Not a good day at the autocross

[ileagleracing]

Curbs kill. What sucks is that I could probably get the car ready for next week if I could get the parts, but a line on the Penske remote reservoir got pinched, thats needs to shipped out to Cali for repair. What really bites is it probably got damaged while pushing the car onto the trailer.

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[Black95TSIawd]

Oh nooooooooooo!!!!

 

[ileagleracing]

It looks worse than it is, had to take the fender off, to get the bumper off, to get it on the trailer.
My Paul Volk lower arms are ok except it sheared the ball joint in two, but they are replaceable so hooray!
At least I confirmed my overheating issue is fixed.

 

[GST with PSI]

Fawwwwwwk...

What happened?

 

[92AWDHX40]

Damn that sucks thats some carnage right there.

 

[rabenne]

A wheel, a replacement BJ, and a new line on the penske's? Sounds like it could have been much worse! Sorry for your luck tho. Did you get a video of the mishap?

 

[ileagleracing]

Fawwwwwwk...

What happened?

I've watched the video a ton of times and I still can't figure out why it happened. Went from a big offset into a smaller offset and the rear started to step out a bit towards the curb, I did a bit of counter steer, realized I wasn't going to stay on course, hit the cone, then the car snap spun the other direction and I slid sideways/backwarks into the curb.

 

[ileagleracing]

A wheel, a replacement BJ, and a new line on the penske's? Sounds like it could have been much worse! Sorry for your luck tho. Did you get a video of the mishap?

Front Speed sensor wire cut, Front Axle inner cup destroyed, Front Endlink bent, Lower ball joint sheared apart, Wheel destroyed & fenderliner toast.
Rear Lower arm bent, trailing arm bent, endlink broken and the shock line damaged.

Got Video, but I'm not sure I want to post it.

 

[GST with PSI]

Yeah, carnage video!

Post it! Post it! Post it!

And who the f*** lays out an autox course near curbs?

 

[luii90]

Damn!!! This sucks looking at it! Well at least it's repairable. My friend wrecked his boss 302 at Fontana speed way and well let's just say I rather see this then what I saw in his boss 302.

Post vid!

 

[rabenne]

Front Speed sensor wire cut, Front Axle inner cup destroyed, Front Endlink bent, Lower ball joint sheared apart, Wheel destroyed & fenderliner toast.
Rear Lower arm bent, trailing arm bent, endlink broken and the shock line damaged.

Got Video, but I'm not sure I want to post it.

Damn, I looked right past that axle. Sounds like it was a bit more expensive with all the other damage. You still can do worse on curbs, I would say that's racing, but ^ "who the f*** lays out an autox course near curbs?" You will be back together in no time! Best of luck!

 

[ileagleracing]

Honestly, I've raced with this club plenty of times and never had any concerns with course design. I'd run this course again. Cold skinny tires and I've made quite a few changes since running this car last.

 

[Black95TSIawd]

You guys would be surprised how far a car will slide given the right speed/angle when the loss of traction occurs.

 

[Ludachris]

Oh hell... sorry to see this. Hopefully it's not crazy expensive to fix.

 

[99ECLIPSEGSXDSM]

This really sucks to see. I'd like to see the video personally just to see how close it was setup to the curb. Being a SS and going to other regions and seeing what their definition of safe is compared to the book makes me cringe sometimes

 

[Dsmkauai]

The rules are only 25' from a curb or solid object. Going fast enough and a car sliding can make 25' seem like nothing. You all should see what we have to run on here on kauai . And it's the biggest parking lot on island haha. Atleast it's fixable and your ok bro. But what a bummer man ;(

 

[GRNDSM]

Ouch, that really sucks... AutoX is supposed to be benign, but sometimes stuff happens

My son lost his engine at the last autox, we suspect it was due to a LONG left turn and his relatively soft suspension (body roll in the "wrong", for oil pickup, direction).

 

[ileagleracing]

Ouch, that really sucks... AutoX is supposed to be benign, but sometimes stuff happens

My son lost his engine at the last autox, we suspect it was due to a LONG left turn and his relatively soft suspension (body roll in the "wrong", for oil pickup, direction).

