Anyone run an 08 STi in AS?

[asujosh1]

I have read through the threads on here about things to make the 08 STi handle better, but most of them would put me right out of AS. Is anyone running AS and have any suggestions on how to fix the understeer?

I am going to be running a set of RE-01Rs that I picked up from the TireRack sale, but other than that, the car is bone stock right now. When I get the tires mounted I will be getting a good alignment to help. My first event is at the end of April, so I have a while before I turn a wheel in anger and see how the car handles for me.

Last season I ran an 03 Acura TL Type S in STX and just showed up and ran, no changes to the car all season, so I am not 100% on how each change is going to feel yet.

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[elirentz]

Well you probably won't be competitive in AS without r-comps unless there aren't any fast drivers in that class in your region. Other wise all you can really do is find some aftermarket struts if there are any yet and a big front sway bar.

[leecea]

Unless you get a very good deal or are 100% sure you plan to stay in AS, I wouldn't run out and buy struts yet.

IDK about the STi but on the WRX, driving style can minimize the understeer issues, as can some tweaking of tire pressures. A big FSB is a cheap improvement on the WRX, so I assume the same for an STi.

The idea with tire pressures is to go with the optimum pressure for good grip at the front and to go either above or below optimum to dial in less grip at the back. I believe there is a difference between going high and low at the back, but it's beyond me.

[Mavrik]

the 08 STi is very good as it is for AS class. I came in first place in my 07 STi 2 years in a row up here in the alaska SCCA chapter. My wife has an 08 STi but she can't leave well enough alone lol. She was AS for like one event and then switched to STU(ladies). I did get a chance to drive it for one run during fun runs and I was off my best time in my 07 by less then a second.

So if people wanna say you can't be competetive with an 08 STi in AS. I say your wrong. Your really only being held back by yourself.

I won't argue though that a modified car is better. I'm going BSP this solo year. My wife's going to SM(ladies) class with her 08. I'm going to do all I can without having to be classed in SM.

Smooth is fast.

[nygaard]

My wife and I are running our '08 in AS this year. We have a bigger front bar (32mm Niles bar) and have done an alignment as well. We've only ran one event so far, and it was on the stock tires, but I thought the car handled pretty well. That's really all we are going to do to the car this year except that we'll eventually be running on r-comps, but I plan on at least one more event on the street tires.

[Mavrik]

Originally Posted by nygaard

My wife and I are running our '08 in AS this year. We have a bigger front bar (32mm Niles bar) and have done an alignment as well. We've only ran one event so far, and it was on the stock tires, but I thought the car handled pretty well. That's really all we are going to do to the car this year except that we'll eventually be running on r-comps, but I plan on at least one more event on the street tires.

first time my wife ran her 08 with my race rubber, I thought she was going to die. guess I should have warned her about needing to warn them up first but it was to funny.

[Subiemax]

Why not run in STU? Better pax index.

[Vikingmoose]

I codrove an '08 STi in AS at Nationals this past year. The car was fully prepped: custom double adjustable shocks, Niles front sway, custom alignment, 295/35-18 Hoosiers.

While I didn't have too much involvement with the setup, as it was the car drove great! The '08's rotate much better so I didn't really feel a whole lot of understeer. At least, not as much as in my '06 STi that also fully prepped for AS.

Justin

[Subiemax]

Originally Posted by Vikingmoose

I codrove an '08 STi in AS at Nationals this past year. The car was fully prepped: custom double adjustable shocks, Niles front sway, custom alignment, 295/35-18 Hoosiers.

While I didn't have too much involvement with the setup, as it was the car drove great! The '08's rotate much better so I didn't really feel a whole lot of understeer. At least, not as much as in my '06 STi that also fully prepped for AS.

Justin

How did the car do compared to the class winners?

[Vikingmoose]

I think raw times were pretty close to the top times. Couldn't have been more than 0.5 - 0.6. We also did not have a lot of setup time with the car.

*EDIT - that's for the east course, I don't remember the west course times.

