Autocross Setups?

[felty52]

I have been looking around and could not find any information on is300 autox setups. i currently have tokico illumina shocks/struts for the front and rear in the box. i dont know what sway bar and lowering springs to go with. does anyone run autocross or have any ideas what to run. are strut tower braces worth the money as well. i will be running in the st class so ill have street tires on it.

[smooth1]

Are you going to keep the car on the street also? I would put a slightly larger sway bar set up on it, but honestly, your money is going to be much better spent on better brakes and rotors, along with some steel braided brake lines and a transmission cooler. Really. I wouldn't waste your money on alot of other things until you do those first. I've been racing for 24 years now. The better brakes will have the largest inpact on your lap times, and the transmission cooler will keep your car on the road alot longer. Then make sure you take everything you can take out of the car and make the car as light as you can. The rear seat for example just pops out, and 4 screws removes the rest of it. Pull the spare tire out and all the other stuff out of the trunk. etc. etc. etc. All cheap, and really the most effective way to go faster around the track. I would even pull the stereo system out and the speakers. and all the lining and sound deadening materials. Also, make sure the throttle cable on the intake doesn't have alot of slack in it. Can you modify the air intake at all? For some reason I'm thinking in the ST class you have to have the stock intake, but you can use an aftermarket filter medium like K&N or Blitz. So atleast do that.

[felty52]

Thanks for the reply smooth. I still want to drive it on the street so I'm not looking to rip my radio out, I like my tunes. I currently run stock rotors, ebc green pads, k&n air filter, 5 speed trans. It's an 02 is with 118k, braided brake lines would be a good choice and new rotors and pads may be in store before next season. I don't plan on going with a big brake upgrade since they cost alot in comparison to how much I would use them. 1 season maybe 15 events at most 4 runs an event at 60 sec a run. I'm not 100% certian but I don't think I can strip the interior but I can strip the trunk which I have done. I have been looking and calling around I may go with hotchkis sways and h&r lowering springs.

[smooth1]

Thanks for the reply smooth. I still want to drive it on the street so I'm not looking to rip my radio out, I like my tunes. I currently run stock rotors, ebc green pads, k&n air filter, 5 speed trans. It's an 02 is with 118k, braided brake lines would be a good choice and new rotors and pads may be in store before next season. I don't plan on going with a big brake upgrade since they cost alot in comparison to how much I would use them. 1 season maybe 15 events at most 4 runs an event at 60 sec a run. I'm not 100% certian but I don't think I can strip the interior but I can strip the trunk which I have done. I have been looking and calling around I may go with hotchkis sways and h&r lowering springs.

Then switch from the stock rotors to slotted, not drilled, rotors. The increased ability to dissapate the outgassing during braking will really help alot under hard braking. And to be honest, I would get rid of/return the shocks, take that money and the couple hundred you r going to spend on springs and buy a set of Tien, Tenabe, or Megan coilovers. Then you can adjust the stiffness of the shocks as well as tune the ride height so you can balance the car. Yes, lowering the car will help, but why settle for that one adjustment when for about the same money you can have so much more? Especially since your doing real track time. Coilovers are tuned so the strut and spring work together. And you can dial in some grip issues and cornering by adjusting the stiffness of the struts and ride height for some very significant results. And if you have a manual, then work on upgrading the clutch later.