At this first autox test event I had some unexpected ignition cutout problems that prevented good solid runs, but we were able to get an OK feel for the car's balance. With the rear swaybar set full soft and flat rake the car is quite pushy. So we disconnected the front bar and tried a couple more runs and it felt better but still far from ideal. The BFG tires are so vague and delayed that most of the initial understeer and slow transitions are probably due to the tires as the Kumho and RE71 respond alot quicker. Rear spring installation required unbolting the front LCA mount which can alter the alignment. Toe plates reveal 7/32 rear toe in; this could explain some of the pushyness but it is not far off from what I had set originally. Next event July 26 and the rear swaybar settings will be much more aggressive and return rake to 1/4" lower in the front. Professional alignment TBD.
First impressions with the new setup; slight improvement transitionally and the front strut travel is greatly reduced to the point where I can lower the front more without fear of totally mashing the bumpstops. However, power down was not as good with the BFGs spinning more than ever, especially on their first run (warm 75* day). The rake and bar settings should help this situation and I already noticed a power down improvement after disconnecting the front swaybar. Car corners much flatter now too so I may need to revisit camber and tire pressures. ABS seems to want to kick in sooner and/or more often.
Downsides? Yes, the ride on the street is worse and I don't think I could tolerate any more spring rate increase for this daily driver. And with the ability to lower the car more, exhaust clearance becomes more of a problem. Lower ride height also causes more bump steer.
FSB: It is still on the car with one side disconnected. One more event will determine if it stays or goes entirely. Small, but effective enough to make minor setup changes. Hope to rework it for more ground clearance and multiple adjustment settings. With an LSD this swaybar could be more of a benefit.
The cutout problems I experienced at this test event first showed up during the Shootout rounds at the Utah Match Tour, possibly forcing me to lose in the third round. I assumed it was fuel starve or something similar because it only happens during hard cornering. Turns out the problem is related to my additional oil pressure sending unit and the configurations in the Kpro software. Oil slosh and incorrectly scaled values were causing the advanced protection to cut ignition. Lets just say that the V4 Hondata Kpro software still uses most of the V3 embeded help files so I was not aware of all the features and how they may react.
Speaking of the Utah Match Tour, I enjoyed the format and had fun despite the brutally hot temperatures and 4000+ ft. elevation. I had cone troubles but still was outpaced by the well driven Honda Fit on RE71R tires. I purposely chose to run the Kumho tires based on their feedback and early performance versus the BFG. Downshifting to first at the hairpin was key to a fast time but my transmission does not agree.
Five weeks to go before Nationals and I need to make the car turn easier and then also decide which tire is better/faster/easier to drive with the revised setup. The Bridgestone is my primary tire choice at the moment because it puts down power best, sets quicker, and communicates very well.
