[Shotimes] tire grip

[Ron Porter]

Excellent point on the camber settings, Don. Track tires need a LOT more
camber to work effectively. IIRC, Dave Kegel is out to -2.5 with his track
tires. This ay be more than is needed for auto-x, but even -15 worked well
with my ES100s on my '94.

Ron Porter

-----Original Message-----
From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net [mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net]
On Behalf Of Donald Mallinson
Sent: Monday, December 05, 2005 11:04 AM
To: don donelson
Cc: shotimes@autox.team.net
Subject: Re: [Shotimes] tire grip

Don,

I don't think going to a bigger rim will help.  A heavy FWD car will 
understeer pretty much no matter what you do, if you drive it too deep 
into a corner at too fast a speed.   Actually ANY car will understeer if 
you push it too hard.

What negative camber are you running?  what tire pressures? 

Most important is you say this is the first event of this type in almost 
2 years.  Basically you need practice!

Autocross requires a different set of skills than road course work at 
higher speeds.  I find my SHO's to be beautifully balanced for the most 
part on high speed tracks.  At the autocross, you just have to realize 
that FWD is going to plow at some point, and find out where it is and 
don't go past that.

Other tricks can work well such as rotating the rear around really tight 
turns where a close-in path is better than a faster wide path.  I had 
fun the last couple years at the really tight/low speed autocrosses put 
on by the Porsche club in my area (courses were WAY to tight for a big 
car, and not just the SHO was suffering!).    I would overdrive the 
corner, and jam on the brakes and rotate the car right around.  Lots of 
fun demonstrating oversteer in a big old sedan!

Or develop a good late braking technique that can add stick to the front 
tires up to a point. 

But again, practice/practice/practice.

And get to more road courses.... I find my SHO a LOT more rewarding on a 
road course than an autocross course.  Plus you get a lot more time and 
practice.  your learning curve can be much steeper.  Yes, it is more 
expensive, but I think it is worth it.  I try to do 3-5 events a year 
and love every second. 

Way back in the early years, you and I used to run together, and were 
pretty much the same, but if you haven't been to a track in a while, I 
would love to take you for a few laps and then go with you for a few in 
the SR-72.  You going to make Memphis?  Please try, it isn't that far of 
a drive.

Don Mallinson

don donelson wrote:

> My Sr 72 has'nt been used since I ran the car at Sebring over a 1 1/2
> ago ! ... Too many saturdays and sundays at the dealership and building
> a new house for the past 14 mths.
>
> Anyway .. i finally took the car to a SCCA event .. SOLO II. And did
> fairly well. The car definitly out performed the driver ... me !
>
> I didnt push the car to the limits ... I have no doubt that as I attend
> more events I will get more in the groove and more comfortable doing so.
>
> Question that I have is how do i get better grip ? The car still pushes
> a little.
>
> I use tokico shocks and Eibach springs .. 26 in sway bar the rear and 24
> in the front. car is quiafed . Um ... all the suspension mods one can
> think of have been done to it. I use Kuhmo Victor Racer 225x60x16 on
> 7.5" rims
>
> If .. if i go to a 17 " rim .. ( something i have been thinking of to
> get 13" rotors up front) and use a 245x40 tire ... wont that give me a
> significantly better contact patch. Also .... i know some autocross
> tires grip signifcantly better than other tires.
>
> I have also heard with a qauife to use a smaller front sway bar .. say
> abouta 22. Is this correct ?
>
> Thanks for the input
>
> dond
>
>
>
> Sr 72 race preped 89 SHO
>
> -3.2 ATX block
> -FPS hi-flow heads w/  over sized valves
> -.40 cams
> -SHONUT adjustable timing sprockets
> -Ported intake & runners
> -Ported and extrude honed exhaust manifolds
> -Hi-flow catless Y pipe
> -Hi-flow exhaust
> -BBB
> -SHO SHOP T.B.
> -SHONUT phenolic spacers
> -Quaife
> -CAI
> -UDP
> ****
> -16x7.5 rims with Kuhmo Victor racer auto cross tires
> -Complete sunpro gauges
> oil temp / water temp / oil pressure
> ****
> -Tokico shocks/Eibach springs
> -Polyurethane at all corners
> -Solid-sub frame bushings
> -Frame stiffners
> -Adjustable rear control arms
> -Battery located in trunk for better weight distrubution
> ****
> -96 brake up grade
> -Steel braided lines
> -race seat
> -est 2650 pds  :)
>
> can u say "fast" ??
>
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