[Mavrik]

Originally Posted by Vikingmoose

I codrove an '08 STi in AS at Nationals this past year. The car was fully prepped: custom double adjustable shocks, Niles front sway, custom alignment, 295/35-18 Hoosiers.

While I didn't have too much involvement with the setup, as it was the car drove great! The '08's rotate much better so I didn't really feel a whole lot of understeer. At least, not as much as in my '06 STi that also fully prepped for AS.

Justin

Was that this one?



my co-worker Jake was there last year. This is him.

[Vikingmoose]

Originally Posted by Mavrik

Was that this one?

^Yep, that's me driving actually.

I got to watch a couple of your friend's runs before I took off. Man those SM2 cars haul some serious arse!

[asujosh1]

I'm actually running the street tire class of AS, so I will not be racing up against people on A6s. I want to stay in stock so that the focus is on driving more than what was done to the car. This is my second season and I know I have a lot to learn, so I want to focus on getting better personally.

I want to get a few races in with the stock bar on it so that I can feel the difference when I put a new one on. I have heard a lot of different comments about the size of the new bar, from 24-34, solid and hollow, I guess it is all down to personal preference and driving style, but as of right now I have no idea what size to go with.

Other than that, I am thinking about exhaust, short throw shifter, filter, and a MaxQ. Probably will do the MaxQ first and the rest as cash allows. I will prolly not mess with the shocks at all this year, maybe for 2010.

295? WTF? Seriously? I can't believe those fit under the car! Do they rub all over the place?

[2superblus]

Originally Posted by asujosh1

I'm actually running the street tire class of AS, so I will not be racing up against people on A6s. I want to stay in stock so that the focus is on driving more than what was done to the car. This is my second season and I know I have a lot to learn, so I want to focus on getting better personally.

I want to get a few races in with the stock bar on it so that I can feel the difference when I put a new one on. I have heard a lot of different comments about the size of the new bar, from 24-34, solid and hollow, I guess it is all down to personal preference and driving style, but as of right now I have no idea what size to go with.

Other than that, I am thinking about exhaust, short throw shifter, filter, and a MaxQ. Probably will do the MaxQ first and the rest as cash allows. I will prolly not mess with the shocks at all this year, maybe for 2010.

295? WTF? Seriously? I can't believe those fit under the car! Do they rub all over the place?

1st fill out the rest of your profile please.

That would avoid me asking what region you are running in.
I am basically doing the same thing you are here with the Milwaukee Region SCCA. I picked up a set of closeout RE01R's in 265-35-18 that I will run with an AS index in our Street Tire Class.

Bart

[merlot]

What's this street tire AS class? I'm planning on running my stock '08 STI in STU since PAX is more favorable, and I don't plan to spend money on R-compounds.

[nygaard]

Originally Posted by MSD

What's this street tire AS class? I'm planning on running my stock '08 STI in STU since PAX is more favorable, and I don't plan to spend money on R-compounds.

A lot of local regions offer an indexed class where you can run your stock class index, but have to run on street tires. We have very well subscribed street tire indexed classes here in the northwest.

[Mavrik]

yeah check your local SCCA chapter on tire allowance rules for class.

local chapter here, I doubt I could run P295 wide tires in AS here. I had to make sure the tires I ran were street compound tires in stock tire size.

[nygaard]

Originally Posted by Mavrik

yeah check your local SCCA chapter on tire allowance rules for class.

local chapter here, I doubt I could run P295 wide tires in AS here. I had to make sure the tires I ran were street compound tires in stock tire size.

If you are in a class running with a stock class index, tire width is free, but you have to be running wheels that are the same diameter and width as stock and an offset +/- 1/4"

I'll be running the same 295/30R18 R-compound tires as the previous poster as well.

[nygaard]

Originally Posted by nygaard

If you are in a class running with a stock class index, tire width is free, but you have to be running wheels that are the same diameter and width as stock and an offset +/- 1/4"

I should clarify that. Those are the SCCA rules. It is my understanding that local chapters are free to have classes that serve their membership, so it is possible that tire width would be restricted, but I think that would be rare.

