Woah Woah woah... you can fit 225/45 15's under the fits fenders ?? without massive rubbing ? Because in ST Class I can run up to a 225 on a 7.5 width rim... and if those fit the Fit that would be a massive help to the chronic understeer the car has.

Have you raced with that set-up ? what suspension do you have?

 

Sorry OP, don't mean to go way off topic here....

I would assume they will fit without any problem. Guy who race a Mazda Mx3 with me in SM sold me the setup CHEAP. The Kosei K1 were his track rims so they're like new with just few cone marks here & there.

I will test fit & see if they hit any suspension part sometime later this month. I'm more worry about inside hitting the suspension components. I'm good on outside coz my car isn't low at all.
With the current suspension setup, a set of camber bolts, some rear camber shims, and my Quaife LSD...I don't feel much understeer at all. Of course it's not a trophy winning car in SM but it's really fun to drive. It didn't feel too bad when I just have camber bolts & the suspension either.

If u have other questions feel free to PM me.

 

Let me know how those 225 work out for you...

 

Sure....but I won't be able to test fit them til around mid-june

 

That picture reminds me that everything is faster than the RX-8.....

 

Just did Buttonwillow this past weekend and me/along with others at the track were very surprised at how well the fit was doing. I'll start a full thread once I get some pics from my buddies who took some shots for me.

 

Headed to Laguna Seca on 9/6. Can't wait! Coolest track in CA.

My fenders rubbed the tires badly under full compression at Thunderhill, so I'll be rolling the fenders out next weekend. I ran 205/50/15's, but the miata spec offset wheels pushed the tires flush with the fenders.

For anyone with "too much understeer", get a Rear swaybar. If you find you then have an "oversteer problem", it may just be your driving . Bigger and stickier tires won't really solve a balance issue. It'll just heighten the point at which things go wrong.

Too many people called the impreza an "understeering pig", until the gobstopper showed them they really just didn't know how to drive. I feel the Fit is shockingly good at handling, regardless of price and drivetrain layout.

Next up- more brakes & suspension, racing fluids, better clutch, differential, engine damper.

 

damnit, i was trying to hold off on going on another track day (funds are a little low) But if ur going, I might have to.... lol I wanna see how i stack up against another fit. Did u register yet?

I too didnt notice much understeer once i started playing around with my tire pressures/damping settings/driving lines.

 

Do it quick! I'm registered NCRC solo class. Life's too short to not track Laguna Seca. If funds get low, just increase the instant Ramen diet. . I hear the high sodium makes you faster.

 

fuuuuuuuuuuuu!

cause the thing was that i was planning on doing the one on nov 27, which is right by my bday. But this one on sept 6 would be for my bro's bday. Decisions, decisons.

Which solo group did u reg for?

 

As i've only previously run the Thunderhill event with NCRC, should be Solo A ? i think. All groups still have room, but they'll fill up quick.

done my first sketch for the "special K" bodywork. what do you guys think? too batmobile?

My only on-track experience at Laguna so far was a ride-along in a truly fast race-spec Dodge Viper... so i'll need to tone down my expectations quite a bit come September.

 

ahh i wanna do it, but still wanna wait a little bit. Personally i think the kit is too extreme for my taste, but it is your car, so do what u want

better than me, the only experience i have of laguna is via gran turismo/forza. Although i have many hours under my belt on those... lol

 

This might come in useful:
How to: Run the Corkscrew at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca - Feature - Car and Driver

 

awesome article. Followed it with a couple hours of corkscrew videos on YouTube.

I'll tame down the bodykit, and post new sketches. Hoping to have an edgy kit that people will want to own.

Found a free 3D file for the fit (jdm version), that'll help with mocking up the bodykit in 3D. People are just too kind - giving this stuff away!

quick renders in stock form.

 

I probably will never lap Laguna Seca in real life, but from driving it in GT4, try to watch out for Turns 7 (immediately before the Corkscrew), 9 and 10 (immediately after).

Turn 7 is pretty critical to nail perfectly - understeer there or carry too much speed and you end up in the dirt or the tire barrier on the right. The left-hand Turn 9 also needs some care as it's easy to get spit out into the dirt, instead of having enough grip to switch the steering for Turn 10.

Understeer seems to be the general bane on Laguna Seca. HTH and post photos when you come back

 

bro just found this, its pretty good to find all the correct lines MazdaUSA - Wireless Home

 

Sweet. Thanks for the info guys! Why would you never go to Laguna Seca? It's only $199 for the whole day, with some education included! not an impossible investment in time or money, and it could help you drive better on the street, or avoid a crash. Sell your xbox and games, and you have the funds.


In terms of understeer, I think it's really a misunderstood event. I've long been a fan of the '90s touring cars. FWD simply requires a different driving style, and if the car is setup correctly, and you drive correctly, it's a barrel of fun. Champ car drivers often commented on how much fun it was to race in BTCC.

If you YouTube Jason Plato saving his chevy touring car by mashing the throttle, another advantage of FWD understeer becomes clear. He saved the drive from an impossible angle with specialized FWD technique that won't work with RWD. Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FYEV...=youtube_gdata


Sent from my iPhone

The fit is more agile, and more fun to drive than my WRX and AE86 were. I'd really like the whole "understeer" slur to die off.

 

i dont own a xbox/games to sell for track days but i do have some snowboards i dont use, anyone want to help fund my track day fund?

but in reality, Im pretty sure ill end up going on the 6th

im with u on the advantages of fwd. Once u can use that understeer to your advantage, its awesome. Plus I would rather understeer than oversteer ---> fishtail.

 

Uh, look at my location.

Currently not bestowed with the good fortune of being in the US, much less having a track-ready car there. Would love to go if given the chance though, if only to REALLY experience the Corkscrew, with lateral and vertical Gs and all.

Ahh I'm not really slurring understeer as a strictly FWD trait - after all 95% of the cars I've driven are FWD (the few RWD vehicles I've done are commercial vehicles that would be VERY out of character on a race track!). Understeer exists regardless of drivetrain layout and it's really all about how one attacks the corner and plays with the weight transfer.

Too much speed + not enough braking for the turn = understeer no matter which pair wheels is driven

Laguna Seca just tends to punish understeery driving behavior in general, I think. Miss the apex, you hit the dirt/tire wall - or so GT4 has shown me. Unlike other circuits, once one understeers at Laguna Seca, a smooth recovery seems much harder too. Could be wrong though.

 

@special - yeah, I'm using craigslist to fund my 6th too.


@type100 - I don't live in Germany, but I'm still planning to run the Nordschleife . If you do make it to Laguna, they'll rent you a car.

Your description of understeer works, but if you read your own description, it could be changed to "Laguna Seca really punishes improper braking", or "make sure you enter slow enough, and power out".

In any case, thanks for the advice, and happy tracking!