Autocrosser

[autoXer47]

What's up, I post a little over on Delphi and on Bionicdoge but thought I might give this site a chance. I have two non-R/T's so don't beat up on me. I've been autocrossing Dakotas for 2 1/2 years here in OKC. So if anyone has any ?'s on setups I'll help you with what I've learned.

[BTLFED R/T]

Welcome aboard! No worries about the non-R/T, we're glad to have ya!

[99RT]

What's up, I post a little over on Delphi and on Bionicdoge but thought I might give this site a chance. I have two non-R/T's so don't beat up on me. I've been autocrossing Dakotas for 2 1/2 years here in OKC. So if anyone has any ?'s on setups I'll help you with what I've learned.

Is it possible to run a respectable time in a CC R/T?

I'm mostly setting up my truck for drag, but since I bought it to replace my bike, I kinda miss the handling. What's a good setup?

I've got brand new TRW ball joints and energy suspension bushings/sway-bar mounts. I'm planning on a set of Rancho 9 way adjustables for the rear (for better weight transfer at the track) and I'm going to fab up a set of cal-trac clones once I get a chance to finish the 2/2 drop and get the truck on some scales to find the CG.

The design of the traction bars will allow me to remove all of the preload for street driving/handling if necessary.

I've got crappy Kuhmos on it, Thinking of upgrading when they wear out (they've only got 3,000 miles on them)

It's going to be a long process though, I'm in the middle of fabricating a turbo kit, and I need to buy a new TIG first.

Thanks

[BlueCCRT]

I just wish there was more autocross around my area. I always enjoy it at the Nats.

[Trueblue R/T]

Glad to see you here let me know when the next OKC event is.

[autoXer47]

Is it possible to run a respectable time in a CC R/T?

Thanks

The shorter the wheelbase the better. It's already hard enough for a truck to run with cars.:) I'll post our scheduled when it's set in stone.

[BTLFED R/T]

The shorter the wheelbase the better. It's already hard enough for a truck to run with cars.:) I'll post our scheduled when it's set in stone.

Tell G-rady that it's hard to run with the trucks! I think he hangs pretty well with them.

[rattler360]

i have a 1999 reg cab rt with the following suspension mods, all new moog upper and lower ball joints and tie rods, full hotchkis suspension with qa-1 double adjustables, kenny brown xbrace, detriot tru trac lsd, 31 spline moser axles, ultimate 12 rear end girdle. im trying to rig up a rear end cooler and power steering cooler, i plan on doing a viper brake swap with motul brake fluid. to many engine mods to list.im already running a large b&m tranny cooler and a setrab oil cooler, a custom made c&r racing aluminum radiator with 16inch spal fan, rear roll pan, fiberglass front bumper, waiting on new carbon fiber hood and driveshaft.

[autoXer47]

i have a 1999 reg cab rt with the following suspension mods, all new moog upper and lower ball joints and tie rods, full hotchkis suspension with qa-1 double adjustables, kenny brown xbrace, detriot tru trac lsd, 31 spline moser axles, ultimate 12 rear end girdle. im trying to rig up a rear end cooler and power steering cooler, i plan on doing a viper brake swap with motul brake fluid. to many engine mods to list.im already running a large b&m tranny cooler and a setrab oil cooler, a custom made c&r racing aluminum radiator with 16inch spal fan, rear roll pan, fiberglass front bumper, waiting on new carbon fiber hood and driveshaft.

Man that sounds like one hell of a truck. Do you plan on doing any hi-speed races?

