Redleg

That's awesome to hear. I've been considering close to your setup. I don't plan on lowering my car (don't like the look) and was going to start with LCA, UCA, Swaybars, and the K Member brace w/ Torque limiters from Che. I too wanted better handling for my 26k car.

BTW...noticed you're US Army and sign off with CPT White...where are you stationed? I'm a commander in Korea...waiting to get home to my car.

SweetGT

Keep us updated with your findings. I am thinking about gettin into autocross myself, my buddys been buggin the crap out of me to go, he goes pretty much all of the meeting during summer and fall months. He drives a 06' subaru STi-springs, different tires,Turbo-back exhaust, PCM tuning, pretty darn fast car. I use to have an 04 Subaru STi myself loved it but needed an s197 stang

mnwhite

Go for it. I am amazed that Autocross isn't more popular than dragracing. It is so addictive. Just a note of cation, the sti in the hands of a average driver is really hard to beat, but with a few mods and some great tires and lots and lots of practice it can be done. Or you can do what I am doing and put all tubular suspension and in the long term a custom independent rear end.

mnwhite

Well I didn't do as well as yesterday, but I didn't do too bad either. The M3's bestest me by a half second on one lap, but the good news it was a throw away lap. I beat them in the two day event. We will see if the PAX points are in my favor, but who are we kidding. I shouldn't be dinged to hard considering what they come with right from the factory. I race in E class and they are all the way up in A Stock. Other things I noticed from this race was my car was plowing in the top of a figure eight. I think I may have adjusteded the front sway bar too stiff, and I need to come back a couple of holes to allow better weight transfer to the rear and induce more oversteer. More to come.

Centurion96

So if I'm reading SCCA rules correctly, sections 12.4 and 13.8 mean that I cannot put CHE (or any other) fixed length LCAs on my Mustang and stay in F stock. Is that a correct interpretation? I haven't raced in a very long time but I am thinking of giving it a try again. My last go around I raced in both Ohio Valley Region and South Florida Region. While in the OVR I had to run against the F-stock national champion week after week, bummer.



BB

BlackBetty

I haven't read the rules lately either, but from what I remember all you can do to your suspension is non-lowering springs and dampers that have 2 or fewer adjustments. Don't quote me on that though. I'm disappointed, torn between staying in FS or modding the car and having to go into one of the street classes or something.

The first time I raced I had the CAI and tune on there and they put me in E Street Prepared. I'm sitting there on grid with a 1970s Trans Am in front of me and I can't even here my car running over his ridiculous cammed engine and dumped exhausts.

LBJay

For F Stock you are allowed to change the front sway bar, Shocks, but not springs and spring perches must be in OEM location. You can run any DOT tire as long as it fits on a rim with the same dimension as stock (+/- .25in on offset). Other than a drop in air filer everything else must be as built on the factory line, no dealer installed options, no tuners.

A 2005 GT took 2nd place in FS at the Solo National this year.

mnwhite

LBJAY is correct. A note about tires. Anything under 200 treadwear is not a street tire and you will not be eligible for the street tire class.

Centurion96

This is the part I'm having trouble with. Let's say a ball joint has gone bad or I bend a tie rod, the above line says I have to go back to Ford for these parts and not my local NAPA store. Maybe I've turned my disks down to minimums and need replacements, now I have to go back to Ford? How retentive! Yet I can remove or replace the front anti-sway bar with anything under the sun but I can't put in a fixed length LCA that maintains the factory length requirements, I repeat "How Retentive". As cars get older and parts break, more and more parts are replaced with merchandice from local parts stores, so then these cars become non compliant to the rules. I'm just starting to remember why I stopped sending them my yearly dues.

I see I'm going to have to talk to someone from SCCA.


BB

Semper Fi

mnwhite

First the part must be factory spec. It doesn't mean you have to use that part number. If you find an LCA off a pinto and it is the same specs you can use it. As far as aftermarket replacement their should be no problem. Otherwise we would all have to run ford oil and filters. And we all know that is not true. The key word here is factory specs. Now if you say by some BMR fixed length are they really factory spec. Do they use poly bushings, are they a lighter material. BMR is not in the buisness of factory replacement parts as is steeda and other suspension manufacturers.
Second, dude this is fun. Don't get wraped around the axle about class. As long as you improve as a driver it doesn't matter what class your in. If it still bothers you however then make the mods and except the fact your in a different class. And just note on the S197, if you do a little bit of suspension mods to say put you into STX or ESP you will like your car better, and it will be more competitive with cars you would get killed by even with the pax adjustment.
This is for anybody intereasted in the sport of Autocross, it is all about you and your driving skill. You could drive an 1989 Escourt and still be competitve as long as you fine tune your skills. his is were you have to turn your dragracing button off and stop thinking what part will get me in the winners circle. With that said because I am sure I am going to be called out becuse of my modifications I just did, I am planing to run in the E MOD class in 18 months. So thats why I am chnging the car, plus I can never leave a car stock no matter what.
Hope that helps