I have been putting off really induldging into what my track setup should be. With the upcoming weekend I really want to be ahead of myself as far as the setup.
I am looking for diiferent opinions on where you guys think I should start out. Many of you know what I drive already but for those that don't:
1994 Accord EX 4 door
koni yellows with GC/Eibach coil overs @ 300front-350rear
ST rear sway bar and DC front strut
Kosei K1's with 205/50ZR15 Khumo Supra Ecsta 712
Carbothech Panther Plus on the front and regular panthers on the rear

my preliminary questions are:
1. what tire pressure would best suit me and how can I use tire pressure to deal with undertseer and oversteer
2. Where would most of you adjust the suspension to?
3. Am I worrying about to much for being a novice with only two events under my belt?

thanks

 

This depends a lot on the car. But start about 40psi (cold) all four corners. Mark sidewalls with chalk or shoe polish. After the 1st session, check to see if tires are rolling onto sidewall (chak will be rubbed away). If so, increase pressure, if not reduce pressure (in increments of 2psi or so). Remember, once you start checking pressures and adjusting, all reading are HOT. Or, if you have some spare cash, get a tire pyrometer and take measurements (temp should be even across tread surface of tire).

Full stiff in rear, middle in front. Ride height slightly lower than stock (by 1" - 1.5").

Yes and No. It's good to start thinking about these things. It's bad to start obsessing about them. Get a comfortable setup and leave it alone for a few events. Then, maybe make a few small adjustments (always make one at a time so you can be sure what the effect was).

thanks
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I'd advise against going full stiff in the rear if the shocks got revalved by TC. I know you got a setup for TC, but I can't remember if they revalved or not. Mine are STIFF. I have yet to crank them past 1 turn in the rear.

Warren

 

mine are not revalved but it is very stiff in the rear anyway, it felt like on the JC cicuit the car had a little undresteer problem? how can something like this be fixed with adjustements in my setup? I am asking because I want to learn more about the full range of capabilities my setup allows me. I am still new but very curious how things work.

 

Not like I have much real track experience, but I've researched a lot for our similar vehicles...
If you feel your setup hasn't reduced understeer enough, you'll want to stiffen your rear suspension and run lower air pressure in the back too (but a lot will argue higher pressure in the rear for less traction and greater tendency for rotation). As you already have a TC setup and ST rear sway, just try going 2~5 psi lower in your rear tires than your front. For daily use I'm running 37F/35R psi and the tail comes out just ever so slightly when lifting the throttle after turn-in. On Jefferson Circuit I was running 40F/35R psi and the back end was going wide quite a bit, and I'm way undersprung with stock rear sway. http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tirete...n/racepres.htm

 

The first thing is to determine if the car was really understeering, or if you were just driving too fast. Next time at the track, enter corners a bit slower and see how it feels. It is very easy to overcook the entry, which will make most cars push. Especially true of heavy sedans.

If the car actually is understeering badly, you can stiffen the rear suspension a bit to help. Or, adjust the rear tire pressures (set the fronts so the tire isn't rolling, then move rear up and down until the car feels solid).

But, try not to play too much with your setup. Drive it until you are good enough to notice the difference, otherwise small changes will be lost in the irregularity of your driving.

 

thanks dave and Al.
I am not planning on messing with the car until I am consistnet with my laps and driving. I am trying to get a feel for a cause/effect/solution for certain things so when I feel it I can recognize what is happening.
I was also intially trying to get a feel where I should start with my setup but realize that I really need to worry about driving skills not setup. Thanks.