This is an archived forum community. It's currently closed to new memberships.
ElantraClub - for all generations

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

 Forum Rules Overview
5 Pages V   1 2 3 > »   
Reply to this topicStart new topic
> Yeah someone does autocross Elantras still, me
cobas
post Aug 27 2011, 02:06 PM
Post #1 | Print


Nanomember
Group Icon
Group: Lifetimer
Posts: 7,787
Posts Per Day: 1.11
Thanks Received: 57
Trader Stats: 2 (100%)
Joined: 27-January 05
From: College Park, MD
Member No.: 106
Mood: Blah


I did my first autocross today, hurricane Irene notwithstanding. It was with a local driving club my mechanic told me about. A bit cheaper than SCCA, this was only $40 per event, and that got me 6 runs about 50 seconds each. $40 for under 6 minutes of racing is expensive on a per-minute basis but you hang out with a bunch of gearheads for 5 hours and watch some nice cars get tossed around a cone track. And free drinks and $2 hotdogs.

I was thinking they might cancel the event due to rain... nope, we just raced in moderate rain. Some people liked racing in the rain, particularly new people (it makes for earlier skidding and lower-speed mistakes) and the AWD drivers. I knew an '03 Hyundai Elantra would be an underdog at a racing event but wow, those were some quick cars. The other slowest-looking cars were an old Neon and an even older GTI. The rest were Minis, Miatas, S2000s, WRXs, Evos, Corvettes... even two AC Cobras. We pitied them because it was raining, they had 400hp RWD cars and no roofs. I haven't looked at the results yet, I focused on trying to be smooth and not hit any cones, which I didn't. I was told the inside rear wheel was half a foot of the ground in tight corners. I know my lap times were about 55 seconds, then 53, 54, 54, 52 and 52, which is a nice progression. One of the 54's was with the A/C on and surprisingly one of the 52s was also with the A/C on (it was fogging up quickly between runs). Most people were in the 48-49 range, albeit with faster cars.

My problem was mainly hand position on the steering wheel and looking only 2 sets of cones ahead instead of 3. The car's problem was mostly low speed understeer. The faster curves around 30mph+ were not badly balanced, but the slow 10mph hairpins it just plowed if I carried too much speed.

Attached File  6087039673_57e71b089f_b.jpg ( 340.08K ) Number of downloads: 13
Attached File  6087582678_1784cbdb41_b.jpg ( 298.63K ) Number of downloads: 11


--------------------

Help keep ElantraClub running and free for all Elantra owners: Donate.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
bhorste
post Aug 27 2011, 02:15 PM
Post #2 | Print


Resident Guitar Guru
Group Icon
Group: Leader
Posts: 3,734
Posts Per Day: 0.65
Thanks Received: 437
Trader Stats: 4 (100%)
Joined: 28-May 08
From: South Lyon, MI
Member No.: 6,125
Mood: Pensive


Excellent. Did you remember to bump up your tire pressures before you ran and back down after? That helps a bit with the understeer (as much as you can with FWD and not putting a bunch of toe-out in the back). Hands at 3 and 9 as much as possible, and -- unless the course dictates otherwise -- run 1st gear up, pop 2nd and plant your left foot on the dead pedal. If you were getting the inside rear up, you were doing something right. smile.gif I used to get both inside tires up (or so I've been told) on my ancient old Festiva back when I could run. Won a couple of regional championships with it too.


--------------------

-Ben
'03 GT, and a proud Lifetimer
'14 Ford Fiesta SE

http://www.lagerhaus5.com
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
slowgls
post Aug 27 2011, 04:45 PM
Post #3 | Print


That Guy..
Group Icon
Group: Leader
Posts: 6,687
Posts Per Day: 1.18
Thanks Received: 724
Trader Stats: 16 (100%)
Joined: 20-September 08
From: Neenah, WI
Member No.: 6,539
Mood: Thankful


Very awesome!!! Did you get any video? I autox my j2 this year in the rain and it was a blast. Nothing like fwd drift to make people laugh.


--------------------


"This may be true but it is a chrysler sebring which is synonomous with being a p.o.s. car. Personally I gotta say it's getting
really tiring having to clean off the sopping wet panties from my Hyundai Elantra every morning. Bitches love Hyundais."

