t3hhcaptain

Anyone else autocross their TSX and have a hard time sitting up right with a helmet on?

I'm 5' 11.75"... have to recline the seat more than I'd like to to clear the headliner enough when wearing a helmet.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

the obvious answer is; cut the roof!!!!!!!!

t3hhcaptain

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek!

It's been suggested to me. It is my DD though so I'm not wanting to do something like that...

I'm also guessing that pretty much all SA2010/2015 helmets are going to have similar casting sizes. Too bad no one makes rails that are a little lower for our seats...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

only playing. I would have a hard time cutting the roof for events that took place 4 times out of the year

t3hhcaptain

Yeah, me too!

BROlando

This is with the seat all the way down?

I'm 5'11 and have plenty of head room. But...I have long legs/shorter torso, and am skinny like a somali pirate...so my butt does not elevate me.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

side note; ever since I got my car, i've had a hard time adjusting to the clutch. all my friends laughed at me and called me a noob because i couldnt drive smoothly.
it's only this year that i adjusted my seat....and holy crap, i drive a lot better!!!!
it's cuz my short legs cant reach the pedals.

TSX1012m6

How does the car perform in autocross?

BROlando

TSX clutches grab too GD low. I have a K20A clutch/flywheel in mine.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I have a 2006 TL 6MT. it does grab very low. I have never driven a Honda before I bought the TL in 2010. all my past cars were american 5 speed manuals.... (mostly trucks) which grabbed at the top.

TSX1012m6

I've noticed that the TSX creates it's bite point where you rest your foot for a brief moment. I get it to grab in the first half of the throw all the time.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^to answer your question, the TSX should DO GREAT autocrossing! weight distribution is classic Honda 60/40 split!

Integra - 60/40
new civic type R - 60/40!!

BROlando

The TSX handles well. Its as long as a yacht...so its not flickable....but it should at least stick.

There's things you can do for better rotation and turn-in without sacrificing ride quality much/at all.

RTM

Funny, I have seen that a lot. My othervehicl is a Tacoma, sitting high, and I see so many people with their seats adjusted to look cool, but they are straining to reach the pedals. See lots of nice cars with sticks being jerked off the line. At 6'2", I don't have either my car or truck seat all the way back, and its so much more comfortable.

I can't imagine wearing a helmet in my TSX

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

stiffer rear springs

t3hhcaptain

Yes, with the seat all the way down. My butt elevates me a bit. The top of the helmet rubs the headliner just slightly if I sit up properly.

Pretty well. Everyone in here apparently has a 6MT but I have a 5AT. I use the sport shift mode and it stays in the power band well. I also have some upgraded suspension components that help in corners and slaloms.

I also pump the tires up real nice like.

BROlando

I think the suspension MR is 1.6:1 front and 1.15:1 rear?

Weight split is 60/40?

To have an equal roll (wheel) rate, one would need rear springs about 52% as stiff as fronts. A 800LB front spring and a 416LB rear spring, for example, would provide the same roll stiffness.

But again...60/40 split in TOTAL weight. And sway bar rates, etc.

Would need to isolate sprung weight for spring rates...and unsprung weight coupled with spring rates for deriving damper rates.

Its complex like a MF.

Just try a buncha different springs/bars like a hill billy. I would.

But stiffer rear springs make for a shit ride, M8.

I'd rather just do camber kits, staggered tyre sizing, and a bigger rear sway bar.

VR1

I Autocross mine, I'm 5'8" and don't have a problem with the helmet.

As for performance I usually set lap times similar or a tiny bit faster compared to the Accords/Camrys/Altimas which is expected I guess. Only things I have for handling are Pilot Sport AS/3 tires and Progress swaybar, but there's no way trying to mask the fact that it's a 3500lb fwd car. Car is pretty fun tho. Best mod you can do is driver mod.

ExcelerateRep

If you really want to make yourself fit in the car helmet and all then you should think about replacing the OEM seat.

