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Rally Rookie from Ontario

14K views 20 replies 7 participants last post by  KDeV 
#1 ·
Well I finally got around to signing up here on the advice of a few CRC/OPRC drivers and co-drivers past and current.

Been following motorsports (mostly dirt circle track) for several years but only started following rally for the last 3-4 years. This coming year I'm hoping to start doing some solo type events to become more in tune with car control and do some nav rallies.

I'd like to go pay a visit to Tim O'Neil for a few days and ultimately get started in performance rallying in a Group 2 car as finances allow.

And that's about it about me.
 
#3 ·
Welcome.

You are coming to Tall Pines, correct !?
I most certainly am! As for working I don't know about that. I think I'm tied up Friday night and I may have to pull chauffeur duty Saturday morning. If time permits I may sign up for working.
 
#4 ·
I realize there's no substitute for seat time, but are there any magazines/books/videos that would be good to read/watch over the winter?
 
#6 ·
I came across a link for a rallycross series sponsored by FourStar Motorsports and it said street cars are eligible for entry. Would this be something worth while to consider? If so would it be advisable to pick up different wheels and tires for my car specifically for it?
 
#8 ·
Those events are run by the Maple Leaf Rally Club, and info can be found on http://www.mlrc.ca , though the next event isn't until in the new year now.

As for tires, yes, a second set of wheels and tires is a good idea, the biggest problem people seem to have is de-beading tires hitting ruts sideways, which doesn't really happen with gravel tires. For the winter events, it's smart to have at least a couple spare winter tires in case you lose one during the event, so you can still get home.

The only other prep suggestion I can make is a skidplate, but it isn't mandatory as long as you keep it in mind while driving.
 
#9 ·
As for tires, yes, a second set of wheels and tires is a good idea, the biggest problem people seem to have is de-beading tires hitting ruts sideways, which doesn't really happen with gravel tires.
Maybe a freak event, but my buddy rolled my rally car on gravel rally tires doing a rallycross due to that exact thing. So, to the OP, just be aware of the risks before you go tossing your car sideways at 50 mph.
 
#11 ·
Your wheel specs sound very much like Nissan 240SX stock 7 spoke rims... what car is it for? If you want rally tires you'll need 15" rims (16" rally tires are almost unobtanium in NA). What 15" rims will fit boils down to what fit's over/clears your brake calipers... be careful, you might find 100 diferent rims that match yur specs, but 95 of them won't clear your calipers.

-Martin.
 
#12 ·
The car is an 03 Sentra SE-R. I know some 15" Altima rims fit, because that's what I bought to mount my winter tires on. I don't know about other sentra's because I think some come with rear drums instead of 4 wheel discs
 
#14 ·
There are a lot of options for OEM Nissan 15" wheels in 4x114.3 bolt patterns. 93-01 Altimas, 85-88 Maximas, 89-96 240SXs, 84-89 300ZXs, 07-11 Versas, and I believe a number of the 01+ Sentras as well.

Interestingly, I know that while the offset is similar, that Versa wheels are dished more than b15 Sentra wheels. In order to fit wheels for a B15 Sentra SE-R (with *much* larger brakes) on my Versa, I needed a 3/6" spacer to clear the caliper.

Beware of trying to fit other brands wheels, as the center bore on Nissans is large, and typically other import wheels with the right offset and size will require enlargement of the bore (true for certain of Honda, Toyota, Mazda and VW, haven't tried others).

VW and Honda wheels will also have spherical lug nut seats and finding the right (sperical) lugnuts in a 12mmx1.25mm pitch is difficult to impossible (otherwise you could probably snap up OEM Accord wheels all day long).

Don't use steelies for rally if you have other options.
 
#15 ·
Mark,

You suggest avoiding steel wheels. Is that to minimize unsprung weight?

You're suggesting if the spherical lug nuts could be found in the right thread the Accord wheels would be an easy fit?

Just want to clarify that. I guess I'll start looking for some alloys or used rally wheels off a 240
 
#16 ·
You suggest avoiding steel wheels. Is that to minimize unsprung weight?
No, it has to do with durability and longevity. I'd also think you'd have a hard time finding steelies that would clear the larger brakes on a B15 SE-R.

To minimize unsprung weight, don't run rally tires! After the weight of your typical rally tire a few pounds here or there in the wheel starts to look meaningless.

Really, for your typical SCCA-type rallycross event (low speed, tight course, dirt/gras/smooth gravel) you're going to have better results on snow tires (ala Bridgestone Winterforces, and not so much ice tires like Blizzaks).

There is a desire to run rally tires that I can understand, because that's what the real rally cars run, so that must be better, right? But rallycross isn't stage rally.

I've run both, and the snows are the way to go with a couple of caveats. If your suspension is so limited in travel (and the B15 is not too bad compared to the b13) or your dampers are so worn out, that the tire ends up absorbing a lot of the force that the suspension is supposed to be doing, you will de-bead a lot of tires running street tires. that's not only inconvenient, but dangerous.

I came inches from rolling my rallycross car (B13 SE-R) when I hooked a fairly minimal rut and de-beaded the tire, causing the rim to dig in. If I hadn't already been counter-steering for the next turn, I would have gone over. I was running OEM struts that were completely worn out, and actually had wedges in my springs to increase the effective rate (transferring even more impact into the sidewall) at the time. I was also driving at the very limit chasing a championship. Afterward I got rally tires, and didn't de-bead them, but the unsprung weight and rotational mass was very noticeable in the performance of the car.

Eventually I got a decent set of AGX's for the car, pulled the wedges and went back to snow tires. Much, much better all-around.

You're suggesting if the spherical lug nuts could be found in the right thread the Accord wheels would be an easy fit?
Well, they'd be plentiful. You'd still have to have the center bore enlarged. Craigslist (at least around here) seems to be half ads for kids trying to sell the stock wheels off their '90s Accords.

Just want to clarify that. I guess I'll start looking for some alloys or used rally wheels off a 240
You'll probably have good luck with people selling their 240sx wheels, as nobody wants to roll on stock in that crowd :rolleyes:

In a junkyard you'll probably find more in the way of Altima wheels.
 
#19 ·
I have a line on a set of steelies but I'm still waiting on word about some alloys. What sort of tire should I look into for rallycross? Snows, rally specific gravels etc? I'm just getting into it so I dont want to lay out too much and it turn out its not for me
 
#21 · (Edited)
I've got a cheapish set of snows on the car right now and the summer tires I have are the OEM firestone firehawks. I just jumped on kijiji and came across a set of wheels and tires of an 89 240. The tires are Yokohama Guardex x2 f720
 
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