Brando's Newbie 818R Build Thread

[AZPete]

"car ran and handled great" says a lot about your wrenchin' skills. Congrats and thanks for posting the video so I could ride along!

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Great job Brando. Since you are ahead of most of us, can you pass along any tips or opinions?
Bob

[Wayne Presley]

Looks like fun there Brando!

[D Clary]

Road racing is more fun than auto X but the skills enhance each other as far as lines and looking ahead on the track.

[C.Plavan]

Road racing is MUCH more fun than driving through cones for 40 secs or so.....

[Scargo]

Lots mo fun and LOTS mo bucks. A bigger commitment.

[Wayne Presley]

I love road racing, been doing it for 22 years on bikes and in cars.

[Brando]

Sometime this year they are planning to close down El Toro Marine base to build homes. When that happens my AutoX days will be over. The nearest AutoX event past El toro is 45 miles which is too far for me to drive the 818 to. If I am putting the car on a trailer it's going to a track. But like you said, much more bucks. I am going to soak up the experience while it's there. I am eager to test out Laguna Seca and Chuckwalla. I never have raced at Chuckwalla before but hear great things about it.
How sick does this track look?



The only thing I can really note about my experiences refining the drivability of the car is the alignment and adding the LSD. My first AutoX I was lacking camber and rear toe in. I was spinning out frequently. Currently i'm running -3* front with no toe in/out, and -2* rear with 3/16 toe in. The car feels so much more stable now. Needless to say switching from R6's to A7's made a world of difference. Getting my tire pressures figured out is an ongoing learning experience. Right now i'm starting at 27 cold and ending up at 32 hot. I'm just starting to play with those numbers now that i'm getting more comfortable with the car. I still have not corner balanced but it's on the list.
Wish I had more advice, but in this forum I would be preaching to choir. I'm usually the one taking the advice.

[Brando]

I did 4 runs but only posted 3. Why? Because I was absolutely blew it on one run. I feel inclined to share it because we all make mistakes right?

I ended up in the shrubs and gave one of the workers a little scare. While coming across the track I was focusing on the wrong cone. I realized it and had to adjust my line which had me going into it at a bad angle. I was coming in too hot, bad angle and I hit the brakes as the weight was transferring (whoops) and locked up. I ended up choosing to straighten out the wheels and go for the safer route of going behind the worker. I would like to mention that when I was working that event we didn't have anyone in that spot. It was a horrible location to have someone flipping a cone. On the other mirrored side of the track, no worker was present at that location for good reason.

I hate making these mistakes they are embarrassing at the track. Here is to a little humility.



I need to bias the brakes a hair more to the rear. Even still this was obviously driver error.

[Scargo]

Looked to be a fairly fast course.

Chuckwalla: Looks flat as a pancake! Here's Mont Tremblant, a track not too far to go to for me. ON my not too distant bucket list.
Luxury-vacation-rental-Mont-tremblant-Chalet-du-Geant_18.jpeg
And then I will be at Watkins Glen for four days in less than a month; just not in the 818...
382338d1251685672-watkins-glen-track-walk-photos-esses.3.jpg
Love road racing, too.

[Brando]

Mont Tremblant looks insane. Chuckwalla is flat but I hear it's a really fun track never the less. Seca and Big willow have some nice elevation changes

[Tamra]

That was a terrible place for a worker station!


Nice to see the autox videos. I've never road raced, but the added cost and significant added risk scare me away. At autox, you can push beyond your limits and (usually) the worst that happens is you smack some cones. Not so much on a road course.

[Mitch Wright]

Tamra,

Try a track day and you might get hooked. We run Trackcross events at our track here in Bowling Green. Basically a high speed AutoX, we cone off some key corners to slow corner speed and install a few gates on the back stretch (fast cars might see 100mph) one car at a time 4-5 cars at 20 seconds apart on track for 1.75mile run (cool down and back to the front straight to stage for you next run.
It is a great way to run the track in an unintimidating way. Not sure if Lime Rock, Thompson or the new Palmer track do something like this but we get a lot of Autocrossers. For $75.00 ($25.00 of the second driver) is a nice way to give it a try.

[Mitch Wright]

Mont Tremblant is a great fun and much safer since it was updated 10 years ago, Chuckwalla does have some slight elevation kinda like Buttonwillow, fun to drive. I have been out there a few times be prepared for the wind.

[D Clary]

Just curious, are the runways still at the airbase in Tustin? Was stationed down there many years ago.

[apexanimal]

brando - which bell helmet do you have? do you like it?