[2superblus]

What region is the op running with?

[RolandC]

You can't change much hardware and still stay in A-stock. Front sway-bar is about it. You can also change to other wheels but they must be close to the same size as stock and of course, there are the tires. But the biggest performance factor is the person behind the wheel. Once you can get to within 10 seconds of the leaders, I think that you can then use $$ to help close the gap. R compound tires will be good for 2 seconds. Front sway bar might get you another 1-second gain. And a better alignment might get you yet another. I think that the key is driving style. Here are two perspectives on how to drive this car.

1. First is from a German TV show, DMAX but it has english subtitle.s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sowNOfZcKTQ

2. Second is from EVO magazine, an excellent UK based magazine. Here is what they say and the link as well.

"There’s a certain amount of roll as you turn into a corner too, so there’s a moment before you really feel the chassis start to bite and the steering start to feed back. If you’re timid or just ambling along, then the Subaru can seem slightly reluctant.

What you need to do is be bold; turn in hard and, once into the meat of the steering, you’ll feel the front Dunlops grip and possibly scrub a little into understeer if you’re carrying good speed. As soon as you’re into the corner you should be thinking about getting back on the power. With 300lb ft you’re not short of urge whichever gear you’re in, so it’s just a case of how you deploy it. The slightly slow-acting viscous coupling of the central diff works best if you progressively squeeze the throttle to the carpet rather than just jumping on it. This way you’ll feel the tail move round before the front pulls you out of the corner in one smooth flow.

There is of course another way to approach a corner, which is to trail-brake as you turn in. The brakes make a slightly odd sound (like a huge computer powering down) but with the weight over the front axle the steering weights up instantly and the rear swings round nicely as you turn in."

http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/carg...fq300_sst.html

PS: I will be competing in A-stock this year as well. I want to spend the first part of the season working on my driving form and then see if I need to spend more money and if so, where. Good luck and keep us all posted on what works for you.

[asujosh1]

Ok, so something that is odd here is that people are saying to put a fat bar up front (only legal bar in AS) and that would make it understeer more, wouldn't it?

Thanks for posting the articles and video, those say pretty much the same things that I have heard all over, you have to really just chuck the car into the corner to get it to handle the way you want.

I am going to be running the Minneapolis Autocross Club (MAC) again this year, and might run to an event in the Milwaukee region. MAC runs the street tire cars independent of the cars that are running on slicks.

[flyboymike]

Originally Posted by asujosh1

Ok, so something that is odd here is that people are saying to put a fat bar up front (only legal bar in AS) and that would make it understeer more, wouldn't it?

Thanks for posting the articles and video, those say pretty much the same things that I have heard all over, you have to really just chuck the car into the corner to get it to handle the way you want.

I am going to be running the Minneapolis Autocross Club (MAC) again this year, and might run to an event in the Milwaukee region. MAC runs the street tire cars independent of the cars that are running on slicks.

Our front camber curve sucks, so reducing body roll tends to increase grip.

[2superblus]

Originally Posted by asujosh1

Ok, so something that is odd here is that people are saying to put a fat bar up front (only legal bar in AS) and that would make it understeer more, wouldn't it?

Thanks for posting the articles and video, those say pretty much the same things that I have heard all over, you have to really just chuck the car into the corner to get it to handle the way you want.

I am going to be running the Minneapolis Autocross Club (MAC) again this year, and might run to an event in the Milwaukee region. MAC runs the street tire cars independent of the cars that are running on slicks.

Well I am not planning on running a front bar, so if you come down and race in Milwaukee we can compare if you do. I will be running the Street Tire class with the AS index.

[asujosh1]

Originally Posted by flyboymike

Our front camber curve sucks, so reducing body roll tends to increase grip.

I appreciate the information, but at the risk of sounding like an idiot, what does 'Our front camber curve sucks' mean?

Also, I am going to go get the car aligned, and recommendations on how to set this thing up? I have to daily drive it, so it can't have too aggresive of a toe or camber. I just ran my last car with a stock alignment, so I have no idea on where to start here.