Camera's 818C

[mcamera]

Had another poor showing at autocross this weekend. I'm getting significantly worse. Ended last year 18/100 and so far this year I've placed 34th, 35th, and this week....64th.

I'm starting to suspect my tires (Falken RT660's) have heat cycled out or were damaged from being stored at below freezing temps in the garage this winter (I kept weight off of them as required). The fact that I was semi-competitive at the beginning of the year makes me think more heat cycle. Bought them in April 2024 and used them for 6 events and now 3 events in 2025. They're also driven on the street a few times/month in the summer.

Here are my setup differences between each race. QA1 dampers have 18 clicks of compression and rebound.

End of last year (18th)
-2.5deg rear camber
275# rear springs
Koni yellows
Note: bouncing off bump stops, springs are too soft

Race 1 (34th)
-2deg rear camber
500# rear springs
QA1 dampers (comp 10 / reb 7)
Note: more outside tire wear than inside, need more camber

Race 2 (35th)
-3deg rear camber
Note: better tire wear, tire spin exiting turns, no performance gained, better damper settings might help

Race 3 (64th)
QA1 dampers
Early runs (comp 14 / reb 4, had 3 consecutive runs within 0.1sec of each other)
Final/fastest run (reverted back to comp 10 / reb 7 and shaved off 0.4sec)
Note: no grip, old damper settings felt better but only helped 0.4sec while competition gained 1.5sec

Final Thoughts
- Damper settings could be improved, but I still dropped from 35th to 64th place on an identical setup (tires seem like the bigger problem)
- I can only make it to 3 more points events this year so I don't want to buy new tires yet. I'm already out of contention in my class.
- Several sources say to run as much compression and as little rebound as possible without making the ride harsh
- QA1 recommends both settings are 12+ clicks for autocross (18 total clicks)
- My car feels and performs better when I do the opposite, lower compression and raise rebound (suspecting stiff springs need less comp)

Found this interesting post on the forums about running lower comp and higher reb with stiff springs. Going to try a low comp/high reb setup at this week's race. Just looking for something to put me back on the right path.
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[driveslikejehu]

I enjoy following your development; tho my situation is different not doing autocross, only track days.
I love the RT660's. They are literally sticky almost like tape when I come off the track. It seems autocross is a whole different requirement. While we have an out lap to get some heat in the tires, you have to hit it cold.

I wouldn't know which tires are best. You may know Grassroots Motorsports Magazine and their tire performance matrix (grassrootsmotorsports.com/tires); that's where I get recommendations.

I haven't messed with my Koni's before, but after a recent track day and friend said my rear was bouncing thru our Carousel, I went up a click on rebound on the rears. Looking forward to the results next week.
Thanks for reporting

[mcamera]

Thanks I try to share as much info as I can and see what other people have experienced. The RT660's did great for me last year but don't seem to be gripping for me this year. They usually take 2 runs to heat up before they're good for me. Trying to figure out if it has to do with my new springs/dampers or the tires are shot. As I mentioned, even on the same shock settings in back to back races I dropped 30 more places so I'm thinking it's the tires.

Yeah I've read the GRM tire comparison. It confirmed another issue I was having. These tires do way worse in cold weather than the RE71's everybody else is running. GRM said their cold lap on RE71's was faster than their fastest hot lap on the RT660. That tracks with what I've seen. I'll be switching to RE71's next year.

Let me know how that extra rebound works out for you. Playing with my dual adjustable dampers, the rebound quickly took away any floating/bouncing I had too.

[mcamera]

https://youtu.be/9cto02BVmkk

Plot twist. I was 0.2 seconds away from a top 10 finish this weekend. I made some changes to my damper settings which completely transformed my car. Grip has increased dramatically, no oversteer, easy to drive at 100%, and my tires aren't dead yet! I'd also like to mention that the 12 cars in front of me have heavy aero and I still have nothing.

[mcamera]

I did some grip testing this weekend to see if I could optimize the damper settings that worked so well for me in the last race. Not quite a skid pad, but I took the same turn in a parking lot 3 times per setting. I ran my current setting (compression 4 / rebound 6) first and last to rule out cold tires on the first runs.

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I had a few take aways:
- The 3 best runs all had rebound 8
- Every new setting did better than my current setting (I actually find this really funny. Even when I think I got something right, ANY CHANGE yields better results lol)
- Compression isn't sensitive at these low settings. For rebound 8 there's almost no difference between C0-C4. Either the valving is less linear near the lowest settings and isn't changing much with each setting and/or rebound is more important.


Then I followed up with a smaller 2nd test for only my best settings. And out of curiosity, the old setting from the beginning of my season (compression 10 / rebound 7).

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A little less clear, but here are my conclusions:
- Confirmed all the settings perform similarly well
- Even my old c10r7 setting, which I know is garbage during racing compared to my current c4r6 setting, showed the same amount of grip. So this simple test can't capture everything. I know the c4r6 setting is faster, more balanced, and makes the car significantly easier to drive.
- The c2r8 setting was the only setting to perform differently and it was by far the highest. It was also the 2nd highest in my first test. I think this setting has the best compliance and is the easiest to drive at 100% consistently.
- The c0r8 setting wasn't the top run again like in the first test. On the street the car does sway a tiny bit. I think bumping up to c2 would feel better.

