Scott, that is great news!

After doing a fair amount of inquiry, I decided upon a 6" spring with the PSS9's, and I really appreciate the confirmation!!!

I'll be needing new tires in about 1-2,000 more miles, and would like to get an alignment at the same time, thus my waiting to do this. I have the "new" H-Sport plates waiting to go on at the same time...

I'm glad that I'll get to raise the perch also. Between this, and the thinner plates, I'll get much more travel. I can't wait to feel the consistency of this linear spring. I'm not sure at the moment what you are referring to regarding the blue plastic disc as I have not looked at them in quite some time, but I think I know what you mean. Along those lines (binding), I have these thrust bearings ready to go also:



I'm expecting an improvement in every day driving, and what you share confirms that. You used the word choppy, and I think that explains it well. I tried all types of settings, and it is just to bouncy for my preferences.

My wife does not enjoy driving in my MINI as much these days, in a humorous kind of way. She's seen me (before married) rip-out the rear seats and box them up for some guy who wanted them in NY. She witnessesd the re-location of the battery, removal of the battery box, and the corresponding fabrication of a straight exhaust, along with all of the LOUD testing this entailed . She saw shower door drawings and cardboard cutouts of what would be the DFIC... and now hears that I plan to ditch the A/C someday . It's all very fun...

Speaking of camber, after monitoring my tire wear, I'm going more the next time around, probably up to 2.5 or 2.6. I plan to detach the front sway bar and experiment with that for a while also. I'm intriqued by what it may offer. And for the price, I'm looking to get the 07/GXP rear trailing arms. If you haven't seen that thread, check it out:

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=92992

 

TonyB,

I put the same thrust bearings on with the 7" Hypercoils. Then it rained. For several days. Next came the rust and associate grinding noises. After a couple of dry days, the rollers were working quitely again. At least they were until it rained again. That finished them off.

They came out and the Bilstein "blue disk" went back in when the 6" springs were installed. No more noises. The thrust bearings were thoroughly trashed and are currently sitting in a box with the original PSS9 springs and Hyperco's.

Unless you never drive in the rain I wouldn't put them in, especially if you still have the original plastic "disc/washer/whatever" that came with the PSS9s. It isn't as fancy, but it works much better in the real world. Thinner too.

I just chalked the lost money up to "it seemed like a good idea at the time".

Scott
90SM

 

Got distracted with the thrust bearings.

I'm running -2.4 up front, -1.8 rear. -0.5 toe front, zero rear. Stock front swaybar. Rear RDR 22mm set on stiffest setting. 215/45-16 Azenis 615 on 7.5" Kosei's, 42psi front and 38psi rear. Tire pressures will change, but probably only a couple psi with these tires at most sites. I used lower pressures with both sets of R compounds last season, but the front-rear difference ended up being very similar. Back in STX days, the 215 Azenis were about 1psi higher than the 615s under the same conditions. I was at -2.3 front camber then, with slightly softer but linear SPAX springs or the progressive Bilsteins.

I would suggest leaving your front sway bar connected until after you've had some seat time with the linear rate front springs. You may find that you like it as is with the changed behavior. One thing at a time is the best way to do if, if you can make yourself be patient. Easier said than done sometimes, unfortunately.

Scott
90SM

 

Scott, words of wisdom... I had never used thrust bearing before, and assumed they would withstand the elements. I plan to make my MINI exclusively a Fall/Winter ride, and in these parts, that's the only time it rains...

I will look to see if I have those blue Bilstein disks, and if not, I'll call to order some. I assume it's one per spring, or side...

I might try 215/45-16's. I've thought about it a few times. I've been running with 205/45-16's, and remain very enamored with them, namely the gearing effect due to the small radius (23.3"). Stock 16 fitment is 24.4", so 4.5% more "torquey." Not many choices though... I don't compete, and probably shouldn't be posting in this area as to what I run with... I subscribe to all new additions to SM as I like to see what you are guys are doing, and admire the challenge you all have embraced with our little cars!

I'll take your advice on trying the sway bar experimentation for a later time. I can't wait to try these springs though!

