Greetings all. I'm contemplating a switch from STS to DSP, and was curious if any of you could share some insight as to setup, etc. This is what I'm currently running, with above average success.

89 Integra (DA1)
25mm torsion bars
325# springs in rear
OTS Konis
3/4" rear sway
poly bushings
195/60R14 ES100s or Falkens (depending on my mood )
I/H/E

Car is VERY well balanced, and a blast to drive. Toe settings haven't been checked with an alignment machine, so that's one area that could be fine tuned. Aside from R-tires, what else do you recommend to jump to DSP? TIA.

 

Nationally DSP is a tough class. Consider you best STS time, then subtract 5-7 seconds for the best national DSP time. I think it'll take more than stiffer spring, trany work, and R tires, the driver as always is the one who makes the difference.

 

I'll have to say I ran a set of DOT R tires last event and what a hoot! I forgot how much more grip you have with a set of Rs

But locally depending on your region you will be slaughtered with your setup. I know with my Rs I was 2-3 seconds slower than the other guys who regularly run DSP (would have placed 4th or 5th). Whereas I place 1st consistently in STS

 

In SP like all the other classes tires are the most important thing so dont just get tires mounted on your rims I would suggest you get some 13x8s with kumbos or hoosier. Then after that get a limited slip. Since youve been doin good in STS you must know how to drive smooth so i think you should have no problem once you get use to the r compound tires andd no inside tire spin.

 

There have been some instances where my times in STS would have taken DSP. That doesn't say much for DSP here in my home region though... At the last event, I was only 7 tenths off of the winning time in DSP. I think by just going to R tires I could be very successful on the local level, but the divisional/national level is another story.

Speaking of wheel/tire choices... I was thinking of going with 205/50s mounted on some 15x7s. Good? Bad? I have a good source to get some relatively inexpensive R tires, (I work for Yokohama). Would 215/50R13 A032R be a better choice?

 

after going from sts to fsp a few years ago, I really wish I had not. The increased costs for tires, along with having to change tires twice at each event just dosent seem to be worth the extra couple seconds. all IMO

 

It's a tough call because moving from STS to DSP requires your car to be less streetable and more money out of your pocket. Limited Slip and R compounds are a must.

Do I regret switching from STS to DSP. Nope. Not only is my car much more fun to drive then it ever was is STS, I have learned a lot driving with some of the top drivers in our region who happen to be in DSP.

I would ask yourself, do I have the money to blow? and are there other good drivers in your region in DSP that you can learn from?

 

Changing tires is not an issue for me, as I already do that for STS. DSP in my home region isn't as competitive as STS is, so learning from a fellow DSP competitor would be a rare occasion.

On a side note - Does anyone know an online source for some 13x8 wheels? I tried Keizer and various other places. Apparently the website for Diamond Racing is down at the moment...

 

Nationally, at least juding by last year results, STS is about as fast as DS ITRs. STS is also only about 3.5 sec slower than DSP over 2 days. So on an average 50sec course figure about 2 sec... That's just FYI and has no bearing on your regional reality.

Now as for your current setup vs. a DSP setup. What seems like a good setup with relatively soft springs/TBs and on less sticky Azenis or ES100s, may become quickly overwhelmed with stickier r-compounds and you may find yourself on the bumpstops quite often. If you are serious about building the Teg to DSP, start planning on going to 27 or even 29mm TBs for the front and somewhere north of 500 for the rear. Revalving and shortening the OTS Konis for autox would be a good idea also. Talk to Lee from Koni, he'll guide you in the right direction, since i'm sure he has plenty of experience with the 84-87 Civic/CRX chassis.

As others have mentiones, 13" wheels are a must as are some sticky tires. The 215-50-13 A032s would be a great tire regionally. 235-45-13 K6A Kumhos are awesome as well, but of course Hoosiers still rule. The DA1 Teg has very decent gearing for auto-x and good power in stock form. And especially with the 13" wheels, will just smoke the inside tire coming outta corners. An LSD is a must. Leave the engine for last...

As for most, i'm sure budget is allways an issue so I would suggest you do the upgrades in following order:

1. 13" wheels R-tires
2. LSD
3. Do some weght saving mods such as ditching the AC, getting some lightweight seats. It's also amazing how much improvement you can get in your driving just from a good race seat and some 4-5 point harnesses, since you can actually concentrate on driving instead of trying to brace yourself in order to stay in place inside the car.
3. Front TBs and rear springs
4. Revalved Konis
5. Engine, max overbore, rebuilt and blueprinted, scrap the stock fuel delivery and switch to ITBs or dual Webber carbs. I'm sure a properly built and tuned DSP DOHC d16a1 can make 130-135whp, but it will cost $$$

Although the G1 teg maybe down substantially on power compared to the GSR and has a crappier suspension, it weighs a good 350lbs less and if built to the limit, can even compete nationally with the right driver.

