I have a fit and do a lot of canyon driving need help :)
#1
07-12-2007, 03:18 AM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: California ,Glendale/La crescenta
Posts: 299
I have a fit and do a lot of canyon driving need help :)
the title tells it all . almost lol, i would like to know what you fit freakers think i should get as in springs for my car .i do a lot of canyon driving and want speedy turns without feeling the car about to fly off the hill.but i dont want nothing dry thank you very much .shoot some answers
-Arlen
-Arlen
#2
07-12-2007, 04:25 AM
Check my post "DUAL PROGRESSIVE SPRINGS-JAPANESE SPEAKER NEEDED"!
Where do you go riding?
I used to live in the Valley and blast canyons all out past midnight for years in the early 90's. Then race against bikes between the Rock Store and resting area above on Saturday's and Sunday's mornings! Mulholland, Yorba Buena, Decker, Stunt Road, Angels Crest,.... you name it.
Few tips from my experience: make sure somebody knows where you went to ride and do not go alone. Make sure at least one more car is with you. Keep distance and use two way radios with a hand's free kit. Usualy there is no cell phone reception and chances are you won't be able to make a call even if there is if you are upside down trapped in your car! All this in case you fly off! Been there- done that! Watch for gravel, dust, water drainage, coyoties, owls and rat migrations (no joke!) accross the road! Bring a fire extinguisher, flashlights,....Drive it slow in one direction to scout for troubles before you blast it the other way back. Have very strong wheels with great tire quality(no junk yard tires!). Steelies even (you won't drive on them daily), since they can bend but won't break like alloys. Canyons are rough and will bend wheels at high speed! They will eat tires since surface is very abrasive. Do not go below 50 series on tires. You need some flex. If wheels or tires fail, you will get hurts since there are no run off areas. Do not gamble with it. There are nights when I felt like everything is going my way and there were nights where I just did not "feel it". I drove home then. Do not ditch cops. They can't catch you, but they have radios! I was just lackey and got away with it. Most of my friends were not!
Why do I consider myself a veteran at it? I did it for sooo looong!
I ripped off half of my CRX'es back end and drove 5 miles out of the canyon with rear right wheel toe out at 35 degree angle before HWY patrol got to the site. My best friend rolled multiple times off. Once he got hurt bad. Broken collar bone, severed ear and lost consciousness multiple times before reaching emergency room. Another friend rolled his parents Q45 in empty field just to watch it burn down to the ground since glowing red hot cats got field on fire. Heighbouring forest burned down too!
Once we split a stunt crew and two wrecked cars during a film shoot on Mulholland! Cops were bussy at the catering table. Nobody thought two maniacs were going to blast it through at triple digits at 2:30am! At some point local newspaper featured an article about a white CRX and silver Rabbit in which local authorities were looking for anybody who can identify drivers and their cars.
Man were we stupid! We did not have half of what I suggested to you above. We could have died every night multiple times. So many close calls. Then we discovered autocrossing. We were good at it right away. No clifs, no fear! LOL! I spent years chasing Bob Endicott and his wife in their fully sponsored CRX. I was the only car among first 10 in C street prepared that was not trailered and was driven daily and to and from the competition. I removed spare tire, jack and my sub, bumped tire pressures, adjusted my Koni's and chase was on. I was always on crappy street tires though. Once I got enough money saved up and got Yokohama's 008 RS for track (still not autocrossing compund!). I easily came third behind Bob and his wife. Latter on during fun runs, I beat his time by over a second couple of time. It was the greatest satisfaction!
Good luck and be smart. Know your limits. Your life is not worth the thril. Start autocrossing. It might not be apealing avoiding cones and racing against the clock, but you will get hooked once you start. Trust me. Many guys at this forum can vouch for that.
Where do you go riding?
I used to live in the Valley and blast canyons all out past midnight for years in the early 90's. Then race against bikes between the Rock Store and resting area above on Saturday's and Sunday's mornings! Mulholland, Yorba Buena, Decker, Stunt Road, Angels Crest,.... you name it.
