General Exclaim UHP, 205/50-16. I picked them up at the last minute on sale, was originally going to buy the Conti Extreme Contact DWS. Based on General's website, I think the Exclaim line is being replaced with the Altimax line.

 

^ have those same rotas... look good

 

@Jim
Are you setting up your car to be neutral? I ask because you sound like "not letting the rear get loose" is a good thing. Most FWD track cars run such a stiff rear suspension (to promote rotation of the rear end) that the inner rear tire lifts off the ground. This is true for auto-cross as well.

Just curious why you are fighting against this type of rotation?

 

What I'm saying is that there are different ways to approach manipulating the what/why causing the rear wheel lift. The RSB addition alone creates a different set of handling cause/effect results to compensate for. Starting with the chassis braces and preventing the Fit from flexing like a twizzler changes the handling (for the better) in such a way that a RSB becomes debatable. Yes, I have one on my list of things to buy, but I'm not convinced now (after braces) that a RSB will improve my handling more than what I've got now.

I do not plan to auto-cross my Fit, but I would like it to handle more like a track car. I want to start with as flat a platform (chassis) as possible since, IMO, it gave me a better understanding of the suspension dynamics for the type of road driving I do. I wouldn't necessarily say that I'm aiming for a neutral feel. It's not. But if my car had a MT instead of AT, I would not hesitate to auto-cross it with my current mods (if allowable for the class).

 

I take it you do more mountain runs than anything else right now, and as someone that used to do the same thing on a weekly basis I think keeping that rotation out of the equation is a good thing.

Roads are much more unpredictable and unforgiving than a racetrack (rocks, dirt, etc.) and i've always built my cars (when I built cars lol) to be neutral for this very reason. Alot of the guys that end up going off backwards are the ones running 10k f 16k r setups with crazy sways lol. Good on a racetrack but hit a dirt patch mid-turn at 10/10ths and you're going for a ride (or possibly flight depending on the road haha)

 

You actually said that a lot better than I was attempting to!

I realize that I jumped into the thread mid-stream, and probably strayed from B&D's intent. I just seem to get drawn to the Fit RSB debate threads since they usually (it may not apply here) come from a perspective where it's the first upgrade below the belt-line that some guys make. I have noticed over the past 2 1/2 years that quite a few FF's have removed their RSB's and posted them for sale after a bit of frustration that it didn't deliver the results they were looking for. It's almost exclusive to the GE8's. I don't know if the hardware is crap, a gimmick, or if there's a general lack of understanding of what to expect with the mod/upgrade.

I also read a lot of posts where guys only go for a strut tower brace and the RSB since the labor involved is pretty simple/easy. My take as a former powertrain engineer Ford is that you need to stiffen up the Fit's platform before you can really start making gains by tweaking other stuff. Assuming you're already running a sport spring or coil-overs, chassis braces on a Fit deliver a night & day improvement in handling. The spring upgrade was dramatic enough. But now that I've had my chassis setup in play for five months, and I've a had chance to learn the new handling characteristics through some seriously intense and aggressive mountain driving, I'm not convinced that I even want/need a RSB now.

My real validation is when my wife drives my car, which is only about twice a month. She knows nothing about cars beyond their function. But when she can describe to me that the car feels more predictable, more stable, goes where you point it, and is quicker in turns, I know that it's not all just techno-speak and educated guesses.

 

^ The wife/girlfriend test has and always will be a legitimate measuring stick of modifications for me better than any data aquisition computer on the market. Usually more expensive though.

Once you feel comfy with the car and it becomes an extension of you, you don't need to add anything else. Herein lies the difference between "tuners" and drivers.

 

I do like the stiffness


Ill join the party

 

Put a trailer axle and leaf springs in place of the stock set up... I think it would be an improvement based on what I experienced on my VW pickup trucks..... Far better riding and handling than what I have seen from my Fit and on 13" diameter wheels and 175-70 tires..Seriously Hot Shots, honest truth 365 days a year 3000 miles a month in city traffic under a tight schedule.

 

LOL at leaf springs.

 

Interesting. I agree completely with being wary of oversteer in a daily driver. I've seen some companies offering chassis braces...this is something I will have to give some more thought to. Have you installed fender braces as well?

 

A couple of clamps that you can get at any auto parts store placed on the front or rear to stiffen it will prevent wrap up when the wheels are locked up.. Why would you need more when it does the same thing as what you end up with when you solidify the torsion beam and allows the axle to move in more of an up and down movement instead of in a wheelbase altering arc and places less torsion demand on the frame.

 

That's what she said...


Aw come on, it was too easy!

 

This was from my posting here on these forums back in April, during my weekend at Mid Ohio:

See the thread here: https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/fit-...-mid-ohio.html

Also, after half a season of autocrossing my Fit (before I bought a prepped Miata in August for autox and track), I can tell you that the RSB allows for a much more nimble and controlled ride with about 30% (butt-feel estimate) less understeer.

Your skeptisicm is understandable, but you should be able to see by now that there are plenty of people testifying on the performance value of this cheap upgrade.

 

Nah, I'm pretty much done with my mods other than the exhaust. And a lightweight crank pulley. And some Cusco pillow ball mounts for the top of the struts. And a strut bar if one comes our for the GE8 that doesn't require cutting away plastic parts to make it fit. And... geez, got carried away there.


Seriously though, since I joined the SCCA, I've realized that I will have way more fun if I just buy a used track car from somebody that wants to move up in class and needs some cash for their soon to be useless hardware. My entry costs will be less. I've accepted that while I can manipulate the AT pretty well for most aggressive driving situations, it's just not something that will work well enough for a Fit doing autocross. However, if B-spec ever becomes a reality outside of the west coast region, I could always buy a used base MT Fit and transfer the allowable hardware from my DD to the track car. That option is still under consideration. It's just that the Mazda series stuff is REALLY popular in the southeast, so I might go that direction like TAUWOLF did.

 

Ok I have a question Do you guys think the RSB would work better if you add a Rear Strut Bar as well? I think it would do better.

 

LMAO...please tell me that was a joke.

 

....no it sounds to me that the RSB kinda acts like a lower strut bar instead of acting like a RSB so I was thinking if adding the rear upper strut bar it would help. But I guess I was wrong on well better then learning the hard way.

 

now the rsb still acts like a rsb...

if anything adding a bar to the rear trailing arm to body mounts would be the way to go... but i'm not sure if you'd notice anything or not... at that point you might as well get a cage...