Friday night I installed Tokico Illuminas and set them at level 3 front and rear. Today I decided to push the car a little bit (don't worry, private road). I took a long 90º right-hand turn at about 60-65mph. Part way through the turn the rear tires broke loose a little bit (with the front wheel still turned) and when they gained grip again the car launched into the turn. I was able to maintain control of the car, but I was shocked that the rear tires broke loose so easily... The car didn't do this before the shocks.

I thought the stiffer springs in front and the softer springs in the rear would lead to understeer and maintain rear grip in the tires. Do I have the shocks set too stiff for the springs in the rear?

Also, I had the car aligned after the shocks were installed. The camber in the front is -1.7L/-1.8R. I'm fine with that, but I have a problem with the rear... -.5L/-1.4R. I'm wondering if the difference in rear camber is what's causing the problems. The car seems to be lowered evenly all the way around (about a one figner gap), so I don't know why it's so far off. What's the best way to go about fixing this (camber kit, washer trick...)? I don't mind negative camber, I just want it to be equal from side to side.

The car is a 2000 LS with Ground Control coilovers (the standard 380F/250Rish spring rates), front and rear strut bars, rear tie bar (I know, the bars just make the chassis stiffer and don't affect oversteer/understeer), stock swaybars (for now), and 205/40/17 Yokohama Parada Spec-2's

I've read through the articles on team-integra.net and now I'm kinda stuck. I appreciate any help. Thanks!


Modified by Duranged at 11:32 PM 3/23/2004

 

That rear camber is suspicious. Something is out of whack there. But the main reason that you oversteered is your driving.

 

I figured my driving had something to do with it. someone suggested a bent rear lca. it's something I'll have to look into. also, I checked the stiffness of the shocks again, one of the rears was on 4 and the other was on 5. I never touched them, but who knows. my brother played with the car too. that could be part of the problem as well.

 

Maybe you used the break or lifted off the throttle mid corner. If you lift off the throttle in the middle of the corner your weight moves to the front and lifts off the rear tires. not in the air but for a seccond your rear weighs a lot less and you get a tremendous amt of traction on the fronts. Same if you breaked mid corner. The weight moves from benig equal or more in the back if you were accelerating and quickly moves to the front wheels. Thats probably why you drifted out. Always in a corner keep your foot on the throttle and dont break hard. Trail break if you have to.

Try this experiment. Go around a corner foot on the throttle, Lift off the throttle verry fast right before the apex. and watch your car spin out. Or drive straight and lift off the throttle. your car jerks forward. less traction on the rear.