Nor did I need to.

 

Thanks for protecting our index

 

No problem. Don't forget to thank Matthew as well. Rick has said he thought that BS should be faster, I took that as code for the class was soft. Now with a guy that has been the top of natls pax more than once, finishing second, and also getting beat by FS, everyone can see how slow we all are.

 

Thanks. I'm hard and heavy into road racing. I do a fair amount of instructing too with BSR and MazdaDriverS.com. The only autocrossing I've done in the last few years since my FB become a full-time race car and my beater FD went lame has been at Mazda Club (MSCW.com) events. I'd love to get back into some local autocrosses, and the FE will be the ticket.

- Bill

 

But that hitch was upgraded as a result of your problem, and I can't find any newer threads saying the problem continues.

BTW, I did find a guy on here with a hitch that comes through the rotor shape on the lower valence. I've PM'd him for details on that hitch. Sounds like he's second owner, and it might just be a modified Da'Lan.

- Bill


BTW, the pics on that thread are gone because Yahoo Photos is gone...

 

The hitch in the ad that was posted is exactly like mine. They did send me different mounting hardware for in the trunk, but imho it is not enough to fix the problem, I wont use it again. If I were going to put it on the car I would add another attachment point, possible try to attach the hitch to the rear tow hook area.

I would guess you don't see a lot of threads about the hitch because most people just put the tires in the car.

WRXtoRX8 has the car with the custom built hitch that goes through the rotor. It is a one off custom build, not a Dalan, they guys that built it said it would cost fortune to reproduce it.

 

Very true. 0.201 victory margin FTW!
I guess CS and FS are coming for us.

 

Bill - I purchased an updated Dalan hitch last April and put about 4,000-5,000 miles on it towing my trailer last year to Solo events. Dalan added a steel plate that is roughly 3"W x 18"L. It held up all year but I have noticed some stress cracks beginning around the bolt holes in the trunk floor after the round trip to Nat'ls. I am going to add an even larger plate this Spring to hopefully solve the issue. I do tow a fairly large tire trailer that will handle 8 tires and a tool box.

Chris H

 

I think part of the problem is the legs on the hitch, they do not cover the holes in the floor and the metal tears around them. I told the engineer from DaLan that I tought the inside plate should fill the entire space, with one big piece, and the legs on the hitch need to be bigger to match as well.

 

Jason -

I agree, I'm planning to add onto the "feet" and create a larger top plate to maximize trunk surface area sandwiched between the feet and top plate. Keeping it easily removable will be the trick.

Chris H

 

Thanks for the background. I have also recently purchased an RX-8 for BS after nearly a decade in FS. Seems like there is a rich history on this site, that I am just starting to scratch the surface of...

I have a tire trailer I was about to start using before I sold the Z28, but I think I will stick with carrying the tires in the back for a while until I hear some more positive comments about using a hitch on the RX-8.

Thanks,
Jim

 

Can't be that bad. It's just cut, bent, and welded steel. The probably said that because they just don't want to do another. The engineering has been done, so copying should be simple. If there are detailed pics anywhere I know a top-notch welder who could whip it up no problem. No, it won't be as cheap as the U-Haul, but I'm willing to pay for a better hitch.

- Bill

 

Thanks for the info. Mine is the smaller Harbor Fright (EEK!) trailer. I haul four tires and a storage bin filled with jack, tools, air tanks, etc.

Sounds like the thing to do is put large plates between the hitch arms under the trunk pan, and use a larger plate inside the trunk pan. I'll keep that in mind if I use the hitch.

- Bill

 

Here's a link to photos of the custom made hitch discussed above: http://sccaforums.com/forums/thread/201691.aspx

 

Here's a link to Vorshlag's photo diary of the custom RX-8 hitch.

 

^That is a pretty cool solution, but not one I'm going to use on a leased car!

Also, it would appear that any weight you get off the very back of the car by doing a single exit exhaust would more than be replaced by the hitch...that plate steel ain't light! So, net you'd probably end up with more weight waaay out back, which is ok on cars like the Z06, but much less so on the RX8...and, it's not like that design is an easy on/off proposition.

I think it's better to just stick with carrying tires in the car, for most of us...even though, like I said, I really like using my tire trailer, when possible. I wonder if Draw Tite or Dalan makes a good hitch for the Mustang...

 

I doubt it's a significant problem. Remember: The guy who did this is a national autocross competitor. He wouldn't have done it if it was a problem. The guy who owns it now also appears to be a serious autocross competitor. Thanks to altiain and Zoom4Three for links to pics of the install.

I also found this interesting alternative on the original owner's site, which appears to stretch across the bumper reinforcement mounts:
http://vorshlag.com/fair/rx8/rx8_Hitch_3.jpg
http://vorshlag.com/fair/rx8/rx8_Hitch_4.jpg

Seems much simpler to build, and doesn't rely on the sheet metal floor or bumper reinforcement. Though it looks like it replaces the reinforcement which I'm not sure is a good idea in the Idiots-on-cellphones-driving-SUVs world. Also may not be legal in B-Stock since it removes a big piece of the car.

- Bill

 

I see now that the weight of the hitch is given at 11.5 lbs, not really that much. But, the weight given for the car, when sold, was 2862, which is very much at the higher range of what we all were getting when we weighed our BS cars at Nationals this year...I believe Carter and Jason were in the very low 2800 range and my car was at 2840 IIRC.

At the margin, I'm sure 20-40lbs doesn't make all that much difference, but I'd rather be lighter than heavier!

The second design would not be BS legal.

 

best method is a truck and trailer to haul the car and everything else

 

Easier, maybe. But more expensive and less fun.

I had a blast driving my Spec RX-7 to the track and back pulling my little trailer. Lots of surprised looks as I zipped-by, strapped low into my slammed, stickered-up angry bumblebee. Never hassled by the cops either. Not passing anything with 10,000+ combined pounds of truck, trailer, and car, including gas pumps. I also wrecked far less often (never) when I had to drive it home. Now I'm more aggressive and it's cost me hugely. Driving the truck is not so much fun either. I's a nice truck, but it's... a truck.

The RX-8 is somewhat short on tie-down points too, as I discovered when I picked mine up last Saturday.

- Bill

 

^I've found the best bet for tying down the RX8 is to use the factory tie down slots in the unibody with some t-hooks.

 

Yeah, I forgot about those. All I have is two-finger gorilla hooks. I used two slots in the front subframe where it bolts to the unibody, behind the front wheels, and looped two straps through the rear subframe behind the diff. Worked fine for the long tow from VA, and just fine when I brought the car home this evening. One more stop at the MVA tomorrow for paperwork and royal shafting on taxes, and I'll be commuting in rotary style on Thursday.

Then I can start thinking about how *I* want to do the hitch. And start looking for SSRs... ;-)

 

sorry, I don't find driving hours on end in the minimum amount of time in a noisey, harsh riding, roomless race vehicle fun at all, having done plenty of both I'll take the creature comforts of my present setup over that anyday



not having the finances for it is one thing, but being macho-bravado about it is just plain I'd much rather take a deer hit or cross a snowed-in mountain pass on my way to Nationals in the truck (true Nationals stories, plenty more where those came from)

the t-hooks are OK as long as you can easily access the sides of the car, which means they're OK for an open trailer and range from being a PITA to completely inaccessable in an enclosed trailer

I use the front lower control arm tabs crossed in the front and in the rear run from the center hoop in the rear subframe out to each corner

 

You tow an RX-8 with a Honda?

 

Yeah, he's crazy like that

JK, it evidently works just fine...although I find a motorhome a much more practical tow vehicle...you never have to worry about getting a motel room