Car setup fpr SCCA road course

[ozaiss1]

I recently went to a SCCA event and took my cobra with a street setup and did not do as good as I thought. Does anyone have a track setup (caster and camber setup) that could still be street friendly and handle the way it should on the track. I have a solid axle rear and adjustable springs and shocks all the way around. I had 28 pounds of pressure in the tires which after a lap I took the pressure down to 22 pound. The car would push into the corners bad and if any corrective mearsure was taken such as let off the gass completely or press any brake the rear would come on around. I guess I want to correct the push. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Hi,
A cobra is the wrong car to learn on, I would take a driving school lesson in a Miata before you try the cobra. Having said that there are a few things to make your cobra handle better.
- change front coilovers to a higher spring rate.Put the car on 4 corner scales with you it and set up spring/corner weights.
- set camber to neg 2 1/2* if you have that much adjustment.
- install a rear brake proportioning valve and take out 30% rear brake.
- the biggest improvement - a set of sticky road race tires on extra wheels.
- install a full 6 point roll bar, this will stiffen up the chassis 100% and save your A$$ if you go off the course and roll it.
Good Luck,
Perry.

[coyled]

I would only change one thing at a time. If you change to many things at once, you will not know which changes help you or hurt you. Generally, with a cobra's narrower front track than rear, it won't turn in well. It just sort of falls over on the front tire. Once you go to enough throttle or trail brake, you get snap oversteer. I know that the book sais too soften the front if its pushing. I have found that going stiffer in front can help cure the push. Good luck, Scott.

[flipper35]

Scott, I agree on the book not always being correct. It seems the different track on the Cobra makes the generalities incorrect.

ozaiss1, did you adjust all four tire pressures or the fronts or backs only. More pressure inthe front or less in the back will help. http://rogerkrausracing.com/overundr.html may help.

Stiffening the chassis wil always give you a better baseline for making adjustments.

[rbray]

For what it's worth I agree with HighPlanes. A Cobra is difficult to learn with. In fact after having just finished my E-M I have decided that the car is beyond my current road course skills and I have decided to keep driving my race preped Miata for another couple of seasons. It's like Dirty Harry said " A man has got to know his limitations"
Have fun and be safe

[ozaiss1]

As far as tire pressures I was running 25 psi in the front and 22 pounds in the rear tires but as I keeped running laps I decrease the tires pressure in the front to get better grip . As far as bringing to much car to the track that was a certainty, but I wanted to learn how the car that I built reacts on the track. What I really wanted was to learn the limitations of my car and how to make it better. I got a little fustrated out on the track but with alot more seat time I think I could do better. Thanks for everyones help.

[tcolley1]

Here's a shot of our car two weekends ago at TWS (2.9 mile road course). It is a legal for the NASA FFR Spec Racer SSeries, SCCA and Street.





We run -2/2 1/2 Degrees negative camber, +3 to + 5 Degrees postive caster and 1/16" toe in for the road course.

Hope this helps some!

Regards,

Terry

[jcmcobra]

Noticed your "quick release windshield kit" listed in your profile. Went to the FFR website and could not find it listed. Where did you get this? I need one for my ERA.

Thanks.

John

[tcolley1]

John,

We designed, developed and manufacture these kits.

If you go to this link it should still work, if not let me know and I will send you the info, OK?


http://www.ffcobra.com/cgi-bin/ultim...581;p=1#000000


Regards,

Terry