NotAPreppie

Here's hoping you get wheels that don't weigh more than the rest of the car...

NordicGreen

With that in mind, would anyone care to recommend a set of light-ish and relatively cheap 17x9s with a favorable offset for running 255s?

Mr. Pockets

To tell you the truth, I haven't researched this to the point of making a purchase, but this is the short list of wheels I've seen that are contenders:

Kosei K1 TS
Enkei RPF1
5zigen FNo1r-c

I've used the Koseis before. They're light, cheap and look nice. They even come in orange, if you're into that.

NordicGreen

That's a good start. Thanks! I've used K1s in CSP and DSP before and liked them fine. I think I'll forego the orange, though. Orange and Nordic Green would just be a bit too much like Florida college football.

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Hey Nick,

Do you know if any of the wheels you listed require hubcentric rings on the RX-8? If so, which ones? From reading Terry Fair's post on sccaforums last night, a 255/40/17 on a 17x9 rim could very well be the hot ticket for rwd cars.

Mr. Pockets

No, I do not. I suspect in the end I'll get Koseis from Tire Rack. If they require centering rings I would expect Tire Rack to supply them like they usually do.

RK

iTrader: (1)

I know my 18x9.5 RPF1s require a hubcentric ring to fit and it appears that it's needed for the 17x9s as well:

http://www.good-win-racing.com/Mazda...t/60-1290.html

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Question for those who are building STX RX-8's right now (or were previously in STU), what ride-heights are you going with? With our suspension geometry, does anyone know how low is too low?

P.S. I'm officially going to be taking the plunge to STX in 2010. I've never owned a car for longer than 2 years, but I think the RX-8 will be my first. I'll have driven her stock for two years by then, and I'd like her to feel like a 'new' car over then next 2 years. They're definitely mods I'd like to do to improve the "fun-factor" of driving the car which I can't do at the present time (Cobb AP, full catted exhaust, coilovers, etc.). I also really like the look of the Mazdaspeed front grill...

LionZoo

Has anyone posted a chart showing the camber curve of the suspension? I saw one for the NC and it looked quite linear. If the RX-8 follows that, then I suspect you could go low as long as you can maintain a sane static camber and have sufficient travel with the springs you're running. Then again I'm not sure what height that is, so this probably doesn't answer your question.

By the way, the 50% off sale for SSR Type C and Type Fs are still going on. The Type F has a 18x9 +50 fitment that is 18.6 pounds.

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Thanks. Good info to know.

I saw those deals on the SSR's, but when I do build an STX car, I'll probably go with 17's to save even more weight. Many people who have much more ST experience than myself, don't feel a 265 can be effectively run on a 9" wide wheel.

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Just to verify, carbon fiber front splitters that attach to an unmodified stock front bumper are legal in ST? See example below from chargespeed:

kersh4w

iTrader: (3)

that looks hot!

but do you really think it'll do anything at autox speeds?

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Nope - not at all. My whole reason for going to STX at the end of '09 will be to build a more fun-to-daily-drive version of my RX-8. Most parts will be for performance some will be for 'looks' but within the ST ruleset.

Depending on how much I feel like spending I may just get the front lip or the full MS body kit. I think Chargespeed windtunnel tests all of their products so at the very worse it won't increase front-end lift and only add a pound or two to the nose.

Imp

This has always been my issue with the choice of certain ST rules wording... define 'significant'.

Merriam-Webster has this as a part of the definition: "having or likely to have influence or effect"

At what speed does the splitter start influencing or effecting the downforce? 5mph? 20mph? 40mph? The way the rule is worded, poorly, it's when the downforce becomes measureable, IMHO, as opposed to nothing (static/at rest).

The other thing is... why buy it when you can put $$ elsewhere for a modification that can make you faster? That sometimes paints a picture as to if it's 'functional' or not... if someone wants to spend the money on it over a more common modification.

--KC

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Agreed - but I'm not in the hunt for any national championships, and really want to build a car that will be both fun on the street and decently competitive in STX.

I doubt that 2" lip will have any effect at solo speeds - I'm sure the 8 sq foot wings allowed in ST will have more of an effect.

P.S. Did you get my e-mail Keith that I sent to info@rallydecals.com? I need to order some stuff...

Arrrrex-8

Tuesday I installed an AEM intake on the RX8. During the install I realized that this intake, the mazdaspeed intake, and I assume any intake that uses racing beats ram air duct are illegal. To install the intake you have to remove a panel that is attached to the top of the bumper. Mazda does not consider this panel to be part of the intake, there for we are not allowed to remove it. This issue came up with this same intake on the MX-5 csp cars, http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...&highlight=aem , the consensus was that the panel in question was not legal to remove. Some one sent into SCCA for a clarification, in the october fasttrack the clarification came back. Not legal. It seams like the issue is that Mazda call's this panel PLATE,SEAL-RAD. SHROUD, a radiator shroud not an intake shroud. Even though as far as I can tell the actual function of this panel is to direct air towards the stock cold air tube. I attached a pic showing the panel I'm talking about. This really sucks but not much we can do about it. I think I'm going to try to modify the intake to sit above this panel like the stock cold air tube sits, but its going to be really tight and I'm not sure if there is enough room for a filter in there. If that doesn't work I'll end up putting the stock intake back in. I also have a K&N V2 intake but that thing is crazy loud and just sucks in hot air.

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Ouch. I was thinking of using the Racing Beat ram air duct with the stock airbox as my STX intake but I guess that's out of the question.