If you're not looking to spend too much you could get a fixed back bucket seat (since those tend to be cheaper then their reclineable counterparts) and a flat floor/side mount bracket and you should fit much better.

Something like the Corbeau Forza is $240, FIA Approved, and feels super solid! Planted makes brackets and mounts, and that should be it! You can even set it up to run the stock seat belt so you won't need to get a harness too.

If you wanted some pricing and availability feel free to send me an email at performance@excelerateperformance.com and I can help you!

t3hhcaptain

If this were not also my daily driver then I would more seriously consider replacing the seats.

I just need to figure out a way to shave a few inches off my height while remaining uninjured and functional.

BROlando

I (summer) daily drove my S2000 and drove across country with Recaro fixed buckets. They're arguably more comfy than most stock seats. Obvi... not heated, power, etc. I don't recline (though I did design my own sliders, and had the side plates CNC'd to put the seat at the perfect tilt).

The problem is that aftermarket sliders succ (which is why I just designed my own). I won't say I had experience with the Planted ones. But my Buddy Clubs were fu#&ing terrible, M8.

Maybe use a fixed bucket for summer during autocross season...and then switch back to stock for off-season? Its not too hard to switch.

t3hhcaptain

The thought has crossed my mind to swap out seats seasonally and ultimately if I don't get another vehicle to dedicate to it, I may do that.

TacoBello

One thing to be weary of when tracking your car- your brakes. the TSX doesn't have sport brakes, so you NEED to make sure you have fresh brake fluid, otherwise you'll get brake fade even faster and it'll kill your fun. That being said, you'll likely suffer brake fade anyway... a friend of mine went to the track with me a couple weeks ago. He brought his 4G TL SH-AWD 6MT out, and man, after 20 minutes, when he pulled back into the pit, his brakes were literally smoking up front. He had brake fade start at about the 10 minute mark, and it would get worse over time.

im not trying to sway you from going- it's still very fun and exciting.

Also, when you're done lapping, be sure to NOT engage your e-brake, or even keep your foot on the brake pedal (this goes for any car). Your pads will fuse to the rotor, from how hot everything gets. Pull in, shut the car off and leave it in gear. All will be well.

TacoBello

Its not a bad idea, and super simple. Seats are always held in place with nothing more than four bolts. Slide seat forward, undo rear bolts. Slide seat backward, undo front bolts. Undo electrical harness underneath the seat and pull it out!

These days, I unbolt my seats when doing a thorough clean of my cars. Nothing more annoying then not being able to get the vacuum into all the nooks and crannies, or beating up the plastic trim everywhere, trying to get the vacuum into the tight spaces.

It might be be worth investing in a used or cheap racing seat. Planning on doing a track day, just swap it and go. You're only issue will be figuring out the seat rails, but I imagine there are options out there.

BROlando

Autocrossing doesn't really tax the brakes. Tracking does. In either case, a good brake pad set does wonders. Blank rotors. Good fluid. Even something "common" like Valvoline Syntheic or Castrol GTLMA if you want a step up.

Stoptech sport pads (or similar) would be MORE than enough for autocross. Honestly...they may work on a track too...but I can't promise that. The TSX is heavy...but also slow. But also...heavy. With relatively small brakes.

Hawk HP+ makes for an excellent autocross pad because of its cold torque. But the dust is corrosive, along with other streetability issues, so they probably won't work for a daily driver. They're NOT track pads, though.

There are tons of actual track pads out there. None are streetable.

t3hhcaptain

I'm running the stoptech sport pads in the front and the posi quiets in the rear. Also have the stoptech slotted rotors (sweg) and stainless steel brake lines (also sweg). I decided to flush and use the wilwood dot3 high temperature brake fluid too... Might be no point in some of that but the brakes work great! There were a couple laps where the front pads were smoking, but other than that no concerns. No brake fad either... I imagine they would do well on the track too.