[wleehendrick]

I never have raced at Chuckwalla before but hear great things about it.
How sick does this track look?

Hey Brandon,

A good friend of mine used to track his bikes at Chuckwalla regularly. He loves the track, but it's in the middle of nowhere, so he usually slept in his trailer, but got kind of sick of that routine and the drive out from San Diego. Last I talked to him, he was planning to sell his Aprilia and hang up the leathers . But if you want any info on the track, I'm sure he has lots to share.

[Brando]

That was a terrible place for a worker station!

I know right!? That trackcross Mitch was describing seems like the perfect way to transition into it. I get a little sketch before heading to the track, but that fear keeps me in check.
You should see some of the speedventure track events. People sliding off the track left and right, its downright crazy. They all end up rightside up and continue racing. Not saying people don't roll, but I have never personally witnessed a rollover and have seen several dozen go off the track spinning to a stop...especially with clubs like speedventures. Last time I was at buttonwillow with them there were over 10 off's in ONE HEAT! Everyone was over-driving. They had to pause the event and address the entire club and issue a "2nd off GO HOME" policy for the day. Classic.

I took part in that count
https://youtu.be/yyWiRMOHCAU?t=6m33s
However mine wasn't as spectacular as some of the others i witnessed.
Check out how nice the dirt is off track, it's pretty forgiving.

Just curious, are the runways still at the airbase in Tustin? Was stationed down there many years ago.

It's mostly dirt now . Multiple developments are in progress on that land, I think a few are complete.
Sad
https://www.google.com/maps/@33.7060.../data=!3m1!1e3

brando - which bell helmet do you have? do you like it?

It's the Bell Sport SA2010. Bang for the buck and fitment it was my favorite of the ones I tried on. You have to buy an additional kit if you plan on using a HANZ device.

He loves the track, but it's in the middle of nowhere, so he usually slept in his trailer, but got kind of sick of that routine and the drive out from San Diego. Last I talked to him, he was planning to sell his Aprilia and hang up the leathers . But if you want any info on the track, I'm sure he has lots to share.

Thanks Lee, i might take you up on that. I was planning to pillage my folks place in La Quinta, which is only 45 min away from there. Summer temps are 110+ out there so if i'm going to do it, now is the time.

[Mitch Wright]

TrackX video, we got between 60-100 cars depending weather this winter. We have one Saturday then we shift to weekday evenings once a month during the summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2J2NpgX7Veo

[longislandwrx]

Brando, awesome videos.

[wildbill]

Mont Tremblant looks insane. Chuckwalla is flat but I hear it's a really fun track never the less. Seca and Big willow have some nice elevation changes

Mont Tremblant is an amazing track. I raced bikes there and couldn't find one bump anywhere!

[C.Plavan]

Sometime this year they are planning to close down El Toro Marine base to build homes. When that happens my AutoX days will be over. The nearest AutoX event past El toro is 45 miles which is too far for me to drive the 818 to. If I am putting the car on a trailer it's going to a track. But like you said, much more bucks. I am going to soak up the experience while it's there. I am eager to test out Laguna Seca and Chuckwalla. I never have raced at Chuckwalla before but hear great things about it.
How sick does this track look?



The only thing I can really note about my experiences refining the drivability of the car is the alignment and adding the LSD. My first AutoX I was lacking camber and rear toe in. I was spinning out frequently. Currently i'm running -3* front with no toe in/out, and -2* rear with 3/16 toe in. The car feels so much more stable now. Needless to say switching from R6's to A7's made a world of difference. Getting my tire pressures figured out is an ongoing learning experience. Right now i'm starting at 27 cold and ending up at 32 hot. I'm just starting to play with those numbers now that i'm getting more comfortable with the car. I still have not corner balanced but it's on the list.
Wish I had more advice, but in this forum I would be preaching to choir. I'm usually the one taking the advice.

Hey Brandon, Its a fun track. Pretty narrow in some spots, and I have no idea what the designer as thinking with putting those turns like that after the front straight (easy contact with other cars if not careful)
Here is Chuckwalla in my 911ST. This is with a buddy of mine you Porsche Owners' may know. Patrick Long- American Porsche Factory Driver. He knows how to drive a non-aero, 1970 suspension car, Besides the RSR, Spyder RS, and other factory weapons Porsche sends to Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring and other race series.
Hang on and enjoy.

http://www.motorsportretro.com/2015/...11st-race-car/



Try 1/16" or 1/8" toe out on the front. That will help you turn, especially on an Autocross track. I'm running 3/16th toe in also in the rear. 2.5 degree in the front, 3.0 degree in the rear for me.

