Smike is right.
The dude suggesting a frickin LSD to someone that doesn't have $$ for coilovers? LSD won't help his issue, there is much more low hanging fruit to be had.

I started autox with my Ralliart, went up against Otter a few times. I'll let him tell you how that worked out.

Here's what you need to do, and what I tell most everyone starting out on a FWD platform: (I'm assuming SCCA ST rules):
1) tires. most important thing to do. ST tire of choice would be the Hankook RS3 or the Dunlop Star Specs. Don't upsize to bigger diameter wheels necessarily, but get the widest wheel you can for the class.
2) alignment. aggressive front alignment for the Ralliart is needed for turn in. With springs only, all you can do is toe. Toe out the front. I found about 1/4" was needed. If you can get coilovers, you need all the camber you can get in the front. Camber bolts are cheaper and can get you a little bit of negative camber. This will also help turn in and help to reduce understeer.
This will get you started with what you have for stock adjustments.
3) rear bar. Really. the Progress 19mm one is fine. If I went back to the Ralliart platform, I would see about building a speedway type bar for it.
4) drive. No replacement for doing as many events as you can and getting better. Learn something every time. Take any Solo school you can.

"lift and turn" - look up something called "lift off oversteer". It's a FWD driver's friend. You can literally steer with the throttle in long sweepers once you have the car setup correctly.
Might be good to pick up a few driving books to learn techniques, too.
Recommended:
http://www.amazon.com/Winning-Autocross-Techniques-Speed-Secrets/dp/0760331561/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326819976&sr=8-1

older, but really good:
http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Solo-Racing-Techniques-Autocross/dp/0962057312/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326819976&sr=8-2

 

No, they are not, unless they are binding and you max the roll stiffness.
The rear is a puny 13mm with crappy endlinks. But you know that.
You can get little to no rear rotation, even if you upped the spring rate in the rear to 1000 lbs. Bigger rear bar

Track does not = autocross. Even on a track I would want a bigger rear bar.

 

Welcome back Will it's been a while!!!!!!

Will was our resident , auto x guy back in the day he is a cool guy that knows what he's talking about and has the auto x record to back it up.
Here's a little something so you guys can see what I mean.....

Will in front of a special someone, I still have your old rims too will lol



This one of my favorite Ralliart vids of all time , right next to LSD blowing the welds on his manifold trying





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Sorry for putting you on the spot bro but I thought you needed a little bit of an introduction. Stick around for a while theres alot of people that could use some of your knowledge.

Smike now owns otters old RA just so your updated. And how's that civic been treating you in auto X ?

 

i don't have a problem with cornering at all, even at speeds that an open differential would fail at.., but i guess i'd have to get a bigger bar to know what you mean...also i bet your success in auto x has more to do with your driving skills than your rear sway bar ...kudos

 

hehe... thanks for the intro. I remember selling those wheels to you.
The Ralliart was fun for a couple of years autocrossing and I still DD it (103k miles now), but....
The Civic is a certified "monster". Much better weight to tire ratio for autocross.
I'm going back to Nationals this year to try and get a much better result than I had in 2008 and 2009. The fail was miserable then.

Here's a local vid from last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj6w2WpsbzU

Pic of current autox ride:



Driving does have a lot to do with it. But even normal spirited street driving the rear bar makes a big difference. Also, as I said, it's much more "low hanging fruit" than the LSD is.

But, tires to me are still priority 1 when you talk about "car mods for autocross". Bar, alignment are other easy things to change... not to even mention driving skill / experience.

 

Ha, good to see you here Will.

PS - I own otters RA now.

 

With my wheel and tire setup, it corners very well even with stock size, width and profile...it does roll a bit in a tight turn, but i don't lose traction, i did notice some sway going from say a hard right into an immediate hard left, and it feels weird in the steering, i think it's partly to do with the slight slipping of the LSD during the corner, especially when compensating for understeer, but also i think it's partially the squishy side walls. but once you get used to it you would actually begin turning back straight slightly earlier than normal, but now that's normal for me, and i'm used to it.... it's a really nice feeling having the LSD in there.

I guess i could look into a bigger bar...then i can put mine on my other lancer...

 

Cranswick,

With the switch to the Progress anti sway bar, that lag in side to side transitions is noticeably reduced, turn in is sharpened all around, lift off oversteer is achieved, 270 degree on and off ramps become orgasmic ( well, once you have no traffic) and understeer reduced too.

When we were at Shannonville, the guy with the Civic Si, went passenger with me. 3 laps in, having passed through that first right hander from the pit exit this conversation took place.

Civic Guy: I didn't know that Lancers were rear wheel drive ?
Me: They're not.
Civic Guy: Oh, this is 4wd then ? I thought only the Evolution was 4wd.
Me: Yes that's right, only the Evolutions are 4wd, this is front wheel drive.
Civic Guy: But, the way you are sliding the back ?????
What type of coil overs do you have ?
Me: I dont have coil overs, I have stock suspension except for an anti sway bar.

Civic Guy: Wow ! that's all you have ? I just got coil overs for my car, but I have not put them on yet, I think I will get an anti sway bar for my car and put that on first.

Progress anti sway bar all the way.

Mind you, I have family members that I would swap for an LSD.

 

^^^^^^^


I agree the progress rear swaybar and upgraded brackets help but get a solid rear strut bar and a solid rear tiebar , a new alignment and it will handle soooo much better in the twisties. I have them all and love it

 

i'm pretty sure the stock sub woofer is in the way of my rear strut mounts, and i'm quite fond of the stock audio system...i'll have search the board to see if anyone's put the bar in with the stock sub...

where does the lower tie bar bolt up?

 

Between the lower arms, it's held by the bolts that hold them at their inner mounting points. The ones that adjust the camber.

 

You can move the box, a company made a rear strut bar that went around the box but they are long gone. I have 2 15" subs , amp, capacitor , in my trunk and still have plenty of room although I am going to take them out for auto x .

 

For the lower tie bar, from what I have seen of you Cranswick, you could make one in an afternoon while minding the BBQ grill.

 

Pics ...... opcorn:

 

it just goes between the camber bolts? doesn't seem like it would do much...how much side to side flex could occur over such a short span? I think a bigger sway bar would be a better investment...

Besides, if that's all the lower tie bars, it doesn't really need to be adjustable...couldn't you just bolt a piece of steel square tube between the bolts? that would cost like $5