bimmer635csi's Autocrosses

[bimmer635csi]

Yeah I saw that on the video. Do the Ohlins do anything to the rideheight? Or maybe pushing the offset out 6mm is really making that much of a difference?

I'm not totally sure, but I have a few ideas. I just need to get the car up in the air and see where the rubbing was happening, then decide where to go next.

I think the dampers have a small drop in ride on the front so it could be a bunch of small free-play reductions adding up to one big rub during hard corners. I have a front sway I could put on, but then the car will push more than it does now. I don't know right yet, but I'll be sure to keep everyone updated.

I will be giving you a call shortly.

Sonny, as always, your customer service is above and beyond what one expects in this era of consumerism. Thanks for all the help.

 

[bimmer635csi]

Well, tomorrow looks to be a nice day for an autocross school.

I was unable to get the battery box finished this week, so that will have to wait I guess. Oh well, I should learn a bunch none the less. I put microphones on each "oh shit" handle for the front seats, so hopefully I can re-watch the videos and hear the commentary from the instructor(s).

I'm also hoping that they don't change the course much for the autocross on Sunday. That way I will have about 24 runs on it before most other competitors. I'll take whatever advantage I can get.

Not sure if I'll be functioning tomorrow night, so it might take a few days to get the videos up, but be on the look out.

Cheers,
Chris

 

[RacingManiac]

Good fun day today. Though I feel like my tire will be quite sketchy for the Sunday AutoX....if they let me pass tech I'll run...if not then I'll probably spectate...

I need to decide what tire and what size I need to order, and if I can have them mounted by Memorial Day....hmmm

 

[TXBDan]

^street tires? It's sounding more and more like the Rivals are the way to go. They're killing it out there. 245/40-17 is prob ideal.

 

[RacingManiac]

That's what I heard as well, but since I don't run seperate track and race tire, I wanted some streetability in poor weather that we sometimes get here in MI(I drive back to Toronto from Detroit quite often), I decided on the new compound Bridgestone RE-11A, since I heard they are still quite streetable in noise and in wet traction, but is still a more aggressive setup than the PSS I've been running. It is also $130 cheaper than the Rival on the size I want..

I ordered a set of 255/40/17(!), would be interesting on the mounting aspect....

On the sketchy tire front, I did managed to get a decent finish in RTF on Sun on the current tire. I threw the chewed up rubber on the back and it happened to be the correct side for the layout...

 

[bimmer635csi]

Fourth Autocross: Nice weather, bad driving

Well, I'm starting to make more entertaining videos, so that's a plus. I have a LONG way to go on driving fast though.

Observe:



Here's the course layout for reference while watching the video:

Nice job RacingManiac on your clearly faster driving. I will practice more (somehow) and attempt to finish in a closer position a week from today. Same Bat-place, same Bat-time.

 

[RacingManiac]

Way more interesting video than mine.
http://youtu.be/LGK92J83foA

I don't have my fast run due to a gopro operator error...lol

I think I should be able to manage to get my tires mounted, they showed up at work today and hopefully they should be on the car in a day or so...looking forward to run again on Mon.

 

[bimmer635csi]

I don't have my fast run due to a gopro operator error...lol

I have the same problem with VBOX, thus the track from Evo School showed up on the video instead of the actual race course from Sunday.

I think I should be able to manage to get my tires mounted, they showed up at work today and hopefully they should be on the car in a day or so...looking forward to run again on Mon.

That's cool, fresh rubber means MOAR SPEED (as they say here)

 

[RacingManiac]

BTW watching the vid, I definitely did notice some line differences. I do find, at least from the seat, that I was gaining time on my last couple of runs at the far-end slalom. My first 2 run I was a bit too hot going in the first cone and I had to dab the brake on the cone before the last. I slowed down more(more like using less throttle going in) and I got a straighter shot at turning much tighter out of the last cone to go towards the lane change part towards the end. I also did have Jinx's word ringing in my head as if you were able to setup the slalom better, you can get on the gas so much earlier. Seems to work for the lane change at the start and at the fast slalom.

 

[bimmer635csi]

BTW watching the vid, I definitely did notice some line differences. I do find, at least from the seat, that I was gaining time on my last couple of runs at the far-end slalom. My first 2 run I was a bit too hot going in the first cone and I had to dab the brake on the cone before the last. I slowed down more(more like using less throttle going in) and I got a straighter shot at turning much tighter out of the last cone to go towards the lane change part towards the end. I also did have Jinx's word ringing in my head as if you were able to setup the slalom better, you can get on the gas so much earlier. Seems to work for the lane change at the start and at the fast slalom.

Yeah, I knew your lines were better than mine after watching both videos yesterday. It just reinforces the instructors' words from the school on Sunday. I just have to remember that when I'm sitting there ready to take off like a Saturn V rocket ... be more like a SpaceShipOne.

 

[RacingManiac]

Good job this week...I had driven poorly I was pretty upset by the end, lol....

Not sure if I had any conclusion on the tires, as this is really the first set of "new" tires I've used for autoX. My Michelin had a full track day at Gingerman before I start autoX on them, so maybe they were better heat cycled/prepared for the purpose. But no excusing my rather piss-poor driving, overshooting the same braking point 4 times was just dumb...sigh...

I feel like on a good lap these is a 50 something for me. But I just can't do it...

On the bright side, the tire doesn't seem to be rubbing...

 

[bimmer635csi]

I don't know if I did that well. I had a decent time, but it wasn't fast enough I'm afraid.

And the video system AND phone data all went bye-bye, so I have nothing for this week's activity other than memory (which at my age will be gone by tomorrow).

I got to find where my tire is rubbing so that I can remedy it and get to 235s on there ... I need more traction. I need to goof around with the XDS and ESC settings in VAGCOM also. Maybe I can do that at the AROC event since they aren't so structured in gridding the cars.

 

[RacingManiac]

Definite try the XDS at 2 thing. Did you disable your ESC yet? Since you have a 13 I think that's possible for you(not for me unfortunately...)

The track surface seems much dirtier than last week though.

 

[bimmer635csi]

Definite try the XDS at 2 thing. Did you disable your ESC yet? Since you have a 13 I think that's possible for you(not for me unfortunately...)

The track surface seems much dirtier than last week though.

I haven't even enabled the VAGCOM cable yet. Since we have this week off from racing, it will be a week to explore those options.

On my last run, I blew a gate after the second slalom, so I spent the rest of the run purposely overdriving the car. The stability/traction/ABS controls turned on and it was not pleasant. I can see why people would want those bad boys turned off completely. It also shows that I need to brake later and harder than I have been. I learned a lot on that last run, now I just need to apply it.

Still waiting for results ....

But here's a good picture of both our cars in action (not taken by anyone I know):

That is on stock springs and sway bars. Guess I don't need a rear bar after all, huh?

 

[RacingManiac]

From my friend in the RX7 who worked that shift he said I was lifting the rear wheel quite a bit...

I think RSB is not strictly necessary, I find it does help. Talking to another GTI driver earlier this year he said he never saw the need for it...