Bracing

[lilredrocket]

I'm looking in to getting bracing for my Yaris. I'm going to start auto-xing it. What would be the best bracing that I can get? I don't have alot of money to spend at the moment. BELIEVE IT OR NOT I WOULD LIKE TAMAGO TO CHIME IN. I like input and all opions taken. Right now I have DF210 springs and the TRD rear sway bar. Please say type of bracing and brand please

[jkuchta]

Check the rules for the class you want to run, as some of the bars you might add might bump you into a higher class.

[cali yaris]

Ultra Racing makes quite few braces for us. You'll definitely get both camps to chime in from "it doesn't to anything" to "it definitely stiffens your chassis".

[lilredrocket]

I know. I was thinking about going with Ultra Racing and I know others will say GT Spec and some might say Tanabe. I won't be racing for points this season so I'm not really that concerned with class yet.

[fuji]

If you are looking to strengthen your chassis on a budget, how about stiffening the chassis by welding some small diameter high strength cromoly tubing in strategic places?

[lilredrocket]

If I had a welder that I could I would stitch weld most of the car. This my sound kiddish and dumb but I knid of want the "shine new piece". Thank you for the post though.

[fuji]

Just out of curiosity, how much of a difference does stitch welding make. What would actually be welded?

[lilredrocket]

You stitch weld the seam between 2 pieces of metal where the factory only spot welded or they glued the pieces together you would be surprised how much it helps. I believe that it would put me in a class that the yaris would never really be a competitor in

[lilredrocket]

Anyone else?

[Loren]

If you're just getting started autocrossing, just drive the car as is. If you have money to spend, buy a good set of tires. Tires will make more difference than all of the braces you could ever put on the car.

[lilredrocket]

Ok thank you. Loren I was wondering what type of K sport coil overs you are using I see that they have 2 different types on their website?

[kngrsll]

I'm looking in to getting bracing for my Yaris. I'm going to start auto-xing it. What would be the best bracing that I can get? I don't have alot of money to spend at the moment. BELIEVE IT OR NOT I WOULD LIKE TAMAGO TO CHIME IN. I like input and all opions taken. Right now I have DF210 springs and the TRD rear sway bar. Please say type of bracing and brand please

i think you have really gotten started in the right direction, good job. now for autox, i would recommend a good tire (azenis, kumho xs, star spec direzza, RE11), a set of light wheels to mount them on, and shocks (there will be an adjustable Tokico available in a few weeks but others are doing well on the blues). That is the order i would go. If you still have money burning a hole in your pocket, get a nice helmet and pay for a track day, you will learn a TON and because of your new found ability to drive and really push the car, you will be much quicker than any other modification you could buy. I had a couple guys drive my car this weekend at a track day and they fell in love with the car, and its only got 3 mods: DF210's, Tokico HTS, and ultra racing rear sway bar. these guys are national and regional autox champions btw :D if you have any questions, feel free to PM me

[Loren]

Ok thank you. Loren I was wondering what type of K sport coil overs you are using I see that they have 2 different types on their website?
I have the K-Sport Kontrol Pro kit with higher rate rear springs (not a K-Sport option with that kit). It was the only K-Sport kit available to fit the Yaris last year. Looks like they may have an RR kit available now, which will allow you to choose your own spring rates and probably has dampers with much stiffer valving.

For street/autox use, especially just starting out, the Kontrol Pro kit should more than meet your needs. In fact, if you don't set them up properly (there are hundreds of ways to set them up wrong, it's easy to do), you may even be better off with STOCK suspension.

Seriously, just starting out at autocross, I would recommend this:

Do at least two events with the car box stock, just as you bought it. Crappy factory tires, completely stock suspension, just drive it.
Fit a rear swaybar. For autocross, get the biggest one you can find. (23mm is readily available) Run a few events with that.
Fit a really good set of street tires. On a nice set of lightweight alloys if you have the money to spend. Run a few events with that.
Fit a set of camber bolts (or slot your struts) to get 2-2.5 degrees of negative camber in the front and then reset the toe to zero. Run that until you've gotten good enough at driving to piss off a bunch of local competition that doesn't think a Yaris should be so fast.
Decide what class you want to compete in and where to go from there.


Follow that list step by step and in the end you'll not only have a Yaris that handles pretty darned well, but you'll have gained an awful lot of knowledge about how the car handles completely stock, what adding rear roll stiffness does for you, what a difference tires make, and what a difference good alignment makes. If you just rush out and put a bunch of braces on the car, or a coilover kit, or whatever... you won't learn a thing. You'll just be out there treading water with a very adjustable suspension that you don't have a clue how to adjust.

Fundamental autocross advice:
Tune the driver first.
When tuning (driver or car), change only one thing at a time so that you'll know exactly what THAT change did or didn't do for you.

[Loren]

BTW, I've been autocrossing for 13 years, been autocrossing and tracking my Yaris for a little over a year, I have NO braces on the car, and no intent to add any.

[anonymous user]

Loren,
I completely agree with you. Many novices come to events with fully modded cars, running in some of the highest pax multiplier classes. Then i could take a stock yaris (last summer), and demolish EVO's, M3's, lots of cars over $40k.

O.P.,
If you can drive a few events stock, do that. After that, you can move on to suspension, tires, and chassis stiffeners. Unknowingly at the time, I actually ended up modding the yaris almost verbatim step by step according to Loren's advice.
I have been autocrossing subarus for 3 years now, going on four years, with a few events of supperlapping under my belt as well. My biggest improvements have been made I'd say this last season, where everything makes a lot of sense in-car now.
And don't let anyone fool you, the yaris can surprise many unsuspecting "fanboy" drivers, and good drivers as well.

[anonymous user]

My advice to you:
1. Get as much seat time as humanly possible for improvement.
2. Walk the track layout with as many top drivers in your region, and drivers of all driving styles and platforms (FWD,RWD,AWD, etc.)
3. If anything, you can always learn something from everyone, even how NOT to drive a course (i.e.- bad drivers, or bad habits)

[Tamago]

on the topic of bars.

if it doesn't triangulate



it doesnt stiffen enough to make it worth the $$


http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showpost.php?p=246228&postcount=1

[kngrsll]

on the topic of bars.

if it doesn't triangulate

it doesnt stiffen enough to make it worth the $$




but only isosceles, not scalene... :thumbsup:

[Tamago]

but only isosceles, not scalene... :thumbsup:

hahahaah nice.

[PHXDEMON]

DF210's are too soft for auto-x IMO. Also I would get a the ultra racing sway bar because it is thicker and cheaper than the TRD.

[lilredrocket]

I already have the TRD sway bar but oh well maybe later on. I invested in some spring stiffeners thanks to Lazerdot but after what Loren said Ill take them out for the first autocross to see how the car handles maybe even pull off my sway bar but I don't really want to pull out my springs to get the stock feeling.

[lilredrocket]

Thank you everyone for all your advice and keep it coming!! Oh and Loren I wasn't going to buy coil overs just yet because I don't have close to that much money. I was only asking for future referance.

[kngrsll]

Thank you everyone for all your advice and keep it coming!! Oh and Loren I wasn't going to buy coil overs just yet because I don't have close to that much money. I was only asking for future referance.

just keep driving! good luck!

[aeipee13]

If you're just getting started autocrossing, just drive the car as is. If you have money to spend, buy a good set of tires. Tires will make more difference than all of the braces you could ever put on the car.

+1