This weekend's race is back at the newly paved, slippery parking lot so we'll see if my new settings are good enough to keep me from falling from 20th to 60th place again. I'll be updating my settings from last race (c4r6) to the new (c2r8) settings.

[mcamera]

https://youtu.be/5gRwFvC9m90

[mcamera]

I'm looking for two of these wheels but they're discontinued. Anybody have a set they're looking to sell?

Enkei TS-10 18x9.5 ET45 5x100 Grey

Part Number
499-895-8045

217980

[driveslikejehu]

This forum is pretty dead; I'd try the 818 Owners Facebook group. Yeah, I know F-book is mostly for old ladies, but the Groups are pretty active. Also, maybe a Sube group.

[mcamera]

https://youtu.be/h_larLszW7c

[mcamera]

https://youtu.be/C3dNz6QlcJI

2025 was going to be a great sophomore season with my suspension issues fixed by upgrades. But things turned sour quickly, and I found myself scrambling for answers by mid-season.

[driveslikejehu]

Great review; thanks! A combination of gaining experience and your reporting had me making some critical observations and trying a few changes. I don't think I noticed the rear "hop" until you mentioned it, and a friend confirmed the rear seemed to be bouncing thru a long constant radius turn. I dialed in more rebound and felt the improvement.
I modified the front a-arms for more camber and less caster and plan on more front damping as well. Can't wait for spring
Cheers!

[mcamera]

Thanks! That's exactly where I first noticed the hopping in my 2024 season. On long high speed (autocross speeds ~45mph) sweeps. Didn't show up until I had my car dialed in really well towards the end of the season, so grip and speeds were getting higher.

That's also when I realized my dampers were bottoming out and I figured my old bushings were contributing to the hopping. Jokes on me though, after all my expensive suspension upgrades, I never placed any higher in the 2025 season. I fixed my issues and the car feels better, but that was a lot of time and money for zero improvement in the standings. I'm hoping part of that was due to my tires being on their 2nd season and that fresh tires will help this year. But the stock Koni's/springs were a surprisingly fast setup even with their issues.

Glad to hear your car is doing well! I would like more than -1deg camber in the front but my front end hasn't been a limiting factor until now. I'm with you though, I think it's finally time for me to add more camber too.

[Bicyclops]

I've experienced the rear end hop at high speeds on a twisty road. I really didn't have time to look at the speedo, but I must have been doing about 60. The first time I noticed it was also the first time I thought I wasn't going to make the corner. I pulled harder on the wheel it went right around the curve but did hop. Stock Konis, heavier springs. I'm heavy in the rear anyway with dry sump and AWIC. Nothing I can do about rebound with these shocks.

Ed

[driveslikejehu]

Jokes on me though, after all my expensive suspension upgrades, I never placed any higher in the 2025 season. I fixed my issues and the car feels better, but that was a lot of time and money for zero improvement in the standings.
I bet you'll see improvement out of the gate this season. We do 5-6 track days a year and we joke about the "zen" of driving faster. The fastest lap of the day often comes in the first or second session when you're just feeling the car and track. Later, when you're trying to drive faster; deeper into corners, earlier power, more revs- doesn't improve the lap times. Folks in all sports experience this I guess.

[mcamera]

I've experienced the rear end hop at high speeds on a twisty road. I really didn't have time to look at the speedo, but I must have been doing about 60. The first time I noticed it was also the first time I thought I wasn't going to make the corner. I pulled harder on the wheel it went right around the curve but did hop. Stock Konis, heavier springs. I'm heavy in the rear anyway with dry sump and AWIC. Nothing I can do about rebound with these shocks.Ed

I wonder how stronger springs on the stock Koni's affects track performance. From what I've seen, when you add a stronger spring you would want to increase rebound to slow down the faster acting spring. Would be cool to see the Koni's dyno graph. All the settings I tried on my dampers felt good on the road, but we're crazily different on the track when the car was pushed 100%. Probably not worth paying for dampers unless you start competing.



I bet you'll see improvement out of the gate this season. We do 5-6 track days a year and we joke about the "zen" of driving faster. The fastest lap of the day often comes in the first or second session when you're just feeling the car and track. Later, when you're trying to drive faster; deeper into corners, earlier power, more revs- doesn't improve the lap times. Folks in all sports experience this I guess.

When I started racing I got faster each of the 5 runs as I was learning the course and getting the tires heated up. Always wondered if a 6th or 7th run would be even faster. Now that I have a little experience and can push the car harder earlier, I usually peak in run 3 or 4 when the tires are hot and before I start pushing too hard like you mentioned. It's nice to know that I peaked though when it's hard to beat my earlier runs.

