I am looking to accomplish the following:

1. Lower the car ~.5-1.0 inch (wheel gap is too large for my taste).

2. Improve handling for autocross use. I am not very competitive (don't make it out to every event), I just want to close the gap in times with others I hang with at the events.

I have been autoXing for the past 2 years (911 cabriolet). This past weekend was the first time in the new S! I actually was able to hang with several modded Sti's that by brother and his friends all drive , but I was dissapointed by the understeer in the slow/tight corners.
Part of this may be due to my being use to the very ass heavy 911????
Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

1) Lowering the car won't improve times and immediately bumps you into even more competitive classes.

2) Attend an autocross driver's school (local or Evolution). Lots of seat time, personal instruction, etc.

Understeer from an S is one of two things - 1) entering the turn too fast and trying to defeat physics by whipping the wheel over and/or 2) alignment.

Brake in a straight line and turn smoothly and at the proper time - the driver's school will help immensely with this. Make sure the alignment has some negative camber on the front. The stock U.S. spec for '00-'03s is -0.5 degrees on the front - increase to -1.0 (to minimize street wear on the inside of the tires) or -1.5 degrees for best performance. You still can't beat physics but the extra camber will help the fronts bite in heavy turns.

 

You can also use trail braking to minimize understeer. Lay on the gas slightly before or on the apex to bring the rear around.

Oh, and it's too bad about the fender gap. I feel the same about how it looks to big but I am not going to do anything about it since I want to stay in Bstock and since it works so well anyway.

 

Trail braking with the typical 225f/245r tires (both Kumho and Hoosier) can land you in big trouble - can we say "s-i-d-e-w-a-y-s?" Keeping the pointy end in front can be a problem with trail braking and only 0.5" difference in the widths...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by jguerdat
Trail braking with the typical 225f/245r tires (both Kumho and Hoosier) can land you in big trouble - can we say "s-i-d-e-w-a-y-s?"

 

jguerdat-

Driving school would have a minimal effect for me. IMO

I think I am just very use to the very tail happy 911 and the S was kinda a strange ride for me this weekend. I think that I will play with the neg camber up front and a front strut bar and see what happens. A better set of tires would also help.

I realize that lowering the car would change classes, but as I stated, I am only looking to have bragging rights on my brothers car so it really won't bother me to be classed differently. I just don't like the high ride height and wheel gap.

Any ideas on springs or coilovers. I have read in other posts that the stock shocks are actually very good compared to anything aftermarket.

 

You should be racing in F1, then!!

 

if anyone thinks that a driving school won't help, I hope you are turning lap times close to the equivalent class records... I've been doing track days for 8 years now, and have probably 120 days on the track, and still find ways to improve. And, yes, I am an instructor.

The stock shocks suck. The first suspension upgrade I would do is shocks. The konis are ok with stock springs, but if you have the coin, get the single adjustable JRZs. for an 00-03, a big front sway bar is a good idea, as well.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by payneinthe

 

^ don't you hate that?