johnnywoz

I just started SCCA Auto-Xing this year and been having an absolute blast. I would like to do some upgrades over winter and come back next year better prepared to be more competitive. Now I know most of you will say "seat time, seat time, seat time", and I agree completely, but I feel I must be doing well at improving my driving skills as I am ending this year just a couple seconds behind C5Z & C6Z cars that have slicks, shocks, sway bars & experienced drivers, where I am running on street tires, and stock suspension.

I should point out that I have a 2009 Z06 with headers and pipes so I am running in the ASP class. And I am cool with that, plus it gives me more room for more mods.

So my question is, what are some optimal set-ups, parts and settings?
1) Rims; I want a set of rims just for the race tires. Should I stay with an 18"/19" setup or go 18" all around? & why? (I know there is more flexibility with 18s, but Hoosier makes Z06 sizes so why not 18/19 setup)
2) Tires; I am guessing you can't go wrong with Hoosier A6 tires, but what size widths work best?
3) Shocks; I have already purchased a set of DRMs custom valved shocks so I am good there, just waiting on delivery
4) sway bars; don't know much here, so please fill in the blanks
5) alignment; best settings?
6) what else can I do to prep the car to be more competitive????

Thanx in advance for all your help.

UPDATE in post #18

mgarfias

I can't help with your questions, but I can add that if you're feeling like you took a hit off the crack pipe now DO NOT go to a track day.

rasrboy

Hopefully your are going to trailer the car, cause your street tires are not going to like a race alignment.

Someone else jump in here and tell me if this sounds good, it's what I ran in my C5 Z06 T1 car and was told they are close to C6's settings.

Front- 2.5 NEG 1/16th toe out -Max caster
Rear- 1.5 NEG 1/16th toe in- Max caster

Your in trouble now, welcome aboard mate.

Aaron

johnnywoz

Yup, I see a car trailer in my future

I have seen a number of posts with those settings for the alignment.

johnnywoz

My first HPDE is this December at Road Atlanta. I have a feeling I won't be asking for a new wallet this XMAS as I won't have anything to put in it

jaa1992

Ohh boy - just stay away from the corvette posse at Road Atl.
You'll be eating raman noodles once a week - for your only meal until you pass away.

What they heck its only money, I'll be out there in the 92.

johnnywoz

I should also add to my list;
7) rotors;
8) pads;

waktasz

That's not that big of a deal. My street tires have about 10,000 miles with a similar alignment (0 toe in front though and more toe in rear) and are looking good.

Adam@Amp'dAutosport.com

Dba Rotors 4000 series Carbotech XP series pads, Numerous options depending on tire selection. I will be happy to chat with you,if you would like. 216-780-8825

johnnywoz

I am leaning towards the Carbotech pads, have heard lots of good about them.

As for rotors, I definitely like those DBAs, but thinking of going two piece and looking at RacingBrake as an option.

johnnywoz

UPDATE in post #18

So far here is where things stand for setting up a 2009 Z06 for SCCA ASP class Auto-X

1) Rim sizes; thinking 18/19 setup in Z06 offset. have not gotten any opinions yet...

2) Tires; thinking Hoosier A6 in Z06 sizes. no one has spoken up here either...

3) Shocks; will be DRM's custom valved Bilsteins

4) sway bars; no word here...

5) alignment;
Front- 2.5 NEG 1/16th toe out -Max caster
Rear- 1.5 NEG 1/16th toe in- Max caster

6) no other suggestions

7) Rotors; thinking 2 piece from DBA or RacingBrake

8) Pads; Carbotech

0Randy@DRM

18 inch wheels are much more common. IF you are planning on buying new tires all the time, then it really doesn't matter. If you are planning on buying scrubs then the 18s are the only way to go. You are buying wheels anyways, so I personally would go to a 18 all around. 19inch will be about 30 bucks more a tire new.

Shocks done deal

Most auto-x guys have a completely different view on the bar sizes. I would start with a T1 front bar and keep the stock rear bar. Then if needed add the rear bar. Hell your first 3 times out there stock bars will work fine.

Upgraded pad and you will be rocking the auto-x tracks.

Make sure you check the rules and make sure one little thing isn't going to push you over the edge into a higher class.

Good luck and welcome to the machine.
Randy

0RAAMaudio

Pad, rotors, etc.....

I am very pleased with my Carbotech XP10/8 pads with DBA rotors, I went with the 4000 for now as was doing a ton of other mods at the same time. I have not ran an HPDE yet due to not having my roll bar design done but they are great cold, wet, hot, autocross, etc...Just a bit noisy at times and dusty but the dust does not hurt your paint, etc......

DRM rotors, the new ones from the AP kit(very good moderate cost replacement rings, etc......)

You can get by very well with just changing the front rotors to the 2 piece ones, the rears do not save much weight and take far less abuse than the fronts on the track.

Get the DRM SS pistons for the front calipers, now, it will save a great deal of headaches over time and might save the car as far less likely to overheat the fluid and lose the brakes at a very wrong time.

SS lines, low cost, already pulled the calipers and drianed them, you want better fluid anyway, do this all at once.

Quantum brake ducts.

Do all this, you have a killer set of brakes for not a ton of money.

