I am so doing this when I convert the DSM to track duty....

[D_Eclipse9916]

I went into some road racing and autocross forums for dsms and was talking to some people about running some wide-ass tires as 255s are pretty much the largest we can fit in our wheel wells. But apparently if you dont care about it sticking out, you can run some pretty wide wheels if you run the right spring rates and height. Hell...I wuold do this for 285s under there.....



Or maybe im just a tire ricer....

[.RJ]

Looks cool but i bet it slows you down

[D_Eclipse9916]

We dont have a problem with weight of tires and wheels (yay for actual power) but we do have a problem with being fat pigs, a 1998 Eclipse GSX weighs in at 3157 lbs WITHOUT a driver, yay for leather, 8 speakers, sunroof, and awd. And apparently they didnt care about weight either with steel galvanized panels all around and fucking heavy ass power seats.

Soooo...our grip is limited to our tires as the weight really pounds on those puny tires (think a corvette runs 285s stock and they weight only a few lbs more). Mitsubishi also gave us Goodyear RS-As with 215 wide tires.

[.RJ]

Well, running big wide tires doesnt instantly mean more grip - I guess it all depends on the car, suspension, power, weight, etc. A wider tire will just give you a different size contact patch, and its possible that the tire is too big to retain the amount of heat you need for consistent grip too, or may be too heavy and affect braking/handling or overwork the shocks making them fade. Its all a big toss up

[D_Eclipse9916]

Thats why I follow the guys that road race all the time.... Cuz the have worked that all out, meaning I dont have to. lol.

[.RJ]

Are there a lot of guys racing DSMs? I've seen some out for track days but never racing with SCCA or NASA around here - seems like there's just not much place for those cars to race unless you get into the unlimited type classes.

If you're looking at others for suspension/setup advice try to benchmark their times to sort of qualify if they know what they're talking about or not... if they are running slower than an ITS bmw with 400 hp, awd, and 255+ width tires then there's somethin wrong

[HAULN-SS]

heh, i just noticed that guys liscense plate. Isn't it illegal to run tires outside the fenderwells?

[D_Eclipse9916]

The problem was, DSMs in the first few years were very competitive, competitive enough that the rules were changed that outlawed them from every class except unlimited, competing with raceprepped vipers and ferraris.

Archer Racing (those guys with the vipers) actually were huge into 1g dsms in road racing, but when the classes changed, they basically had to get rid of them, and thats when the switch to vipers was made.
Edit: In fact if you visit archer racing, you can see their old 1gs at their shop still, well...some of em.

Greg Collier, a dsm guy, raced in Speed Unlimited in Socal and won the championship 2 or 3 years in a row against those ferraris and vipers. Now with TTB and other classes being revised for evos and WRXs (now 4wd with turbos) the classes have basically opened back up for dsms, which are now experiencing a blowup in the amount of road racers just in the past year.

So in essence, there is not much information yet known about the 2g chassis in road racing, current racers make this look promising as the 2g is lighter than an evo, has a independent multi-link suspension, is low and aerodynamic (.28-.30 coefficient of drag depending on the year) and of course has awd and sufficient power.

Soooooo....we will see. Thats all I can say.

[Feersty]

I would choose a different car for track duty.

[Andy]

I would choose a different car for track duty.

Are you going to offer an explanation?

[Sijray21]

I would choose a different car for track duty.

please enlighten us - ...why?

[.RJ]

Are you going to offer an explanation?

Of course not. He wont even return to this thread.... have you noticed that? One comment and thats it, everywhere.

[Beej]

This is why wide tires rule: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://e30.us/video/2wheels-wmv.wmv">http://e30.us/video/2wheels-wmv.wmv</a><!-- m -->

There are soo many arguments on the web about this topic, mostly between the physics equation guys and the guys that actually run the man-style tires. I don't know enough to pick a side, but it's made for a couple interesting reads.

EDIT: Those are only 245's, but 245 hoohoos is pretty wide for an e30. He's stepped it up to fender flares and something ungodly these days.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Now that feersty has posted he wouldnt run a dsm, I guess I shouldnt lol.

Feersty can you tell me why? Why run an integra? Why run a civic? Why run a focus? Why run an Evo?

[Feersty]

Integra= HC
Civic= HC
Focus = SpecFocus
Evo = Rally inspired

[.RJ]

Whats your point here :?:

Track cars dont have classes they have to fit into.

[D_Eclipse9916]

uh wtf do you think a DSM is? do you even know a galant vr-4 is???? Otherwise you wouldnt be saying the shit you do.

I am not gonna talk shit about any other car, but just to let you know, an evo has the same engine, the dsm has a multilink independent while the evo has a macpherson, the evo has a stronger chassis (fixed with roll cage), and the dsm is lighter and more aerodynamic. Oh and guess what, its the same EXACT engine and drivetrain AS AN EVO 3..... guess what too, the DSM's chassis is a shortened platform of a Galant VR-4, THE rally car before the evo was created. So.....you have fun with your focus that has nothing in common with a specfocus.

Ill enjoy my great levels of grip, power, and handling.

Edit: reduced my level of annoyance...

[Feersty]

uh wtf do you think a DSM is? do you even know a galant vr-4 is???? Otherwise you wouldnt be saying the shit you do.

I am not gonna talk shit about any other car, but just to let you know, an evo has the same engine, the dsm has a multilink independent while the evo has a macpherson, the evo has a stronger chassis (fixed with roll cage), and the dsm is lighter and more aerodynamic. Oh and guess what, its the same EXACT engine and drivetrain AS AN EVO 3..... guess what too, the DSM's chassis is a shortened platform of a Galant VR-4, THE rally car before the evo was created. So.....you have fun with your focus that has nothing in common with a specfocus.

Ill enjoy my great levels of grip, power, and handling.

Edit: reduced my level of annoyance...

I know what a Galant VR4 is. I go by what I see on track, I go by what I see in HPDEs. Why don't you see Celicas on track? People don't like them, and for good reason. Obviously those guys out on track know a lot more than me. Be that as it may, I just don't see Eclipses on track, or if I have its rare. Not to say they aren't good, but people choose their track cars after lots of research.

My car is a lot of fun, and has been extremely reliable. It is my commuter, and that is what it is. Taking cars out on tracks decreases their reliability and their resale value. I am saving for a house right now, and that money could make my car look like a Spec Focus car. Obviously it is nothing like that now, for the reason stated earlier.

Grip, power, and handling is nothing if it is in the hands of a bad driver or a bad application.

[Goodspeed]

Edit

Grip, power, and handling is nothing if it is in the hands of a bad driver or a bad application.

Oh shit....DJ you just can't catch a break!

[.RJ]

I go by what I see on track, I go by what I see in HPDEs

Well, you should go to the track more often or stop sleeping on your corner station when you are there. Sure there's a lot of hondas and miatas, but I have seen one of everything out there and I bet everybody is having a good time on track. Just because a celica or a DSM doesnt have as many fanbois doesnt mean you wont go out and have a good time in whatever it is you're driving.

No one asked you to justify why you arent taking your car to the track, but thanks for the life update. Let us know when you move out of your mom's basement too.