When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I can't seem to wear out my RS3s enough to justify switching to RS4s. The RS3s don't feel as sticky as new, but they wear so well for 200tw track tires.
I was in the same boat.
I loved my RS3s and am hoping for the same with the RS4s, with the added bonus of slightly better braking performance. My RS3s just did not seem to wear, (probably due to their age) even with 12+ track days and around 20,000 street miles. The only reason I switched, was because I had flat spotted my front right tire due to a completely different issue, as can be seen a few post back. I will be sure to post my thoughts between the two after my first day track with them.
Come by and say hello anytime, and hope to see you out there.
I am at a loss as to what might be the cause of this vibration.
After going over almost everything, I finally found the issue. It turns out the rotors themselves were warped coming directly from Wilwood. I ordered another set of straight vanes from Trackspeed, and the brakes feel fantastic.
After going over almost everything, I finally found the issue. It turns out the rotors themselves were warped coming directly from Wilwood. I ordered another set of straight vanes from Trackspeed, and the brakes feel fantastic.
I am so happy and relieved.
It always frustrating chasing a problem that turns out to be a manufacture defect. Glad you found the issue.
You have no idea how happy I was. I was pulling my hair out trying to pin-point the problem. It seemed no matter what I reassembled, or replaced, it always came back.
I still have yet to measure the bad rotors, but the damage was pretty gnarly. The vibrations broke the tabs on my gauge cluster and loosened some suspension components. Pure speculation, but I believe it also pulled the threads clean out of my caliper bracket.
Those curly "pigtails" are the threads.
The Trackspeed bracket still did not fail while on the car. Only after pulling it, did I realize the extent of the damage.
You have no idea how happy I was. I was pulling my hair out trying to pin-point the problem. It seemed no matter what I reassembled, or replaced, it always came back.
That's the absolute worst, I hate searching and searching for a problem. And I guess we can both count ourselves lucky this year haha
I don't know what they put in my drink, but I am addicted and always find myself always coming back to the Roadstercup events.
The drive down to SoCal averages about me anywhere from 5-6 hours. This round cost a total of $60 for both days. It was too good to pass up. Since I would be driving both days, I would be camping overnight at the track with a few others crazies from the event.
I remember reading ThePass's build thread circa-2013 and of his adventures of driving to the track in a overly packed car, camping and cooking burritos on his turbo. Those stories had stuck with me and always inspired me to something similar.
On the drive down, I got stuck along the Tehachapi Pass due to a derailed train and was left crawling up the mountain pass. Along the way, a small boy in a van next to me started pointing and waving at me exclaiming to his mom about the race car next to them. I waved back, it was an awesome moment.
This round we would be running the counter-clockwise configuration. I had been to Streets only once before and never CCW. The first day was considered a practice day, where I could learn and get accustomed to the track.
SOW CCW.
I arrived mid day Saturday, and was able to run in the last two sessions.
The first day I was in the neighborhood of a 1:37. The car was performing flawlessly, and most importantly the brakes were functioning and the confidence I had in them had returned.
I pitched my tent, and set up camp next to my car. A few of my other friends from the event were camping as well and we had constructed a small tent village in the paddock all while listening to Freddie Mercury. It was everything I could have imagined.
One of the greatest things to happen all weekend was that Brandon suggested we do a track walk once the track had closed for the day. While walking the track, I was able to study the nuances of the track surface, where one could get away with dipping a wheel, and the natural camber of the track. Even though it was pitch black during our walk, it helped immensely.
We then ordered delivery pizza and played board games the remainder of the night.
It was perfect.
Camp.
Despite the cold, I surprisingly got a good nights sleep.
Sunday was competition day for Roadstercup. We had an exclusive run group, purple, limited to only miatas.
These sessions are some of the best track time I have ever experienced as everyone is very aware and courteous with the other competitors. This results in open track and fast lap times.
The first few sessions of the day I gridded near the back to make sure I would not impede any of the faster competitors. Everything again went smoothly and the car performed without hiccup.
My measly little machine.
This round there were some relatively fast miatas in my session.
Mainly this thing. A few of you might recognize this car.
The way the car moved was breath taking.
He would only lap me about once per 20 minute session.
401.
As the day went on, I progressively got faster and faster with each lap. By the end of the weekend, I was down in the 1:33s and was quite pleased with myself with it also being my first time in this configuration. I was not pushing the car all that hard and did not have any offs the entire weekend.
Almost at the back of the pack.
The new RS4s had so much more grip compared with my old RS3s. Braking was much improved and I felt as if the tires did not get as greasy as fast. I also experimented with moving my sway pick up points. I did not adjust the endlinks properly and the bar would contact my shock under load.
By the end of the day I, along with everyone else, was exhausted.
They gave out awards to the winners and I somehow won the raffle for a free track day!
Could this weekend get any better?
Happy Bryan.
Overall, it was an amazing weekend and great experience. A few of my friends think I am crazy to drive out to these events especially in a bucket seat with no padding.
In my mind I view myself as extremely fortunate and this as a opportunity and luxury that I may not be able to afford in the future, so I am enjoying it while I can.
Round 3 is at Chuckwalla, but I am not sure if I am going to make it as it is quite a drive.
Yet, I will most likely find myself making the drive anyways.
