Interested in watching imports racing to over 100 mph on gravel roads?

Come watch the STPR rally in Wellsboro PA, June 3rd (IN TWO WEEKS!)
There are 72 cars currently entered, including 4 hondas.
http://www.rally-america.com/event.stpr.2006.php
http://www.rally-america.com/e..._list
Also, rally is to be part of the Summer X games in LA, so this event is a last chance qualifier, thus the big entry!

I built this car new for this season. The first race was the SnoDrift rally. This rally, we have a bit more in store, but not the pimp motor I had hoped....That will have to wait till winter....Were running Rally TN (Tennesse) on pavement, and LSPR (Houghton, Mi) on gravel yet this year. Hope to meet some of you all in the woods!
Bring more Hondas to rally!

Here's a few pics. of the recent suspension redo:

 

very cool. What kind of shocks/springs are those?

I Would LOVE to rally my civic. I even go to school up in Houghton. It would be a ton of fun, but I don't have the cash to prep my car.

 

looks like a blast (future tense)..... I watch dirt racing on and off, and I get jealous

 

damn that looks awesome! i want to rally my integra.

 

My Co-Driver is a student at MTU.

 

IMO, just like a race car, it's not worh it to build your own first car - there are plenty of good, proven rally cars for sale with good spares packages, and much cheaper than trying to rep a "new" car.

rallybid - good luck at STPR, i MAY be up spectating.

Just make sure with that new pimpy motor i don't have to pull you out of a snowbank at sno*drift 2007 - didn't see you this year, so that's a good thing

<--- heavy sweep at Sno*drift

 

What kind of wheels are those? They almost look like old Volvo 242GT wheels.

 

Your right, it's good to buy a prep'd car for your first rallycar. This is my third, though I built my first one also. Most of the rallycars out there are s'ht boxes. Total hackjobs. Scary enough to look at, even scarier to drive thousands of miles flat out......

The wheels are from Nissan Infinity Q45 (a big heavy sedan). I have bad experiences with motorsport wheels....I'm leary of wheels that break in half instead of bend......Call me conservative.....

 

what did you end up doing to your engine?

 

The specs.:

2000 Integra Type R
Body:
Saftey Devices CDS FIA cage (did'nt order the optional thru firewall tubes, probobly should have)
Seam welded
Still need to rein. the front end
Seats are Sparco Circuit and Evo. I made the mounts, very low to the floorpan.
I made the door skins
Nav. computer is a NuMetrics, Intercome is Sigtronics
Lights are Hella 3000/4000 euro/Fog, 130 hella bulbs, Mains are 75w low, 100w high
Pod is from France MCracingsa.com
DZUS fasteners
Paint is PPG Omni AU
MR belts
Toe hooks waterjet cut.

Powertrain:
Stock. Engine, Exhaust, computer, Trans., Diff. Final drive, clutch
This will change over the winter, engine is going to stay normal aspirated, I want to do an adj. gerotor type diff., so that will be a challenge....Body/Suspension first.

Suspension:
Shocks are Aluminum Ryde FX monotubes. Designed for Snowmobiles. 5.25" front, 6.9" rear. Springs 10"x600 front with helper spring, 14"x250 rear (a bit too long)
Mounts are 3/8" aluminum thru FK bearings
Front is all stock (hav'nt got to it yet)
Rear is just redone, UB machine (circle track) links thru FK nylon lined rod ends. Standoffs and T-bars are cut from old shock piston rods. The stock rubber center mount is the only rubber left, too much before STPR, but it's going to change to a 1" spherical with custom T-bar. Rear bar is stock but going to be Speedway engineering with waterjet adj. end links. Front bar stock thru rod ends.

Brakes are stock with EBC greens, but this will change. Still debating on what.

Tires:
Pirelli
Silverstone S525
on Infinity Q45 wheels

So what do you guys think?
Crazy, eh? I've seen some nice cars on this forum, so I hope you will chime in. I got great feedback on the allmotor forum for the engine....

Come out and watch a rally!

 

Shocks made for a snowmobile? Really? How Come?

Looks nice, though. Like the wheels. Keep it between the trees

 

Yea, Snowmobile. Cool thing about these cars are the non-strut suspension. Many options there. I've used bilsteins, etc., so, thought I'd try these, I think they cost ~$220 ea. Not adj. but they have adj. versions with 5/8" rod, so that will be the next set. Think the 600 is a bit much for gravel, here's the direction on spring:
Gravel: 400/250
Tarmac: 600/400
HRA guys were running 550/350 on there three door supercharged car.

Forgot a few specs.:

After Snodrift she weighed 2594lbs with (5) Bridgestone Blizzack snow tires and 2 gal. of fuel.

The Gravel tires weight about twice what the snowtires do. I should probobly weigh them. Don't think I lost any weight with the new suspension. The Skidplate is a bit too beef also, 3/8" aluminum with 1"x2"x36" alum. cross-bar.

thawley, post your car's specs.!

Honda Research Boys just entered. 2001 RSX, production. Now the entry is 76cars.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rallybird &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thawley, post your car's specs.!</TD></TR></TABLE>
I ain't got no Rally car. They're much work for me.

 

I just added up what I have in the rear suspension make-over, $226 minus the shocks and springs. Had the springs laying around, and got the shocks for free. Labor on the other hand, much more than that.......

Those Q45 wheels were $25ea. on Ebay.

 

Good luck at STPR...