Few tips from my experience: make sure somebody knows where you went to ride and do not go alone. Make sure at least one more car is with you. Keep distance and use two way radios with a hand's free kit. Usualy there is no cell phone reception and chances are you won't be able to make a call even if there is if you are upside down trapped in your car! All this in case you fly off! Been there- done that! Watch for gravel, dust, water drainage, coyoties, owls and rat migrations (no joke!) accross the road! Bring a fire extinguisher, flashlights,....Drive it slow in one direction to scout for troubles before you blast it the other way back. Have very strong wheels with great tire quality(no junk yard tires!). Steelies even (you won't drive on them daily), since they can bend but won't break like alloys. Canyons are rough and will bend wheels at high speed! They will eat tires since surface is very abrasive. Do not go below 50 series on tires. You need some flex. If wheels or tires fail, you will get hurts since there are no run off areas. Do not gamble with it. There are nights when I felt like everything is going my way and there were nights where I just did not "feel it". I drove home then. Do not ditch cops. They can't catch you, but they have radios! I was just lackey and got away with it. Most of my friends were not!
Why do I consider myself a veteran at it? I did it for sooo looong!
I ripped off half of my CRX'es back end and drove 5 miles out of the canyon with rear right wheel toe out at 35 degree angle before HWY patrol got to the site. My best friend rolled multiple times off. Once he got hurt bad. Broken collar bone, severed ear and lost consciousness multiple times before reaching emergency room. Another friend rolled his parents Q45 in empty field just to watch it burn down to the ground since glowing red hot cats got field on fire. Heighbouring forest burned down too!
Once we split a stunt crew and two wrecked cars during a film shoot on Mulholland! Cops were bussy at the catering table. Nobody thought two maniacs were going to blast it through at triple digits at 2:30am! At some point local newspaper featured an article about a white CRX and silver Rabbit in which local authorities were looking for anybody who can identify drivers and their cars.
Man were we stupid! We did not have half of what I suggested to you above. We could have died every night multiple times. So many close calls. Then we discovered autocrossing. We were good at it right away. No clifs, no fear! LOL! I spent years chasing Bob Endicott and his wife in their fully sponsored CRX. I was the only car among first 10 in C street prepared that was not trailered and was driven daily and to and from the competition. I removed spare tire, jack and my sub, bumped tire pressures, adjusted my Koni's and chase was on. I was always on crappy street tires though. Once I got enough money saved up and got Yokohama's 008 RS for track (still not autocrossing compund!). I easily came third behind Bob and his wife. Latter on during fun runs, I beat his time by over a second couple of time. It was the greatest satisfaction!
Good luck and be smart. Know your limits. Your life is not worth the thril. Start autocrossing. It might not be apealing avoiding cones and racing against the clock, but you will get hooked once you start. Trust me. Many guys at this forum can vouch for that.
#3
07-12-2007, 04:32 AM
Skip the springs and get coilovers (What I should have done as my First mod). Also, I've noticed, for my self anyways, that the Fit's light output in the canyons is insufficient. My recomendation would be to get HIDs so you can see WAY ahead infront of you. Also, don't forget that you'll also need grippier tires as you'll need more grip with stiffer suspension, not to mention the stock tires don't cut it for canyon "cruising".
What canyons do you run? I used to canyon run quite a bit...
What canyons do you run? I used to canyon run quite a bit...
#5
07-12-2007, 01:10 PM
Rear Sway bar is must, and f/r strut bars would be good also.
I drive Angeles Crest every night and the Sway Bar made a night and day difference, that would be the first thing to do.
Hope this helped.......AC
I drive Angeles Crest every night and the Sway Bar made a night and day difference, that would be the first thing to do.