I raced this car in G Stock/D Stock on 225 BFG/Kuhmo/Hankook/Hoosier race tires for 10 years with an Eclipse RS front swaybar, never had any issues. Body roll isn't the culprit. I raced 6 events in Street Modified on 285 Hoosiers and an Accusump full of air and lost the motor. Cornering G's is the issue.

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[ileagleracing]

On a positive note, my new intercooler should arrive tomorrow, the old one wasn't hurt in the incident, the most expensive damage happened getting the car on and off the trailer after the curb rash

Oh hell... sorry to see this. Hopefully it's not crazy expensive to fix.

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[GRNDSM]

I think that your 225 tires we helping you keep that motor lubricated .

Here is why I think sway angle counts, in addition to Autox and drag racing, I do Spectator Drags, it is basically one LONG left turn! The worst possible thing for DSM motor:

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I have been doing this type of racing since 1999, first using 1G and now using my Summit. Aside from me, we had three other fast DSMers race at this track and none of us EVER had a problem!

However, on my first long race (I went 5-6 rounds) I spun #1 bearing on my nicely built motor. That race I forgot to overfill my oil, so I wrote it off as oil level reared incident.

Next race, I put an extra quart of oil and I went 5-6 rounds, on the last round, I had identical failure (spun #1 bearing).

So, last two times I raced, I had two identical failures!

DSMs are faster but do not have this problem. What is different about my van? It is taller and leans more in the corners in the direction that causes motor oil starvation. That the only feasible explanation.

This principle can apply to other cars, as well, which is why I believe that my son's 255 RS3 tires and otherwise soft suspension contributed to oil starvation on a long (for Autox) left turn.

 

[Black95TSIawd]

This principle can apply to other cars, as well, which is why I believe that my son's 255 RS3 tires and otherwise soft suspension contributed to oil starvation on a long (for Autox) left turn.

225 hoosiers are stickier than 255 RS3's. My 245 RE71r's I used for 10-12 events last year are stickier than RS3's. Maybe he forgot to overfill? I know guy's who have road raced on stickier tires than RS3's and haven't had oiling issues. Its when you get into the 285 plus size that you have issues.

Despite one long left hand turn, your spectator drags are run on a banked oval. Gravity helps the oil stay on the sump side of the pan. Depending on what type of oil you're running, it could have thinned out a bit after 5-6 long races?

 

[GRNDSM]

I suspect that is why DSM engines survive, but Summit sway to counter that banking oval.

 

[Ludachris]

I think the degree of chassis stiffness plays a big roll too - roll cages/bars, bushings, swaybars, etc, might also explain why some experience more or less oil starvation when using similar grip tires. I was seriously looking at a Moroso oil pan to help address that issue at one point. This was before they had a pan available for those using APR hardware. Pretty sure they made one available since then. If I were building a road racer and had a built bottom end I'd be using one of those pans for sure. Might not completely prevent it, but it should help.

 

[SOADweskey]

On a positive note, my new intercooler should arrive tomorrow, the old one wasn't hurt in the incident, the most expensive damage happened getting the car on and off the trailer after the curb rash

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That sucks man, I hate getting a fully functioning car on and off a trailer, let alone one with damaged suspension. At least that old intercooler should make some cool garage wall art.

I think the degree of chassis stiffness plays a big roll too - roll cages/bars, bushings, swaybars, etc, might also explain why some experience more or less oil starvation when using similar grip tires. I was seriously looking at a Moroso oil pan to help address that issue at one point. This was before they had a pan available for those using APR hardware. Pretty sure they made one available since then. If I were building a road racer and had a built bottom end I'd be using one of those pans for sure. Might not completely prevent it, but it should help.

I have the Moroso pan and I'm kicking myself that I didn't log oil pressure on a set course before and after instal. But even without proof I do feel better knowing there is plenty of extra oil in the sump.

 

[turbosax2]

Wish they would make a 7-bolt pan. I get some serious dips in oil pressure even overfilled by 1qt. or more.