Great to see you out there and to see how much fun you're having, down to the trackside camping. There's nothing else like waking up literally at the racetrack!
A few months ago I made an impulse buy and purchased the Singular wing kit.
Ever since beginning to track my car, I had longed for some sort of wing as all of the track cars seemed to sport one. After some comparison and looking though lift/drag data it seemed that a 2D wing would be much more efficient and allow for more headroom than a 3D miata-specific wing. The Singular kit had come out a few years prior and ever since its release I had always had it in the back of my mind. The fact that it used a APR 250 foil, included custom uprights, and endplates, it was everything that I could want all in one inclusive package. And the fact that it still retained full trunk accessibility was icing on the cake.
I however am not going to use the wing just yet, as I still want to improve my driving without the need to rely on the "band-aid" that aero provides. I was told adding aero too soon will mask my deficiencies as a driver. I honestly do not believe I am a good enough driver at the moment to warrant a wing.
I received my kit from Goodwin a couple days after placing my order. The foil itself, being custom made from APR, arrived a couple weeks afterwards.
Huge box is huge.
High quality hardware throughout, and beautiful uprights.
Also included are these trick delrin shims adapting the angle of the uprights to that of the trunk.
Everything included from Goodwin Racing.
The uprights mount inside the truck rails, tucking them out of airflow, thus reducing drag.
I was quite nervous taking a drill to my tunk rails but marked them and began drilling.
After all holes were drilled I bolted on the uprights with 10mm allen head bolts and proceeded to mount my wing.
The next step was to cut the edges of my trunk in order to clear the uprights. I had picked up a spare silver trunk lid to be used as my "track trunk". I plan to swap them out to retain some water tightness when not in use. I borrowed an angle grinder from Miataman00 that made short work of the task. It had one bar of battery life left and was worried I would run out of juice mid cut but turned out to be just enough.
Measured and marked with masking tape.
I took the trunk off the car, to minimize risk of the wheel jumping and cutting the car. The trunk is very thin near the edges and the wheel sliced through the sheet metal like butter.
Slots in trunk lid. I painted exposed metal but have not installed trim piece to hide cuts.
I retract my previous statement. THIS was the most nerve-racking part of the process.
Installed.
Never would I have thought that I would own a carbon fiber wing. Only after bolting it on the car do I realize how large it actually is. It is quite ridiculous, and a few of my non car friends have commented it looks something like a shopping cart.
Over the next few weeks I plan to work on a front splitter to regain some balance in the aero set up upfront . I am also wanting to do some sort of rudimentary tuft test with pieces of yarn to experiment with AoA. I think it will be fun to explore this entirely new frontier, and hopefully learn a thing or two in the process.
Big ole ****.
Once again, Bryan, you are a few steps ahead of my own slow conversion from street to track car. I'm looking forward to your feedback on the wing and to seeing how you do the front splitter.
So based on my experience with my CoT wing (not as effective), along with having a Tougerun lip but no spoiler on my car - as the car sits right now, don't put a positive AoA on the wing. I'd go for something along the lines of -3 to -4 degrees AoA. Without front aero to balance, that wing will have massive influence over the rear, and you will understeer like Hustler's mom pushing a 300lb shopping cart full of D batteries for his vibrator on black ice. With my wing, I ran it slightly negative and the car was perfect. That wing was lower in the air stream, and so was more affected by the downwards airflow coming off of the hardtop. Your wing is quite a bit higher but will still see influence from the roof, thus my recommendation for a negative AoA until you get some front splitter going on.
So based on my experience with my CoT wing (not as effective), along with having a Tougerun lip but no spoiler on my car - as the car sits right now, don't put a positive AoA on the wing. I'd go for something along the lines of -3 to -4 degrees AoA. Without front aero to balance, that wing will have massive influence over the rear, and you will understeer like Hustler's mom pushing a 300lb shopping cart full of D batteries for his vibrator on black ice. With my wing, I ran it slightly negative and the car was perfect. That wing was lower in the air stream, and so was more affected by the downwards airflow coming off of the hardtop. Your wing is quite a bit higher but will still see influence from the roof, thus my recommendation for a negative AoA until you get some front splitter going on.
He doesn't plan to run it on track until a splitter is on the car.
Originally Posted by Mobius
you will understeer like Hustler's mom pushing a 300lb shopping cart full of D batteries for his vibrator on black ice
I'd go for something along the lines of -3 to -4 degrees AoA. Without front aero to balance, that wing will have massive influence over the rear. With my wing, I ran it slightly negative and the car was perfect. Your wing is quite a bit higher but will still see influence from the roof, thus my recommendation for a negative AoA until you get some front splitter going on.
Thank you Mobius.
This is what I am afraid of. Even at modest levels of negative angle I still believe it will overpower the front. Thus, I have stockpiled all the necessary materials to start work on my front air dam/splitter combo. My dream is to make it modular in design, being able to swap out the leading edge allowing for greater customization of splitter length. I will probably follow the aero package of an S1 car (keep it simple stupid) though, being that I still have stock power, drag will be my limiting factor.
I have been told around 4" is the sweet spot.
Originally Posted by Mobius
You will understeer like Hustler's mom pushing a 300lb shopping cart full of D batteries for his vibrator on black ice.
I spat out a mouthful of water while reading that.
02-10-2018, 11:45 PM
0