Hope this helped.......AC
Last edited by aliencowboy; 07-12-2007 at 01:11 PM. Reason: misspled word
#6
07-12-2007, 04:35 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: California ,Glendale/La crescenta
Posts: 299
Skip the springs and get coilovers (What I should have done as my First mod). Also, I've noticed, for my self anyways, that the Fit's light output in the canyons is insufficient. My recomendation would be to get HIDs so you can see WAY ahead infront of you. Also, don't forget that you'll also need grippier tires as you'll need more grip with stiffer suspension, not to mention the stock tires don't cut it for canyon "cruising".
What canyons do you run? I used to canyon run quite a bit...
What canyons do you run? I used to canyon run quite a bit...
let me know we might go together have some fun 2 cars better then 1
#7
07-12-2007, 04:37 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: California ,Glendale/La crescenta
Posts: 299
Yes it definatly did . appreciate it very much then now i needa know where i get the sway
thnx
-Arlen
#8
07-12-2007, 04:38 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: California ,Glendale/La crescenta
Posts: 299
Check my post "DUAL PROGRESSIVE SPRINGS-JAPANESE SPEAKER NEEDED"!
Where do you go riding?
I used to live in the Valley and blast canyons all out past midnight for years in the early 90's. Then race against bikes between the Rock Store and resting area above on Saturday's and Sunday's mornings! Mulholland, Yorba Buena, Decker, Stunt Road, Angels Crest,.... you name it.
Few tips from my experience: make sure somebody knows where you went to ride and do not go alone. Make sure at least one more car is with you. Keep distance and use two way radios with a hand's free kit. Usualy there is no cell phone reception and chances are you won't be able to make a call even if there is if you are upside down trapped in your car! All this in case you fly off! Been there- done that! Watch for gravel, dust, water drainage, coyoties, owls and rat migrations (no joke!) accross the road! Bring a fire extinguisher, flashlights,....Drive it slow in one direction to scout for troubles before you blast it the other way back. Have very strong wheels with great tire quality(no junk yard tires!). Steelies even (you won't drive on them daily), since they can bend but won't break like alloys. Canyons are rough and will bend wheels at high speed! They will eat tires since surface is very abrasive. Do not go below 50 series on tires. You need some flex. If wheels or tires fail, you will get hurts since there are no run off areas. Do not gamble with it. There are nights when I felt like everything is going my way and there were nights where I just did not "feel it". I drove home then. Do not ditch cops. They can't catch you, but they have radios! I was just lackey and got away with it. Most of my friends were not!
Why do I consider myself a veteran at it? I did it for sooo looong!
I ripped off half of my CRX'es back end and drove 5 miles out of the canyon with rear right wheel toe out at 35 degree angle before HWY patrol got to the site. My best friend rolled multiple times off. Once he got hurt bad. Broken collar bone, severed ear and lost consciousness multiple times before reaching emergency room. Another friend rolled his parents Q45 in empty field just to watch it burn down to the ground since glowing red hot cats got field on fire. Heighbouring forest burned down too!
Once we split a stunt crew and two wrecked cars during a film shoot on Mulholland! Cops were bussy at the catering table. Nobody thought two maniacs were going to blast it through at triple digits at 2:30am! At some point local newspaper featured an article about a white CRX and silver Rabbit in which local authorities were looking for anybody who can identify drivers and their cars.
Man were we stupid! We did not have half of what I suggested to you above. We could have died every night multiple times. So many close calls. Then we discovered autocrossing. We were good at it right away. No clifs, no fear! LOL! I spent years chasing Bob Endicott and his wife in their fully sponsored CRX. I was the only car among first 10 in C street prepared that was not trailered and was driven daily and to and from the competition. I removed spare tire, jack and my sub, bumped tire pressures, adjusted my Koni's and chase was on. I was always on crappy street tires though. Once I got enough money saved up and got Yokohama's 008 RS for track (still not autocrossing compund!). I easily came third behind Bob and his wife. Latter on during fun runs, I beat his time by over a second couple of time. It was the greatest satisfaction!
