Off Season Plans?

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:09 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

Adding compression is off the table, as my shocks are singles, not doubles. Mostly because I wouldn't know how to turn the knobs on a set of doubles. Well, not to make the car any better, anyway.

From looking at the pictures, I don't believe you have too much bar for rubbery asphalt. Running the stock bar on the RX-8 three years ago, we were lifting the inside wheel 3-4" on day 2 of DC ProSolo. I wish we honestly had more bar, because the grip was insane for asphalt. - AB

David Spratte · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:24 pm

Aaron Buckley wrote:

David Spratte wrote:

I had the oil changed under warranty (ahead of schedule at no charge).
They replaced a seat slider that had some play in it.
And I hardwired a radar detector and iPhone charger.

I think you forgot to add that rainbow bumper sticker. :whip:

- AB

I'm giving up that lifestyle since you got married.

David Spratte · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 12:25 pm

clinehall wrote:

David Spratte wrote:

I had the oil changed under warranty (ahead of schedule at no charge).
They replaced a seat slider that had some play in it.
And I hardwired a radar detector and iPhone charger.

How about some neon lights? I can sell you some mini logo valve stem caps somebody gave me too! :lol:

Maybe on the neon. But no on the valve stems. Unsprung weight is the enemy.

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 1:38 pm

David Spratte wrote:

Maybe on the neon. But no on the valve stems. Unsprung weight is the enemy.

I have some beautiful, machined aluminum, knurled valve stem caps that CCW threw in with the wheels. I'll sell them for eleventy million dollars.

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:05 pm

Karl Shultz wrote:

I have some beautiful, machined aluminum, knurled valve stem caps that CCW threw in with the wheels. I'll sell them for eleventy million dollars.

This is one thing that I will give advice to anyone semi-serious about autocross. I'm not sure if this applies to you track guys, but when it comes to valve stems, get rid of those metal ones that come with Kosei K1's, SSR's, etc. and get the good old fashioned rubber ones. Why?

Because the rigid metal one's flow less air, have the tendency to leak more often and because they flow air less quickly, are harder to bleed down or air up between runs. Plus, you can sell those metal ones you got to the fanbois that want the bling. - AB

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 2:25 pm

Aaron Buckley wrote:

This is one thing that I will give advice to anyone semi-serious about autocross. I'm not sure if this applies to you track guys, but when it comes to valve stems, get rid of those metal ones that come with Kosei K1's, SSR's, etc. and get the good old fashioned rubber ones. Why?

Because the rigid metal one's flow less air, have the tendency to leak more often and because they flow air less quickly, are harder to bleed down or air up between runs. Plus, you can sell those metal ones you got to the fanbois that want the bling. - AB

But Aaron - you know darn well that if I had rubber valve stems on those CCWs, I'd develop a facial tick

But, you're right, they're a little fiddly. Mark's had to replace one of mine. Which is actually another reason why Mark kicks ass - he gave the stem to me at no charge.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Karl Shultz wrote:

Aaron Buckley wrote:

This is one thing that I will give advice to anyone semi-serious about autocross. I'm not sure if this applies to you track guys, but when it comes to valve stems, get rid of those metal ones that come with Kosei K1's, SSR's, etc. and get the good old fashioned rubber ones. Why?

Because the rigid metal one's flow less air, have the tendency to leak more often and because they flow air less quickly, are harder to bleed down or air up between runs. Plus, you can sell those metal ones you got to the fanbois that want the bling. - AB

But Aaron - you know darn well that if I had rubber valve stems on those CCWs, I'd develop a facial tick

But, you're right, they're a little fiddly. Mark's had to replace one of mine. Which is actually another reason why Mark kicks ass - he gave the stem to me at no charge.

Don't forget about cones cracking the metal ones at speed and having the tire experience a deflation fale. I've seen it happen on a Kosei at the Mazda school we had a couple of years ago in Sanford.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 9:37 pm

Wes Eargle wrote:

Karl Shultz wrote:

Aaron Buckley wrote:

This is one thing that I will give advice to anyone semi-serious about autocross. I'm not sure if this applies to you track guys, but when it comes to valve stems, get rid of those metal ones that come with Kosei K1's, SSR's, etc. and get the good old fashioned rubber ones. Why?

Because the rigid metal one's flow less air, have the tendency to leak more often and because they flow air less quickly, are harder to bleed down or air up between runs. Plus, you can sell those metal ones you got to the fanbois that want the bling. - AB

But Aaron - you know darn well that if I had rubber valve stems on those CCWs, I'd develop a facial tick

But, you're right, they're a little fiddly. Mark's had to replace one of mine. Which is actually another reason why Mark kicks ass - he gave the stem to me at no charge.

