SCCA F-Street Setup. What's Everyone Done so Far?

[DickR]

I actually did think of you since I believe you were the first one of the crowd using front bar and stating it works - so thank you, I wish I was less timid was making setup changes.
I just have one local event on it but it was so much easier to drive. And in the rain with the rear bar car was nearly undriveable - and it wasn't just me - few Evo instructors as well.

Thanks for explanation on why the grease ports are gone. Makes sense. Hopefully those bushings don't need to be re-greased too often because it's damn painful to do.

You might try the teflon tape "solution" I mentioned above next time you grease the bushings. If it works even half as well as the embedded teflon Whiteline uses it would be a big improvement.

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[DocWalt]

Interesting, my BMR bar purchased in '17 had the grease fittings and I had zero issues, even re-greased them once (though I did the teflon tape trick and had no noise anyway)

 

[Whiskey11]

Interesting, my BMR bar purchased in '17 had the grease fittings and I had zero issues, even re-greased them once (though I did the teflon tape trick and had no noise anyway)

Since backing the bar off to the softest setting, I haven't had issues with the bushings splitting either... but the first few events of the first season with the front bar, I ran with it full stiff and in the middle position and it would go through bushings like crazy. I must not have been the only one or Kelly would have never made the grease port removal from the bushings a thing! I do believe it had to do with how much body roll the car has with stock springs and only one bar being changed. I doubt that was in the test regimen BMR runs their parts through.

 

[BmacIL]

Since backing the bar off to the softest setting, I haven't had issues with the bushings splitting either... but the first few events of the first season with the front bar, I ran with it full stiff and in the middle position and it would go through bushings like crazy. I must not have been the only one or Kelly would have never made the grease port removal from the bushings a thing! I do believe it had to do with how much body roll the car has with stock springs and only one bar being changed. I doubt that was in the test regimen BMR runs their parts through.

The bar bushings and brackets changed late last year/early this year. The new ones are more basic but I think the brackets actually distribute load better. They're also easier to assemble, being that you carry over the factory bolts rather than the hex socket head bolts of the previous.

 

[Whiskey11]

The bar bushings and brackets changed late last year/early this year. The new ones are more basic but I think the brackets actually distribute load better. They're also easier to assemble, being that you carry over the factory bolts rather than the hex socket head bolts of the previous.

There has been a few revisions to the bar's bushings. They took away the grease zerk fitting bushings quite a few years ago (less than a year after launching the bar) and used the same bracket with a bushing that didn't have the hole for the zerk in it. The recent change has more to do with the constant complaining, and justified at that, about using those allen head bolts instead of factory style bolts. I'm still rocking the first generation zerk fitting bushings and like I said, since moving the bar to full soft (a needed change regardless) the bushing issue has disappeared. Could be something with my car's tolerances, could not be... either way, BMR still stands behind their product and that's what matters to me!

 

[BmacIL]

There has been a few revisions to the bar's bushings. They took away the grease zerk fitting bushings quite a few years ago (less than a year after launching the bar) and used the same bracket with a bushing that didn't have the hole for the zerk in it. The recent change has more to do with the constant complaining, and justified at that, about using those allen head bolts instead of factory style bolts. I'm still rocking the first generation zerk fitting bushings and like I said, since moving the bar to full soft (a needed change regardless) the bushing issue has disappeared. Could be something with my car's tolerances, could not be... either way, BMR still stands behind their product and that's what matters to me!

I have the last version and no complaints here. Easy to assemble. No noises.

 

[DickR]

FYI the Whiteline 35 mm bar uses brackets which were easy to install and use the stock bolts. As previously stated their bushings are teflon lined. No noise, squeeks, or noticeable wear/distortion after about 15K miles. The separate bar location collars are a bit of a pain if you have shaky hands like I inherited but not too bad even then.

 

[BmacIL]

Haha. What took you so long!

Good luck in Lincoln. I will be there running CAM.

Nice job there man! Very fast!

 

[jpaulson]

Nice job there man! Very fast!

Thanks man! Maybe we can get over the stigma that you have to spend a metric ton of money to be competitive in CAMC. It's a pretty cool group of guys.

And since this is the FS thread. It looks like most have all but conceded that the M3 is the class ringer.

 

[NightmareMoon]

FS looks crazy with the M3s this year. Time for SCCA to reconsider the class categories for that thing (I got the point two years ago). Mustangs and even the mighty Camaro have nowhere to play. Instead, you have to find a very specific used M3, which is dumb. Its just a faster machine, and should be in a faster PAX class, or just make the M3 illegal

Congrats to our JP and the other guys who trophied in CAM in a S550.

 

[ahhter]

FS looks crazy with the M3s this year. Time for SCCA to reconsider the class categories for that thing (I got the point two years ago). Mustangs and even the mighty Camaro have nowhere to play. Instead, you have to find a very specific used M3, which is dumb. Its just a faster machine, and should be in a faster PAX class, or just make the M3 illegal

Congrats to our JP and the other guys who trophied in CAM in a S550.

I've been trying to avoid bitching too much before Nats is even over but pretty clear that muscle cars are broken in street tire classes. Given that these are the most popular sports cars in the US with the largest potential membership base for the SCCA, I can't help but feel that they deserve more than a catch-all supplemental class. It's also bothering me that the hot cars for FS and BS are so expensive and hard to find. I understand the reasoning why the SCCA SEB and ACs are cautious about making huge classing changes at once but I'd like to see them start taking steps towards rebalancing AS, BS, and FS. The work they did in the past 1-2 years to shift some cars from BS to DS was a good start. I should write a letter; I've always wanted to be thanked for my input.

 

[Dana Pants]

On day 1 I threw the hardest punch I could at the East course and ended up 3.6 seconds behind the leader (Tony). I think it was a decent indication of what the gap is. Here is my video. I believe I’m not 3.6 seconds incompetent. Day 2 I was doing something wrong in my line choice and got OPR fucked immediately all 3 runs. So my total is invalid. Krzysztof Threw a good punch at the 2nd day course but was again tragically uncompetitive. Maybe the sum of his times and my times is a decent theoretical S550 FS performance.... but then again, neither of us are aliens.

 

[DickR]

Thanks for posting the video and I hope you had an enjoyable time despite the driving/classing frustration.

FYI I just saw a Solomatters Facebook post showing Mark Daddio changing tires due to OPR on his BS 2019 GT350 between his 2nd and 3rd runs. Currently (The fastest Tesla may not have had its 3rd run as I type) Mark is leading BS with a low 66 just like the FS winners time on the same course with what appears to be similar weather, etc. Both on BFG's. Both aliens.

Also when the official results are posted for CAMC compare the times with FS and now BS.

Autocross classing is tough!

 

[strengthrehab]

What is OPR?

 

[Dana Pants]

What is OPR?

Other people’s rubber. Disgusting greasy boogers from other people’s tires.

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