"Sometimes you wonder how the sperm that made that idiot was the fastest swimmer. . . Must've had a "race motor" in it with nass under the hood. . . " - Alex2013gt
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
only1db
post Aug 27 2011, 05:12 PM
Post #4 | Print


Elantra Guru
Group Icon
Group: Members
Posts: 2,710
Posts Per Day: 0.41
Thanks Received: 59
Trader Stats: 0 (0%)
Joined: 21-March 06
From: Hackettstown, NJ
Member No.: 2,023
Mood: Accomplished


with some negative camber dialed in and a larger rear bar (like my whiteline at 22mm) it almost takes care of that slow understeer stuff....

you can throttle in lift and tap the brake and the rear rotates...gas out.


--------------------

Silver Certified Hyundai Tech turned Sonographer...and blogger?? check it out! All Things Hyundai!

Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Bobzilla
post Aug 27 2011, 05:22 PM
Post #5 | Print


Proud GLT Owner
Group Icon
Group: Lifetimer
Posts: 21,140
Posts Per Day: 3.04
Thanks Received: 633
Trader Stats: 3 (100%)
Joined: 11-March 05
From: Brownsburg, IN
Member No.: 532
Mood: Hyper


Congrats. There are days I miss driving porky at the auto-xs.

Couple quick suggestions for the plowing, bump rear tire pressure 10 psi over the fronts. Remember the car can only handle one thing at once. Brake OR turn OR accelerate. Being as heavy it is with so much weight on the noise and narrow tires they really benefit from braking a hair early turning in then getting back on the gas. You're pulling the rear tire off the ground so more rear bar is pointless. The best thing you could get now would be seat time for the "Driver mod".


--------------------

Founding Member of the Indiana Chapter of the Teeny Weeny Club for Secure Adult Males

"Drag racing is for fast cars, and autocrossing is for fast drivers" -Toecutter
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
cobas
post Aug 27 2011, 05:32 PM
Post #6 | Print


Nanomember
Group Icon
Group: Lifetimer
Posts: 7,787
Posts Per Day: 1.11
Thanks Received: 57
Trader Stats: 2 (100%)
Joined: 27-January 05
From: College Park, MD
Member No.: 106
Mood: Blah


No video or photos yet. Unless someone else posts them on the local club forum.
I did pump the tires to 38psi front, 36psi rear... wow, really 10psi higher? Ok. It was basically an entirely second-gear course. First gear might've helped me exit some slow corners faster but everyone said just keep it in 2nd, so I did.
I have the Tib sway bar and -1.5 camber everywhere except front right (a shop screwed that up and I haven't adjusted it, sigh). I guess that might account for some of the understeer on the left-handers.


--------------------

Help keep ElantraClub running and free for all Elantra owners: Donate.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Bobzilla
post Aug 27 2011, 06:34 PM
Post #7 | Print


Proud GLT Owner
Group Icon
Group: Lifetimer
Posts: 21,140
Posts Per Day: 3.04
Thanks Received: 633
Trader Stats: 3 (100%)
Joined: 11-March 05
From: Brownsburg, IN
Member No.: 532
Mood: Hyper


I always ran approximately 30-32 up front and 40-44 out back. Reading your tiresis reallyimportant for figurin tire pressures. The rears are just along for the ride so pumping them up to the point that you get oversteer then back off a little is a good start. The fronts are more important. You want them to be soft enough to grip but not so soft that you roll off the tread. As longas you're scrubbing the fronts down to the bottom of the side tread you have enough pressure. If you're not getting down off the top you have too much pressure.

What's nice is that this as ice works for pretty much all fwd cars. Rwd is a bit different.

I hope that helps.


--------------------

Founding Member of the Indiana Chapter of the Teeny Weeny Club for Secure Adult Males

"Drag racing is for fast cars, and autocrossing is for fast drivers" -Toecutter
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
elantragt
post Aug 27 2011, 07:27 PM
Post #8 | Print


Club Founder
Group Icon
Group: Admin
Posts: 21,359
Posts Per Day: 3.04
Thanks Received: 2809
Trader Stats: 16 (100%)
Joined: 23-December 04
From: Maryland
Member No.: 1
Mood: Okay


Sounds awesome Enrique.

Next time, pics and/or videos, ok? cool.gif


--------------------


Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
SWortham
post Aug 29 2011, 01:43 PM
Post #9 | Print


Countersteer forever
Group Icon
Group: Lifetimer
Posts: 1,948
Posts Per Day: 0.29
Thanks Received: 11
Trader Stats: 0 (0%)
Joined: 28-October 05
From: Colorado Springs, CO
Member No.: 1,561
Mood: Indescribable


Sweet. Fun, isn't it?

QUOTE (cobas @ Aug 27 2011, 01:06 PM) *
My problem was mainly hand position on the steering wheel and looking only 2 sets of cones ahead instead of 3.

