[Cone Eater]

Other than throw them out!

I am going to an autocross next weekend. It will be my first in 15yrs. I was wondering if anyone had dared venture onto a course with RE92's. If anyone did and survived if you could give me some suggestions for tire pressures I would appreciate it. Chances are it will be 35-50 degrees and the course is cement. I have to drive for about an hour to get there and I am pretty sure that air won't be readily available. I also have a 20mm rear sway bar on an '02 2.5.

Thanks!

 

[RS25.com]

I ran the RE92's for a few events. Here's what I know. Obviously, if you're gonna race much, replace them! :lol:

First, you'll take big chunks out of the tires - like the size of a quarter - so don't be surprised.

Second, I run 45 psi front and 32 psi rear to get a little oversteer (not much, but I like it)

Third, for like $20 you can get an air tank at your local car parts store. Fill it at a gas station's air pump, take it with you, fill them at the track. I find it's WELL worth the money. I would NEVER drive on 45 psi on the street.

Fourth, expect a lot of squeeling and screeching. If you slow down a little, I feel (personally) that you get better perfomance. But who knows if that is really the case...

Hope that helps!

 

[Cone Eater]

Thanks James...I'm also taking a 16 yr old for his first autocross...should be interesting.

 

[Streetman]

Second, I run 45 psi front and 32 psi rear to get a little oversteer (not much, but I like it)

Wouldn't you want 32 in the front, and 45 in the rear? You want the front end to get hotter, and have a bigger contact patch than the rear, so the rear will slide a little more, don't you?

And for some reason I've always run 32 in every tire I've ever had. Force of habit from the old days on my motorcycles where I didn't want to try to remember from one day to the next where I had tweaked them. That can cause serious issues on two wheels.

Now I just squeeze 32, or maybe 34 in my cars' tires too. I know the manufacture says something like 42, but I figure I'll go for better grip, and sacrafice a mile or two per gallon. Am I wrong?

 

[RS25.com]

Actually, no. It's been posted just about everywhere that higher front pressures mean oversteer. Tirerack.com says that, Cobb tuning says that (as I recall), and many SCCA members say that. As well as me saying that from experience that is exactly how it works.

I don't know the physics behind it, all I know is that it works.

Also, you only want to run that kind of pressure on the track - not on the street. It'll wear your tires out quickly on the street.

 

[ScottiE]

My personal experience my first season on 92's....pump 10 more up from ~7-8 in back. You are going to slide a lot, but I had a lot of fun on the 92's. They won't last long like we all know....but they are VERY easy to autocross on for beginners. Throw it into a corner and you will ease through with a soft slide.... Sounds odd...but true.

 

[Cone Eater]

Since I started this I'll put in my results. I did the 45lbs front/ 32lbs rear. I chalked the tires and found that me, and/or my son was taking them to the edge of the tread. I was a cool day, 50-60 degrees and after our last run I took a pressure check and found the fronts to be pushing 50lbs.

The course was an old asphalt runway and had a lot of breakup and small gravel. The car seemed to push on the first turn(more than 90 degrees) But I was probably going into it to hot. At the secong big turn I always managed a nice drift that would set me up for the entrance into the slalom. We did a fair amount of sliding but seemed to be under control. We also managed to finish in the middle of the class.