Actually Autocross a smart!?!?!

[jwight]

Are you suggesting replacing the good fuse with a blown one if the car needs to go to the dealer?

[randyzimmer]

Just a reminder...
Without getting the car's lean under control ie: swaybar
I DO NOT recommend pulling the fuse.
It is very dangerous to have the heavy end come off the ground.

repeat:
I rally and jump cars at high speeds between trees on gravel "roads".
I felt that driving the stock smart without the fuse was dangerous.
.3 seconds to finish last by less was not worth the risk.

[Wizco]

No. I'm stating that an electronic device, to my knowledge, has no way of telling whether the car was run with a blown fuse, and then replaced, or a fuse was removed. Either way, there is no current to a sensor for some period of time. And honestly, I don't believe that's likely.

Are you suggesting that if my ESC fuse blows on the road, and I replace it myself, that will somehow create a warranty problem?

[Wizco]

Randy,

I'm getting the inside front lifting on sweepers and tight slaloms. The rear is staying planted.

For me, the smart is the winter/gotta have it start and get me to work car for now. The Miata is the lowered/supercharged/rcomped/standalone ECU/doesn't like to start in the cold/lights up tires in the wet if you're not careful car.

In a couple of years, when the smart is out of warranty however....

[SmartPassion]

Great write up Randy! Can you post pictures of your front sway bar mod?

Originally Posted by randyzimmer

Roll!
Having the basic tendency of the car to lift the rear wheels off the ground was bad.
Front sway bars in stock class are free.
I removed the front bar, and drilled holes just far enough from the bend to get the nut back on.
This was done by grinding flats on both sides until a 5/16" - 3/8" flat was formed and then a small hole bored and then incrementally opened up to the size of the attaching link dia. The inconsistency of the sway bar metal was ruining bit after bit.
Some steel was soft and other parts hard. I drilled from both sides as far as possible then I finally finished up with a carbide burr where the drills refused to drill.
The "new" bar was amazing once reinstalled and transformed the car. Still soft over bumps but stiff in roll (just like it should).

[jonwhite99]

Hi all,

I autocrossed my smart back in March with the BMW Club in San Diego.

A couple of the instructors took it out and the ESP really messed up laptimes as it would kill the car when it desided that it was going to crash.

I would be interested in the front sway bar mods as this might help quite alot. I already intend to change to pulse wheels which are 175 front and 195 rear.

Jonathan

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by Carl242

That might deter me from autoX'ing until my warrenty is over . . .

At least you'll only have to wait two years! ;)

[randyzimmer]

[VinceLA]

Randy, good job! I have been contemplating tracking the smart. But I guess autoX is a better introduction.

I don't suppose they have r-comps in our smart sizes yet huh?

[Smartfor2guy]