Yes...I was able to get -3.1 up front.

EDIT: with stock shocks

 

You might want to try a nitrogen bottle if you are getting that sort of variation hot to cold and you might also want to double check your alignment.

It may the tracks or your driving style but what I have found that works for me is being a little more deliberate with the wheel on turn-in for 2nd gear corners (even 3rd at times). I like to "toss" the car into the corner, inducing a bit of over-steer that I counter with throttle-on. You will set up a bit of a drift which the RA-1s handle very graciously. I find I can break the rear loose and get pointed out of the corner and get back on the throttle sooner this way. Try giving the wheel a bit of a jerk but obviously not so much that you go around, just a little snap to rotate the rear around then back on the gas right away to plant it again. YMMV

 

FYI, I was getting understeer if I went WAY too hot in the same turns this weekend with my non-staggered setup. When I changed my braking and loading, I got through the turn fine. The grip on this track was not as high as I was expecting.

Add some more front camber. Maybe get some tire chalk for the next event to see what is going on.

 

George, I will be running oem rears(245's) at all corners. I'm having two of them machined out to fit over the front hubs. I believe this is 70mm. This might be a solution that fits in your budget as far as wheels/tires go.


Btw, excellent thread. You all are helping more than one person.

 

And I just sold my extra set of rear wheels

Do you think they will rub? I aleady have worn through the fender liner on the inside.

 

I know of autocrossers who have run 245s on the stock front wheels with no rubbing that I'm aware of...

 

I got the idea from this forum, so I cannot tell you if they will eat a fenderliner. For now, I'll still be using the Koni yellow/Eibach 500 spring in the front and may raise the car a smidgen. Measuring from the ground to the alignment bolt, I'm not terribly low to begin with.

jguerdat, on AP1 or AP2 stock front wheels?

 

This is the setup I run now...4 rear AP1 wheels with milled centerbores and 245 tires. It doesn't rub with stock 2001 springs / shocks.

Without other changes...stiffer front sway, alignment, etc...the non-staggered setup dramatically swings the handling bias to the oversteer direction (or less understeer if you prefer). I run a Whiteline front bar and no rear bar to achieve more or less neutral bias...albeit with a little more body roll.

 

I think the bottom line is that you need more tire. The difference from a 225/245 to a 245/275 in my car was tremendous with the biggest improvement being front grip. I don't think it is as much a staggered vs non-staggered setup as it is the fact that a fast driver with a decent setup needs to run a 245 or larger tire on the front in order to take advantage of the cars potential.

 

Here is a pic from Sunday during a practice run

This is one of the said corners

I am getting lots of body roll here also, seems excessive