jakers

Recently had a little taste of Autocross and I did like it! Got to drive a little Mazda MX5. No big power but it was fun to flick it back and forth around the course and for a rookie it seemed well balanced and perhaps something that would not get me into to much trouble...

So, I have a C4 sitting in the garage undergoing some repairs. Eventually the repairs will be complete and it will be time to drive this thing again. So I am thinking of autocrossing but from the sound of things I may have the wrong car for autocrossing. I have too many modifications for stock class. Modifications include LT4 hotcam, MSD ignition, ported and polished heads, Long tube headers, cat delete, 1.6 roller rockers, and upgraded sway bars among others things. Running street tires now. I am sure that these will get me upclassed.

I am mostly concerned about the consumables and repairs. From visiting this part of the forum periodically, I will need to find a huge supply of C4 hubs. Alot of things seem to break on these cars without additional track time. I am thinking that I need to buy a Mazda Miata/MX5 for use on the autocross course and leave the C4 for nice/spirited drives in the country?

I apologize if this sounds Anti-Corvette or anti-C4. That is not my intention. I have no plans of ditching the old 94. I have a ton of money and time in her. However, I am trying to look at this from a practical/economical stand point.

Go ahead and fire away with the Miata is a "secretaries car" and "Hey man, you look like a bear riding a tricycle!" Been flamed before so this won't be the first or the last! BTW, my big but actually fit in that tiny little MX5, believe it or not!

I will sit back and listen now. Thanks in advance.

jaa1992

I don't have an answer for you, just my experience.
My 100K hubs were replaced Jan 2009 (all four)
Rears with "heavy duty tapered roller bearing" hubs
Front with Timken from autozone

After just a few events the seal on the driver side rear hub went out.
I replaced them with OEM NOS from Corvette recycling.
Front hubs are still tight.
Rear hubs after CMP, Road Atl, NCCAR, Charlotte, CMP are still tight.
I hope I get the rest of this year out of the hubs. I am going to order a couple sets just to have on the shelf.

Now its time to order brake pads again at $400, then tires at $1400.
Need to find a good trailer to tow behind the tahoe, more $$$$

Good luck in whatever you choose.

efranzen

Which car depends a lot on what your goals are. If you just want to get out there in your car and drive the heck out of it, don't worry too much about your mods or where you'll get classed. Just go have fun with your car.

If your goal is to go out there and win then you'll need to pay more attention to what mods your car has.

MJM Racing LLC

If you stay close to stock on tire sizes, you shouldn't have too much hub trouble. You might have to replace one set a year. If you go to big sticky AX tires, you will eat hubs quickly.

There is a fix for the front hubs, see this thread:

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...-bearings.html

If you end up running the 'vette with big rubber, the rebuildable front hubs will eventually pay for themselves. But there does not appear to be a good fix for the rear.

NMsharkracer

Autocross the heck out of that C-4. The C-4 is a great autocross car and it isn't expensive to maintain. It you're going to track it, that's another story.

Barbara_S

I spent 5 years autocrossing a stock completely original C4. I started on street tires, then Kumho v710's and for that time there were no real consumables to speak of. When I went to Hoosiers, the hubs started breaking down, so don't take my recent post to heart.

shakedown067

Just get out there and do it. You'll have a blast. Not quite a year yet, but my hubs are still solid.

vettehardt

The C4s are gret autocrossers. My dad has a 90 ZR-1 that he/we has been running since 2001. So far we have not had to replace the hubs or bearings (knock, knock). We have raced on everything from cheap Sumitumo street tires to hoosiers.

Especially since you are a rookie, just find a group to go run with and don't worry about what class you end up in. As you get better and more competitive with your car, find a class you want to run in and make the car legal for it. The only thing your classification might matter on is what safety equipment you need. In NCCC, your mods will put you into group 3 where you will need a fire extinguisher mounted in the car. NCCC no longer requires a roll bar for autocrossing in group 3, but it is still required for any high speed event.

ScaryFast

Agreed. Don't let the fact that at some point your bearings will go bad deter you from the C4. If you're just beginning it could be years before you need new ones. Besides, any car you choose will have a weak point. This just happens to be ours. C4 Bearings are cheap and once you've replaced them once you'll find it's quite easy to do.

C4's dominated Auto-X when they were newer, and there are still quite a few competitive ones out there that I know of. It's a great car for cone chasing.

jakers

Thanks to all. I will be autocrossing this car when I am done with my suspension R&R!

grantar2

If you want to be **** you can carry a spare hub, gas peddle, brake pads, all fluids, lug nuts and studs (if you will be changing tires at the track). Most likely until you run high end race rubber or unless the car is just used up, you won't need any of it. MY answer was to find a guy you was leaving the sport who had run a C4 and accumulated all the parts. Bought them / was given them cheap.

jakers

Over packing is a problem that I have been known to have. I can't go on a weeks vacation with out a U-haul. Hunting trips mean that I have to pack the entire Cabela's store along, just in case. You know that old boy scout thing!

Oh no, I didn't think about how this would apply with Auto-X yet. This means I need a semi and a hauler, right?

Donated parts, what a great idea, I AM NOW ACCEPTING HUB DONATIONS!

Rob31

Im wondering if Driveshaft angles have an effect on bearing life .Most C4s are lowered in some way .
??

MJM Racing LLC

I suppose if you had a seized U-joint, or exteeded the safe angles on the U joints it could, but otherwise, it's unlikely.

Cashmo

Had our 89 since late 2005 running Hooser A6's at a lot of Solo events each year. Replaced the rear hubs when we got it, haven't touched them since. Some years I have to replace both front hubs twice, sometimes we go a whole year without touching them. Replaced the fuel injectors last year. Haven't needed our spare gas pedal yet. Replacing the heater core days before the 2006 Solo Nationals sucked but was worth it.

Would recommend staying on good street tires for your first year. Kumho XS's come in Vette sizes and they don't overheat like some of the other options.

Jeff