 

went to stpr as crew a few times. good fun. Nice looking car, The only honda's I have seen rallying were from the honda r&d prelude now rsx

 

I would love to trade you my blue Circuit seat cover for your red one

Really interesting car. Good luck at STPR!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Splat &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">What kind of wheels are those?</TD></TR></TABLE>

They look lke OZ rally wheels.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rallybird &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Still need to rein. the front end
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Be careful about beefing up the front end too much-- you want your lower control arms to be the week point as they are easier to replace then the subframe or the chassis.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Rear is just redone, UB machine (circle track) links thru FK nylon lined rod ends. Standoffs and T-bars are cut from old shock piston rods. The stock rubber center mount is the only rubber left, too much before STPR, but it's going to change to a 1" spherical with custom T-bar. Rear bar is stock but going to be Speedway engineering with waterjet adj. end links. Front bar stock thru rod ends.
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Pretty nice setup, although I think you're going to find that you're going to want the compliance of rubber for gravel and big hits. Something has to give.

Those LCAs are pretty interesting. Keep a close eye with your trailing arms--they are definately a wear item. We had 2 fail at last rally (fatigue), and bent another. Another compeitor in the civic also had two fail in same weekend. Neither of us had experienced a problem before. I think the service life on them is approximately 500 stage miles, perhaps less.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Brakes are stock with EBC greens, but this will change. Still debating on what.
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Not a fan of EBCs, we've had good luck with Hawk HP+'s front and rear. Planning to switch to Cobalt Friction next event or two. Trick is you want a pad with good initial bite and that does well at low temperatures. On the loose surface you just don't get as much heat in them as on tarmac. Not to say they don't get hot, but not AS hot.

I'm amazed you've been able to keep it under 2600, although I suppose that is mostly dry. With tools, equipment, spares and fuel in my 4 door GSR I think we are almost up to 3100. Production though so we're carrying a fair bit of extra weight.

600 lb fronts is probably way too much. I think 250lb rears is also too little. I have to check my spec sheets but pretty sure we're in the high 300's on both. I suspect the car is going to really want to understeer setup like that. Pretty sure you'd be better off ditching the rear sway bar (if so you're probably really going to need to adjust your spring rates or you'll be understeering into the ditch). Try it both ways--we find it is faster without sway bars (I think most FWD teams don't run them, but there are some that do).


Best of luck, one of these days we'll have to come on out to the mid west / east coast.

 

The circuit is the most uncomfortable seat I've ever owned. I have friends that have trimed there's for a bit better fit, which I will try. If it does'nt work out, it's outa there. I only weigh 155lbs too!
Not looking forward to 15hrs in it this Saturday.....

 

rotten, post your car's specs. 3100#! Yikes!

I will never have another race car with rubber bushings. The rod ends just give the car a super precise feel. We will see about wear, but I am super happy. WRC cars don't have rubber mounted anything, except probobly electronics.....WRC cars as run at finland, also have front and rear bars......

If I raced on loose I'd go softer, STPR in the dry is very grippy, almost like some pavement. It's like a hard shale. There are regrade sections that are loose, but the majority is hard. I tested it on hard, and it seems very balanced, I can make significant track changes, which makes a huge diff. in balance if things are'nt right.

Drove a Gallant open car with gravel spec. hotbits and stock swaybars this weekend. Much more body roll then my current setup. I'm sticking with this stiff setup, at least untill I know more about the weather.....

 

I'd be interested in the rear trailing arm failures. Can you post pics. or give more detail?

When I had mine off, I looked at ways I could reinforce them, but it's not easy, short of just stick welding steel to them.....

 

i'll be there as a crew member for Jon Nichols (A3 golf), also in G2.
i'll come say hi and spy on your setup

-nigel.

 

We'll I can already tell you (being that I've personally seen Nichols' car), that you guys are bringing the right equiptment, likened to a precision sniper rifle.

There will be three 2wd races this weekend:
2wd overall (Doug Shepherd SRT4, Nichols VW, maybe Burmeister' Mazda 3)
G2
G5

Nichols and Shepherd will be in a race of there own. Personally I'd like to see Nichols come out on top, he's a much nicer person.

I hope to meet you, and hope it does'nt rain!!!!!!!!!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by rallybird &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">rotten, post your car's specs. 3100#! Yikes!

I will never have another race car with rubber bushings. The rod ends just give the car a super precise feel. We will see about wear, but I am super happy. WRC cars don't have rubber mounted anything, except probobly electronics.....WRC cars as run at finland, also have front and rear bars......
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Yeah that is all true but you're not running a WRC car. I suspect that they replace all the heim joints after every event, and probably quite a bit of the suspension parts at each service.

The issue is this: You're sliding sideways and hit a 30 lb rock with the rear wheel. Hopefully the tire takes most of the abuse. Anything the tire doesn't handle is going to get transfered somewhere. The rubber bushings will convert that energy to heat, and hopefully prevent anything from bending, breaking or ripping. If there is no compliance, you're going to be transfering the energy to the next weakest link--probably your lower control arm, possibly your subframe.


Our car is just basically a road going Integra 4 door GSR, but with all the interior rear of the front seats taken out, gravel rally suspension bits, skid plating, KAAZ, reinforced suspension points and a bitchin' Dave Clark Motorsports roll cage.

We do carry more tools and equipment then a lot of folks (comealong, water, oil, brake fluid, etc. 3100 lbs would include 5 tires and wheels as well. It isn't too bad for our class. Even a lot of Group 2 cars are right up there.


[qoute]
If I raced on loose I'd go softer, STPR in the dry is very grippy, almost like some pavement. It's like a hard shale. There are regrade sections that are loose, but the majority is hard. I tested it on hard, and it seems very balanced, I can make significant track changes, which makes a huge diff. in balance if things are'nt right.

Drove a Gallant open car with gravel spec. hotbits and stock swaybars this weekend. Much more body roll then my current setup. I'm sticking with this stiff setup, at least untill I know more about the weather.....[/QUOTE]

Thing is on loose surface, the body roll is basically a manifestation of slow/smoother weight transfer which translates into more mechanical grip.

Try it both ways you may be suprised.