Hey I want to start autoX and i was looking for some advice on the suspension setup i was gonna buy. I was looking at the eibach Pro system plus kit with the 1.3 inch drop at all corners. And it had the 26 mm front sway bar and the 17 mm rear sway bar. Also i was looking for camber kits to, i was wondering if anyone had some advice on a kit that is economical and that will last a good bit. One more thing i seen a caster kit from white line that uses shims to adjust caster on the lower control arms. I was looking at getting this kit because of increased steering return. Like i said im looking for some advice. Im seriously about to buy it all tonight. thanks

 

Relax and take a breather. As much fun as it is to blow cash alot of its not going to make you faster.

Start off buying a helmet. Im not a fan of borrowing helmets, so I got one that I could use for both HPDE's and autocrosses.

Wait an event or 2 before you start throwing money down the drain. Make sure the car is in top shape before the first event.

Tires are the most important "part" you will buy for autocrossing and they wont be cheap.

Also check the RR/AX FAQS for getting started, lots of good advice.

 

Whooooooaa there Bucky...
Ya want to learn how to auto x, and have never done it before from the sound of your post.
Lets just jump out there and spend some money on parts that you have no earthly clue on how it will effect your car.
If that isnt enthusiasm I dont know what it is?

Like destroyer says go get a helmet. Protect your nugget in case you happen to roll over that high performance machine you plan on building.
No doubt you could flip it over easilly in second gear lol.
But seriously....

Save your cash, and start off bone stock.
We have covered this many times over with the newbs who think they need to build a fast car, and go out and be as slow as the mud.
Learn to drive your car bone stock.
Get lots of seat time!
Give yourself some time to learn how a meet goes.
Time to learn your car, and how it handles.
There is no correct set up to get you out there and going fast.
Everyone has their own driving style.
What works for the top of the field doesnt work for all drivers.
You have learn to drive first.
You cant put the kart before the horse here. Take your time.
Speed doesnt come in a cardboard box you bought online, it comes with lots and lots and lots and lots of practice.

Helmet
brakes
tires

Get out and go have fun.
Learn to drive bone stock and do it well.
Only when you understand what your car, and your driving style is should you even think about upgrading anything.

Search the forum for the items listed.
Read read read until you puke. Dont go starting threads on what tires, what brakes, what helmet, what swaybar, what radiator hoses and clamps.....
The information is in these pages...helpful hint.. google the topics you'll find some archives that will help you alot.
Good Luck

 

The soft factory suspension allows for you to "feel" the car understeer and oversteer. It basically provides breathing room for you to react to the car and learn how to handle various types of grip loss. Autocross is all about driver control and precision. Promoting snappier handling characteristics will do more harm than good until you learn how your car.

With a stock car the learning curve will be much sharper. You'll be faster more quickly than you would using a stiff car with good tires.

I've only been to 6 autocross events and I've got pretty soft suspension, Progress CS-II. It's still got solid body roll and lets me feel the cars suspension geometry. I hate so say I'm a "natural" but I've still learned very quickly and have become pretty competitive in ST class after only a few events. If your local autocross group has a "novice school" like my Atlanta Region group does it should be very valuable to you.

Mine, for example, let you do 17-20 35 second laps on the short course, time on a skid pad, and an instructor with you at all times. Lots of driving crammed into one day. Probably 5-10 times more driving than a normal autocross event.

Go to an event, take a pad/paper, and ask a million questions. Find someone who's an experienced FWD driver and let them drive your car.

One of my biggest milestones in terms of lap time reduction was after I let a FWD champ drive my car. It shows you how autocross is really done, what lines to follow, where to look, etc.

Hope my advice helped. And with the others, I agree, simmer down, learn your car, then buy parts that you deem appropriate once you determine your driving strengths/weaknesses and such. It's very important that your car be set up for you and not what you think is correct.

 

I would just go out to an event with your car stock. If you can, have an instructor ride with you. Also, if you can, have them take the car for a run. I think you'll be amazed how much faster someone experienced can make the car go.

Nothing wrong with buying parts to make the car faster but make yourself faster first. Also if you like it, remember that some fairly simple changes to the car will put you into a faster class where your car isn't competitive.

 

One other thing to touch on that I think is really important. I really wish I'd used my car in stock form since it teaches you so much about your car. I now have to look forward to selling my progress setup at a loss next year and buy Koni/GC with rates that I like. Buying a cheap product to get you by is simply a waste. I strongly urge you to go have fun with your stock civic first and buy a real suspension setup with custom rates catered to your driving habits and daily driving tolerance.