 

Ah, Thanks, Since this is a hobby, I kind-a excluded the Hoosiers on account of the cost. I am getting ready to try a set of Nitto Nt-01's for my next TT event at VIR. My understanding is the compund is similar to the Toyo RA-1's. A complete set shipped, mounted and balanced from Discount tire is $700.

DJD

 

Updated results in post 48, page 2.

I'm liking the new front springs. Did pretty well today (FTD, 111 cars) on a really fun course, but would have liked to had R compounds. Really need to get some ordered to replace the dead ones from last season. Max engine speed today was 7125rpm in 2nd gear.

Got some new parts on the way, thanks to Way.

Scott
90SM

 

Today was the first event of the new season.

Took off my Tower Strut bar due to problems with interpretation of the new rule in SM class (ST and SP classes) for 2007.

Retuned my dampening to softer settings for my Bilsterin PSS9
Front 6 and rear 4, I had run much stiffer settings for the last two seasons.

Set the rear sway bar 22mm to softest of two settings. (madness bar).

Decrease air pressure in my Hoosier A6s to 33-34 psi front warm, 30 psi rear warm.

2007-2008 Season results
April 8 1st out of 12 for SM class, 7th out of 109 raw times, 12th on PAX
July 1 1st out of 12 for SM class, 9th out of 112 raw times, 13th on PAX
July 22 1st out of 10 for SM class, 7th out of 106 raw times, 9th on PAX
August 5 (Did not drive, out of town)
August 19 1st out of 13 for SM class, 9th out of 107 raw times, 12th on PAX
September 9 1st out of 10 for SM class, 7th out of 110 raw times, 7th on PAX
October 14 1st out of 10 for SM class, 2nd out of 105 raw times, 3rd on PAX
October 21 1st out of 10 for SM class, 11th out of 122 raw times, 19th on PAX
November 25 1st of 10 in SM class, 6th out of 127 raw times, 8th on PAX
December 16 1st of 9 in SM class, 8th out of 113 raw times, 11th on PAX
January 20 2nd of 16 in class, 13th out of 122 raw times, 20th on PAX

February 17 and in H stock with a Honda Fit Sport and V710 205/50-15
2nd of 7 in class, 67th out of 101 raw times, 32nd on PAX

Final Points leader for 2007-2008 season (missed 2 events)

March 2 (Run Off Championships)
1st of 5 in class, 9th out of 62 raw times, 17th on PAX.

On 7/1, I ran my PSS9s at front 4 rear 3
Increased tire pressure to 39 psi fronts warm and 35 psi rear warm and it seemed OK, fronts got as hot as only 135 degrees, rears about 127.
On 7/22 I ran my PSS9s at front 5 and rear 4
On 8/19 I ran PSS9 front 6 and rear 4, tire pressures higher at front 40 psi and rear 37 psi.
On 10/14 I ran PSS9 front 5 and rear 4, tire pressures 40-41 front and 37-38 rear
On 11/25 I ran PSS9 front 5 and rear 3, tire pressures 41 front and 37 rear
On 12/16 I ran front 5 rear 3, upped tire pressures to 44-45 front and 40-41 rear and that seemed OK.
On 1/20 lost for the first time in 2 seasons due to not paying attention to times in the last run vs a competitor. All I needed was 0.1 sec better to capture class but I was going for 1+ sec better and missed poorly. No excuses a mental error.
On 3/2 ran front 5 and rear 4 using 37 psi fronts and 32 psi rear for Kumho V710 205/50-15 tires

 

First event I'll be attending is the 22nd, and I'm getting a 15% pulley installed the day before, so should be interesting! I'm planning on trying to attending an event at least every other weekend, so should see a lot of autox and a lot of seat time. Running cheapo street tires, hoping to get a trophy at the end of the season in my home region just by showing up to every event. It's been a loooong winter!

 

Good luck,
Who is your competition in SM class for your area? what cars ran last season? What rims will you use and what street tires and what size do you have to work with.

While skill can make up for tires you loose about 2 seconds per 30 second run using excellent street tires vs R compound tires which are legal for SM class. Further you gain by using the widest and lightest wheel/tire combo that will fit. So good example is to go very light and narrow or wide.

