draxcaliber wrote:i know initial d is not accurate, but at the basis for all the stunts drifting and racing, there are some actual factual physics that are just exaggerated for climatic action story telling purposes like just about all entertainment, especially cartoons. but it gave me a good understanding about racing lines, cornering, drive train dynamics in relation to handling, cornering forces etc.
the TRD springs and struts are actually quality pieces. as far as all the other available lowering springs out there for the tC, these have the best drop and increase in spring rates for the tC. other one actually lower the tC so much it is bad for the suspension geometry and hinders handling. (so i have read on forums from driver's who autocross their tC's and understand the cars suspension better than i.) also, most TRD parts are actually re-badged aftermarket parts manufactured to TRD specifications. the springs i believe are from eibach, the struts i think are KYB, the big brake kit is made by stoptech, the supercharger was made by vortech, the LSD was made by quaife etc. so TRD parts aren't bad parts, they're alittle expensive, but they are quality pieces meeting OEM standards, and are well researched to work with the cars. are they the best, ofcourse not, but they are a huge improvement over stock.
don't worry though. while i'll still have my all season tires this saturday, i should have summer tires by the next event, and i'll push my entry speeds higher and get some tire squealing going on the turns.
srsly, <3 inisharu d. One of these days there will be an autocross with a gutter on the inside line, and then we'll see who's laughing.
can't say i know a thing about the quality of TRD parts...but the bigger 'problem', as others have said, is they're not really aggressive enough for autocross. Quick google says the fronts are 168lb/in, and assuming the motion ratio of most mcstruts are close to 1, that's probably way, waaay too low a wheel rate. Just for giggles--and without buying more parts--I'd stiffen the front bar as much as you can (yes, I know it's a FWD... if you want an explanation, PM me since Jason might murder me if I make him listen to it again).
But the car as it stands has some time left to give, and going "ballz to the wall" every run will probably net you a second or two right off the bat. Watching your videos, I have to echo what a couple guys have said... it's too smooth, and you never see the car upset or hear the anguished cries of all-seasons begging for mercy. to me, that says you're not driving up to the limit or even exploring it enough to learn where it is. brake deeper, brake less, put power on earlier... repeat until the car _really_ protests and you sail wide into a cone wall.
IHMO the quickest way to do figure out where the driver is... beg, plead, and bribe someone who's consistently faster to drive your car and ride along. If they magically find a couple seconds, then there's your answer--and you'll probably instantly gain some time just emulating them. Works for me every time.