[rattler360]

yes once i do the 408 stroker and turbo. i want to get a set of fiske wheels probably 18s or so. tell me more about your truck, i also plan on installing some carbon kevlar race seats. they did a small write up on my truck in mopar muscle

[rattler360]

im running the stock rt rims with yokohama advan tires for the street 255/60r17

[autoXer47]

2000 4.7 5 speed manual
3.91 gears w/ Mopar LSD
Hotckhis TVS
front coils have been cut to lower down another 1"
QA1's on all four
custom Boyd Coddington 17x11 rims
335/35/17 Kumho V710's
Slotted rotors with street pads
Cobra racing bucket seats
Radio delete, A/C delete and every other thing that's not needed to race
Race weight is 3490lbs

Jayson Woodruff built the truck a few year ago and I got it off him. The truck was built just for autocross. There alot more done to it but that's the big stuff. Hers a short video in California.

http://kapao.motocrew.com/Ken_and_Guy_driving_bad_ass_truck.wmv

[rattler360]

looks good i want to do alot more than just drag race, i wish i could get a set of lighter a-arms for the front. whats done to the other truck? i so want to try drifting, but im not hacking up the truck to swap a 6speed, plus i dont think it could handle the power of my new motor

[autoXer47]

My 03 has pretty much what my signature says's. I run Enki 17x8 rims with Nitto 275/50's. I think (or hope) that when the SCT tuner comes out for the NGK computer I can get it into the 13's. It's a fun truck to autocross with street tires cause new guy's will show up with GTO's or Rustangs and think they can out run it.:eek:

[Trueblue R/T]

Good vid thanks

[rattler360]

is the 2003 dakota bumper plastic

[SinCity R/T]

Maybe someday I'll order a similar set of wheels/tires... I went out to the local SCCA event in November with 295/40-20's and I had absolutely no traction - the 408/4.56's completely overload the tires at every hard acceleration turn.

[autoXer47]

is the 2003 dakota bumper plastic

Yes, it is.

[autoXer47]

Maybe someday I'll order a similar set of wheels/tires... I went out to the local SCCA event in November with 295/40-20's and I had absolutely no traction - the 408/4.56's completely overload the tires at every hard acceleration turn.

The biggest thing that I learned was not to overdrive the truck. H.P. will kill your time if you don't learn how to control it. The lighter I'm on the gas the faster it'll run. It's a very hard thing to learn.:)

[rattler360]

well i can wait to get more into it, the only track around me is limerock

[WeezyRT]

Could you post a pic of the truck in the vid?

[DakotaLivLrg]

Yeah our bigger trucks are fun on the autocross track for sure .. I have only done one day in my R/T did about 5 different events in my old truck .. can't wait till the next even in phx .. feb 10th out at firebird..

not gonna do as well though since i have the heavy ass 20's on the truck now ... but i know it will still be fun

[autoXer47]

Could you post a pic of the truck in the vid?

I don't have any good pictures of it on my computer. Theres alot on our local SCCA site but its down right now.

[krusty_R/T]

I don't have any good pictures of it on my computer. Theres alot on our local SCCA site but its down right now.
I did 5 events this past year in my R/T and I always took pics with my SLR for everyone else, but it always seemed that no one ever got pics of me. :(
Unless my Eclipse breaks this year, the truck is retired from competition until Nats

[rattler360]

do you need a scca license

[meangreen]

Hey,

Is there a place where I can find some info on Regs and such. Is there a class for trucks? What cars would I be running against. I am in Southern California and will be looking to Xcross soon. I have the following:

1998 RC 5spd 318, 3.92lsd
cam, heads, M1
Hotchkis TVS and Billstiens
275/50/17 with Nitto 450s

I have in box and waiting to install a vortech and x-brace

[autoXer47]

do you need a scca license

The national SCCA has past a rule starting this year that you do have to be a member. I think its $70 for one year. They are also doing a temporary licence you can buy for one day (most local SCCA are charging $15). DO NOT get mad at the local clubs because it is out of there hands. Us at the Oklahoma SCCA have voted to do away with the temp licence because of the extra paperwork the day of the events.