Good luck and have fun...

 

Thanks for the tips John. I've already invested in a seat and Schroth harness, however I could go with a matching passenger seat...

I definitely plan on adding an LSD, and beefing up the suspension. 27 or 29 bars might be a bit difficult to source though, especially ones made to fit the Integra, rather than the Civic/CRX. Changing the rear spring would be pretty simple though. As far as engine work, that'll definitely have to wait. I most likely won't switch to DSP until I get a second car in the garage. This will make working on the car much easier, not having to rely on it to get me to work the next day.

 

You can get the 29mm TB's to fit if you take the Civic TB tubes and put them on your car. If it were my money, I'd be looking for some 650 rear springs with some custom valved Koni's as well as everything listed above. Good luck.

 

SP rules dictate that suspension mounting points have to remain in the stock locations, no? If that's the case, then the shorter Civic/CRX torsion bars won't work. I tried that previously with 23mm CRX bars and swapped them out in favor of the Lightspeeds. (That rule would have bumped me out of STS...)

 

Unless you put the tubes in a different location, they are mounting at the same points. The only difference is the length of the tube...

 

Right, and because of the shorter tube, the end cap on the torque tube won't mount to the stock mounting location. Some sort of custom fab is needed, whatever that may be. I've gone through that before, and don't care to do it again...

 

End cap = unnecessary, extra weight, superfluous, even...

 

If you're looking to take home some victiories, then move on up to DSP. You've been to some TSCC events, and you know that the STS times always run faster than DSP. I'm guessing that's how it is in your region also. That's just how our local scene is. But if you like a challenge, then stay in STS

It'll save you some money too.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TougeMonkey &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">and you know that the STS times always run faster than DSP.
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What kind of crazy backwards world is this!

If this is the case I would stay in STS, stay where the competition is.

 

On the competiton aspect. If STS is more competitive then I would stay there, what fun is auto-xing without competition. If you're the type of person who is proud after winning an event with about 5 drivers in the class then..............

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by RAB &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you're the type of person who is proud after winning an event with about 5 drivers in the class then.............. </TD></TR></TABLE>

*ahem* depends on which 5 drivers .

 

Ah good point.

 

Yeah, STS is a much more competitive class here in my home region as opposed to DSP. We usually average 6-8 cars in STS, versus 2-3 in DSP on a good day. Sometimes there isn't a single car running DSP...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 89STS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">SP rules dictate that suspension mounting points have to remain in the stock locations, no? If that's the case, then the shorter Civic/CRX torsion bars won't work. I tried that previously with 23mm CRX bars and swapped them out in favor of the Lightspeeds. (That rule would have bumped me out of STS...)

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Wow, damn... I never even tohught about that before. That really sucks, actually.

I'd agree with the others. Stay where the competition is. It will make you a better driver in the long run. 3 people in DSP? Wow... DSP is allways one of our biggest classes here. Like 25 cars this past weekend, including a National trophy winner. Some serious competition going on in that class. But then again our region doesn't even run STS... I've been trying to bring STS here for years and allways get shut down for all kinds of different reason. Anyways... I'm way OT here....

 

I usually have to travel 2-3 hours for decent DSP competition. Seriously if you're looking for local fun then stay where the competition is. It'll make you a better driver in the long run. If you are still set on building a DSP car here is my VERY expensive version of a DSP car... Even with my skills I can get close to the the fast national DSP drivers. Of course, its still a work in progress (and drain on the bank account).

<U>Suspension</U>
• Custom Advance Design DAs
• Eibach Springs 650F/800R
• Comptech 22mm swaybar with tiebar
• Mugen Front Upper strut tower bar
• Toe - 1/8th out Front and 0 Rear
• Camber -3.3 Front and -2.3 Rear
<U>Brakes</U>
• Hawk HP+
<U>Wheels / Tires</U>
• Panasport C8 3-Piece Modulars 13x8.5
• Hoosier A3S03 (225/45/13)
• 16x7 SSR Competitions
• Falken Azenis (215/45/16)
<U>Drive</U>
• Quaife LSD
• 8.5lbs Zex Chromoly Flywheel
• ACT Clutch
<u>Engine</u>
• AEM CAI
• DC Sports 4-2-1 Header (ceramic)
• Thermal R&D Exaust
• TWM ITBs
• Electromotive Engine Management
• Underdrive crap
• No AC
• Hi-Flo Cat
<u>Safety</u>
• Bieffe SA2000 helmet
• Crappy Harness
<u>Misc</u>
• Short Shifter

 

I guess the main reason behind the switch to DSP is the ability to run R-tires. I had the opportunity to run a friend's Civic in HS on a fun run at a recent event, and R-tires are ridiculous, compared to my ES100s. I guess I could always hold off until I get my Mini Cooper, and run that in HS with the R compounds.