[Bicyclops]

I've only been to the track once, and it looks like it will be a while more before I go back while I recover strength. I didn't even time my laps. I was more concerned with survival. I wasn't sure how much brake authority I had and when to start braking. I need more time on the track to figure out my car's and my limits. My only problem with control on the track was when I panicked a little and lifted in corners. I wish there was some autocross within a reasonable distance.

Ed

[mcamera]

Last weekend I got a 2025 trophy for 3rd place in the Xtreme Street B Class for Central Kentucky. Narrowly missed out on 2nd place (360 vs 368 points) but not too bad considering my terrible start to the year and I experimented with my suspension every race.

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Bad news is, I've been banned from the XB class for 2026 lol. I checked and this clause wasn't in the 2025 rulebook, but has been added for 2026.

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Looking at the other classes, the best fit looks like E Modified. The 818 S/R are on the approved list for that class, but no mention of the C which is heavier. So now I'll be heavy in that class (min weight 1700lbs), instead of the lightest in the class (I'm currently at the XB min weight of 2330lbs).

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The guys in the EM class always beat the guys in the XB class. Should make for an exciting but tough year!

[lpmagruder]

I've always ran EM. It sucks but it's where these cars fall. You won't be competitive with 200tw and like you mentioned, we're heavy for that class.

Have you checked XU? It's new; I haven't read the full rules yet but someone mentioned I should check that class out next year.

[David Ferguson]

As a mod-class car, won't you be allowed to run slicks?

[mcamera]

I would be the only person in XU but it says "production vehicle" which I'm not sure I qualify for. That class also has unlimited weight and aero so anybody else that would join would probably dominate. However, the exclusion of kit cars only says XA/XB and this class has a minimum 200tw tire which I prefer.

I couldn't find info on tires for EM. It refers to section 3.3 which doesn't talk about tires at all. Another class mentioned 13.3 so I think it was a typo, and 13.3 talks about 200TW. I thought it allowed slicks too but the rules are unclear.

[RPGs818SNA]

“+ Kit or component cars from low-volume manufacturers who intend or allow completion of assembly by the end user in order to obtain registration and titling paperwork.”

Congratulations on your trophy! Well done.

Sorry to hear about the new exclusion. If it were me, I would argue (but possibly lose) that although an 818 IS a kit car from a low volume manufacturer, and that manufacturer DOES intend and allow completion of assembly by the end user, that manufacturer does NOT do so in order to obtain registration and titling paperwork. They ALREADY provide registration and titling paperwork with the kit (certificate of origin). Their INTENT in allowing the end user to complete the assembly of their vehicle is to provide them with the experience and satisfaction of building and customizing their own car. Thus the 818 should not be excluded from XA/XB (or the rule should be revised).

Maybe you could get another year of eligibility while they revise the exclusion.

Good luck,
RPG

[mcamera]

Thanks. It's not a big deal. I'll just jump to the XU class so I can stick with road legal 200TW tires. They only adjust to try and keep the classes fair and competitive. Somebody out there must be terrorizing the XB class in an Ultima or SLC or something like that.

[mcamera]

It's been awhile! I haven't posted much because my competitors have started watching my videos so I didn't want to give away this year's big upgrades too early, and give them a chance to prepare. I was also in the process of moving houses, renting out my old house, starting a new position at Toyota, getting a new Lexus, fixing a dead $1500 Audi convertible that my wife wants as a cheap commuter, and just trying to survive this crazy year so far!

So the big upgrades this year are wider wheels and wider tires. I moved the 8.5x18 wheels from the rear, up to the front (replacing my 8x17's), and bought new 9.5x18 wheels for the rear. Unfortunately I bought the last wheel Enkei produced, so I had trouble finding a 2nd rear wheel. Enkei even checked overseas for me. After searching for months I bought a black version of my wheel and tried several off the shelf spray paints to see if I could color match decently. Even though the caps all looked similar, the results were wildly different and not great. So I bought a color matched can from an auto body shop (I didn't know this was an option) which is much better but still not perfect. I mounted new Yokohama Advan A052's (225 and 265). Both up 1 size from my previous Falkens. The Advan's construction is lighter so even though my wheels and tires are larger, my new setup is no heavier than my old setup! Plus my contact patch is over 1" wider on the front and rear. But the fit is tight, especially in the rear. I had to stick with my current 10mm spacers (which had some light rubbing with my previous 255's) to clear my trailing arm but not push the wheel out so far that it would hit the fender. On a short drive I heard a fender scrape a couple times so I'm going to raise my car 5-10mm to help. The car looks a lot cooler though with 18's all around and the deep dish of the new 9.5" wheels!

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New daily
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Dead 2003 Audi TT I'm fixing. Lots of electrical issues, the dash says push clutch to start even though it's an auto, and it doesn't start. I've made a ton of progress and I'm in the process of making a video for it. It's been really fun to track down issues and bring things back to life. Trying to get it back to its former glory for less than $1000.
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[driveslikejehu]

We're hoping to do one of the Appalachian Hillclimbs this year down near your area; assuming you're still near Lexington. We'll give you a shout on the way by.

[mcamera]

Yeah, let me know when you're passing through. I have an autocross buddy with a Legends car that has started doing hill climbs down here.