Good luck and be smart. Know your limits. Your life is not worth the thril. Start autocrossing. It might not be apealing avoiding cones and racing against the clock, but you will get hooked once you start. Trust me. Many guys at this forum can vouch for that.
Where do you go riding?
I used to live in the Valley and blast canyons all out past midnight for years in the early 90's. Then race against bikes between the Rock Store and resting area above on Saturday's and Sunday's mornings! Mulholland, Yorba Buena, Decker, Stunt Road, Angels Crest,.... you name it.
Few tips from my experience: make sure somebody knows where you went to ride and do not go alone. Make sure at least one more car is with you. Keep distance and use two way radios with a hand's free kit. Usualy there is no cell phone reception and chances are you won't be able to make a call even if there is if you are upside down trapped in your car! All this in case you fly off! Been there- done that! Watch for gravel, dust, water drainage, coyoties, owls and rat migrations (no joke!) accross the road! Bring a fire extinguisher, flashlights,....Drive it slow in one direction to scout for troubles before you blast it the other way back. Have very strong wheels with great tire quality(no junk yard tires!). Steelies even (you won't drive on them daily), since they can bend but won't break like alloys. Canyons are rough and will bend wheels at high speed! They will eat tires since surface is very abrasive. Do not go below 50 series on tires. You need some flex. If wheels or tires fail, you will get hurts since there are no run off areas. Do not gamble with it. There are nights when I felt like everything is going my way and there were nights where I just did not "feel it". I drove home then. Do not ditch cops. They can't catch you, but they have radios! I was just lackey and got away with it. Most of my friends were not!
Why do I consider myself a veteran at it? I did it for sooo looong!
I ripped off half of my CRX'es back end and drove 5 miles out of the canyon with rear right wheel toe out at 35 degree angle before HWY patrol got to the site. My best friend rolled multiple times off. Once he got hurt bad. Broken collar bone, severed ear and lost consciousness multiple times before reaching emergency room. Another friend rolled his parents Q45 in empty field just to watch it burn down to the ground since glowing red hot cats got field on fire. Heighbouring forest burned down too!
Once we split a stunt crew and two wrecked cars during a film shoot on Mulholland! Cops were bussy at the catering table. Nobody thought two maniacs were going to blast it through at triple digits at 2:30am! At some point local newspaper featured an article about a white CRX and silver Rabbit in which local authorities were looking for anybody who can identify drivers and their cars.
Man were we stupid! We did not have half of what I suggested to you above. We could have died every night multiple times. So many close calls. Then we discovered autocrossing. We were good at it right away. No clifs, no fear! LOL! I spent years chasing Bob Endicott and his wife in their fully sponsored CRX. I was the only car among first 10 in C street prepared that was not trailered and was driven daily and to and from the competition. I removed spare tire, jack and my sub, bumped tire pressures, adjusted my Koni's and chase was on. I was always on crappy street tires though. Once I got enough money saved up and got Yokohama's 008 RS for track (still not autocrossing compund!). I easily came third behind Bob and his wife. Latter on during fun runs, I beat his time by over a second couple of time. It was the greatest satisfaction!
Good luck and be smart. Know your limits. Your life is not worth the thril. Start autocrossing. It might not be apealing avoiding cones and racing against the clock, but you will get hooked once you start. Trust me. Many guys at this forum can vouch for that.
niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee was really good advice
all i need for now haha.dont wanna fly off .not planning on doing that and if heaven calls - I got caller id
#9
07-12-2007, 06:15 PM
Ck ebay, progress sway bar, that's where I got mine. $140 shipped.
also try:
The Progress Group, Inc. Online Store
I hit Angeles Crest about 5pm in Palmdale and cruiz to Tujunga, beets the freeway any day.
Let plan a day of mountain cruizing...
AC
also try:
The Progress Group, Inc. Online Store
I hit Angeles Crest about 5pm in Palmdale and cruiz to Tujunga, beets the freeway any day.
Let plan a day of mountain cruizing...
