This is for those lucky few of us who managed to order the 1.375" hollow bar Bill did in January for us.

What setup are you running, and where do you have the bar adjusted, and how does the car handle?

I'll start:

Car: AP2 S2000
Tires: 245/275 Hoosier A6s (well worn, well past their prime)
Shocks: Stock
Alignment:
F: -1.8* Camber, 0 toe, max caster
R: -2.25* Camber, 3/8 toe in
Bar Setting: softest of the the "stiffer" 3 holes (so bar can be made 2 steps stiffer)
Wheel lift (Y/N): No so far

Comments: Car feels pretty balanced like this. The car was originally run with the bar 1 step stiffer after the install, but my codriver and another senior driver complained of lots of understeer mid corner (I couldn't make that event) so we backed the setting off 1 for the next event and the understeer seems to have disappeared. However, we haven't had any courses with really fast sweepers yet, so we are unsure if we are going to have wheel lift or not. Reason for the more conservative rear toe on the car was I didn't know if I would have the bar or not for my next event when I booked the alignment, so I wanted to go a little conservative in case I didn't have the bar (which I didn't, so it was a good thing). If I'm getting wheel lift I suppose the solution will be to go one stiffer on the bar again then less toe in at the rear to get rid of the mid corner understeer.

Ok, what do the rest of you have to say?

 

UPDATED as of 7/22/08

-08 S2000 CR
-275/275 Hoosier A6s on Lightweight wheels
-Custom Valved Koni Yellows ('07 auto-x specs) (full stiff front, 3/4 turn from soft rear)
-Gendron Custom Hollow Swaybar (set 3/6)
-Alignment
-2 camber front
-2.5 camber rear
caster maxed
1/16 toe out front
1/16 toe in rear

I have done 3 local events and 2 National Tours so far. So far the grip and stability is insane, but with the 275s all around, the car has mild oversteer. Now I am getting some front wheel lift as you can see below...

 

A. Turn your shocks up to close to full stiff.
B. Tire temps in rear? Trying backing off on rear camber
C. No need to run more than 0 toe on the front of a car that turns in "yesterday"

 

Marc,

Did your car lift the front wheel with the stock bar?

 

I never ran the stock bar, just the solid SWIFT bar at your region's T&T and one local event in the cold. I think the new bar on full soft reduced the car's sway by at least 50%. The pic above was with the subject Gendron bar on full soft. Any suggestions?

 

2 things I would recommend before going further on this discussion.
1) more seat time. Weather up here has not been warm enough to get decent grip out of the tires.
2) get some stickier (newer) tires.

Part of the understeer problem is the site we run on. It being asphalt, has a lot less grip than concrete pavement. Add in the lack of heat and just lack of seat time since you have been away for a while.

I thought my Saner bar on custom 4th hole was stiff enough till I went to the Evo school and got the rear wheel lift on 2 year old 225 A6's.

I suggest get more seat time. Get use to the car in it's current state. Improve on your driving. Change one thing at a time. In the next few weeks, we should be into summer weather and make full use of your R-comps. Then change tires and learn the car all over again.

 

You are probably right about the tires. We pretty much killed them at T&T on Saturday last weekend so it's hard to say what the car will be like with fresh ones. That said, we are going to have a new set mounted for KSC, (since I think these will probably JUST make it through Packwood this weekend), so I guess it means learning at THE event for us this year.

 

2003 AP1
Re-valved Koni's - fronts full stiff, rears full soft
Gendron 1 3/8's hollow bar on the stiffest setting
Hoosier 245/245 and 245/275 combinations
J's titanium single exhaust
Front -2.1, 1/8 toe out, max caster
Rear -2.5, 1/4 toe in

I just took a stab at the bar and shock settings, but the car feels great. We had one opportunity to try and dial in the car but spun the #2 rod bearing on the second run. Got a new engine in just in time for the first leg of the California Divisional. But despite the lack of testing time, the car has been on of the fastest a stock cars on the west coast so far. To say I'm pleased with the set up would be an understatement. We hope to start winning with the car once we get it dialed in an learn how to drive it again. Up until March, the car was bone stock. Needless to say, the improvements have realy made the car a hoot to drive.

2nd and 5th - SCCA National Tour @ San Diego
1st and 2nd - California Divisional @ San Diego
2nd - California Divisional @ El Toro
2nd and 4th - California Divisional

 

Ran another event last night. The car feels great except I did get some wheel lift accelerating through a right hand sweeper, but nothing like I used to get before the mods.

With the new shocks and bar, and of course good tires, the car is pretty flat through the slaloms and the transitions are seamless. I really starting to love this car.

 

Can somebody measure the length of the center section for me? I need to know what "spare" bars I can order. Also - are the ends on this bar still 1.25"? ie - is it a 1 3/8" stepped down to fit the standard arms?


Thanks