Doing my first auto-x in a month from today. I have read a lot of info in a bunch of forums. I would like to ask a few questions:

I am planning to compete in stock class. Can I put bigger tires on the car. 225/50/16 instead of the 205? Is that going to help me?

What is the best tire moneywise for auto-x?

Sway bars, strut bars. Which is more important for auto-x?

I want to have fun but at the same time I do no want to spend a lot of $$$ buying stuff.

So please give any helpful advice.

 

You can use any tires that fit on your stock rims. Most serious Stock Class folks will have DOT approved racing tires (Hoosiers, Khumo v700, etc.)

Everyone has a favorite. For a street tire, lots of folks like the Falken Azieas(sp?). For an R-compound the Khumos are good value for money.

In Stock, all you can change is the shocks and front swaybar. Don't worry about it the first few times out.

Take your car just as it is. When you register tell them this is your first time and ask if there's anyone who can help you. This is probably the best bet at getting a good start. Have fun. See who runs fast and seek their advice. Most will be glad to help you. Make sure your car is in good shape. Have fun. Try to be smooth rather than fast. Understand that it takes some time to master autox, so don't be disappointed if you don't do great the first time. Have fun.

 

Any tire is okay for stock class, as long as it fits on the stock size rims (you can get alternate rims, as long as they are the same diameter and width, and relatively the same backspacing).

What tire is the best? A lot of that depends on personal preference and personal finances. Hoosier autocross compounds, Kumho V700 Victoracers, and Kumho V700 Ecstas are about the only choices for someone at the national level. At the local level, you could get away with Toyos, Yokohamas or even Falken Azenis.

Front sway bar is the only bar you can change and still stay in stock class, so skip the strut bar. Shocks are also an important initial investment.

Actually, the best money you can spend when you are starting out is on you. An autocross school, like Evolution or if your area offers a novice school, will help a lot.

Have fun!!

Karen

 

take sunscreen, food and water, have fun, and what the others say, be smooth and ask questions. oh yeah have more fun

 

this is also a great site to check out:
http://www.tirerack.com/features/solo2/handbook.htm

good luck, and most importantly, have fun!

aj

 

For your first event, just have fun!! I wrote up some info here that you may find helpful... http://www.soloracer.com/autoxguide.html

 

Thanks a lot for all the info. Just reading about it raised my heart beat.

Oh BTW, ajn you must post a lot: 40000 posts with an average of 350 posts per day....WOW!!!

 

What helped me was to find an experienced driver who drives the same car as you (or as close to your car as you can find) and talk to them about driving techniques and what modifications they have done. Regardless of what class you're in or how much experience you have, I would recommend a good set of street tires to learn on (I learned on Kumho 712s).

 

hehe, you like that, eh? I had a moderator do that for me!

take care, glad I could help,

aj

 

I am going to go with Kumho 712s.
Can somebody please tell me for how many autocrosses I will be able to use them for? (If I use them just for Auto-x) Rough estimate would be appreciated....

Thanks,
Nikos

 

Kumho 712s for autocross only - probably last up to 2 seasons easily...If you don't go every event then it will be longer of course. The 712's really slide more than I like as they aren't really sticky but last a long time (Yokohama A520 on the other hand have more adhesion - but they don't last as long.) Kumho 712's are fine for starting off in autocrossing with, but after you have some experience you'll be wanting to move on to better tires. If it's just a dedicated set of Autocross wheels/tires the Falken Azenis would be better performance for the money. Maybe you could try some Dunlop D60A2's instead of the Kumho 712...they are at the performance level of the Kumho 712's for less money.

-Vracer111, who loved the Dunlop D60A2's that were on the '90 GS when he got it....and then "upgraded" to 15" wheels and GoodYear Eagle Touring crap tires - which was the worst thing I have ever done to that car (no not the wheels - the tires!). Don't put the GoodYear Allseason Touring crap tires on your daily driver vehicle at any time - you'll be sorry!...


[Modified by Vracer111, 8:31 AM 4/19/2002]

 

Thanks man,
I will check the prices out this weekend.

 

If they come in your size, I suggest looking at Sumitomo HTR 400s (if you want all seasons) or the HTRZ IIs. These tires are cheap and awesome. The HTRZ II's would perform better not being all seasons, but either tire would last a long time.

 

I'm thinking you could get 200+ asphalt runs out of a set of 712s on something like an Integra. I got 135ish out of mine+4 track days+13.5k street miles. Granted I don't eat tires as badly as some people but, make of that what you will. BTW, after that many heat cycles, my 712s DID turn to rocks tho

~Chris, whose old 712s are substantially less sticky than the RE92s on his new car, which really says something about how hard the 712s got.