Rallyx pics n stuff

05zx3slowcus · 02-02-2006, 12:14 PM

From the THSCC event last week, I am the red Focus about half way down, SU2 #22:

http://home.att.net/~kevinmallen/ths...lyx_012806.htm

I only stayed for the first half because I was so tired after driving 4 hours and getting almost no sleep the night before.

I ran 60, 59 and a 60 second runs, and my tires do not have a dirt friendly tread. To give you an idea, I think the fastest 2wd car was the Sentra with the Japanses flag of the roof ("General Lei"), it ran 54 seconds. The other Sentras were pretty fast too. The slowest cars ran like 70+, mostly because their drivers weren't pushing them.

I installed KYB AGX shocks (on stock springs) just in time for the event, as well as some fun driving in the Blue Ridge mountains. I ran 2 front, 7 rear for the rallyx. When my tires weren't stuck in ruts, the car was very easy to rotate with a little left-foot on the brakes.
The shocks also seem to eliminate much of the understeer while I was driving on the mountain roads, altough it was very rough over even minor bumps. On the interstate, I turned them down to 1 front, 2 rear, and it rode almost like stock. Not perfect, but well worth the $300 I paid.

After doing three events in the Focus, here are my $0.02 on rallyx:

- If you want to rallyx the Focus, it is a good car for it.... good ground clearence, adequate suspension travel, easy to slide the rear end, enough power to have fun
- Adjustable shocks are good, coil overs would be better
- a rear sway bar and a smaller or removed front sway bar would probalby help a lot
- Inflate your tires to 40-45 psi or the bead will probably break if you slide sideways into a rut
- If you have 2wd, get a limited slip or weld the differential, open diff 1wd sucks and is slow
- Dirt tires! (if allowed)
- If you really want to rallyx regularly, get a reliable beater car for $500. Something you don't mind beating the crap out of once a month... I have a beater that I'm working on, I don't plan on driving my new Focus to every event.

-The number one more important than any other rule rule: Just do it. Don't worry about how prepared your car is, just get out there and have fun, because it is a lot of Fun!

fspeed · 02-02-2006, 12:33 PM

Wow, looks like fun, i would be afraid of chipping the paint though.

Carrera26 · 02-02-2006, 01:37 PM

Nice!

I've always thought a rally beater would be an awfully fun thing to have.

munkyv22 · 02-02-2006, 01:42 PM

Rally is what I am going to start doing. Looks way more fun than solo.

Mmmm, dirt.

Carrera26 · 02-02-2006, 04:06 PM

Rally = Almost guaranteed car damage

AutoX = Safe fun for your daily driver

I'm thinking an old Ranger or Mazda B3000 truck with a 5-speed would be a great rally beater...

Kayak_man · 02-02-2006, 04:28 PM

looks like fun

..:: sleestak ::.. · 02-02-2006, 05:52 PM

oh hails yeayah!! that looks like silly fun. maybe when i get my subi bratt

SteelRain · 02-02-2006, 08:23 PM

OMG!!!! That Nissan Sentra ATE a cone!!! That looks like some serious fun, but there is NO WAY I'm gonna take my SVTF out there.

I have done some wild cross country driving in a Humvee (army hummer) but never in a car. My neighbor has a beat up non-running 200SX... wonder what kind of dirt machine that could become....