AutoX first time, V6

[Dance_Business]

I had a blast. To say I'm hooked is an UNDERSTATEMENT! I was not the fastest of the 2 novice drivers (.074 difference, he took an extra run just to beat me), but I was not the slowest overall either. 39.076 was my best. I have video, too.
I now know I need to hurry the suspension, brakes, and engine management. I also think I had a bit of a boost leak on my last lap. I had a coupler come off as I was leaving.
Longer and faster course next Sunday!

VIDEO: CLICK HERE

[Dance_Business]

Which is better for my next upgrade? Brakes or springs and struts? Be specific, I will likely use this as a shopping list.

[canadam]

Tires will probably make the most noticeable difference.

[Dance_Business]

My tires are fairly new: Falken ZIEX ZE 512's
I do have some wheel scrub on the rear drivers side I need to fix... But that isn't the time issue.

[Weasy2k]

Get a nice suspension setup man
the tires you got are decent

[bugalu]

get some falken azenis rt-615's and go full coilovers strut/spring combos just dont get stiff enough IMO- oh and some sways too!

[TomsMR2]

the ziex 512's are junk for anything beyond casual daily driving. they're way too soft on the sides.

brakes arent too complicated for autox.. you never get enough heat in them to really cook anything. as long as its an oem or better pad and fresh rotors and fluid, you'll be fine.

body roll frustrates me to no end.. while tires might make you faster than struts and springs, id go for struts and springs just for the fun factor and to get better feedback. but ultimately, those tires are killing your times.

[Dance_Business]

I like my tires. I expect that I will, at some point, realize a difference in tires beyond the marketing. I'm not there yet. My car handled amazingly well considering how hard I pushed it and my lack of experience driving like this.
Does anyone else think the tires are the bigger evil?

[canadam]

From what I've heard, typically the most obvious change in your autocross times will come from driving on the best tire you can.

Originally Posted by Dance_Business

I like my tires. I expect that I will, at some point, realize a difference in tires beyond the marketing. I'm not there yet. My car handled amazingly well considering how hard I pushed it and my lack of experience driving like this.
Does anyone else think the tires are the bigger evil?

[TomsMR2]

ride a long with someone on azenis and you'll be amazed at how much grip you're missing out on.. the hankooks are supposed to be similar, and everyone that has them seems to love them to death, but i dont have first hand experience. ive been in a bunch of cars on zeix and have been much less than impressed. theres a LOT more to tires than marketing. even the falken fk451/fk452's stick significantly more and are drastically stiffer tires. i dont really like the yokohama es100's (wear too quick, loud), but they're a big improvement over zeix too.

Which is better for my next upgrade? Brakes or springs and struts? Be specific, I will likely use this as a shopping list.

if you had to choose just one, id say struts. once your suspension is stiffened up you'll notice your tires really giving out on you.

[Dance_Business]

hmmm. I guess when thes tires bite the dust I'll have to really research what I want. I've said it before: I'm still learning.

[Gairloch]

Just to make sure you're aware; modding cars to increase performance in timed events is one of the very most addicting things a motorhead can possibly get into. It never ever ends. There is always a way to be faster.

That being said there are a few things to keep in mind when you start modding a car for the purposes of racing.

Rule # 1!!! Have a plan!!!

Think about where you want the car to end up in the long run. Once you've got an idea of what that is start putting together a plan for what mods you're going to need to make to get there and what parts you want to use. I cannot emphasize this strongly enough. It's how you keep your car from eating you alive. (I'm sure you know all this, just thought it needed saying )

Tires should be your first priority absolutely. They are how your car interfaces with the road and impact absolutely everything you do. If you're going to stick with autocross for now I would make suspension your next priority. Make sure you learn about brakes and make whatever mods you need to before you get onto a road course though.

My priority list:
1. Maintenance
2. Tires
3. Brakes
4. Suspension
5. Power

Good on ya for doin' it man! Most people never get as far as you have already!

[Dance_Business]

Wow, thanks gairloch. I'll be doing it again this weekend!

[TomsMR2]

what size rims/tires are you on now? you should be able to fit some mean hooves under a widebody! not too many people actually race widebody mr2's.

[conor]

Originally Posted by Dance_Business

My tires are fairly new: Falken ZIEX ZE 512's
I do have some wheel scrub on the rear drivers side I need to fix... But that isn't the time issue.

Originally Posted by Weasy2k

Get a nice suspension setup man
the tires you got are decent

Nein. Those tires are crap. Honestly, Ziex are just good all-season tires. They suck for performance driving. =/ The tread is harder than a pornstar's d*** after 5 Viagra, and the sidewalls kind of flop all over.

- Azenis RT615 are wonderful, but wear out fast. Super stiff sidewalls, though..
- I enjoyed road-course driving on Bridgestone Potenza RE040s.
- Yokohama ES100s are cheap, but wear out kinda quick and make lots of noise. Better grip that Ziex.
- I hear good things about BFG KDW2s, but haven't tried them yet. Price is holding me back.

[Gairloch]

Actually, I would argue that the 512s are an reasonable choice for a novice driver.

1. They talk really well when you start approaching the traction threshold.
2. The flex in the sidewalls makes the weight transfer really obvious which helps in the effort of tuning the butt dyno.
3. They grip very well for an all season tire

If you're talking about tire recommendations I can't promote the Hankook RS-II enough. Almost as much grip as the Azenis 615s, handles wet weather much better, doesn't chunk like the ES100s are prone to and wear extremely well. Oh, and they're very inexpensive.

[Dance_Business]

My budget is dwindling, so it's nice to hear something good about the tire! I'll keep this in mind for the future.

[hmong337]

after watching your video, you need suspension BADLY! if you're serious about your auto-x'ing, you should contact berktechnology about KW coilovers. that's what they're using on their track car and are yielding great results.