What other parts are you considering - exhaust, ECU tune, coilovers? I'm obviously not going to start my conversion until after Nats in '09, but I already have a list going and money set aside. I would say my biggest "torment" is being limited to 9" wide wheels. I may just say "F&ck IT!!" get a set of the 18x10.5 SSR's that Sipe used, mount some 305 V710's and go get my **** handed to me in BSP!!!

fossumja

iTrader: (4)

The quote only describes the intent of the rule. The actual legality of any modification is determined by the rest of 14.2.F (allowable parts, total wing area, etc.). Whether or not the mod is effective is pretty much irrelevant.

Back to the intent, not everyone choses their mods based on what will have the biggest impact at the timing lights but for those that do, the rule has to be very specific.

I think the bit about "commonly available appearance kits, and
replicas thereof, which have no significant aerodynamic function
at Solo speeds" is there to is there to ward off the mass of letters from people who think they know what the rule was intended to mean better than the people who wrote it!

ULLLOSE

iTrader: (1)

I truly don’t understand your gripe…. The RX-8 gets moved down to STX and you bitch about the new allowance only being a 9” wide wheel, because it is the minimum size wheels for a 265 – and someone planted the idea in your head it wont work good.

But in almost every class, stock and ST, tires are regularly put on “minimum” or smaller wheels.

Any 245-18, stock or ST, has a minimum wheel size of 8”. So under the old STX rules if you ran an 18” you were at the minimum – sure if you ran a 245-17 you were a whooping .5” over the minimum 7.5” wheel.

Every RX-8 in BS has been on a minimum or undersized wheel, regardless if they were on a 245 or 295, for the last five years.

And somehow you are ok with going to BSP on a 10.5” wide wheel with a 305 V710, even though that is the minimum wheel width for that tire?

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

The 305 V710's would be fun though. Seriously, it just comes down to my long term plans for the car. 18x10.5 wheels fit into those plans, 9" wide wheels don't.

Obviously wheels can be bought and sold...I just wish the ST classes used tire limits instead of wheel & tire limits (with the obvious exception being STU).

RK

iTrader: (1)

Arrrrex which ST rule does that violate? I haven't played with my rad so I haven't paid attention to whether or not radiator modifications would move me out of ST. I don't see anything about it in ST in the October fastrack or minutes:

http://www.scca.com/documents/Fastra...ck-oct-bod.pdf
http://www.scca.org/documents/Fastra...k-oct-solo.pdf

There's something in the '08 rule book on pg 248 regarding changing parts not specific to the intake to allow for an intake. That it?

And am I wrong or doesn't every intake but RB (w/o the duct) require the removal of that piece?

Guess I'll be running book illegal in STU then although I don't think it is a performance enhancement and I'm not winning anyway so I'm not about to worry about it. And anyone 'building' a STX car should be keeping the stock intake anyway and just drop in a new filter.

Oh and whoever mentioned the rear wing I thought limit is 5sq feet?

Arrrrex-8

I bought CodingParadox's exhaust off his BS car, custom single exit. I have RX-7 store high flow cat. 17X9 Weds Sport TC005. Probably going to run the new bridgestones when they come out, but might try the new kuhmo, its 3lbs lighter than the REO1R, start spec, and ADO7. Access port, getting custom tuned by mazdamaniac on the 17th. Agency power pulley. 11lb braille battery. Working with Vorshlag on coilovers, undecided on sway bars as of yet, waiting to see how things feel with the coilovers first. Currently trying to figure out what do for the seat. Mine is a GT so I need to swap seats both for weight and head room. I bought some used seats on craigslist for super cheap and then ordered the Bride low max seat rails. The seats were too wide, so I ordered a 15" Kirkey seat. That just showed up today. Haven't had a chance to test fit it yet, but it looks like it will barely fit. I hope it does I really don't want to spend the money for the Bride seats that I know for sure will fit. Yesterday I took a bunch of measurements off my wheels and found that the RacingBrake big brake kit will fit, but that will be a ways down the road. Money's starting to run low and I still need to buy the coilovers, tires, and passanger seat and rails. I'm not going all out with the build, but I think this should be a pretty competitive setup.

Arrrrex-8

The way the rule book works is unless it says you can do it, you can't. Since both Mazda and SCCA consider this panel to be for the radiator and not the intake and we don't have an allowance to modify the radiator or any shrouding, we cant remove or modify this panel.

What I was referencing is tech bulletin #2 on page 46. The issue with the this intake and panel on the CSP MX-5 is exactly the same as with our cars. I'm going to double check but I think it might even be the same panel on both cars.

I hadn't seen that before. I have no idea what partitions they are taking about with the Mini, but if a radiator shroud is considered part of the structure of the car than this also says we cant remove or modify it.

As far as I know only cold air intakes or intakes utilizing a ram air duct require the removal of that panel. The K&N V.2, and the racing beat with out the duct don't require the removal of that panel. I've seen other intakes also, but don't remember which ones they are.

The 5 square feet includes the splitter. And this is how I think SCCA has determined what significant aerodynamic function is.

Arrrrex-8

Yep, 56-181L on both the RX8 and MX-5.

chiketkd

iTrader: (5)

Interesting parts selection. The Vorshlag stuff should be pretty pricey but quite nice.

The current list of stuff I'll be ordering next Fall is as follows:

1) Fluid Motorsports headers & RX-7 store mid-pipe w/ high flow cat
2) Bilstein PSS9's coilovers
3) Cobb AP (will get a custom tune)
4) Adjustable rear swaybar
5) Wheels & tires

I'm probably going to start with an alignment around -2.5 front, -2 rear and make adjustments front there. I know on A-arm cars you don't need as much static negative camber as the McStrut cars do.