Got coil springs changed out Friday and took it for a cruise to the store. Not sure if they really made a difference in normal ride quality, but it feels like it did.
I had the normal 50 mile drive to the track to autocross. I used my first 3 runs to mess with shock settings, which proved to be a waste of time. I should have just stuck with the ones I used at cruising the coast. It was also a little cool on the morning runs and I could tell the tires weren't gripping enough to really push. My first run in the afternoon session, I knocked 1.5 seconds off my best morning run. On my final run in the afternoon, I knocked another .5 seconds off my best time. There's a regular at this autocross event in a 98 Mustang cobra. The guy has been autocrossing since I was a child. I've never been able to beat him when he is in that car. I looked at the past results and the closest I've gotten to him was 3.5 seconds! Well, this time, I was only .17 seconds behind him! Next time, I beat him!
I can make the car understeer and there's a delicate balance of speed in which it happens. I'm conflicted on if I'm reaching the limit of the 235 front tire, need more front shock tuning, bigger front sway bar, or need an adjustable rear shock or all of this.
At Moparty, Peter also recommended a taller upper ball joint. (What a great guy helping someone out that isn't even using his setup!) I realize this will change camber gain, but it will also improve roll center. I have some thinking and calculating to do, but for the time being, the car is pretty good. I'm sure most have figured out that I tend to overthink things in an effort to optimize what I have before arbitrarily throwing parts at this thing.