In SM class I have run-
stock holey rims 15x5.5 with R compound 205/50-15 tires- not too expensive and light. Not so wide but OK and much better than street tires.

15x7 or 15x8 rims with 205/50-15 or 225/45-15 R compound tires.
Best is dedicated autocross Kumho V710s.

For street tires in 17" you'll find-
205/45-17
205/40-17 Low load rating
215/40-17
215/45-17 a little taller than stock.
225/45-17 taller than stock.

What suspension upgrades do you have? What camber settings and alignment? You'll need -2 degrees up front and about -1 degree in the back to make use of your tires in any case.

 

Your posts are always insanely long and detailed but helpful.

SM in my region is usually anywhere from 6-12 cars. Half of them are people who only show up once or twice, but there are some autox 'pros' driving project cars just out to have fun. Last year there was a Maxima, a 240sx, and a Taurus SHO showing up regularly in SM. (Looking at the last event, looks like nobody was running r-compounds.) I picked up some cheapo "Sport Maxx" wheels, 16x7 at 16lbs a piece, mated with 205/50/16 Hankook K106s. I have no illusions, this is far from ideal for autox, but I was on a budget. This year is about having fun and gaining more experience. Hoping to get a dedicated set of wheels + r-compounds next year.

Suspension-wise I have installed camber plates, h-sport springs, 22mm rear sway and lower rear control arms. Alignment is currently stock toe and camber is -2.2 up front, -1.5 in the rear. Again, once I start trying to be competitive, I'll play with toe. But for now wanted a perfectly drivable street car.

I'm not quite sure if I'm happy with the springs. The car feels light at speed, esp in transitions. I'm thinking it's the progressive wind that I'm feeling. Going to try to get used to it, or else graduate to coilovers sooner than I was planning.

 

OK, this helps.

I type fast so it may not take so long to make an answer as you might think.

OK on the budget. With your competition you most likely will have a fighting chance. No BMW M3 sedans with huge wide R compound tires breathing down your neck is a good thing in SM class. I had a bunch for a couple of seasons but they have moved on to other classes and greener pastures. All others except for another MINI driven well cannot compete in SM if I run good tires.

Your wheels are OK. Tires could be much better so there is much to gain someday when you are ready. 205/50-16 and 205/55-16 are essentially street tire sizes built for street use. You will be hard pressed to make them do what you want for autocross but you can live with them and adjust tire pressures after you chalk the tires and watch for how much they roll over.
I would imagine quite a bit of noise and slipping as you go around the course but just keep to a good line and watch your speed in the tight turns. You will have to drive that much better to make up for the tires.

Toe settings could be improved at least a little without negative impact for daily driving.
Front toe choose zero or 1/16" toe out, front camber leave the same, rear toe set to 1/16" toe in, rear camber change to -1.0 degree. More negative camber in the rear increases understeer in general. Change your rear swaybar to softest setting if possible. Pay close attention to your tire pressures to get the most out of your tires.

Run with a clean air filter, the H-sport springs are probably OK for now, your stock shocks may last about one year and then get worn out due to the lowering springs. Ride quality will drop off quite a bit as the shocks wear out.

 

 

Results updated in Post #48.

I'm liking the new springs.

Scott
90SM

 

Nice job Scott!

If you continue on this same pace, will you leave your area to compete? I have no idea how autocross works, but I would assume those who excel locally, then get to compete against others in different regions...

Thanks again for talking me into installing these springs!

 

Thanks Tony.

I primarily compete in two regions, and make the occasional divisional event. I should be able to do the National Tour event in Peru this season too, as the Indy region is hosting it.

The reason I don't make it to more divisional and national events is a lack of available vacation days. For the vast majority of those events, you need to be there Friday afternoon. We have two boys (almost 5 and 10) and we use most of the vacation days to cover the days they are out of school but work isn't closed. On the up side, the older son was able to start going to some events with me last year and run a kart that I co-own with a fellow autocrosser. Son #2 is anxious to get started too.

I still regret not going to Nationals the year I ran STX. The car would have been reasonably competitive.

Scott
90SM

 

I understand much better now, thanks. Family first, of course. Sounds like your two boys are chomping at the bit! Good for you.

