This weekend was my first time with the Boxster at the track.

[Lobo1186]

what tires and what sizes are you running by the way? and if possible what rim sizes

[mdex]

The car should not be understeering like that... your best bet is to go and have it aligned by a shop that specializes in setting these cars up for the track. Better to spend a few hundred bucks and get it done right rather then waste a few track days with a car that isn't handling correctly.

The other thing to look at, and I say this with respect, is the driver. It is possible to induce understeer in these cars very easily if your transitions off the brake are not smooth... it might also be helpful to have an experienced driver take a lap or so to make sure it is the car that is causing the problems.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by mdex

The car should not be understeering like that... your best bet is to go and have it aligned by a shop that specializes in setting these cars up for the track. Better to spend a few hundred bucks and get it done right rather then waste a few track days with a car that isn't handling correctly.

The other thing to look at, and I say this with respect, is the driver. It is possible to induce understeer in these cars very easily if your transitions off the brake are not smooth... it might also be helpful to have an experienced driver take a lap or so to make sure it is the car that is causing the problems.

Yeah, I know this is the LAST car that should understeer like that. That's what makes the whole thing so frustrating. I think your alignment advice is right on track.
While I am far from a great driver, I do have some experience and understand how hammering the gas too early can induce understeer. That is not what's going on. The car understeers even when leaving the it in gear and letting off the gas 100% with the engine around 6K RPM while entering a turn. In other words, even with the front tires loaded significantly more than they are just by the weight of the car, it understeers. Very frustrating. The ONLY way I could get the back out was to trail brake, and it wasn't like I was just tapping the brake pedal a little bit to make it happen. I had to get on it a bit before the back end would come around. And yes, I know that has a lot to do with the amount of steering input at the same time, too.

[mdex]

I drove a friends boxster a few years ago that he had just gotten from the dealer, and it huge understeer issues. Even though the dealer had just aligned it, we had it re-done by a local speciality shop and the understeer was dialled right out.

I normally have my alignment re-done at the start of every track season, and checked once or twice during the track season just to be sure nothing has moved... one of the simplest things you can do to be sure you are getting the most out of the car (until you start to slip down the modification slope that is)

[Pat]

Originally Posted by mdex

I drove a friends boxster a few years ago that he had just gotten from the dealer, and it huge understeer issues. Even though the dealer had just aligned it, we had it re-done by a local speciality shop and the understeer was dialled right out.

I normally have my alignment re-done at the start of every track season, and checked once or twice during the track season just to be sure nothing has moved... one of the simplest things you can do to be sure you are getting the most out of the car (until you start to slip down the modification slope that is)

Hey mdex, thank you VERY much for posting this. I felt like I was the only one on the planet with this issue. Your post gives me great hope.

[Mike_Yi]

It could be possible that you are turning in too fast, and quickly breaking the grip of the front tires. It sounds like your turn entry speeds are just a bit too high. Enter the corner slower so you can get back on the gas earliers, and that will get you around the track faster than reducing your braking. I've never had a problem understeering at the track.

BTW, what tire pressures were you using? I don't go with stock pressures at the track. IIRC, I use somewhere around 32-34 cold all the way around.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by Mike_Yi

It could be possible that you are turning in too fast, and quickly breaking the grip of the front tires. It sounds like your turn entry speeds are just a bit too high. Enter the corner slower so you can get back on the gas earliers, and that will get you around the track faster than reducing your braking. I've never had a problem understeering at the track.

BTW, what tire pressures were you using? I don't go with stock pressures at the track. IIRC, I use somewhere around 32-34 cold all the way around.

Thanks for the response, Mike. While it is possible I'm turning in too fast, I think it is unlikely. I tried many different driving styles, and the only thing that seemed to work was trail braking. While I have a lot to learn, I do know the basics. This year I am instructing with NASA.
I tried a wide variety of tire pressures. As little as 23 cold (!) to 36 cold. All four tires would go up 8 psi when hot. Pressure differentials from front to rear were anywhere from 2 to 9 psi.

[insite]

understeer really is a big issue on these cars w/ stock settings. it took me awhile to get my car dialed in so it would rotate instead of plow.

you mentioned trying to change the camber settings without messing up any other alignment settings. FYI, not possible. changing the camber on this car will change the toe. you will need to do a full alignment.

you should be able to get around -1.6 deg up front without camber plates or longer control arms. this is actually plenty for street tires. try -1.2 up front and -1.8 in back. zero out the toe front and rear. finally, run HIGHER tire pressures up front than in back (trust me on this). the RE050A is a decent tire; try 34F / 30R for cold pressures.

if you do all of this, understeer should not be much of an issue.

IMO, those who haven't had understeer issues w/ a stock boxster at the track are not driving fast enough. understeer quickly becomes the barrier to going faster, and is therefore a problem. reducing the understeer = faster lap times.

[mdex]

What is the reasoning for the higher pressures up front? With my car with an aggressive alignment tends to work best when all the hot pressures are even. It does depend on the track of course, but most times the cold pressures end up within around 1psi of each other.

[Pat]

Originally Posted by Lobo1186

what tires and what sizes are you running by the way? and if possible what rim sizes

The wheels are stock 18" Turbo Twists. The tires are stock sized RE050As, which I was very impressed with.