Scrub

iTrader: (25)

I've been performing some much needed maintenance on Clunkers as well as prepping it for the track season / upcoming meets. There has been quite a few late nights at SakeBomb Garage over the last few weeks Trying to get the car done by deals gap has been a task and a half. I may not be a hard core track guy yet, but I've always been one at heart. With any luck I'll be attending three or four track events on the East coast.

Clunkers had to pass emissions a little while ago, so I had installed the 550cc primaries, GM air pump and stock main cat. After passing I needed to remove the air pump and cat, and install 850cc primaries. While the UIM was off I did some cleaning and replacing of hoses. I replaced all of my silicone vacuum hose related to the waste-gates (DOS) and boost controller with -4 AN hose and fire sleeve. Since the spark plug wires hadn't been replaced in a hand full of years I figured now would be as good a time as any to replace them. Basically I was just preforming routine maintenance, new coolant hoses, wast-gate gaskets blah blah blah. Now onto the fun part.

I've had Tein Flex coil-overs on my car for quite a few years and a LOT of miles, I could tell the suspension was getting tired. Now it's time to get serious about suspension tuning. I contacted Ganesh at Endless USA in search of some Zeal coil-overs. Ganesh ordered me a set of Zeal Function X coilovers with custom spring rates, aluminum bodies, pillow ball mounts, custom valving and X-coil R springs... Sound expensive? You better believe it, but well worth it. As you'll see in the pics below the Zeal coil-overs are a few pounds lighter then the Flex. Zeal coil-overs are EXTREMELY well built. Luckily I received the suspension just in time to install it and have the corner balanced ONE DAY before DGRR. More on that later.

While I was working on the suspension I also decided to replace my Racing Beat anti-roll bars with Tanabe units. Originally I was going to use new OEM end links, but the corner balance shop recommended I get adjustable end links for pre-load adjust ability. Luckily I was able to find adjustable links in stock at Innovative Racing and they arrived today, just in time.

There is more to the story, but I'm beat and have to get up early to take the car to RT-tuning to get aligned/corner balanced. I will take lots of pics and post the results tomorrow night if I have time. Do you ever feel like you're fighting your car and it's kicking your ***? I'm sore all over. For now here are some teasers.


Thanks again to Ganesh at Endless USA for making sure I got my suspension in time for Deals gap this weekend




I made a custom license plate frame from the sticker that was sent to me

Please note, I have no idea how accurate my bathroom scale is, but here are the weights it recorded.


Tein Flex rear


Zeal Function X rear (Weight reads 17.6lbs)


Next up is the installed pics and my brake system maintenance, for anyone who cares

-Dan

cabaynes

iTrader: (4)

When you get back from DGRR make some head-way on that Vmount so I can drive my car this year whenever I can come back home.

Looks good, but I still like my yellow Zeal coils better

Haha, now go to bed.

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

You're welcome

Hit the weights and you'll be the one doing the *** kicking...... many many FDs have cowered at the wrath of Mr. Ihor Huk

DaleClark

iTrader: (55)

MAN those coilovers look good.

I never realized there was a weight difference with coilovers until recently.

One front JIC coilover -



One front Stance coilover -



Rears was the same story, went from 13.1 to 7.6 pounds each. Killing unsprung weight like that is great, and he says the Stance ride a lot nicer on the street.

Dale

theorie

iTrader: (31)

man those endless coilovers are sexy. i need to get me some of those

Miata_mx5

Looks great. Let me know how you like them.

Scrub

iTrader: (25)

I forgot to mention I installed Tanabe front and rear sway bars while I was doing the suspension. I noticed that the Tanabe front bar is much lighter then the Racing beat unit that was on the car before, Thanks again to Ganesh (Miata Mx5) for the tanabe sway bars.

So after the corner balance and running the car around deals gap and driving 700+ miles to and from DGRR I'd have to say these coilovers are amazing. I was a little bit skeptical of the ride quality for the spring rates I choose, but it really wasn't bad at all. I have a bit of adjusting to do on the dampening settings, but the car feels VERY composed.

Unfortunately giving the suspension a bit of a workout made it settle some more, so I had to raise the front a bit outside the lodge at deals gap lol. So I'll need to take the car back to the scales for a little tweaking. The final weight of the car with a half tank of gas WITHOUT me in it was 2800lbs. That's with a full interior, PS, ABS and a rollbar, not terrible if you ask me.