[Brando]

Kaboom and the trans is toast. I won't have the transmission opened up until the end of the week so i'm not 100% sure what the failure was due to.

When I race at the track I refrain from dropping the clutch hard and rev match as best as I can. I am OK with sacrificing a little time to reduce drivetrain abuse. Yesterday I had the family over for Mothers day and took my sister on her first ride. I really wanted to impress/scare her and allowed that moment to alter my traditional driving habits. I took of in first barely blipping the rev limiter and dropped in second more aggressively than would normally. When I dropped the clutch with ignorant carelessness a loud metal clank occurred and that's all she wrote. Fortunately I was on a long hill and was able to coast to parking lot at my local church. Maybe it's a sign i need to get myself back there.

I am kicking myself for allowing a little show off session to lead me to driving my baby with such disrespect. I usually take an extra second between shifts and slow my clutch movement. I suppose after a while you start to forget that little 5spd isn't built for 360HP (my latest tune) and I just received a rude awakening. I'm sure the A7's didn't help the equation.

This breakage is on me 100%. That is the only and last time I drive my car like a high school noob.

The end result:
I can put the car in any gear without depressing the clutch. I can hear movement inside the trans when in gear. There is no grinding just a subtle hum of something rotating.

Live and learn.

#$%&

[C.Plavan]

Ouch. Sorry Man. Grab a Legacy GT trans, that might help. You would need to get a speedo gear and such. Legacy GT trans has a different final drive too. (4.11).

[Mitch Wright]

Sounds like you may have blown the face off the clutch disc, easy fix replace the disc and maybe the pressure plate.

[Brando]

Don't get my hopes up Mitch
I would be one happy camper if you are correct. The only thing that worries me is when the clutch is engaged and it put it into gear, i can feel the syncros working. Also, the subtle noise produced sounds different in 3rd compared to 1rst

I will look into that Chad. I already found quite a few Legacy GT's online for a reasonable price. Hopefully Mitch is correct and I wont need to walk that road.

[Mechie3]

I blew third gear before. When rolling it sounded like a box of rocks.

[Brando]

This is a new one for the books. The clutch is fine. The transmission is fine.
Both axles are sheered into 2 pieces. They both broke around the same place, closer to wheel. I will snap some pictures.
Crazy right?

[AZPete]

Yes, crazy. On a positive note, you're getting good traction!

[Mechie3]

Interesting. In the stock setup, the axles only have 1/2 the power running through them. Wouldn't have thought they would be the first to fail.

[Mitch Wright]

WOW, I am with Craig looking forward to seeing the seeing the pictures.

[JeromeS13]

Interesting. Here's where my 2012 WRX transmission failed:

[Brando]

Mechie, i'm not sure I follow how it would be 1/2 the stress on axles. Since there are 2 instead of 4 wouldn't there be double the strain?

Jerome, straight up knarly.

Here are the axles.

[Bob_n_Cincy]

Interesting. In the stock setup, the axles only have 1/2 the power running through them. Wouldn't have thought they would be the first to fail.

Craig,
I don't understand your statement.
In a wrx the transmission output torque is split between 4 wheels. In an 818 it is split between two wheel.
So 818 axle torque is twice as much as an wrx.
Do you agree?
Bob

[Wayne Presley]

Hmmm, I had a customer break one too last week... In exactly the same place

[C.Plavan]

So the FFR axles are breaking? Great.....

[Mechie3]

Heres a rewording

The stock setup being the factory wrx layout there are four axles splitting the load so they carry roughly half the load the FFR setup does. I would have thought the transmission would break first as they tend to break even in stock (factory OEM) setups.

[sponaugle]

Mechie, i'm not sure I follow how it would be 1/2 the stress on axles. Since there are 2 instead of 4 wouldn't there be double the strain?

Jerome, straight up knarly.

Here are the axles.

Impressive. Brando, would you like my axles? I am using the STI front axles, not the FFR provided ones... and I'll switch to a 6 speed at some point so I'll never use them. They are yours.
Jeff

[flynntuna]

[QUOTE=Mechie3;198095]Heres a rewording

The stock setup being the factory wrx layout there are four axles splitting the load so they carry roughly half the load the FFR setup does. I would have thought the transmission would break first as they tend to break even in stock (factory OEM) setups.[/QUOT

You'd think these axles would have enough capacity engineered into them to handle the the extra weight per axle.

[longislandwrx]

I don't suppose you left the parking brake on. .. LOL glad its not the transmission.

time to start heat treating these axles?