[Hunter's Run]

Matt Miller

I have already gone to 19x8.5 wheels...they are 5lbs lighter a corner the the stock. I am running Continental Extreme Contacts. I have a 120 mile commute each day, so running 200tw tires and an aggressive alignment are not an option at this time. I am planning on upgrade to GLoc brakes soon because the stock pads suck....This is the first time I have autocrossed a heavy car, past being Miata's and RX 7. So there is a lot to learn here. Unfortunately, one autocross isn't enough to learn a totally new car since I have been out of it for years. One thing I have to remember to do is turn off traction control...it really bogs the car down...Thanks for all your input.

[Xyebo]

I autocross my non-1LE V6 M6 in a completely stock form with take-off SS wheels I got for cheap and the aggressive pads for stock calipers, albeit I don't do SCCA-sanctioned events yet.

Not too many 200TW options for 20" SS wheels, but I got them for cheap a while ago so I run them till they break and wrap them in 280TW Yokohama ADVAN V601 tires.
You don't really need 4-piston Brembo front calipers for autox since you won't drive enough to overheat the brakes.

Really, just go out there and have fun in the stock car, and then upgrade as needed, starting with the driver mod

[Autosenses]

Originally Posted by Msquared

I just thought of a possible option for Hunter's Run. I just remembered this allowance in the opening part of Section 13 (Street Category Rules) in the SCCA rulebook:

Both the regular V6 and the V6 1LE are in F Street, so Hunter's Run could put the full V6 1LE parts package onto his RS and take full advantage of the following upgrades: FE3 suspension from the Camaro SS, 8.5/9.5 wheels front and rear, Brembo 4-piston front brake calipers, mechanical limited-slip differential with a 3.27:1 ratio, track-cooling package, suede steering wheel, short-throw shifter, dual-mode exhaust, Camaro SS fuel system to accommodate higher-load cornering, and a high flow front grille.

The biggest advantage is that you could run 245/35/19 front tires and 275/30/19 rears. That gets you a sizeable increase in rear tire footprint, which you can then balance out with one swaybar (if necessary). The FE3 spring and swaybar package from the V6 1LE is stiffer and probably a bit lower, which is helpful. Those are the easy and helpful parts.

Hopefully your car already has the same LSD and 3.27 gear ratio. You don't need the dual-mode exhaust, because exhaust is free in Street class after the cat. You wouldn't have to swap steering wheels because alternate steering wheels are allowed. I think you can skip the different grill under 13.2.A, since it isn't a performance improvement either way (for autocross use).

The harder parts might be the track-cooling package (not sure what all that includes, short-throw shifter, Camaro SS fuel system to accommodate higher-load cornering, and the 4-piston Brembos. It just depends on how hard/expensive those parts are to buy and how hard they are to install. Honestly you could get away without the fuel system - nobody would ever know or care because it's not to your benefit to leave it out. And if someone protested you for not having the short-throw shifter, you should slash their tires. The extra cooling stuff could legit be protested if you didn't have it, because it adds weight. The Brembos could be reasonably protested for the same reason, but at least upgrading to those is cool.

If I owned your car, I'd definitely look into this upgrade...seriously. It would make a real difference in the speed potential of your car for autocross work, and it would be a little more fun to drive fast too (less pitching and flopping around). I'd still try to find a good set of adjustable shocks, and definitely do the alignment. And you can still consider one larger sway bar, if you decide the balance with the two FE3 bars needs some tuning.

Autosenses, there's a chance this could be a useful upgrade path for you, too, if there's any chance you want to stay legal for Street classes in SCCA. And this is especially so if you can order/buy your V6 with the Brembos and oil cooler package: that might knock out two of the harder upgrades to do. Otherwise, you can still go considerably faster with the more extreme mods I recommended to you in post #6.

Thanks Matt- I appreciate all the ideas/recommendations. Question- would running the aggressive alignment with the upgrades you said increase tire wear? It's not a daily but it's not a full blown AutoX car either. More of a street car with weekend drives and autoX but thats dialed in. Again, I want the performance and feel of an E46M3.

Now i'm second guessing myself. Uggggh.

[Msquared]

Originally Posted by Autosenses

Thanks Matt- I appreciate all the ideas/recommendations. Question- would running the aggressive alignment with the upgrades you said increase tire wear? It's not a daily but it's not a full blown AutoX car either. More of a street car with weekend drives and autoX but thats dialed in. Again, I want the performance and feel of an E46M3.

Now i'm second guessing myself. Uggggh.

If you get the camber plates and toe links and really go for the max front and rear camber, you'll get some inside tire wear. You could skip those mods and just max out what you can with the factory parts front and rear, and you'll probably see little or no uneven wear as long as you keep the toe at zero.

On the E46 thing, you have to remember that the M3 was a much stiffer-sprung and wider-tired version of the E46, with a lots of other little upgrades added in as well (like a good LSD). Your car in stock form probably compares favorably to a base E46, but it won't be as fast as the M3 (assuming both are on the same kind of tire). Again, the mods I mentioned (even leaving out the camber plates and rear toe links) will get to that place and further.

[Autosenses]

Originally Posted by Msquared

If you get the camber plates and toe links and really go for the max front and rear camber, you'll get some inside tire wear. You could skip those mods and just max out what you can with the factory parts front and rear, and you'll probably see little or no uneven wear as long as you keep the toe at zero.

On the E46 thing, you have to remember that the M3 was a much stiffer-sprung and wider-tired version of the E46, with a lots of other little upgrades added in as well (like a good LSD). Your car in stock form probably compares favorably to a base E46, but it won't be as fast as the M3 (assuming both are on the same kind of tire). Again, the mods I mentioned (even leaving out the camber plates and rear toe links) will get to that place and further.

Would going in this direction make the car feel great? Would it improve the balance, turn-in & cornering feel??

[Msquared]

Originally Posted by Autosenses

Would going in this direction make the car feel great? Would it improve the balance, turn-in & cornering feel??

Going stiffer and a bit lower with the springs (coilovers) and using great shocks (inside the coilovers) will improve the feel and grip. You tune the steady-state cornering balance with sway bar changes after that, and you tune the turn-in and exiting traction with the damper rates. So...yes it has the potential to achieve all those things.

[Autosenses]

Originally Posted by Msquared

Going stiffer and a bit lower with the springs (coilovers) and using great shocks (inside the coilovers) will improve the feel and grip. You tune the steady-state cornering balance with sway bar changes after that, and you tune the turn-in and exiting traction with the damper rates. So...yes it has the potential to achieve all those things.

Thanks for all the great input/suggestions.