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<2002tii> Re: Autocross set up

Way back in digest #204 Vince Brown asked about autocross set up for his tii.

I have a '75 2002 which I've been preparing for autocross the last few years and got to 
use a few times this year before spinning a rod bearing.

I'm using Suspension Techniques springs and sway bars (22mm non adj/19mm adj.)  The 
front springs have one coil cut from them to lower the ride height and I'm thinking of 
going a little further.  My front end use to sit up because of the adjustable camber 
plates I have.  Unfortunately my car led a rather bad life before making its way to me 
and the camber plates really only managed to get the front end back to the stock setting 
of -.2 deg camber.  However, since I chopped a coil out of the springs the camber is 
more negative, but I haven't had it on the rack yet.  I also did one other thing to help 
correct the accident damage (purist cover your eyes right now and page down).
I put a come along across the fenders near the shock towers and cranked until I thought 
the fenders would tear.  I hold it in postion with an adjustable strut brace.  Every so 
often I take a few more cranks with the come along and retighten the brace.  Kinda like 
an orthodondist with braces.
My sway bar bushings are urethane front and rear.  The rest of the bushings in the front 
I made from Delrin on a lathe.  I think Korman sells these if you don't have access to a 
lathe and have deep pockets.  In the rear the subframe mounts have the rubber removed 
and steel welded in place.  The rest of the rear suspension is urethane, including the 
differential mounts.  The rear bar is set on max oversteer right now. 

Other important facts.  The rear end is a 3.90 LSD.  This helps a lot, but highway 
cruising rpm's have climbed a little.  Right now I'm using 13 x 5.5 wheels from a 320i. 
They do not rub on my car, but often do on others.  They make the stance a little wider 
and I can squeeze 205 series tires on them.  Ideally I could find some 13 x 7 wheels 
with the correct offset and go with 225 tires.  I also have a smaller steering wheel.  
The A/C was removed and the battery was put in the trunk to distribute the weight 
better.

2002 owners who have driven it really like the handling. Turn in is immediate and body 
roll is a lot less than normal.  The car still understeers a little, but I'm hoping my 
soon to arrive engine will allow me to use the throttle to pversteer.  I'm really happy 
with the final product, but it is not a car for long trips.  It tends to ride like a box 
car over rough surfaces like RR tracks.  I'm to the point where the car will only be 
used for autocrosses and maybe comutes to work on certain days.