Expert: Dan Liddy - 6/9/2008

Question
rf camber 1in all others strait up i dont know what caster is or even how to get it when i say bump stop i mean by  bump stop they come at the top of struts put them all the way up the struts rods under the dust cover so minamal move ment i race with hondas and they chew me up i think its the motor on the left side thing

Answer
Hi again David:

OK here's what you should do.  Change the RF camber to 4 degrees negative (top leaning IN) , then the LF camber to about 2 degrees positive (top leaning OUT) , have the toe set to about 1/32 OUT on the LF, and 3/32 out on the RF. Tell your front end man you want lots of caster- - - about 2-3 degrees if you can get it, and ask him how to modify the front suspension to achieve it.   All of this should reduce your push quite a lot. When he gives you all of that, be SURE to tip him- - -a $20.00 bill should be about right. This does wonders, and especially if he knows you can't really afford it.  I suspect that you will be going back to him occasionally.

Order this book from a book store.  "How to Make Your Car Handle" by Fred Puhn- - - it's an older work but easy to read and understand, and after you've read thru it the third time, you'll begin to understand suspenison a lot better.  At the very least you will learn why FWD is a massive JOKE played on the world population.

As for the Hondas, they're a fact of life, they are dusting a few of us as well.  My son has an older Civic with an Acura 1.8 something-special-from-Japan in it, for about 220 HP and it's simply frightening - - -wicked fast and a street car!.

How are we gonna get around the Hondas?

Well lets try to put some weight on the LF by lowering the RR a little, take an inch of ride height out of the RR. Shorten the spring by cutting one coil off the top.  You'll have to use a high speed cutter, a hacksaw will take you all week !

Next time you have to take the motor out, have the flywheel lightened by a machinest , probably $75 and it'll get you off the corners better. Then have the internal engine pieces balanced. Probably $160 for that but it will add to the available horsepower, and extend engine life.  

Finally make SURE you're at minimum class weight. Every 100 pounds is about a 1/2 sec per lap. At and average 50 MPH that's 36 FEET.

Try those things, write back after a couple of weekends and let me know what else you need to know.

Best of luck

Dan Liddy
Sarasota, Florida

PS Thanks for your patience !!