Don't forget about cones cracking the metal ones at speed and having the tire experience a deflation fale. I've seen it happen on a Kosei at the Mazda school we had a couple of years ago in Sanford.

pfft, i pasted a tire wall at VIR and no valve stem fale.

ok, i'll check them. thanks for the FYI AB.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

It's not a matter of if or when, it's a matter of chance. I've never seen a rubber valvestem fail because of a hit. I have seen a metal one fail because of a hit. Fluke? Sure. But which one can deflect without failing? That's all.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Thu Dec 18, 2008 10:07 pm

Wes Eargle wrote:

It's not a matter of if or when, it's a matter of chance. I've never seen a rubber valvestem fail because of a hit. I have seen a metal one fail because of a hit. Fluke? Sure. But which one can deflect without failing? That's all.

ok Wes, you can take some credit too. i'll have them checked.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

steve remchak wrote:

ok Wes, you can take some credit too. i'll have them checked.

Well, you really can't check for fatigue without an X-ray or whatnot. What I observed was one of the double-stemmed Koseis that had a failure. It ended a day prematurely. With my limited experience in materials science, it did not appear to be a cumulative effect, it was a one-off snap. I'd hate for such a shit failure to end a $300+ weekend. That's all.

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

And then there are the rubber valve stems that fail due to exposure to air:

http://www.aftermarketnews.com/Item/380 ... nched.aspx

clinehall · **Posted:** Fri Dec 19, 2008 8:01 am

steve remchak wrote:

Wes Eargle wrote:

Karl Shultz wrote:

Aaron Buckley wrote:

This is one thing that I will give advice to anyone semi-serious about autocross. I'm not sure if this applies to you track guys, but when it comes to valve stems, get rid of those metal ones that come with Kosei K1's, SSR's, etc. and get the good old fashioned rubber ones. Why?

Because the rigid metal one's flow less air, have the tendency to leak more often and because they flow air less quickly, are harder to bleed down or air up between runs. Plus, you can sell those metal ones you got to the fanbois that want the bling. - AB

But Aaron - you know darn well that if I had rubber valve stems on those CCWs, I'd develop a facial tick

But, you're right, they're a little fiddly. Mark's had to replace one of mine. Which is actually another reason why Mark kicks ass - he gave the stem to me at no charge.

Don't forget about cones cracking the metal ones at speed and having the tire experience a deflation fale. I've seen it happen on a Kosei at the Mazda school we had a couple of years ago in Sanford.

pfft, i pasted a tire wall at VIR and no valve stem fale.

.

Does that qualify one for a club? Mine were fine too, metal, shiny blue, thats probably why!

steve remchak · **Posted:** Fri Dec 19, 2008 10:01 am

Arthur McDonald wrote:

And then there are the rubber valve stems that fail due to exposure to air:

http://www.aftermarketnews.com/Item/380 ... nched.aspx

i only inflate my tires with ozone-free air Art.

my tires are a no ozone zone oh, zone. zone. :roll:

Carlton Whitehead · **Posted:** Sat Dec 20, 2008 8:52 am

Have the car repaired. I had a car accident last week. Thankfully no injuries, but I just heard back from the body shop yesterday, and the grand total will be $4300. I'll only be paying the deductible, and I'm having my insurance company ask the land owner to repay me my deductible, but we'll see how that goes.

I had just turned onto a road at around 8PM, in the pouring down rain. It's a new neighborhood under construction, but the developer has opened the unfinished road for traffic. I saw the manhole cover, so I moved over to the left to put the center of my car over it trying to avoid a flat tire (hah!), like I usually do for those raised manhole covers. Then my airbags went off, and the car kept going. The distance traveled during a state of dumbfoundedness, moment of realization that I was still moving, and braking was only about 20ft. My passenger and I got out of the car immediately, since we had no idea what happened.

I wandered back to the point where my airbag deployed and figured I had to have bottomed out on the manhole cover. But it only protrudes about an inch from the road and I have more ground clearance than that, so it occurred to me to look at its surroundings. I quickly found a giant pothole full of water immediately to the left of it where my left tire must have gone down, which reduced clearance and made this lovely accident possible.

I went back a couple days later after it stopped raining and took pics of the location. Many thanks to Brian Richards for spotting me while I did that.

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