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Originally Posted by MM135
Just did my first autocross this past weekend (Got 1st place in Class and 2nd place overall for "Novice" WOO!!!) and i am HOOKED!
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What would be the suggestion for my first mod to help the car handle better when im out Auto-xing... Or in what order would you piece together the suspension and with which parts to build the best platform on our cars to Auto-x.
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Step 0: Alignment
Go to Mighnight Oil Motorsports on Miramar (tell them Andre sent you) or Oceanside Motorspots and ask them to do an aligment. A proper "go-fast" alignment will do wonders for turn-in.
Step 1: Light weight wheels & sticky tires!!!
Either go 17" (cheaper/faster) with Kosei K1 wheels and 235 NT-01's or Hankook RS-3. Or go 18" Apex EC-7 or ARC-8 with 235/245 RS-3's or Dunlop Star Specs. A square setup is much preferred and also reduces cost since you can rotate tires back<->front and make them last a bit longer.
If you don't want to switch wheels just yet or have a second set of wheels, just get Dunlop Star Specs or Michelin PSS tires. They work well for auto-x and can still be daily driven without problems.
Step 2: Camber plates
Just adding camber plates will allow you to run more negative camber up front which really helps with turn-in.
Step 3a: Springs
If you don't want to do coil-overs right away, go with springs first.
Step 3b: Coilovers
Not really all that necessary at first.
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I was thinking - DUH - Coilovers are your first mod, but as i read through all these threads, i am not so sure any more.... and if Coilovers are the first mod....
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I really don't think coil-overs should be anywhere on your radar right now. If this was your first autocross, continue focusing on driving at first. Remember what your instructor told you and try to implement it next time around. Don't do too much to your car yet since you won't be able to focus on your own improvement if the car under you keeps changing.
That said, camber plates and decent rubber make a huge difference on our cars. They're also quick & easy upgrades that don't break the bank. Go for it!
If I'm not running in TM next event, your biggest competition will be in a N55 135i with just camber plates, springs & good tires. I think you'll need to find 2-3 seconds if you want to beat him.
If I am running in TM and don't get FTD, you'll have more work to do
Hope to see you in October!
Find me and say Hi!
If you have any more questions, I'll be glad to help you out.
