Thursday, November 26, 2009

To Do List for February

  • Rear Anti-Roll Bar - In our haste last time we left the stock rear ARB off. With the stiffer suspension we really, really need more of the weight transfer in the back so that the front has some bite on turn exit. As it was we would just spin the inside until the steering wheel was straight.
  • LSD - A limited slip would help with wheelspin and was available on some of the R-types. You can get a used LSD from Japan relatively cheap, but you need to tear the transmission apart to swap them out.
  • Caster - Our engine mounts allowed the motor to sit too low. Our quick fix was to space the front x-member down about an inch to help the pulley and transmission clear the radius rods. This screwed up the castor a bit and we think is the cause of the car's "spooky" handling. We can cut the mounts shorter and lift the motor and toss our spacer.
  • Brakes - The Hawk HP+ pads did ok, and I think we can run another race on those pads. I think all we need is some new front rotors and to swap the brake fluid with some ATE 200.
  • Seat - We at the bare minimum need to put in some back support to the cage. We slipped by tech last time by setting the seat all the way back. I think it would also be worth it to get a real race seat.
  • Steering Wheel - A quick release wheel would make getting in and out faster.
  • Shocks - Our stock 88 Civic shocks are no match for our much higher spring rate. I really wanted to do something magnetorheological, but Dick says we'd need 1000W per wheel to activate the fluid if we cant get the coils right next to the shock.
  • Tires - The two sets of tires are now toast. The Hankook Ventus that we were running are discontinued in our size. I went ahead and got Nicks old Toyo TR-1's mounted to one set. I think they have about a day of racing left in them. We'll probably get a set (maybe two?) or Azeni's to mount on the other wheels.
  • Better Fuel Cans - Filling the tank of the Civic is slow and painful. Seems like it took ~5 minutes per can.
  • Remove Weight - Strip out the door/hood/roof/trunk interior structure, cut big holes in the wing spar, and generally remove anything that isn't helping the car go faster.