 

Ditto......

But I didnt see anyone give you reasons as to why not to buy some of those things you mentioned other than "cause you need to learn to drive the car stock".....

The Eibach Off the shelf kits, the spring rates are usually to soft, in order to do a "proper" budget friendly suspension setup, and keep in mind the is my opinion NOT FACT, youll want to do coilovers (ground controls) or springs with custom rates, with shocks that can handle spring rates above 600lbs (revalved Koni Sports, etc).

But you need to learn how the car reacts stock and then choose spring rates that fit your driving style.

Sway bars should be used to fine tune the suspension when you have your springs and shocks dialed in.

I like a car that rotates a bit, but i will also be using my car for track days, so i went with lighter springs compared to the guys that only do autox, with a heavier spring in the rear and I have a larger rear sway bar to still help the car rotate/oversteer.

You can also do alot playing with tire pressures to make the car react differently......lots to learn!!!!

Again this is all my opinion, I dont know everything, and im always open to new info as well

 

In Stock class you can run DOT-R's and have a stock sized (15x7or what have you) aftermarket wheel

Some good ones to have (maybe not the best)

Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec $103 each
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

Bridgestone Potenza RE-11 $132.00
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....omCompare1=yes

The Hankook Ventus R-S3 (for some reason, Tire Rack doesn't list them anymore. I did hear a factory burned down. I bought a set for $100 each a few months ago)

Also the Toyo R-888's are good for Auto-X.

Another option is buying a set of Take Off's. My first set of tires were a set of Toyo R-1A's that I bought the set for $75. Got half a season out of them dual driving. From what I've been reading online, the R-1a's are more for actual road racing, so they aren't the greatest for auto-x.

 

I just got some Yokohama S. Drives, tire rack loves them for a summer tire. Seems like they're one of the best summer tires around at the moment. The Dunlops are really nice too, I had considered those a lot before I spring for the Yokohamas. I'm sure they're quite comparable.

 

'Nother vote here for the S.Drives. I've got them on the daily and they ride smooth but are really nice and controlled when you want them to be. Treadwear rating is pretty good for a summer tire too (not as near as sticky as the star specs or Hankooks though)

OP, there is some real solid advice in here for starting out. My biggest mistake when I started auto-xing was ending up in SM right off the bat. I would love to have started in a stock or ST class but the car was already built... I crossed over from the drag world after I got tired of going straight and snapping driveline parts.

Surprised that no one mentioned a CG-lock...

 

If autocrossing was that much fun they would call it a track event.

Believe it or not, my helmet has saved me from some brain pain a couple times autocrossing. Iv slammed my head against the B-Pillar a few times when the car got angry at me.

 

Sweet thanks for the advice.
I just thought that the eibach kit would be decent cause it came as a kit(sway bars, springs and dampeners). I thought it would be a good place to start.
I drive a 94 integra 4 door. Ive owned 2 so far over three years, so i know what they feel like on the street. Im sure its a big difference on a track setup. On the street tho i notice alot of body roll around corners.
And for tires, i have stellies right now, ive been looking for a stock alloy wheel 15 by 7. I work at tires plus so i get bridge stones 50% off. I was going to get the potenza RE960. But we just discontinued them and we are getting a new RE something.

 

if you get bridgestones at 50% off get the RE-11. great tire for autocross.

but just race on your steelies. learn how the car feels. learn how to work with the body roll, limits to the handling, learn how drive... per say.

just run what you have already.

 

All this advice is correct as usual, I started autox four years ago after getting my license. I wanted to throw all kinds of money at the car but my parents wouldn't let me. Turned out to be a really good thing. Everything I would have bought would have to be replaced and or taught me bad habits. Saved my money and bought another car just to take to events. That car is still being built very very slowly. Yet I've been top 5 in PAX every event this year. Autox is 99% driving 100% of the time!

 

FYI all the factory 15" wheels that fit your car (that I know of) are 6" +45. A bonus of working at a tire shop will definitely be having the tire and alignment equipment at your disposal... those are the only two things I really miss about working at the dealer!

 

probably get a better alignment; try running the max allowed OE spec camber in front and less in the rear for your 1st event. then see what you want to change from there.

 

the only stock adjustments i have for the Integra is front and rear toe. Which wont help at all. Like everyone said ill start out in the stock class and see how it goes.

 

Actually if you can adjust front and rear toe it will help. Go to a good alignment shop and have them zero out the front and toe in the rear just a bit. This should make for a responsive steering feel that's still safe on the street.