I'm still trying to do my best to get back to my orignial ride height, which I have documented from my corner-balance. What available level ground I have on my land is really not as flat as I would like. I found a parking spot at work that I will check tomorrow with my level. It looks to be very level. Of course there is no space under the car to adjust though, but it will give me an idea...

Keep up the great work Scott!

 

Well...I just finished the second Time Trial event of the year on the North Course @ VIR. I ran 1:54's. Which, given my experience level and the fact I am running a stock engine with a 15 % pulley was ok. I won the SM class, even though the only other car in SM broke down during one of the session. (I wish there were more participants in NC running in SM class.) In terms of overall time, I ran in the middle of the pack even beating a few BMW's and Miatas. My Mini ran like a top but I think the front wheel bearing are getting ready to go...After my last session, I have a slight growl in the front hubs. Also, I ran the Nitto NT01 tires (205/40/17) and loved them.

The next race is at Roebling Road. Anyone with experience on this track?

DJDport

 

Updated post 48.

Scott
90SM

 

I hate when that happens. New tires needed. Father's day coming soon!



Last event in my region the difference between 3rd and 7th place overall was 0.094 seconds and 8th to 10th was another 0.098 second. So since a blink of an eye is 0.3 seconds, having nice tires is a requirement not a luxury.

Besides, new tires are more fun. I love the smell of new rubber.

 

OK, consider this my results post. But I'm only posting the results I'm happy with. No, I'll post them all..

-- Two weeks ago I ran a novice class and was 8th out of a field of 27 (that's pax, I was 4th raw time)
-- Last week I was 6th out of 14, and within half a second of 2nd. (1st was another second or so faster)
-- Today I got 2nd out of 4, and was within .1-.2 of 1st, a Prelude on some better tires than I. Beat a very nice-looking 350z and Audi wagon (the guy said he had taken the child seat and groceries out of it, but didn't help him enough I guess. )

I've been getting progressively more happy with my times and placings. I've yet to place first, but it'll happen someday. (Probably not in my home region because of the crazy STI. And he'll be getting r-comps by the next event. Good grief!)

 

RedSkunk

Scott
90SM

 

Seems like you guys are having a lot of fun out there, not to mention success!

I've only seen auto-x once, so I'm a novice in the truest sense, but I'm growing more and more tempted to follow your footsteps, and give this a shot some day... I want to find some local competitons so I can be a spectator, and soak-up more of the experience...

Best to you all in the hot days of Summer of ahead of us!

 

You want it. You neeed it. You've gotta have it!

Tony, just go out there and sign up. You'll love it, and it is by far the cheapest and safest way to find out what you and your car can really do. Don't worry about being competitive right away, because pretty much nobody is. You'll have a ball.

Taking the leap that Bay area means in the vicinity of San Francisco, here's the local schedule:

http://www.sfrscca.org/solo2/cgi-bin...t_three_months

If it's a different Bay, then go to http://www.scca.org/Inside/Index.asp...=RegionalSites and click on the right part of the country.

You can thank me after your first event.

Scott
90SM

 

Scott, I thank you already!

Yes, you got it right (SF Bay Area)... I see action on week days also (Tue). Intereting... Ah, that's a meeting. Drat, all of the event are like 1.5-2 hours north of me. I do see one that is about an hour south though... I'll try to make that one June 16th...

Thanks again! I bookmarked the website...

 

Finally got some new tires. I was originally planning to run 225/45-15 Hoosier A6s this year, but the Tirerack put the Avons on sale and I just couldn't resist the savings. Same size as I ran last year and part of the previous season. I should have them on for the next event on May 20th, assuming the new wheel studs come in on time and Waylen (Way Motorworks ) can get them swapped out. I've had two studs break this spring and I've lost all confidence in the set that's on the car now since I'm about to start swapping wheels out almost every week.

Those go with the new exhaust, and most recently a new seat. The exhaust change was motivated in part by an increasingly annoying rattle from a cracked pipe on the Magnaflow. The seat will replace the OEM seat that got a hole in the outer side bolster from wear. I just couldn't tolerate the bucks that MINI wants to replace the fabric on the seat. They must be very, very proud of them.

Scott
90SM