Big White

Quote
Morison
Should also mention that if you have a way to soften the suspension, do it.

[straight face]

If someone were to soften their suspension by disconnecting the sway-bars while keeping the same springs, would you suggest changing the settings or valving of the shocks? I know that a mathematical approach to this question would say No, because the equations for initial damping do not include the effects of the sway-bars (if any), but I'm wondering if actual experience would suggest a change to the shocks when sway-bars are deleted.

[loses control and laughs wildly]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/2013 10:59PM by Iowa999.

OK, I know the sway bar thing is some sort of hot button issue aimed at creating controversy, but... whatever. I'd think that in straight line accell or decell the swaybars become virtually irrelevant.

I'll let others speak to their experience but for the most part I think most people disconnect their swaybars fully for winter (and many on gravel as well) but you would still want to soften springs and damping (or maybe soften springs an increase damping??) The goal is to let the suspension move more easily so you can get the weight transfer needed.

I've been in a car that was set-up for working briliantly on gravel but that same set-up could barely turn on snow and ice. (in fact, we went off on a fairly easy corner because we couldn't get it to turn)

I'm anything but a suspension set-up master.

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First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

Quote
john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

Dave, are you going this year?

I was looking at last year's entry list and it seems like there's a good number of WA people who attend. I miss rallying in the PNW and all my northwest friends, but with Doo Wops gone and OTR running on the Mt. Hood roads, there's less incentive for me to make the tow. Maybe I'll see if I can come up for Nameless next year and skip Idaho. (Idaho's lots of fun though.)

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Self-righteous douche canoe

Quote
hoche
Dave, are you going this year?

I was looking at last year's entry list and it seems like there's a good number of WA people who attend. I miss rallying in the PNW and all my northwest friends, but with Doo Wops gone and OTR running on the Mt. Hood roads, there's less incentive for me to make the tow. Maybe I'll see if I can come up for Nameless next year and skip Idaho. (Idaho's lots of fun though.)

Hopefully the dates won't be so close next year?

Are you asking Dave Clark or Dave Kern?
Both should be there. Though I think Kern usually has winter driving school started by then.

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Grant Hughes

Dave Clark. I'm still mad at Dave Kern for not waving back when he went by Devil's Playground last June. I mean, I even made sure to wear my VW hat so he'd recognize me. People these days. I tellya.

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Self-righteous douche canoe

Quote
hoche
Dave Clark. I'm still mad at Dave Kern for not waving back when he went by Devil's Playground last June. I mean, I even made sure to wear my VW hat so he'd recognize me. People these days. I tellya.

I waved at the 4 bare butts on my way to Boulder Park on practice day. I was conserving energy so only waved one finger...

Big White would be awesome to run. Even have some pizza cutter tires...though I'd have to de-stud them some and find rims. Actually pretty excited to do some back-to-back on the zaks and A-034 this winter.


Dave

My notes from the first Big White.

1) Make sure the hotel has a garage. Seems like most do. Doing even simple prepreation, or even unloading the car up there is not trivial if the temperature is low and the wind is up. I seem to recall it being about -10 Fahrenheit, which I'm just not used to. Running just normal anti-freeze should be fine.

2) BRING GAS, and plenty of it. It is a serious pain in the ass to haul back down the mountain. You use quite a bit of gas doing recce and leaving the car idling.


I also seem to recall my feet getting pretty cold, but our heater is set to full defrost only. Nice thing is usually is so cold, you don't get very wet... Until you get back into the car and the snow melts.

Also, this is a very different, and difficult rally, but I highly recommend anyone who hasn't done a real snow/ice rally go do it. Can't really call yourself a ralliest unless you've been on snow/ice.

A heated garage at Big White is an absolute god send!

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

Quote
hoche
Dave, are you going this year?

Barring disaster at Rocky Mountain Rally, I'll be at Big White.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/2013 11:45AM by Slowwpoke.

Quote
Slowwpoke
Barring disaster at Rocky Mountain Rally, I'll be at Big White.

Woahhhh boy.
The head count thread hasn't started yet... sheesh.

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First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

Quote
john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

OK, this looks like it's coming together for me.

One more question (a confirmation, really): From reading the CARS 2013 rules,
it looks like my blue Peltor will be acceptable for this event. The red section in
the rules seems to indicate that it's good until the end of the year. Is that true?

I looked around in all the Bulletins and didn't see anything.

I know I need a new helmet and was going to get one this fall, but the budget for it is going into these funky tires with metal bits in them. So hopefully I can do this one last event with it and then get a new helmet in the spring.

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Self-righteous douche canoe

BSI helmets are still good this year regardless of where you are. (provided they are in good condition etc.)
As of next year, BSI helmets within 10 years of DOM will be legal... don't have a DOM sticker, SOL.

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First Rally: 2001
Driver (7), Co-Driver (44)
Drivers (16)
Clerk (10), Official (7), Volunteer (4)
Cars Built (1), Engines Built (0) Cages Built (0)
Last Updated, January 4, 2015

Quote
john vanlandingham
Blame is for idiots. losers.

OK, great. That's how I read it. Just wanted to make sure. I'll probably have more semi-dumb questions as I put the game plan together.

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Self-righteous douche canoe

You might want to consider going with MK2 brakes on the front (assuming you have bigger MK3's installed like I do) in order to fit 13" wheels. That way you can get the Firestone Winterforce studded 155/80/R13's on there, which would be cheaper by a fair bit ($18 per tire cheaper than the 175/70R14's according to tire rack). I like the Firestones myself, have em (non studded) on my subaru right now and they are great. The blocks are much chunkier and the outer edge of the tread is more squared off than most other winter tires. Also, the raised mountain motif on the edges of the tires mean thicker sidewall rubber where you need it most.

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Runamuck Rally

Oh, I took the brakes off the car last year. Wasn't using them.

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Self-righteous douche canoe