-------------

A6, V710, etc, great autocross tires but I would stick with stock or none race tires for the first HPDE, or 2 or 10 depending on your skill level, etc....learn with less grip first

I would run 18 all around and wider fronts than stock, as wide as you get. I am looking into some 18x11 low cost, low weight wheels, wrong offset up front but I think I can make them work with some spacers(I have ARP studs already installed, another low cost great safety upgrade) The matching rears are 18x12, wish they were wider but for $1,200 a set, not a bad way to go.

You can buy great condition used track tires like R888 in 18's, saves a ton of money and plenty good if not trying to win a race anyway

--------------

Camber kit, then you can really dial things in and keep them there.

DRM steering rack bushing, low cost, better feedback, a bit of effort to install though.

--------------

Sway bar, ask DRM, Randy will tell you which matches their shocks the best

--------------

Alignment: I have control arm bushings as well so with all my mods, coilovers, etc.....I can run a bit less camber as it does not change as much, I run -1.8 up front, not quite max caster but I can get probably more than needed with my setup, toe as you mentioned. Rear camber -1.2, same toe as you listed, etc.....and no tire wear issues at all, worked great for an autocross as well but it was a slippery surface and NTO5 tires are great but not for how I was trying to drive the car

Once I finally get some track time in I might need a bit more aggressive alignment.

--------------

Trans and engine mounts, a bit of harshness there, bothers me more than my wife but they work, puts power down, reacts quicker, less drive train loss that I could feel (my butt dyno has been in use for decades so it does tell me a bit of info I can use

---------------

My LS2, A6 wide body vert with just headers, intake and tune, 3:15 diff, is amazingly faster and easier to drive than a stock car, easier than a stock Z06 as well, so much so I do not think I will need any more power to run with or past them on the track unless really long straights. Then again, I see a cam, maybe heads in the future


Rick

0RAAMaudio

Autocross, fun, great learning experience, can save your butt in the real world, jinking and jiving your way out of some of the terrible drivers on the street, it has save me many times over the decades........Great people to hang with, learn from, etc....If up to me everyone in this country would be required to attend an autocross school and run at least a few events before they got a drivers license.

HPDE, a ton more time behind the wheel, skills learned are great but unless you drive like a maniac on the street usually not that much you can transfer over when you drive cars as fast as these are. The more I ran track evens the more I slowed down on the street(even my favorite all time mountain roads) if I do get a little overly fast I feel stupid, not proud of my skills!

Downside, fewer face time with cool people like you get at autocross events. And, you might want to start running TT, I love TT but be careful, it can lead to RR which is a life of its own, I started down that path and realized I just do not want to spend all your time and money on it so I backed off and now just want to run some TT and occasional autocross(I get far more fun from the cool people than the short burst of hyper activity behind the wheel, so much so I do not even care to be that competitive anymore and I have had some pretty serious autocross cars in my life)

johnnywoz

Thanx Randy for the realistic view on the wheels. Now i just need to see if I can find an inexpensive set of 18s that fits the Z06.

Good advice on the sway bars, I'll keep checking into this to see what other bars are out there as alternatives.

johnnywoz

Thanx Rick for the input.

0RAAMaudio

I am still gathering some info, measuring what I have on the car now, 18x10.5 sp16a CCW compared to C5Z wheels, the info I can get on the other wheels, etc.......once I have a bit more info I will then order a set if I think I can make them work, then let you know

Brake ducts: Once you start running hard at the track you might want to see if you can have the ducts in place but not the hose when autocrossing, just hook the hose back up for track days, etc......???

Camber kit not legal either? Before I went with a camber kit I was considering getting my setup really dialed in and drilling and taping in a roll pin to prevent it from slipping, that should be legal

Rick

johnnywoz

UPDATE #2
Here is where things stand for setting up a 2009 Z06 for SCCA ASP class Auto-X

1) Rim sizes;
leaning towards 18" all around after much advise from Randy and Rick.

2) Tires;
Hoosier A6, and also any scrubs

3) Shocks;
DRM's custom valved Bilsteins, done deal

4) sway bars;
leaning towards Pfadt adjustable Super Stock

5) alignment;
Front- 2.5 NEG 1/16th toe out -Max caster
Rear- 1.5 NEG 1/16th toe in- Max caster

6) anything else;
DRM's Stainless Steel caliper pistons
Stainless braided break lines
ARP lug nut studs

7) Rotors;
per advice, 2 piece fronts and 1 piece rears
considering DBA, Coleman, DRM, LGM, RacingBrake

8) Pads;
Carbotech - model will depend on which rotors I go with.

LeMans05C6

Yep happened to me in Feb this year. Its like an addiction, but almost more expensive than drugs.

LeMans05C6

I hear the 18" are the way to go for more available tires and many more options and a bit cheaper. 19" is an odd inch size and prices go up i hear.

As for the rotors, check out KNS Brakes. I got some solid DBA 4000 series rotors for my HPDEs as well. Not sure for Auto-X, but for road racing you don't want drilled rotors, Solid are good slotted aren't bad either.

I have had good luck with Hawk pads but thats a personal preference. Trial and Error there for what works for you.