AC
Last edited by aliencowboy; 07-13-2007 at 12:24 PM. Reason: typo
#10
07-12-2007, 07:14 PM
Ck ebay, progress sway bar, that's where I got mine. $140 shipped.
also try:
The Progress Group, Inc. Online Store
I hit Angeles Crest about 5pm in Palmdale and cruiz to Tujunga, beets the freeway any day.
Let plan a day of mountion cruizing...
AC
also try:
The Progress Group, Inc. Online Store
I hit Angeles Crest about 5pm in Palmdale and cruiz to Tujunga, beets the freeway any day.
Let plan a day of mountion cruizing...
AC
#11
07-12-2007, 07:48 PM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: California ,Glendale/La crescenta
Posts: 299
Ck ebay, progress sway bar, that's where I got mine. $140 shipped.
also try:
The Progress Group, Inc. Online Store
I hit Angeles Crest about 5pm in Palmdale and cruiz to Tujunga, beets the freeway any day.
Let plan a day of mountion cruizing...
AC
also try:
The Progress Group, Inc. Online Store
I hit Angeles Crest about 5pm in Palmdale and cruiz to Tujunga, beets the freeway any day.
Let plan a day of mountion cruizing...
AC
yeah its a great idea to take the fits for a cruise . lets have someone post it up and well go
sweet place for pictures
#12
07-12-2007, 08:08 PM
if you do a lot of canyon driving, get the stiffest suspension you can in the rear. that way you can spin off the road and go flying down the side of the mountain. then i dont have to worry about you crashing into me when you cant control your car and you come around a corner in my lane.
if you want to go fast, take it to buttonwillow or willow springs, like the rest of us non idiots do.
if you want to go fast, take it to buttonwillow or willow springs, like the rest of us non idiots do.
#13
07-12-2007, 11:12 PM
Sway Bar
Found this on ebay, good luck....AChttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-Fit-Progress-Rear-Anti-Sway-Bar-RSB-62-1060_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33592QQihZ019QQite mZ290137987710QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVWQQtcZphoto
Last edited by aliencowboy; 07-12-2007 at 11:12 PM. Reason: Typo
#14
07-13-2007, 02:45 AM
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: California ,Glendale/La crescenta
Posts: 299
this is what it said -This listing () has been removed or is no longer available. Please make sure you entered the right item number. If the listing was removed by eBay, consider it canceled. Note: Listings that have ended more than 90 days ago will no longer appear on eBay.
#16
07-13-2007, 11:30 AM
Ck ebay, progress sway bar, that's where I got mine. $140 shipped.
also try:
The Progress Group, Inc. Online Store
I hit Angeles Crest about 5pm in Palmdale and cruiz to Tujunga, beets the freeway any day.
Let plan a day of mountion cruizing...
AC
also try:
The Progress Group, Inc. Online Store
I hit Angeles Crest about 5pm in Palmdale and cruiz to Tujunga, beets the freeway any day.
Let plan a day of mountion cruizing...
AC
This is the first time in decades that anything has made me miss leaving the San Gabriel Valley to move to NorCal. If I were still down there, I would definitely join your mountain cruise. Your commute is exactly the area where I used to drive my '66 Sunbeam Tiger for fun in the late '60s and early '70s. I really miss Angeles Crest Hwy. In my crowd's young and foolish days, we used to race to the top of Mt. Wilson and wound up sacrificing a brand new Mustang and a TR-4 to the "racing gods". The ex-owners of those cars "got religion" and cleaned up their act.
#17
07-13-2007, 12:16 PM
AC-
This is the first time in decades that anything has made me miss leaving the San Gabriel Valley to move to NorCal. If I were still down there, I would definitely join your mountain cruise. Your commute is exactly the area where I used to drive my '66 Sunbeam Tiger for fun in the late '60s and early '70s. I really miss Angeles Crest Hwy. In my crowd's young and foolish days, we used to race to the top of Mt. Wilson and wound up sacrificing a brand new Mustang and a TR-4 to the "racing gods". The ex-owners of those cars "got religion" and cleaned up their act.
