If you own an AE92, you probably can't afford to go out and buy a Porsche GT-3, or even a Lotus Elise to go club racing.
An affordable alternative to satisfy your need for speed, learn the limits of your car, and develop useful car control skills is autocross.
The best way to start, is to search for a sports car club in your area, and join up.
From my experience, the more experienced autocrossers are all too willing to share what they have learned, so just ask nicely.
Before you mess with your car, go to the SCCA website and look up the car classes and see what the restrictions are. You can find yourself at the bottom of a very competitive class with what you thought were minor modifications.
http://www.scca.com/hub.aspx?hub=3&I...0&x=050|010&~=
The next thing to do, is check out your car.
Things the tech officer at my club look for are:
*All your lug nuts must be present.
*Battery secure, and positive terminal covered.
*Solid brake feel.
*Solid steering feel.
*No excessive fluid leaks (if your car leaves a puddle on the ground, no go)
Good tires. You quickly learn that cheap all-season tires don't make for good times. You don't need to break the bank for tires, but after you have tried autocrossing a few times, and decide you want to keep at it, you will probably want to look for some good tires for the class you are running. Tires will probably be your greatest expense. I use an all season tire on the street, and have a second set of wheels and tires just for autocross. It seems expensive to do that, but my street tires don't deliver good autocross times, and my autocross tires wouldn't last long on the street.
I had been using Kuhmo tires on the street, and Falken Azenis tires for autocross only.
The Falkens have lasted about two and a half years (9 events each year).
I now use Nitto all seasons on the street and am changing to Nitto NT-01s for autocross.
It is recommended that you run about 8-10 lbs above your street tire pressure.
Good suspension is absolutely necessary. There again you don't need to break the bank. In the stock classes, all you need is good working shocks.
If your shocks are shot, I suggest you upgrade at least to a set of KYB GR-2s. If you can afford it, Koni yellow adjustables are reputed to be the best street/track shocks.
I have used K-Sport pro coil-over shocks, and found their adjustability to be very helpful in setting up my car for competition, but they don't suit me for the street. Too hard.
There again, check the rules befopre you do any modification.
Sway bars are allowed to be added in some classes. They help keep the car from leaning during cornering (body roll) and keeping all four tires gripping the pavement.
You need to know what you are doing with those, or you can throw off the balance of the car.
Stiffer rear sway bar will give you more oversteer, and a stiffer front will give you more understeer.
Oversteer is when the rear of the car wants to go wide, causing the car to want to spin around.
Understeer is when the front wants to go wide, causing the car to want to go straight.
A well balanced front wheel drive car, will want to understeer in fast sweeper corners if you are accellerating, and then want to oversteer if you lift off the throttle. Idealy the amount of understeer and oversteer should be controlable with throttle modulation (throttle steer), and not be violent enough to overwhelm your hand movements.
If your club offers an autocross school, GO TO IT!!!
If not, get a seasoned member to ride with you on the track and give you some pointers and critisizim.
Reply 1 : Autocrossing your AE92
STICKY!
Good info Donald!
Reply 2 : Autocrossing your AE92
has anybody tracked with kumho ecsta xs yet??? some miata guys said its really good..
i'm getting some front tires asap so lmk...
Reply 3 : Autocrossing your AE92
Corollas are in the H Stock (HS) class. Without knowing much about autox, I'm guessing that class is ruled by the Datsun 510.
As Donald touched on, modded cars aren't the way to be competitive in autocross. Keep it stock, make whatever slight changes are allowed by the rules, and have fun. It's about the driver, not the car.
Has anyone besides Donald 'crossed their AE92 yet?
Reply 4 : Autocrossing your AE92
ive been doing it for a few years now. Its a blast if you get alot of time out there, its such a drive for me an i spend alot of time waiting for runs, which is why im building a drift car now to get more driving time..
Like mentioned above, go to the driving schools !! you can gain alot of experience by going to these an having instructor ride alongs ! Well worth the time & money !
autocrossing a car stock is just as fun as a modified car... its all about how competitive you want to be, either way you can throw your car around in a SAFE environment for you an your car & not get into any trouble..
