I just installed a Gendron bar last weekend, and used it for an autox the next day. I liked it very much; I had it on the third stiffest setting (out of six).

I'm going to do two days of a track school next weekend, and I'm curious if anyone can give me guidance on what would be the best setting for the bar for the track, given that I was happy with setting it on the third stiffest setting for autox.

My car is an '04; I use Michelin Pilot Sport Cups (225/45-17 front; 255/40-17 rear). I have Cobalt GTS pads (I've ordered Spec VR, but they haven't arrived yet).

My alignment was done at Fordahl a month ago; I've done one track day and two autocrosses since then, and driven perhaps 1200 miles total (including the track day, in which I drove 210 miles). It was set at:

Front: Camber=> -1 degree
Caster=> 5.6 degrees
Toe=> zero

Rear: Camber=> -2 degrees
Toe=> 3mm


Thanks.

 

Spider, you left off the most important data: size of your tires.

 

Oops

Fixed in the original post.

 

With stock stagger, I don't really see a need for the bar on the track. Set it soft to medium.

 

What alignment settings are you at?

 

Thanks, Ted. I've amended the original post.

The car is my daily driver, which is why it is a compromise alignment.

 

I wouldn't think that with those tires you need a heavier-than-stock swaybar, especially in an '04. Did the rear feel loose with the stock bar?

BTW, the PSC's are notoriously loose until they get hot, and that takes a few laps, literally (much more than RA1's and Victoracers); and optimal hot pressures are usually lower than RA1's, typically <35 psi. So don't judge the handling of the car until after several laps when they are very hot. When I first got them I was the spinmaster until I learned about the slow warming up.

So back to your question, I would do as payneinthe suggested, soft to medium.

 

With stock tires, the rear was very loose in autox; not a bad problem with the stock tires on the track, but there are areas of the local track (Pacific Raceways; turns 5a, 5b and 6) where the rear end would get a bit loose pretty easily.

I got the bar for autox, where I think that it helps a lot. I'm obviously not going to take it out between autocrosses; adjusting it isn't too bad, but I really have no feel for what the right setting would be. My last time on the track was my first time on the PSCs (always stock RE050s before), and I certainly would not have bought a bar for the track based on that.

It is more complicated because I don't know what each setting is compared to stock on a 2004 S2000. I'll call Bill tomorrow.

 

So, in the absence of good data, I think I'll just set the Gendron bar to the second softest setting for the track. I believe that this is still a bit stiffer than stock, but not a lot.

Thanks for the help!