Those two things are critical and it's good you recognize them as problems. Fortunately you can practice both of those things during daily driving. It's not quite the same thing when driving slowly, but it still helps.

I force myself to shuffle steer all the time instead of hand-over-hand, hooking the wheel, or any other bad habits. If you can break those habits on the street, then it'll just come naturally at an autocross.

Looking ahead is pretty self-explanatory. I think we all develop a habit of not looking very far ahead because you really don't need to when driving the speed limit around town. It is deceptively difficult to train yourself to do, and it becomes more difficult the faster you go. But it is something you can correct with practice.


--------------------

Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
Bobzilla
post Aug 29 2011, 02:06 PM
Post #10 | Print


Proud GLT Owner
Group Icon
Group: Lifetimer
Posts: 21,140
Posts Per Day: 3.04
Thanks Received: 633
Trader Stats: 3 (100%)
Joined: 11-March 05
From: Brownsburg, IN
Member No.: 532
Mood: Hyper


What steve said. I have a bad habit of driving the truck one handed and "spinning" the wheel with a finger. Growing up with trucks as my DD a lot it was a really bad habit I had gotten into. Now I shuffle steer and practice looking ahead constantly. It makes the daily slog a little more entertaining.


--------------------

Founding Member of the Indiana Chapter of the Teeny Weeny Club for Secure Adult Males

"Drag racing is for fast cars, and autocrossing is for fast drivers" -Toecutter
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
bhorste
post Aug 29 2011, 05:48 PM
Post #11 | Print


Resident Guitar Guru
Group Icon
Group: Leader
Posts: 3,734
Posts Per Day: 0.65
Thanks Received: 437
Trader Stats: 4 (100%)
Joined: 28-May 08
From: South Lyon, MI
Member No.: 6,125
Mood: Pensive


There's not really anything wrong with hand-over-hand, just so long as you keep track of where straight is. Most of the time you shouldn't even need to take your hands off the wheel, unless it's a tight hairpin.


--------------------

-Ben
'03 GT, and a proud Lifetimer
'14 Ford Fiesta SE

http://www.lagerhaus5.com
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
1 members thank bhorste for this post
slowgls
cobas
post Aug 29 2011, 07:32 PM
Post #12 | Print


Nanomember
Group Icon
Group: Lifetimer
Posts: 7,787
Posts Per Day: 1.11
Thanks Received: 57
Trader Stats: 2 (100%)
Joined: 27-January 05
From: College Park, MD
Member No.: 106
Mood: Blah


Got the lap times: 60.85, 54.86, 55.14, 55.53, 52.70 and 52.25. I like the tendency there.

My first lap was just about the worst lap of the day, predictably enough.
However my best lap, 52.25 was not the worst... It was 7th slowest, ahead of two Miatas, an '03 Civic Si, a 318ti, a 64 Austin Healey and a dude in a '65 Cobra who was... not trying.

Oh I forgot all my laps were very wet. The first heat in the morning actually got some dry laps in. Everyone dropped 2 or 3 seconds in the wet, even the '06 STI: 44.69, 45.38, 44.52+1... then 47.2+1, 47.02, 47.68.

Among the wet laps... my best was that 52.25 last one. Thats's sixth-worst in the wet, and within one second of 4 other drivers. Not that I'm obsessing or getting competiive already... I'm not even going to save the spreadsheet, see? I don't care.


--------------------

Help keep ElantraClub running and free for all Elantra owners: Donate.
Go to the top of the page
 
+Quote Post
5 Pages V   1 2 3 > » 
Reply to this topicStart new topic
2 user(s) are reading this topic (2 guests and 0 anonymous Users)
0 Members:


Collapse

> Similar Topics

  Topic Replies Topic Starter Views Last Action
No New Posts Still steering wheel.. help~
7 Donovan 14,430 21st June 2017 - 07:18 AM
Last post by: elantraelite
No new Still too few Elantras
84 mkaresh 76,304 21st October 2016 - 01:16 PM
Last post by: mkaresh
No New Posts Topic has attachmentsAutocrossed today with an 03 GT...
lulz
9 RPW00Mirage 7,715 24th August 2015 - 09:02 PM
Last post by: 2000J25SP
No New Posts Does the 'Eco Button' really help?
5 JeffAWard 8,817 24th June 2015 - 11:51 AM
Last post by: Morsel
No New Posts Autocross
18 ElMurcielago 22,598 26th May 2015 - 04:02 PM
Last post by: Bobzilla


 



Copyright 2022 The Elantra Club    
Time is now: 29th March 2024 - 02:11 AM
Elantra Club is not affiliated in any way with Hyundai Motor America