This weekend I'll be attending a track day at Monticello, so I can give some more feedback after I really push the car closer to the limit.

A side note on the adjustable sway bar end links. The rears fit perfectly with the dust boots; but I was unable to use the dust covers where the links attach to the lower control arm on the front. The dust covers made the assembly too wide. I've been told that the lower control arm has an adjustable spacer built into it, but I was unable to move it.







adjustable sway bar endlinks


front suspension installed


rear coilover installed




clunkers getting balanced

The brakes needed some attention before I started pushing the car. I replaced the rear rotors and installed racing brake ET500 pads all around.
I also replaced the brake fluid with some Endless RF650, probably overkill for what I'll be doing but it's not that expensive. With any luck I'll be rocking some endless MX72 pads in the near future.

ptrhahn

iTrader: (9)

Dan,
I'd love to have a set of those rear sway bar links and front brake line mounts, for my future coilover set up. Where did you get them?

New coils look great.

turboIIrotary

iTrader: (9)

you mean zeal

Miata_mx5

ZEAL is an Endless brand. We don't care if it's called Endless or Zeal coilovers.

BridgePorted12A

iTrader: (6)

Car felt very well planted and confident on the Dragon's tail. Congrats on winning Best of Show at DGRR also. It was well deserved

JdmRX

iTrader: (7)

where do you go to get your car aligned i dont know any good spots here in Philly and im usually in delware.

Scrub

iTrader: (25)

Peter,
I got the front and rear sway bar links from http://www.improvedracing.com/
The brake line mounts came with the suspension. Maybe Endless USA will sell just the mounts....

I got the car aligned/corner balanced at RT tuning in Lansdale.

-Dan


Old rear brake rotor...notice any potential issues?

theorie

iTrader: (31)

uh ohs! i see cracking drilled rotors. womp womp

MakoRacing

iTrader: (12)

Good stuff, what spring rates F/R are on the coilovers? Update us on your opinion of those vs Flex's on the track!

BridgePorted12A

iTrader: (6)

Your rotor...it bend. Don't send to dealer ship

THANKS

Scrub

iTrader: (25)

Spring rates are a bit aggressive at 12k front 13k rear, these are the spring rates suggested based on what I plan on doing with the car. Honestly it doesn't feel much different then the flex at 10k front 8k rear. The dampening on the Zeal suspension is really great.

I will be able to give some feedback on the suspension after the track session this weekend. So far though, the car feels MUCH more planted on the turns. I wanted the car to be set to oversteer, which it does... but I think I can dial it down by either disconnecting the rear sway bar or softening up the rear shocks. I haven't really pushed it to the limit yet.

-Dan

CrispyRX7

iTrader: (139)

Dan,

WELL DONE!!!! Well done.

Crispy

cabaynes

iTrader: (4)

God damn I hate that thing. I could never use it without getting brake fluid EVERYWHERE

dradon03

iTrader: (2)

I have used that tool several times on a few FD's and never had a problem. However, I use the screw on cap, I never have any spillage by doing it the way it is written on the bottle.

Scrub

iTrader: (25)

I haven't had any problems with it, maybe it was user error

Where did you get the screw on cap? I didn't even know they made the cap that fit with the FD.....

Clunkers got tagged on the way back from DGRR.... thanks theorie...Maybe I should leave it for the track day this weekend.

Punished

Car looked awesome at DGRR. I have a few photos of it going up in my motormavens article.

What turbo and HP/TQ are you running by the way?

Scrub

iTrader: (25)

Thanks!

I'm running the GR67 turbo kit... 67mm compressor wheel and the car made 420hp at 15.5 lbs like two years ago, but it's making a bit less then that now. Compression is getting low, but it still runs hard.

-Dan

Punished

thanks for the info, it sounded beast when you flew by me on the main road as we returned from the dragon. The 3 FC's tried their best to catch up to you.


lastly, I know your fronts are 18x9.5 et15, what are your rear wheel specs and what wheels are they. I completely forgot to check.

dradon03

iTrader: (2)

I have the motive Power Bleeder for BMW's I believe it is the 0100.

I find for doing brakes it is not an absolute must but to get the best out of a clutch line it isthe only way to do things.