Does autocrossing HURT your car?
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Does autocrossing HURT your car?
I have auto crossed this year in my 07 C6. I have been getting a lot of heat (from non-autocrossers) saying. "why would you want to put that kind of stress on your car. They also state that the value of the car goes down if you are honest and tell a potential buyer that it has been raced.
Has anyone damaged a suspension component, tie rod, or even an engine in a autocross?
Has anyone damaged a suspension component, tie rod, or even an engine in a autocross?
#2
I have auto crossed this year in my 07 C6. I have been getting a lot of heat (from non-autocrossers) saying. "why would you want to put that kind of stress on your car. They also state that the value of the car goes down if you are honest and tell a potential buyer that it has been raced.
Has anyone damaged a suspension component, tie rod, or even an engine in a autocross?
Has anyone damaged a suspension component, tie rod, or even an engine in a autocross?
#3
Drifting
#5
Pro
Member Since: Jun 2001
Location: Loudoun County, VA
Posts: 717
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I have auto crossed this year in my 07 C6. I have been getting a lot of heat (from non-autocrossers) saying. "why would you want to put that kind of stress on your car. They also state that the value of the car goes down if you are honest and tell a potential buyer that it has been raced.
Has anyone damaged a suspension component, tie rod, or even an engine in a autocross?
Has anyone damaged a suspension component, tie rod, or even an engine in a autocross?
Never damaged any suspension components during a run, but replaced many brake pads, tires, shocks and springs over the years. Blew an engine in my '94 during an autox (still won the event from a previous run). Put a new engine in it (with a Canton race pan) and ran many more years.
It's a Corvette, it has a racing heritage, use it as intended.
Last edited by urtoslo; 09-18-2010 at 08:47 PM. Reason: typos
#7
Racer
Member Since: Sep 2008
Location: Houston Texas
Posts: 272
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Auto-crossing isnt that bad on the car. Of course it depends on how hard you drive it. Yes there will be more wear and tear the more you use something but isn't that the point??
Wear and tear is proportional to fun.
Its your car do what you want to do with it.
And no it doesn't hurt you car... it makes your car happy!
Wear and tear is proportional to fun.
Its your car do what you want to do with it.
And no it doesn't hurt you car... it makes your car happy!
#10
Melting Slicks
Autocrossing will put some more wear in the "consumables". That is brake pads, wheel bearings and the differential clutches. Other than that it really doesn't make a difference. So long as you are willing to replace the wear items as they are consumed, it isn't an issue.
#11
Team Owner
Member Since: Sep 2000
Location: Far NW 'burbs of Chicago
Posts: 23,940
Received 2,051 Likes
on
1,362 Posts
St. Jude Donor '13
You can trash the engine on a manual tranny if you miss a shift and force an over-rev, but that could also happen on the street or drag strip.
My biggest gripe is AX courses that have stuff for you to hit. This ain't road racing, the course should be set up so that you can lose it and and not damage anything.
When i was AXing our 2001, i went to one event that was actually run on a short oval with walls all the way around. I looked at that and decided I'd be playing grandpa on that course. Sure enough, one guy started sliding in a beautiful C4, totaled the car, and got an ambulance ride.
Highly competitive people will accept that kind of risk, I don't. You get to make your own decisions.
Have fun, and good luck!
My biggest gripe is AX courses that have stuff for you to hit. This ain't road racing, the course should be set up so that you can lose it and and not damage anything.
When i was AXing our 2001, i went to one event that was actually run on a short oval with walls all the way around. I looked at that and decided I'd be playing grandpa on that course. Sure enough, one guy started sliding in a beautiful C4, totaled the car, and got an ambulance ride.
Highly competitive people will accept that kind of risk, I don't. You get to make your own decisions.
Have fun, and good luck!
#12
Le Mans Master
I've autocrossed my car since I bought it in '02; I'm still on the original engine, clutch, tranny, diff, etc. I've replaced all four wheel bearings once, rotors, and pads multiple times.
Oh, and she's got 213,xxx miles. These cars depreciate just like a Ford Taurus, and unless you're willing to wait 40, 50, 60 years you'll ALWAYS lose money on them.
If you want to invest your money, then *invest* it. If you want to enjoy a car, then enjoy it. I pay very, VERY, little attention to those that diss me for driving my car.
As far as autocross courses where you can hit stuff, I agree. However, a decent course layout won't put you into a condition where you *could* hit stuff. Track courses have more risk of hitting stuff than an autocross, and usually at higher speeds.
BTW, I enjoy both.
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
Oh, and she's got 213,xxx miles. These cars depreciate just like a Ford Taurus, and unless you're willing to wait 40, 50, 60 years you'll ALWAYS lose money on them.
If you want to invest your money, then *invest* it. If you want to enjoy a car, then enjoy it. I pay very, VERY, little attention to those that diss me for driving my car.
As far as autocross courses where you can hit stuff, I agree. However, a decent course layout won't put you into a condition where you *could* hit stuff. Track courses have more risk of hitting stuff than an autocross, and usually at higher speeds.
BTW, I enjoy both.
HTH, and have a good one,
Mike
#13
Drifting
I have auto crossed this year in my 07 C6. I have been getting a lot of heat (from non-autocrossers) saying. "why would you want to put that kind of stress on your car. They also state that the value of the car goes down if you are honest and tell a potential buyer that it has been raced.
Has anyone damaged a suspension component, tie rod, or even an engine in a autocross?
Has anyone damaged a suspension component, tie rod, or even an engine in a autocross?
The people you want to hang with will agree with you, and the others are boring people.
#14
Drifting
Member Since: Jun 2000
Location: Corpus Christi, TX
Posts: 1,848
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
#16
Team Owner
#18
Drifting
Sometimes it can make it faster. I once asked an IndyCar crew member why they spend so much time cleaning and waxing the race car. He said, "Waxing makes the sponsors' decals look better, which makes the sponsors happier, which makes the car faster."
#19
Safety Car
Auto-crossing isnt that bad on the car. Of course it depends on how hard you drive it. Yes there will be more wear and tear the more you use something but isn't that the point??
Wear and tear is proportional to fun.
Its your car do what you want to do with it.
And no it doesn't hurt you car... it makes your car happy!
Wear and tear is proportional to fun.
Its your car do what you want to do with it.
And no it doesn't hurt you car... it makes your car happy!
#20
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jun 2007
Location: Sartell Minnesota
Posts: 2,172
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
i've never had a car before that LITERALLY made me get the giggles when i got on the gas. I love driving the car harder sometimes. Never autocrossed or road course raced it but would LOVE to try sometime