I drove a stock(had just an exhaust I think) 02 RSX base model with an auto tranny at NOPI. They had a autocross course set up to test different tires. Well, I was totally amazed at how well it handled, it had nothing to do with the tires either. Driving through a slalom and long sweeping turns the car had a little oversteer, it was such a pleasant change over my teg. When the RSX started sliding it’s back end around I would just gas it and point the car where I wanted it to go and it went. Don’t get me wrong, this car was slower than my car off the line but I’ve spent about $1500 on my suspension and my car still understeers. What can I do about it? Please help because I used to think my car could handle well even though it wasn’t very quick off the line but since driving the RSX I’ve found myself searching through the parts trader, ebay, and the local classifieds looking for a replacement. Do I just need different tires? Stiffer rear sway bar? What?
My suspension so far:
H&R sport springs (1.8" drop front and rear)
Koni Sport shocks (yellows)
Kumho ecsta 712 tires on 16" ADR DTM rims
Suspension Techniques front and rear anti-sway bars
Possibly the front swaybar is throwing you off if you want the oversteer. But then again it is probably more than that. Have you tried it with the stock front and the ST rear?
Yeah if i’m not mistaken those springs have spring rates that induce understeer. This can be fixed quite well by stiffening up the rear shocks and softening the fronts.
Also ditch that front sway. Tire pressures are key too, higher in back for more oversteer.
If you’re still game, I am going to be putting my new suspension equipment on whenever I can get a few hours out of my schedule. If you want, we can try and do a set up on both cars and see if we can dial some understeer out(I would start with the front sway bar and/or spring rates on your car).
Originally posted by GSR01 If you’re still game, I am going to be putting my new suspension equipment on whenever I can get a few hours out of my schedule. If you want, we can try and do a set up on both cars and see if we can dial some understeer out(I would start with the front sway bar and/or spring rates on your car).
You would’ve loved the setup they had at Nopi. I wish I could’ve driven some of them (driven all but one of them anyway), but I didn’t have anyone to hold my stuff while I went through the cones. Didn’t figure they’d let me just throw my camera/etc. in the car with me and didn’t trust them to hold it for me either. They had an IS, RSX, WRX (right Eric?) and maybe one other car. Still would’ve been fun to push them through the cones. I kept seeing people stopping outside the finish box, time and again. You’d think someone would’ve caught on by the end of the day. :think:
Those RSX’s are handling machines. At the last auto-x a dood with a brand new one turned a lap time only 2 seconds slower than my fastest time and he had stock tires and no auto-x experience.
For your suspension I would suggest getting some coilovers like skunks or something and flipping the springs front to back. It made a huge difference on eddy’s handling, the handling is pretty much neutral now (I need/want an HF front sway, ssmaller).
Thanks for the input guys. I realize the front sway bar probably gives me some understeer but I’m not about to take it off and put the stock back on. I’d rather save up and buy a stiffer rear sway bar. But for now, I haven’t raced on the yellows yet so I think I will try stiffening up the rears and messing with tire pressures( higher PSI in rear induces oversteer?). Also, would I be better off with a lighter or heavier rear? I can either have an almost empty tank and no spare tire or jacking stuff or I can leave that stuff in and have a half tank or full tank, which would give me better handling? And I know that the spring rates on the h&r sports suck(340/186:shock: ), maybe some neuspeed sports or races are in my future(or should be).
Stephen, give me a weekend to come down. The Petit Le Mans is the weekend of the 12th. Can you wait that long? I’d like to watch one of these races at Road Atlanta.
J, which cars did you drive? They had two each of the RSX, IS 300 and WRX, one with BF Goodrich tires and the other with the competitor’s tires. I drove both RSX’s and couldn’t tell a difference between tires but both drove very nicely IMO. I didn’t have time to drive the other two, just imagine how long the wait would be to drive another person’s cars full out for free.:burnout:
Originally posted by whiteyg2RS
[B]Tneuspeed sports or races are in my future(or should be).
Stephen, give me a weekend to come down. The Petit Le Mans is the weekend of the 12th. Can you wait that long? I’d like to watch one of these races at Road Atlanta.