This is the first time in decades that anything has made me miss leaving the San Gabriel Valley to move to NorCal. If I were still down there, I would definitely join your mountain cruise. Your commute is exactly the area where I used to drive my '66 Sunbeam Tiger for fun in the late '60s and early '70s. I really miss Angeles Crest Hwy. In my crowd's young and foolish days, we used to race to the top of Mt. Wilson and wound up sacrificing a brand new Mustang and a TR-4 to the "racing gods". The ex-owners of those cars "got religion" and cleaned up their act.
I still think autocross is much more beneficial for improving car control skills under controlled circumstances at up to 70mph and then step up to a race track. If you are good at autocross it does not mean that you will instantly be good at the race track at full speed. back in the days I participated at an autocross at Sheriff's training facility in San Bernardino. We used track portion of the complex with a fast left turn. I spun like a rookie. Learned a lot that day! LOL!
Actually, I think everybody should participate in at least one autocross event. You will learn so much about how to react under emergency situations during daily driving. Young drivers must!!! It is not only what young driver might do on their own. Sometimes they get caught in other peoples mess and pay the price. Too many stupid drivers at all ages.
I do not have kids yet, but I plan on introducing them to carting at early age to get speed bug on surface street out of them. If they end pursuing it as a hobby it will be entirely their decision.
#18
07-13-2007, 12:27 PM
Sway Bar
Heres another link:
eBay Motors: Honda Fit Progress Rear Anti Sway Bar RSB 62.1060 (item 290137987710 end time Jul-17-07 09:38:22 PDT)
eBay Motors: Honda Fit Progress Rear Anti Sway Bar RSB 62.1060 (item 290137987710 end time Jul-17-07 09:38:22 PDT)
#19
07-13-2007, 12:42 PM
ciburri-
I probably have 20 years or so on you. I am an early-baby boomer generation hot rodder/performance car addict/mechanic/engineer, and survived my own foolishness as a learning process because we did not have the safe driving educational venues that are now available. Your plans for your future kids are very good ones. One of the reasons for my generation's survival of our own recklessness is the fact that there just WEREN'T AS MANY CARS/DRIVERS wandering around for us to drive into.
I split my free time between the SoCal beaches, mountains, and Mojave desert. I used to get to Huntington Beach by driving West on Rosemead Blvd. all the way from San Gabriel because the 605 and Riverside freeways had not yet been built. I also pushed my '57 Ford Fairlane to 110 mph. on I-10 heading into LA at 1:00 am one morning. We didn't have radial tires or disc brakes then. Some of us did have a lot of good luck though.
I wouldn't last five minutes in the traffic of Southern California (today) if I had the driving habits that I had at 16-18.
Dave
I probably have 20 years or so on you. I am an early-baby boomer generation hot rodder/performance car addict/mechanic/engineer, and survived my own foolishness as a learning process because we did not have the safe driving educational venues that are now available. Your plans for your future kids are very good ones. One of the reasons for my generation's survival of our own recklessness is the fact that there just WEREN'T AS MANY CARS/DRIVERS wandering around for us to drive into.
I split my free time between the SoCal beaches, mountains, and Mojave desert. I used to get to Huntington Beach by driving West on Rosemead Blvd. all the way from San Gabriel because the 605 and Riverside freeways had not yet been built. I also pushed my '57 Ford Fairlane to 110 mph. on I-10 heading into LA at 1:00 am one morning. We didn't have radial tires or disc brakes then. Some of us did have a lot of good luck though.
I wouldn't last five minutes in the traffic of Southern California (today) if I had the driving habits that I had at 16-18.
Dave
Last edited by manxman; 07-13-2007 at 01:08 PM. Reason: add comment
#20
07-13-2007, 12:48 PM
In my original review/DIY- I said exactly the same thing. A Bargain At Twice The Price!!!
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Fit DIY: Repair & Maintenance
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