 16" Enkie RPF1's wrapped in 225 Yoko Advan A048
(rubbing... sure, but I would make it work!)
6. T1R Turbo
7. A full compliment of J's struts
8. Recaro Race Seats
9. Mugen Short Shifter
10. Flywheel and Clutch

There, how does that look

Originally Posted by SpokanejdmGD3

I'm suprised nobody has said

#1 a reputable driving school. Getting instruction on performance driving technique often is the most beneficial modifaction you can get. And heck yes it is a mod because you are modding yourself the driver.

+1 for sure!! Just made my #1

Ideally, make a full suspension go-kart (I know its an oxymoron) using a racing snowmobile powertrain and slap on a 1 piece carbon fiber honda fit look-a-like body (if you use fiber glass this is actually plausible!)

lol, I think people might notice the track!

Last snowmobile I had out you had to keep flooring it to keep the snow on the underside or the motor would melt down!

[sfACTOR1]

Originally Posted by Sugarphreak

Hmmm, more thought into this one; here is my revised list!

1. Driving School FTW!
2. J's Racing Suspension
3. T1R Front Sway (Sorry RSB guys, I freaking love the front sway)
4. Hawk Brakes (stainless Brake lines of course)
5. 16" Enkie RPF1's wrapped in 225 Yoko Advan A048
(rubbing... sure, but I would make it work!)
6. T1R Turbo
7. A full compliment of J's struts
8. Recaro Race Seats
9. Mugen Short Shifter
10. Flywheel and Clutch

There, how does that look





+1 for sure!! Just made my #1

lol, I think people might notice the track!

Last snowmobile I had out you had to keep flooring it to keep the snow on the underside or the motor would melt down!

-powertrain = engine and transmission only (no track dumbass)!!!
-as for cooling, what year sled were u riding? 21st century = 4-stroke with rad
-obviously custom fabricating, cooling, ecu, welding, should be assumed!!!

[Kurse]

Originally Posted by SHG_Mike

Spoon doesnt use any crazy type of drum. Its the same drums that come on the Insight. They are aluminum and have vains to help cool them. DRUMS HAVE MORE BRAKING POWER THEN DISCS! But yes they are easier to swap pad's/shoe's on discs over drums

picture of the drums?

[SHG_Mike]

[Sugarphreak]

Originally Posted by sfACTOR1

-powertrain = engine and transmission only (no track dumbass)!!!
-as for cooling, what year sled were u riding? 21st century = 4-stroke with rad
-obviously custom fabricating, cooling, ecu, welding, should be assumed!!!

lol, I was picturing you slapping a Fit body on a snowmobile. It would be tough to put a drivetrain from one of those into a car.

This was the last sled I used (the blue one 800R) I just remember that if you didn't periodically floor it to push up snow on the rad the engine would overheat... to much longer and it would melt down. I can't remember exactly, but it had something like 150hp? Not bad for a 0.8L engine

[mahout]

Originally Posted by SHG_Mike

Spoon doesnt use any crazy type of drum. Its the same drums that come on the Insight. They are aluminum and have vains to help cool them. DRUMS HAVE MORE BRAKING POWER THEN DISCS! But yes they are easier to swap pad's/shoe's on discs over drums

Having run a few hundred braking tests on a brake dyno my data says drums are not as efficient as discs. The actual surface contact is a lott less than the shoe partly because the shoe pressure is limited.
A direct clamping action always beats levered pressure when the 'piston' of the rear cylinder is much smaller than a piston or pistons on discs.
I have rear discs and performance is improved over the original drums. So far got 3 lunches but probably not any more, every body knows.

[Nabisco]

Originally Posted by mahout

Having run a few hundred braking tests on a brake dyno my data says drums are not as efficient as discs. The actual surface contact is a lott less than the shoe partly because the shoe pressure is limited.
A direct clamping action always beats levered pressure when the 'piston' of the rear cylinder is much smaller than a piston or pistons on discs.
I have rear discs and performance is improved over the original drums. So far got 3 lunches but probably not any more, every body knows.

Thank You.

[SHG_Mike]

Originally Posted by Nabisco

Thank You.

well this is new info to me, either way, i have yet to see anyone on this board including myself, who needs more then the drums with perhaps upgraded shoes. Show me reduced braking distances and laptimes to prove that. Drums also have a lighter assembly to you have less unsprung weight. Check out all the national civics and such that had drums as standard, they all kept drums for that purpose

[Kurse]

I'll see by myself this year at some lapping day.
But if drum has more power of braking, why all fast car have disk brake in rear?

[SHG_Mike]

well discs deal with heat better without a doubt, and in a bigger size can produce more braking force, however with a light car and one with so little power, it is just unnecessary .

[mahout]

Originally Posted by SHG_Mike

well this is new info to me, either way, i have yet to see anyone on this board including myself, who needs more then the drums with perhaps upgraded shoes. Show me reduced braking distances and laptimes to prove that. Drums also have a lighter assembly to you have less unsprung weight. Check out all the national civics and such that had drums as standard, they all kept drums for that purpose

I disagree about drums being lighter; worse, they are more expensive as well.

As far as performance is concerned we dropped braking for turn 1 at VIR from marker 2 to marker 1 but that could easily be the brake pad compound, which is pretty certain. And you may note that overseas where driving is done with a LOT more brio than in the states Honda puts discs on the rear. That says a lot about discs vs drums.
The thing wrong with drums is the reduction in contact surfaces between drum and shoe. Both have to have precisely the same curvature and that only happens after the shoe is half worn.
And pushing on the shoe against the drum isn't as efficient as the clamping action of discs.
The only advantage of drums is the cost from makers who have no manufacturing equipment costs and can price the drums made for elebenty years at absolute minimum.
But show me a brake mechanic that likes drummaintinace better than discs; there is reason alone not to have drums.

[SHG_Mike]

Originally Posted by mahout

I disagree about drums being lighter; worse, they are more expensive as well.

As far as performance is concerned we dropped braking for turn 1 at VIR from marker 2 to marker 1 but that could easily be the brake pad compound, which is pretty certain. And you may note that overseas where driving is done with a LOT more brio than in the states Honda puts discs on the rear. That says a lot about discs vs drums.
The thing wrong with drums is the reduction in contact surfaces between drum and shoe. Both have to have precisely the same curvature and that only happens after the shoe is half worn.
And pushing on the shoe against the drum isn't as efficient as the clamping action of discs.
The only advantage of drums is the cost from makers who have no manufacturing equipment costs and can price the drums made for elebenty years at absolute minimum.
But show me a brake mechanic that likes drummaintinace better than discs; there is reason alone not to have drums.

Like you said that is definitely brake compound, 2 I have not tested the weight difference, however the Fastest FWD solo champ lives 30 mins from me, and after discussing it with him he kept the drums for the weight and no increased performance in his application.


Im not saying that drums are superior to discs, quite the opposite, but ESPECIALLY for the avg FF user, there is no need to upgrade to discs. Perhaps on track you MIGHT see some fade, just add cooling ducts and youd be set. But for street drag and autox there is abosolutely no reason to have discs on this car.