J, which cars did you drive? They had two each of the RSX, IS 300 and WRX, one with BF Goodrich tires and the other with the competitor’s tires. I drove both RSX’s and couldn’t tell a difference between tires but both drove very nicely IMO. I didn’t have time to drive the other two, just imagine how long the wait would be to drive another person’s cars full out for free.:burnout: [/B]
What weekend is good for you(and for that matter, Jordan and who ever else I talked to). I don’t know if I will want to wait until Petit to put them on. It depends. It isn’t going to be a hard install. It may take a couple hours at most. I think doing the setup after the install is going to take longer than the install itself. As for Petit Lemans, I am definitely going. If everything goes like last year, I will be camping out Friday night with a bunch of friends from gt motorsports by turn 5, and sleeping in my car. Then on raceday, I will be doing some volunteer work in the pits for about 3 hours and then enjoying the rest of the race.
what is it called when youre turning but the front tires just slide in the direction of the car? when i added the front s/t sway it did this less and i got better traction up front, so i dont want to go back to a stock front either.
Originally posted by whiteyg2RS ( higher PSI in rear induces oversteer?)
No. If I’m not mistaken the higher the tire pressures the lower your slip angle is. You want your rear slip angle to be larger than the front for less understeer so that would be higher in the front and lower in the rear. I’d start at 40f and 30-35r and go from there.
Originally posted by GSR01 What weekend is good for you(and for that matter, Jordan and who ever else I talked to). I don’t know if I will want to wait until Petit to put them on. It depends. It isn’t going to be a hard install. It may take a couple hours at most. I think doing the setup after the install is going to take longer than the install itself. As for Petit Lemans, I am definitely going. If everything goes like last year, I will be camping out Friday night with a bunch of friends from gt motorsports by turn 5, and sleeping in my car. Then on raceday, I will be doing some volunteer work in the pits for about 3 hours and then enjoying the rest of the race.
Let me know when you and Eric can do it, and I’ll attempt to work something out. I wish I could go to Petit, but that $65 ticket isn’t that appealing.
Originally posted by B17A Let me know when you and Eric can do it, and I’ll attempt to work something out. I wish I could go to Petit, but that $65 ticket isn’t that appealing.
I don’t know how long I can wait with these things sitting in my dormroom. I might end up putting them on Sunday, the one day I don’t have school or FSAE. If either of you could make it that day that would be great. Also, if it works out, I wouldn’t mind meeting somewhere in the middle so if Eric comes, he doesn’t have to drive all the way to Atlanta again. After all, both of you, especially Jordan, have gone out of your way for me in the past. If you guys can’t make it, that is fine also. I am more than capable of installing springs and dampers. However, it would go alot faster, and I would value your input while I am trying to dial the car in.
I’ve been meaning to upgrade my sway bars with ST ones. The question is do I want both or just the rear? I do occasionally go to the autocross events and would like to get rid of as much of my nasty understeer as possible. Oh and if it matters, I am running sportlines on tokiko illumina’s. Any suggestions are appreciated.
I just put ST bushings on all my control arms, and the front sway bar bushings and shock bushings (and shifter – the full Hyperflex kit)
Huge difference in handling. Waaay more responsive.
Also, if you’re wondering about the slight oversteer in the RSX, they have kind of a passive rear-wheel steering (similar to the old Preludes). My brother’s got one (base model) and even on those horrible 15" michelins, he had a very respectable time. His Rota Sub-zero’s came this week, so we’ll see how much more that helps
Originally posted by Ben Ogle
[B]
For your suspension I would suggest getting some coilovers like skunks or something and flipping the springs front to back. It made a huge difference on eddy’s handling, the handling is pretty much neutral now (I need/want an HF front sway, ssmaller).
Ben [/B]
I’m running skunks now and I have the heavier rate springs in the front, now if I switch it around would it be a noticeble difference? Would it just dial out some understeer I don’t really want the car to oversteer at all.
Originally posted by whiteyg2RS Also, would I be better off with a lighter or heavier rear? I can either have an almost empty tank and no spare tire or jacking stuff or I can leave that stuff in and have a half tank or full tank, which would give me better handling?
I’m really curious about these things. Can someone give me some insight? TIA.
Also, if you’re wondering about the slight oversteer in the RSX, they have kind of a passive rear-wheel steering (similar to the old Preludes). My brother’s got one (base model) and even on those horrible 15" michelins, he had a very respectable time. His Rota Sub-zero’s came this week, so we’ll see how much more that helps
Umm passive rear wheel steering? when did this happen? or show me something in text pertaining to this and i will believe it. I own an RSX and nowhere do i see anything about this passive rear wheel steering you speak off. IMO the car is just well balanced.
You might think about swapping that ST rear sway for a stiffer Progress bar. I have both ST’s and this is what I’m planning to do eventually… the car definately understeers with both bars. I had just the rear on my old teg, and while both bars is better for reducing body roll, the rear bar alone will give you more oversteer. A lot of people were surprised at just how much overster my old teg had with the rear ST bar… I slid the rear end out a couple times before I relearned how to drive the car… but once I got the feel for the increased oversteer it was great.