Tires are a huge deal !! i was running all seasons my first year cause thats just what i had... i rode along in another corolla with Falken Azenis & been hooked on those tires ever since, there cheap! they dont wear fast at all & they have amazing grip !!
like donald said, you dont have to break the bank, just get out there an do it, have fun, an slowely progress the mods on your car.. this is my modding broke down
first year
completely stock other then intake, exhaust, header
second year
New wheels with Azenis, 4 point harness, new suspension/wheel bearings, trunk mounted batt
third year
4agze swap !! racing seats. This was probly the best year & most fun ive ever had autocrossing !! the 4agze is a blast on a autox track!!
fourth year
im turbo now & do to issues early in the season i missed my driving schools & havnt been able to get the the track.. ahh well maybe next year !!
~Dan
Reply 5 : Autocrossing your AE92
wider tires = faster times
Reply 6 : Autocrossing your AE92
I've had mine on the track several times..... but the mr2's are much more fun out there.....
though, the rainy, tight course I took the ae92 out on, it did awesome out there....
was running in novice (new to the group) and came in 4th behind an STI, 2000? Miata, and an Evo 9.... there were 24 or so cars in that novice event.
the ae92's are great.... but if you plan to auto-x in a stock class, find a gt-s for sure.
Reply 7 : Autocrossing your AE92
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by jmaz87 
has anybody tracked with kumho ecsta xs yet??? some miata guys said its really good..
i'm getting some front tires asap so lmk... |
They dont have them in my size though (205/50/15)
Reply 8 : Autocrossing your AE92
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Donald
I also have heard that they are good.
They dont have them in my size though (205/50/15) |
http://www.kumhousa.com/Tire_SizeCha...7-2bea0466bd5c
Kumho XSs are great. My girlfriend is running them on her Miata (the same size as you donald
) and I've driven it a few times and really liked them, next season I will be switching from Falken Azenis on the rx-7 to Kumho XSs (and they have the right size for me 275/40/17 
)
Reply 9 : Autocrossing your AE92
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ghostyman
Has anyone besides Donald 'crossed their AE92 yet?
|
I was autocrossing with my 4A-F and my all-seasons but I still could keep up with my friends in their imprezas on all seasons
it's definitely a fun car to auto-x.I would definitely recommend to just get out and do it... A lot of people wait and wait because their car isn't ready yet or they don't have good tires, but it's really just as fun just to get out there on all seasons. you're not going to be competitive your first time out anyway. At least not in my region... (we have a ridiculous amount of national champions)
If you do want to auto-x seriously, pay close attention to the rule book, it's really easy to get thrown into a tough class like donald said. You don't want to swap in a 7AFE and get thrown in Street Modified with turbo monsters
Reply 10 : Autocrossing your AE92
Quote:
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Originally Posted by eage8
yeah they do!
http://www.kumhousa.com/Tire_SizeCha...7-2bea0466bd5c Kumho XSs are great. My girlfriend is running them on her Miata (the same size as you donald ) and I've driven it a few times and really liked them, next season I will be switching from Falken Azenis on the rx-7 to Kumho XSs (and they have the right size for me 275/40/17 ) |
Discount Tire don't list that size, so I thought it was not available.
I have been very pleased with the Nittos, but I will try the Kumhos next
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by eage8
I would definitely recommend to just get out and do it... If you do want to auto-x seriously, pay close attention to the rule book, it's really easy to get thrown into a tough class like donald said. You don't want to swap in a 7AFE and get thrown in Street Modified with turbo monsters |
Reply 11 : Autocrossing your AE92
I've never actually "AutoX" as in a parking lot with cones...
i have done a few club-rented road courses here in Gainesville and they usually change it each time a bit but i was so out-classed and we were racing together... vipers, shelby kits, ls1 s14's, SC'd miata, and a full race neon...
up-side is i could take corners wide if i was too slow so i had plenty of track time!!!
do any guys boostin have heat issues???
i didn't like how close stock radiators get to my turbo so i have aluminum crx rad but on a really hot day on that course i'd get 3 laps in before id have to watch my temp or it would go up to 250...i'm either gonna add a second smaller radiator on the heator core routing up front or find a decent full-size that fits proper...
is anybody else on an 8in wide rim? right now im running 205/45-16 but i will go to 215/45-16 with the XS's hopefully this month...
(just got act clutch
)
Reply 12 : Autocrossing your AE92
here is an image- center lane is usually pit area
Reply 13 : Autocrossing your AE92
Reply 14 : Autocrossing your AE92
Yep!!
Looks like you are up against sone $eriou$ competition.
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