Race Tracking Your Supra - Information exchange

[Gabe]

I would add Hooked on Driving to this list.

Is HOD divided into groups and with instructor for beginners?

I’m interested in getting instructed sessions for 2025. (Can’t find mention of it on the site)

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[F348]

Is HOD divided into groups and with instructor for beginners?

I’m interested in getting instructed sessions for 2025. (Can’t find mention of it on the site)

Yes, very similar to Chin.

 

[FLtrackdays]

Was warming up until I saw someone I knew in my mirror. This isn’t for best lap, driving line or racing, just plain ole fun in the FL sun We did it for about 3 laps.



https://youtube.com/@fltrackdays?si=Ybdb-QpxWEvZDKzl



https://youtube.com/@fltrackdays?si=Ybdb-QpxWEvZDKzl

With less traffic…. ? It‘s funny cuz you look at it later and can’t believe how much you left on the table for better times. Can’t wait to hook up the Catalyst coach with Bluetooth headsets or get a helmet with the capability.

 

[Islindur]

AJH splitter on sale, seems like top offering at the moment. Not cheap but prob the best ots option for now.
https://ajhartmanaero.com/a90-supra-splitter-kit/

 

[tomfree]

AJ makes very nice stuff, and the guy LIVES in the wind tunnel.

 

[racebuild]

Holy splitter rods.

 

[FLtrackdays]

AJH splitter on sale, seems like top offering at the moment. Not cheap but prob the best ots option for now.
https://ajhartmanaero.com/a90-supra-splitter-kit/

Damn them ain’t cheap ?

Would that get me 2 seconds closer to my optimal time on my Catalyst? ?
(I’m just jealous - that’s a lot of cheddar ?)

The wife had her 1st whoopsie in a LONG time.

So, I’m hunting for a salvage door ? Guess I’ll be still wearing my knee pad to my next track event. Supra seat(s) are delayed yet again.

 

[Pizza]

So the time has come to prepare for next year. My only real gripe with my car this season was that it feels like it takes to long for the car to load up onto the suspension on turn-in. Especially during esses/fast direction changes.

(I've got camber plates, brake pads/fluid, was running RT660's, stock suspension)

- I was thinking the easiest/cheapest option to deal with this would be sway bars.

- Would something like the HKS adjustable springs make a noticeable difference here? Because if it would then I think it may be worth going that route so I could presumably eliminate some of the nose dive and rear squat at the same time.

- Wildcard option: Keep what I have, "get gud" and get a Garmin Catalyst, as I currently only keep times with my phone and something like that could get me something more tangible to reference to continue improving.

Any opinions and ideas are appreciated!

 

[Traxion]

Any opinions and ideas are appreciated!

Front sway bar will make a gigantic difference. When I was a newbie I had a pro drive my car and suggest sway bar. The front compliance and ability to transition was dramatically increased. It's also super cheap and very simple to self install. Don't bother with rear sway bar for now, it requires a subframe drop to install and can also cause clearance issues with rear coilovers depending on what you get. I probably wouldn't go with HKS springs at $8-900 and suggest you save up for a coilover instead like either RMC spec FA510 or Ohlins which will be $2-3k.

 

[tomfree]

Front sway bar will make a gigantic difference. When I was a newbie I had a pro drive my car and suggest sway bar. The front compliance and ability to transition was dramatically increased. It's also super cheap and very simple to self install. Don't bother with rear sway bar for now, it requires a subframe drop to install and can also cause clearance issues with rear coilovers depending on what you get. I probably wouldn't go with HKS springs at $8-900 and suggest you save up for a coilover instead like either RMC spec FA510 or Ohlins which will be $2-3k.

For discussion purposes, a counterpoint: This platform is fairly short wheelbase, fits a lot of tire, and has good power. That's usually a recipe for tail-happy, which the car can be. I would recommend F&R bars vs Front only. I did F & R sway bars at the same time, did the rear subframe drop, new TTY fasteners, etc. This was the FIRST thing I did to the car, so I didn't track it in pure stock form.

Assuming stock springs (my setup), I'm guessing the car would push like a dump truck with just a front bar. Mine still pushes a little mid corner now, but will rotate if you tell it to. If you are running more spring, all bets are off, depending on your spring rates.