[autoXer47]

Hey,

Is there a place where I can find some info on Regs and such. Is there a class for trucks? What cars would I be running against. I am in Southern California and will be looking to Xcross soon. I have the following:

1998 RC 5spd 318, 3.92lsd
cam, heads, M1
Hotchkis TVS and Billstiens
275/50/17 with Nitto 450s

I have in box and waiting to install a vortech and x-brace


Southern Cali has a great autocross. There is no class for truck because theres not that many of us who runs trucks. I run in ESP against Mustangs and Camaros. There are a lot of restrictions on what you can run in each class. ESP stands for E Street Prepared. In the Street Prepared class your not allowed to do much to the motor so I think they would put you into a Modified Class because of the blower, cams and the X-brace. And you don't want to run in that class!!!! There are very fast cars in there. If you run with out the blower just tell them you have the Hotchkis suspension and they'll put you in ESP. There is a Stock Class but you have to be ...uh...stock.

national site http://scca.org/home.aspx
find your region http://scca.org/divisions.aspx
Autocross is referred to as Solo 2
I'll PM you with a contact who can help you locally.:drive:

[krusty_R/T]

Hey,

Is there a place where I can find some info on Regs and such. Is there a class for trucks? What cars would I be running against. I am in Southern California and will be looking to Xcross soon. I have the following:

1998 RC 5spd 318, 3.92lsd
cam, heads, M1
Hotchkis TVS and Billstiens
275/50/17 with Nitto 450s

I have in box and waiting to install a vortech and x-brace
Heads and Cam puts you in street modified or SM2 since you only have a 2 seater. That is what I ran this past year. It's competitive, but still a bunch of fun :)

[autoXer47]

Heads and Cam puts you in street modified or SM2 since you only have a 2 seater. That is what I ran this past year. It's competitive, but still a bunch of fun :)

SM2 is a good class but your against RX7's, Miata's and every other modified two seater. Your in a truck so they would probably let you run in any class except for stock. If it's your first time I don't think anyone would protest until you started kicking there butt.

[rattler360]

id like to try some road courses

[krusty_R/T]

SM2 is a good class but your against RX7's, Miata's and every other modified two seater. Your in a truck so they would probably let you run in any class except for stock. If it's your first time I don't think anyone would protest until you started kicking there butt.
They're picky out here in the KC region! Esp. since we're so close to Nationals. I'll still be in SM but I'll be in my Eclipse, so hopefully I can place a lot better this year. I can't wait! :rockwoot:

[autoXer47]

id like to try some road courses

I've tried a little high speed driving in my 03. The biggest thing you need are sticky tires, down-force in the back and very good brakes. With out those there's no way I'm doing it again.

[rattler360]

well ive got big brakes and sticky tires, i was looking at vortex generators from air tab

[gbeaird]

Is it possible to run a respectable time in a CC R/T?

<SNIP>
Thanks

Yes, you can! But with the mods you plan, you will be far outclassed because of the weight. When I got back into autocross, I went in my 95 Impala SS, and my wife took her 98 CC R/T. Because of the headers, we were immediately dropped in ESP. This was before the ST classes. Luckily, this was also before a lot of people showed up in ESP (at least regionally) with DOT R compounds and such. While rarely top trophy contender, we tried to see who we could beat. I think my novice wife was hooked when we were in registration and she overheard a couple of Rustang drivers laughing about how they were competing against a TRUCK. Well, she handedly beat them both. After the event, they came up and asked her what it was like to run a truck.

With the factory RSAs (this truck _now_ has less then 3700 miles on it), the traction is kind of limited. We used that to our advantage, though. You limit braking, turn way ahead of where you would with DOT R tires, and in tight turns, throw the back end around and add power when you get it where you want.

Now, because of the weight, and the weight balance, it may not be a Nationally-competitive vehicle, because of classing with other, lighter Pony Cars and AWDs, but you can sure have fun with one. If you go with the attitude of wanting to see what you can outrun, you will probably come away with a smile that won't go away for a while.

If it hasn't been pointed out yet, the Dakota is able to put more tire on the ground than ANY ESP car in SCCA Solo II autocross competition. There is a lot to be said about that. The V-6-equipped Daks tend to have a better balance, with nearly equal HP, especially in Street Prepared class, but IMHO, you can still have a LOT of fun in an R/T. You just have to be careful about the mods, or you will be running with the big boys in Prepared or Modified.

