I wanted to get this thread back active for people to start adding what setups they are running at different tracks/events they attend. I am going to start off by posting some things I run at the track I normally run at and different things I have tried through trial and error. This is basically my standard setup at almost every track I go to. Once there, I just feel what the car is doing or not doing and adjust accordingly.
Track: No Probelm Raceway
1.8 mile
14 turns
6 left handers
8 right handers
3 straightaways (1900', 500' and 400')
Vehicle: 1997 Eagle Talon TSi (FWD)
Turbo: TD05H 16G (17 psi)
Tires: Hankook Ventus Z211 225/50/16
Tire Pressures -
Cold f/r: 32/34
Hot f/r: 39/40
Spring Rates - Front: 650 lbs Rear: 350 lbs
Struts/Settings - KYB AGX/Front-4 Rear-8
Anti Sway Bars f/r - Factory/RM 17.5 mm
Camber Front: -2.5
Camber Rear: -1.0
The car is basically setup to take turns 4, 5 & 14 as those are the most crucial turns on the track.
Track Map
Typical things I feel happening to the car and what I do to adjust to correct the issue
Understeering - Well this is a very common one amongst DSMers I am sure. If you do not have the ability to adjsut ride height, spring rate etc. You may want to consider doing some of the following that I have seen to make a difference.
Adjust front and rear tire pressures. I know it may not seem like much, but effectivley lowering your front tire pressure is like softening your front spring rate
(to a certian degree). Raising tire pressure does just the opposite. It is like stiffening your spring rates. So if you lower your front pressures and raise your rear pressures, you will get less traction in the rear and force the car to rotate more. In theory of course, but I must say I have seen it and felt it work first hand.
You also may want to try and undo your front sway bar
(if applicable). The car may not react as quickly as normal, but the front end will not "push" out or understeer as bad.
Oversteering - Contrary to popular belief, you can make DSMs oversterer as well. This in affect is when the rear of the car seems to always want to come around on you in turns.
Again, you can start by adjusting your tire pressures the opposite way as you did in the understeer scenario. Raise the fron pressure and lower the rear pressure. In effect, you are rasing the rate of the suspension in the front causing the front of the car to "push" out a bit more than it currently is. Lowering the rear pressure will cuse the rear end to have more tire patch on the track thus giving it more grip to not let it "come around" on you.
These are jsut a few things I personally have experienced at the track before in my car. Some have been fixed, others...Well, lets just say its a work in progess on those. There are those on here that may not agree with what I have posted here. But I have done nothing more than post exepriences as I said I have been through and what I did to correct them. I hope more people will start to add to this thread and their setups.
Some rules of thumb to keep in your mind on tire pressures:
Rasing tire pressure will react as stiffening your suspension and will cause that particular tire to react slower, causing more of a "push/understeer' or have less grip.
Lowering tire pressures will react as softening your suspension and will cause the tire to have more patch on the surface and increase your grip.