 

[spaghettihoes]

For discussion purposes, a counterpoint: This platform is fairly short wheelbase, fits a lot of tire, and has good power. That's usually a recipe for tail-happy, which the car can be. I would recommend F&R bars vs Front only. I did F & R sway bars at the same time, did the rear subframe drop, new TTY fasteners, etc. This was the FIRST thing I did to the car, so I didn't track it in pure stock form.

Assuming stock springs (my setup), I'm guessing the car would push like a dump truck with just a front bar. Mine still pushes a little mid corner now, but will rotate if you tell it to. If you are running more spring, all bets are off, depending on your spring rates.

I run just a front Eibach sway bar at the middle setting and have gotten fairly neutral to slight oversteer on corner entry with minimal to no trail braking. Your driving style will make a big difference but on long extended carousel corners I'm getting slight mid and corner end oversteer as well with a balanced throttle.

I would actually suggest only doing the front first as it's hard to take off the rear if it doesn't work for you and the front is easy to add/remove. See how it is and add the rear if you're understeering too much.

Funny note, I also had my front sway bar end link come off last track day (which I didn't notice till days later when I swapped wheels) and that day was oversteer city. I was sliding all over the place on almost every corner. I also chewed through a good portion of the front right wheel liner from the extra compression.

 

[Traxion]

For discussion purposes, a counterpoint

I think your comment is a great addition to what I said. I agree having a rear sway would be nice but if we're talking efficiency of dollars per upgrade then it's a no go from me because I don't want to pay someone to drop the subframe. I ran a full season on OEM suspension + Eibach front sway bar (mid setting) and never had a problem aggressively trailbraking and getting the turn-in I wanted into corner entry but did experience some corner exit understeer. I basically never had oversteer and it's definitely not because I wasn't at the limit of grip.

In my opinion it is much easier to learn how to drive around slight understeer by getting better at mid corner and corner exit throttle control and you still gain the benefit of smoothing out weight transition from the front sway bar, especially in esses. My car is now fully prepped with aero, suspension, and springs and I still have no rear bar and it feels great. I think rear bar is another luxury upgrade but I have no experience with one so maybe I don't know what I'm missing out on!

 

[Islindur]

For me only front sway on 2.0 was understeery, added rear and then it became too tail happy in slower corners.
This time im doing front only again to start with but AFE sway coz its less stiff then eibach i had before, on softest setting and will see from there.
Sway imo is very good upgr, esp to get rid of bit dead on centre feel and sharpen the front response.

 

[Rob_SER]

anyway, I think you are always better off with one mod at a time so you can pinpoint changes that took the car in the right direction and those that didn't

 

[FLtrackdays]

anyway, I whink you are always better off with one mod at a time so you can pinpoint changes that took the car in the right direction and those that didn't

Spot on man! Nothing worse than slapping a bunch of parts on and trying to figure out why the car feels awful ?

So the time has come to prepare for next year. My only real gripe with my car this season was that it feels like it takes to long for the car to load up onto the suspension on turn-in. Especially during esses/fast direction changes.

(I've got camber plates, brake pads/fluid, was running RT660's, stock suspension)

- I was thinking the easiest/cheapest option to deal with this would be sway bars.

- Would something like the HKS adjustable springs make a noticeable difference here? Because if it would then I think it may be worth going that route so I could presumably eliminate some of the nose dive and rear squat at the same time.

- Wildcard option: Keep what I have, "get gud" and get a Garmin Catalyst, as I currently only keep times with my phone and something like that could get me something more tangible to reference to continue improving.

Any opinions and ideas are appreciated!

Agree with the others - sway bars huge bang for the buck. I did both front and rear. If you can afford to do so or if you have a shop you know/trust to drop that rear subframe, you won’t be sorry having done both.

After you’ve tried that and still need/want a little more/quicker turn in, give yourself some toe out up front. I did that this last track weekend and it was one of the best & cheapest upgrades I’ve done in a long time. Even just 5mm and she’ll become way more playful & stop fighting your inputs.

And don’t be like me - get a proper seat & belts. That’s always one of the 1st things you should do, if you haven’t already.

Lastly, the Catalyst. Get one now! Its ability to show you ways to improve your “optimal“ lap is mega helpful. You can also compare with others. Unless you‘re way beyond that point, competing & need more than the basics. Or if you just enjoy crunching your own data, are good with computers and want to extrapolate additional data points, an AIM will serve you better.

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