Some afternoon fun at El Mirage

[lorenkb]

My rally armor mudflaps showed up yesterday, so I figured today would be a good time to properly break them in. El Mirage dry lakebed provided all the space necessary.

Round one left the car still clean up front:
http://webpages.charter.net/lorenkb/Subaru/elmo_side_1.jpg

There's a Rally Armor logo under there somewhere :twisted:
http://webpages.charter.net/lorenkb/Subaru/dirty_flaps.jpg

Not one to settle for a clean impreza, I went back at it until the front was a bit better. This is a shot on the way out of the lakebed, no rocks or loose sand to speak of on the lakebed itself.
http://webpages.charter.net/lorenkb/Subaru/elmo_side_2.jpg

Way too much fun. I definately need a larger rear swaybar; way too much understeer. I forgot to play around with throttle off oversteer... ah well, next time. In the end I resorted to oscillation induced snap oversteer and the trusty e-brake. Body roll is a tad high, but I can live with that for a while.

Loren

[shakes]

Do a couple rally-x's bone stock. See what others are doing with theirs bone stock. It will make you realize you don't need anything else. Looks like fun though.

[Not All There]

nice, i hope to go out to somewhere like that one year. Has to be a blast, sooo different from what we have in New England

[tommysyko]

any recommendations for a first run? i'm going to try a place up here in norcal. it'll be my first real offroad experience!

[I Like It Sideways]

Rock on! I wish i had a place like that to play

[Storz]

Rock on! I wish i had a place like that to play

yeah no kidding, that place looks incredible

[albascoob]

I like it there....we took a rental and some kite buggies there a few years ago. Brilliant fun but I was scraping dust out of places I didn't know I had for days...

[subyspawn]

the dust/silt on our dry lake beds is a pain to clean, you will find it in every possile place and more, you will still find dust/silt every time you clean for years down the line.

[lorenkb]

Yeah, the silt does get into everything. But it's worth it though. It's still strange to hear tires squealling on dirt! There were a couple of guys out there in an STi as well that did a top speed run. They said they got up to 154. The also knocked the front clip off after getting all four wheels in the air :shock:

Roger on keeping it stock for a while shakes. I just have to learn how to drive. I'm sure that by the time I can drive it stock in a proficient manner any upgrades will help that much more.

tommysyko: I'm probably the last guy to ask for recommendations (this was my first run) but if the area you are going to is relatively hard packed without rocks air up your tires. You don't want to roll a bead while going sideways. I put mine up to 43/41 front/rear. Experiment with how turning and braking can cause enough weight transfer to cause oversteer. Also play around with how much brakes and throttle you give it during a turn. I forgot to try, but I know a freind's 02 wagon has a lot of throttle-off oversteer in the corners (something you wouldn't think would happen).

Loren

[shakes]

Its awesome to see cars like Keith and Kyles kickin serious ass out there, but then Mark or whoever comes out with a damn Aveo, or Tom with his Suzuki and gets the same times. It's kinda sickening.

[subyspawn]

Its awesome to see cars like Keith and Kyles kickin serious ass out there, but then Mark or whoever comes out with a damn Aveo, or Tom with his Suzuki and gets the same times. It's kinda sickening.

yea, that sucks, but i think the sidewayz fun factor is much greater for us. :D

[409industries]

Its awesome to see cars like Keith and Kyles kickin serious ass out there, but then Mark or whoever comes out with a damn Aveo, or Tom with his Suzuki and gets the same times. It's kinda sickening.

I would have to agree that yes, it does somewhat bruise the ego seeing guys in Areo's and suzuki's getting better times, but its mostly driver skill. and hey, if youre going to get the same times as them you might as well look good doing it in a subaru. :)

I think driving in the silty stuff is probably the most fun ever, it does get into everything, but you gotta pay to play. It turns into a pasty mud when you wash and kinda seeps out of everything...