Hmmmm, I wonder, if I can find some light wheels that will take some 25" slicks, how our nearly stock Dak R/T would actually do in CP? :burnout:

[QwikKota]

Yes, you can! But with the mods you plan, you will be far outclassed because of the weight. When I got back into autocross, I went in my 95 Impala SS, and my wife took her 98 CC R/T. Because of the headers, we were immediately dropped in ESP. This was before the ST classes. Luckily, this was also before a lot of people showed up in ESP (at least regionally) with DOT R compounds and such. While rarely top trophy contender, we tried to see who we could beat. I think my novice wife was hooked when we were in registration and she overheard a couple of Rustang drivers laughing about how they were competing against a TRUCK. Well, she handedly beat them both. After the event, they came up and asked her what it was like to run a truck.

With the factory RSAs (this truck _now_ has less then 3700 miles on it), the traction is kind of limited. We used that to our advantage, though. You limit braking, turn way ahead of where you would with DOT R tires, and in tight turns, throw the back end around and add power when you get it where you want.

Now, because of the weight, and the weight balance, it may not be a Nationally-competitive vehicle, because of classing with other, lighter Pony Cars and AWDs, but you can sure have fun with one. If you go with the attitude of wanting to see what you can outrun, you will probably come away with a smile that won't go away for a while.

If it hasn't been pointed out yet, the Dakota is able to put more tire on the ground than ANY ESP car in SCCA Solo II autocross competition. There is a lot to be said about that. The V-6-equipped Daks tend to have a better balance, with nearly equal HP, especially in Street Prepared class, but IMHO, you can still have a LOT of fun in an R/T. You just have to be careful about the mods, or you will be running with the big boys in Prepared or Modified.

Hmmmm, I wonder, if I can find some light wheels that will take some 25" slicks, how our nearly stock Dak R/T would actually do in CP? :burnout:

Hey Gene! Man, this forum is pulling people in from all over. The 4.7 is just as light as the all iron V6 so I think that leads to my truck's doing pretty well in Autox. You need to bring the R/T out more often. I know you got the new car to keep you busy but Barbara can drive it out for ya. I have been working on my street wheels for the last few months so I haven't made it to any events. We have to sign up for SCCA membership now correct? I flat spotted a slick and my rears are super bald. Need to "invest" in some new tires asap. V710's all 4 corners will be great. I'll try to get to the March event even if its in the Maxima.

[gbeaird]

Yeah, unfortunately, the money-grubbing powers-that-be in Topeka need more money, so you have to be a member at ANY SCCA solo event to participate now. You can get 'weekend' memberships, which are like $30, which, IIRC, gives you membership to two of three consecutive events (three month membership, but you can only do two events, or something like that), but at your second 'weekend' membership purchase, you are almost at the price of the annual membership.

Rock chips are what got Barbara to park the truck in the garage. While we really like the way it handles and runs, the paint seems to be pretty brittle. there are couple of noticeable rock chips on the front bumper, and Barbara is really angry about them. We may bring it out sometime, but we're really concentrating on trying to get the CP car competitive again and getting regional points to win the regional championship. We'll be back, but probably only after we get the Hotchkis springs bolted up, and perhaps some shocks.

[QwikKota]

Rock chips are what got Barbara to park the truck in the garage. While we really like the way it handles and runs, the paint seems to be pretty brittle. there are couple of noticeable rock chips on the front bumper, and Barbara is really angry about them. We may bring it out sometime, but we're really concentrating on trying to get the CP car competitive again and getting regional points to win the regional championship. We'll be back, but probably only after we get the Hotchkis springs bolted up, and perhaps some shocks.

