IS POSSIBLE!

I haven't been gone Gone...just gone.

I'm happy not to be arguing in a thread on shocks.

I'm unhappy that I couldn't join the Love Fest ITR Expo.

I'm really happy that my family is healthy and forward looking...that's my big thing lately.

I'm determined to go broke, and to that end I've ordered more goodies. The Rose Cups are in about 8 weeks and I saw my competition running this last weekend within about a tenth of my lap record.

I'm looking to a Mugen LSD with the 58/20 ramp kit, and some close ratio Houseman gear sets for 4th (1.182) and 5th (0.96) which I ordered today, along with finally getting my splitter done and lowering the Mugen wing 1/2 inch to 2003 RS legal height (while adding a Gurney lip) to add up to at least another second. Of course the Toyo RA1's are likely to cost me something in comparison to Hoosiers...I'll just have to see. There's no way to be sure till the day comes, but I should have a good race.

The competitor is Greg Bell in a Golf with alot of horsepower. He's a good guy and a very capable driver, so if we're close the racing is going to be furious. If Joe Harlan finds a second or two by then maybe we can have a party.

The Houseman gears may not make it...or they may make it the day before. Jaime is a great guy by reputation, and I know he'll do his best. I sure hope they come, they'd help alot...about 26hp in 5th gear. I sure hope I got the numbers right - I was guestimating based on my recollection of max revs at the end of PIR's 3100 ft main straight, and what the new top speed might be, leaving room for overreving the power peak (you're covering alot of ground with those last few slow gaining 100's).

I've got a set of Hoosiers left from last year that are pretty good. They'll have at least ONE REALLY GOOD session left on them. So I'll save them for the Rose Cup race. Then I'll use them for the Double Regional the following month, and after that it's Toyo's and ThunderHill for the West Coast Honda Challenge over Labor Day.

This will be the least I've driven in 5 years...and it really hurts. But I'm committed to making the most of the few dates I will drive.

I really hope that we get a good turnout at ThunderHill - it could be the informal H-T/WCHC Runoff. And from what I've seen of the plan there will be ALOT of time on track for a race weekend, and that's not even counting open practice on Thursday.

By the way, about arguing about dampers. I'm no expert, but I've noticed that everyone who's gone to the trouble of learning about them has an opinion...usually strongly defended because of the amount of effort required to learn about them. I've had people tell me that Moton's and JRZ's were "nothing special". I've heard KONI slammed for being unsophisticated. I've heard Ohlins described as being a dead-end mousetrap of complexity. There is an element of driver preference that can cloud impressions as well. Some drivers like a relatively simple linear compression curve. Others need a digressive curve to feel comfortable. Then there are variations in preference at front and rear. And we can't even go into subjects like percent critical at the base of the nose - I can't at least. Most of this type of evaluation requires a massive testing budget and an extremely competent and consistent driver. Discussion of such matters is rather pointless most of time around here.

Lee Grimes is trying to do right by the board, and we're lucky he's decided to contribute. But there are limits to what education can be delivered here. I'm obliged to protect the Mugen N1 curves I have, but I can acknowledge that in a sense "they are nothing special". Neither are they hopelessly inappropriate. I still maintain that if they were good enough for Pierre they are good enough for me. Would I like to test some Motons or Koni 2822's - you bet. Am I capable of generating clear questions and answers? I suspect not. And I'd hate to become one of those mediocre drivers with lots of money and a large crew helping me to chase my tail.

Well, that's some of what's on my mind today. I've kinda fallen out of the habit of writing lately. Probably has something to do with being addicted to news of the war. Now there's a venue for interesting arguments and comparative agitprop.

Scott, who still needs to spend more time in the shop, and less on H-T....

 

You haven't been around?

Gee. I hadn't noticed.
Wheeeeeeee!!!

 

I too have spent less time here, well, sometimes..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RR98ITR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">...I really hope that we get a good turnout at ThunderHill - it could be the informal H-T/WCHC Runoff. And from what I've seen of the plan there will be ALOT of time on track for a race weekend, and that's not even counting open practice on Thursday.....</TD></TR></TABLE>

Stay tuned...more to follow.

Glad to see you back in action. (considering all the hamberger talk that's been going on!)

 

I only just recently did the "CRX Lee == Lee Grimes" math. Now THIS is a guy we want lurking on the board.

Scott, I partially envy you and partially pity you, equal parts both. I *want* to know all this stuff, but would rather just turn the fronts to full soft, the rears to full stiff, and drive the car...

 

When in doubt, turn the rears all the way up.
If they're already all the way up, put in stiffer springs.

What else do you need to know?
Dyno Schmyno. Drive the damned car!!!

Wheeeeee!!!

 

You know that that's about 90-95% of it on these stupid cars. But, there is the promise (all to often just the promise though) of getting that last 5-10 percent if you try a little less rebound, or a little less compression, over maybe more of one or both, within some small band of velocity, on a particular track, at particular conditons, on such and such a tire. I could keep going but you get the point.

If we can just find a decently fast driveable balance WE ARE HAPPY. I really dislike fighting for my life as I kill off the outside front. My FWD racing wet dream involves a car that is balanced at both low and high speed for the whole length of the race. I think I've actually lived that out once or twice. Uh-Uh-UhhhHHHHHH.

Scott, who has high hopes for the new LSD...I figure that by spinning the inside front in PIR's RH T1-2, I've overheated the surface which then becomes the outside front for T3 which then gives me unsatisfactory grip...it's just a theory...everybody has understeer problems in T3...and everybody works on it because it's worth alot...

 

I agree with the set it and forget it and drive the wheels off of it theory.

If you spend all your time worrying about setup, shock settings, alignment, tire temps, weight balance, fuel load, fuel/timing map, etc, etc.... i think for an inexperienced driver (i.e. me) this will just make them more inconsistant, making it even harder to gauge improvement.

Sure there are some things i wish my integra did 'better' but i'm still learning, and still just having fun. I'm not going to dump a ton of money into it to solve one problem and create 3 others.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by .RJ &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I agree with the set it and forget it and drive the wheels off of it theory.

If you spend all your time worrying about setup, shock settings, alignment, tire temps, weight balance, fuel load, fuel/timing map, etc, etc.... i think for an inexperienced driver (i.e. me) this will just make them more inconsistant, making it even harder to gauge improvement.

Sure there are some things i wish my integra did 'better' but i'm still learning, and still just having fun. I'm not going to dump a ton of money into it to solve one problem and create 3 others.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The hard part for me is learning how to "test" instead of changing my driving to try to make the new setup work better.