Autocross
 

So I'm planning on putting Eibach pro series lowering springs on my fit. I am also planning to join in on the autocross competitions out here in vegas, but I need to know if those springs will give me enough UMPH to do well. So i need ALL of YOUR feed back on what i should get!!

Two quick questions:

Do you plan to compete within a class or just go out for fun?

Are you planning to stop upgrading with just the springs?

im planning to compete. I am going to run blox 24mm anti sway bar, spoon front strut tower bar, c piller bar, rear strut bar, j's racing x bar, mid bar, and 16x7 +40 offset with Potenza RE-01 205/45/16...i heard i might have some tire rub with those, so... i just want to know some feed back

power mod are only going to be small bolt ons such as fujita cold air, hks hi power axle back with spoon mid bar, probably mugen headers, and i dont know what kind of test pipe, then im planning on ordering the UR pulley kit. Hopefully they are going to come out with an upgraded clutch soon.

I havn't ran them on my car, BUT have ridden in another Fit Freak member's Fit that was running them and boy are they SMOOTH. Those along with Tanabe GF's fell like you're riding on OEM springs.

Few questions for you:

Can you tell me what mid bar you're planning to run? I wasn't aware that there was one that fit. not J's Racing right?

Also, what's a "spoon mid bar"? Bid you mean mid pipe/b-pipe? :rolleyes:

What class do you think you can run in with those mods? Read the rulebook(s), pick a class, and then decide what the best components are for your class. The Stock class won't allow your mods. Street Prepared will allow more things. You're close to Street Touring but some of your proposed mods will put you into SP, or even Prepared. Despite the name, Street Prepared isn't very street friendly. Neither is Street touring for a competitive car. Grassroots Motorsports (mag) just finished a series of articles on preparing a mid-90's Civic Si for STS. To be competitive, they had to make several sacrifices to comfort (700lb/in springs).

The Fit isn't a competitive autocross car. It can be a lot of fun but you're not going to win much. If your serious about competing, pick a different car. Look at the national events results at SCCA.org. You'll get a good idea of what's working for each class.

Autocross can be a lot of fun but don't over estimate your ability or the ability of the car. You can't change the laws of physics.

yes i meant mid pipe lol oops and i was planning on using the J's Racing mid bar, but is there something wrong with it?

:'( you mean my dreams of being a king of autocross are just going to stay dreams!

what rode smooth?

The Eibach's Pro kit. you mentioned them in your First post.

As for the J'r mid bar, it doesn't Fit. Ben at AJ-Racing has confirmed this. IF it did fit, I would of had it by now. lol.

instead, you should just get some Sway, Strut bars and grippy tires. maybe some lighter wheels if you have the money to spare.

Why do you say that? It sounds like you are out on the courses a bit and I am a bit surprised hearing your view of the Fit.

I found the Fit to be surprisingly competitive with other vehicals on the course I was playing around on a few weeks ago. Infact I was able to post better times than some of the cars I personally thought were way out of my leauge. I was stunned how well it handled, I think I impressed the hell out of everyone when I whipped through the slalom. I am not a proffessional and my car is not exactly a track monster... I can only imagine what it could do in the hands a professional driver with closer attention to suspension setup and some other minor modifications.

All things considered, the Fit does handle great. But it's simply not a match for a lot of other cars on the track. A mid 90's civic is lighter, has a lower center of gravity and roll center, and a more advanced suspension design that can do amazing things with those 700# springs. With the mods you listed, that's what you'll be up against (and Mini's too)...you're definately outclassed.
My opinion is put what looks/sounds/feels good to you on, and when you go to an AX, go to have fun, not to compete.
:D If you REALLY want to compete, go trade the Fit in...

lol, luckily I have no intention of competing :p

Interesting that is the general consensus on the Fit, I thought it would have been not bad if someone entered into it proffesionally.

Man, I am sure if I listed off the cars I posted better times than, people would outright call me a blatent liar (Precisely why I havn't). I plan to spend a lot more time on the track next year so I guess I will get a better appreciation for how this car stacks up.

ouch guys! I have no idea that the fit would be this bad... um well you guys are kinda making it seem pretty bad... THANKS SUGARPHREAK FOR THE SUPPORT!!! well thanks for the feed back, even with the t1r turbo kit do you think i could do it?? when you say im out classed to you mean in power or that the fit just isnt fit for corners?

Hold on, "bad" is too strong of a word. We're not talkin' Yugos here. and this may come from my interpretation of your initial comment about wanting to be competitive. The Fit is a great handling car and power isn't as big a factor when it comes to autocross. The king of the Street Touring class is the 88-91 Civic Si hatchback which has all of 108HP. Most courses will keep the RPM of the Fit from 3k to 5k RPM in second gear, with occasional drops below, right where you want it to be.

The issue with the Fit is chassis dynamics. The high roof creates a significant rolling moment, and the suspension doesn't react as well as other vehicles (this is a design issue and not a spring and parts issue). I owned a 90 Civic Si and the Fit is the closest thing I've driven to it (and that includes many cars.)

But, the Porsche 911 design is great for high speed handling and it's a very capable race car. It just took a look of work. As someone once said, "You can't make a pig into a race horse, but you can make an awfully fast pig."

So, make your mods and have fun running the course. It's always you against the course, not against someone else. You can compare times if you wish but until you can go out there and say "That's the best I can do." then there's a reason to be out there.

okay okay. thanks that made me feel a lot better...well atleast i understand what you were trying to say! THANKS ALL!

Like I said, the Fit handles GREAT... for what it is... a $15k hatch with a really high roofline that compromises it's front suspension design for engine space and it's rear suspension design for cargo space, and power for fuel economy. It manages to perform FAR better than you would think from looking at its specs on paper. It's very neutral (that's a good thing) and I can usually get it to oversteer when I want... which is rare for a FWD on a stock suspension.
Also, "handling" is very subjective. My previous car (VW MkIV GTI) had great roadholding ability... set it up just right in a big arching curve (think NASCAR) and it would stick at crazy speeds. But do anything to upset it...jerk the wheel too fast, break at the wrong time, or God forbid, hit a pothole, and it had all of the grace of a Buick Roadmaster with four blown shocks. The GTI could definately go through a curve at a higher speeds than the Fit, but IMO, the Fit handles better.
The GTi had a bit over 300HP and I still got my ass handed to me by those damn Civics on an AX course...
It's definately not "bad"... not even average... it handles very well, but it's just not gona be competitive at AX... but then, those 15 year old Civics don't have a warranty or new car reliability...

thanks man! makes me feel much better ha

i agree with you guys that the fit is not a competitor for the modified classes, but they do pretty well in HS (stock). I have no mods at all, and i came in 2nd behind a 3-time national champ at our last event, and ended up in 1st for overall season points. as far as mods, next year i plan on lightweight wheels (allowed as long as they are the same size/diameter and within 1/4" offset), kumho v710 race tires, and adjustable dampers if i can find some. i could also do a catback. those mods are all allowed in the stock class, and i think once i got some of those, i would be in a much better position to compete, on a state, or national level.

I haven't found any wheels that are the same width and offset as stock, have you?