I understand that, I hate to get my paint messed up while trying to have fun. I have been taking the bumper cover off before races even if it does look awful underneath. The cones with all the dirt and grit on them take their toll. I don't hit too many but when I do ouch. The side skirts I added that cover the pinch welds under the body bear the brunt of the rocks impaling it. That's not so good for car shows. You can't really have a nice car out there if you want to improve. I have the Bilsteins and they work pretty well but if you have the spare cash the adjustable QA1's are the way to go.

[gbeaird]

That's why we went to a dedicated car we didn't car about how it looked. We initially ended up with a 86 SVO, running G Stock, but having to replace worn out parts with parts made out of factory unobtanium, or just flat NLA, we 'retired' the SVO and went to CP. No worries about rock chips, and worn out parts can be replaced with faster new, shiny parts. ;-)

[grapejuice1998]

Whoa, there's a blast from the past! Good to see another original '98 owner!

[QwikKota]

That's why we went to a dedicated car we didn't car about how it looked. We initially ended up with a 86 SVO, running G Stock, but having to replace worn out parts with parts made out of factory unobtanium, or just flat NLA, we 'retired' the SVO and went to CP. No worries about rock chips, and worn out parts can be replaced with faster new, shiny parts. ;-)

Yeah those cars are not anywhere near as popular as the 5.0's but quicker in stock form. What is the new car again? I really thought you guys were going for show condition with the Firebird, hah. Primer is a color right?

[Siciliano15]

i have a 1999 reg cab rt with the following suspension mods, all new moog upper and lower ball joints and tie rods, full hotchkis suspension with qa-1 double adjustables, kenny brown xbrace, detriot tru trac lsd, 31 spline moser axles, ultimate 12 rear end girdle. im trying to rig up a rear end cooler and power steering cooler, i plan on doing a viper brake swap with motul brake fluid. to many engine mods to list.im already running a large b&m tranny cooler and a setrab oil cooler, a custom made c&r racing aluminum radiator with 16inch spal fan, rear roll pan, fiberglass front bumper, waiting on new carbon fiber hood and driveshaft.

wat do u think of the detroit tru-trac? i was thinking about getting one. how is it different from the auburn or stock unit? does it lock the 2 wheels if one is on ice and one on dry road or will the one on ice slip? how is it around turns does it fishtail if u nail it or does the inside wheel just spin like an open-diff?

[QwikKota]

wat do u think of the detroit tru-trac? i was thinking about getting one. how is it different from the auburn or stock unit? does it lock the 2 wheels if one is on ice and one on dry road or will the one on ice slip? how is it around turns does it fishtail if u nail it or does the inside wheel just spin like an open-diff?

That's what I'll be upgrading to. I would imagine it works as well as the Auburn but require less repairs due to their being no clutches to wear out and work 100% of the time unlike the stocker. Both wheels should spin no matter what but at different speeds around a turn. No clue on ice, but should help with traction. I've only read good things on it with Rustangs and Muscle Car owners.

[Siciliano15]

That's what I'll be upgrading to. I would imagine it works as well as the Auburn but require less repairs due to their being no clutches to wear out and work 100% of the time unlike the stocker. Both wheels should spin no matter what but at different speeds around a turn. No clue on ice, but should help with traction. I've only read good things on it with Rustangs and Muscle Car owners.

sounds good. i want to either go with this or the detroit locker. want to get the most power to the wheels as possible and not have any peg legging going on.

[QwikKota]

sounds good. i want to either go with this or the detroit locker. want to get the most power to the wheels as possible and not have any peg legging going on.

Search for some Titan reviews. They are a decently powerful truck and come with an e-locker from the factory. The guys switching to the true-trac have nothing but good things to say. Sounds like the cats azz. I just wish it was cheaper but if you factor in 1 rebuild going with an Auburn its less expensive. Once it goes in I definitely don't want to have to touch it. I love my 4.56's but they are noisy and I have some 4.10's that will go in with the True-Trac. 2nd gear around the cones is too high in the rpms causing a lot of wheel spin. On the street it won't be as much fun but if I get some forced induction it won't matter :woot:

[rattler360]

im running a tru trac with 31 spline moser axles