Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

Hey all,

I've been looking for a suspension setup for my fc, and have met some issues. I called Ground Control today, and they informed me that they have a full coilover setup for the FC3S. It is somewhat pricey, so I thought I might reduce the price by eliminating some components. One particular part in question is the rear top mount. They claim that their mount reduces or eliminates the movement of the entire rear suspension. I am curious, how much does this affect the handling of the car? I understand that complete suspension movement would result in completely undamped handling. Also, apparently in BMWs, not having the rear top mount is damaging, and could go so far as to shoot the rear shock through the speakers.

Is there any company that makes rear top mounts for FCs? The ground control kit is just a little pricey, so being able to source these things for a little cheaper would be a plus. Thanks a lot.

13B_boost

You are not searching hard enough..............All the suspension pieces you will ever need!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.awrracing.com/pages/rx/rxsusp.html

Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

Ahh, thank you very much. So these are metal upper shock mounts as opposed to the rubber pieces? Do you know if they work with the koni sport shocks? In any case, I'll check these out and see if I can't use them with the ground control setup. Your help is much appreciated!

edit: Just checked the prices. Those are a little too pricey for me. Are there any other manufacturers that offer a less expensive product?

13B_boost

ISC sells them for 25.00ea and you can see them in the picture at the top of the page on their web site. You can't beat that but as I have been told the AWR pieces are quality pieces, which are the ones I am getting.
http://www.iscracing.net/2nd_Gen_Parts.htm

Black91n/a

Those ISC mounts look just like a plate with holes, no pillow ball or anything, it probably relies on rubber washers for the little bit of shock movement.

SCCAITS

iTrader: (3)

I just got my AWR upper spring mounts on Wed of this week in the mail, install tomorrow. Wow is all I can say!... they look like a work of art. My suspension is almost complete.

I got most of my stuff from these guys...

http://www.flatout-motorsports.com/c...hp/cPath/31_32

Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

Hmm yeah, apparently i need the spring perches and all that fun stuff as well. Still trying to figure out a more cost effective solution.

bean13

iTrader: (1)

how much was the price from GC?? I am looking to update too!

Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

they actually don't have the top mount for sale separately. Pretty much, the full coilover setup is 1699 for everything, 1075 without camber plates and the top mounts. The top mounts themselves are pretty much included in the package.

The reason it's so expensive is that GC actually builds the strut around the shock, so it's not your typical sleeve setup. Pricey, but it's pretty much custom and tailored to the car and driver.

Black91n/a

Is that with Koni Yellows? It can't be that cheap for their Advance Design double adjustables.

Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

It is indeed with koni yellows. I didn't even ask abotu the advance design shocks. I did get quotes for tokico and kyb, they are much much cheaper, but I don't want those. They didn't give me any quotes for bilstein, and I suspect it's because the bilsteins are non adjustable.

Black91n/a

Bilsteins are better shocks though, at least when revalved to handle the stiffer springs. That's a setup I might be interested in.

Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

Thing is, Bilstein only makes HDs for the fc. I think the difference between HD and sport is just the valving though. What i'd REALLY like is PSS9s.

Black91n/a

There's other ways of getting the sports in. You can use the shocks and inserts meant for other cars if you adapt them properly. I beleive that's what ISC offers. I have no idea about the differences between them though.

Not having them be adjustable isn't the end of the world, most people don't adjust their adjustable suspensions anyway, so in many cases it's just a gimmick. If they're properly set up for the spring rates, tires, track and so on you shouldn't need to adjust them. If they do need adjusting, then you can have them revalved again.

RX-Heven

iTrader: (1)

I've got a set (front and rear) of brand-new, unused double adjustable Koni coilovers from GC for sale. Also, the shocks have been re-valved and dynoed by Tri-Point Engineering for 500 lb front springs and rears for 350 lb springs.

I'll let them go much cheaper than what I paid.
pm me any reasonable offers.

Black91n/a

What does it include? Camber plates? Rear top mounts? Are these Yellow's converted to double adjustable or something else?

I'm sure it'd help offers if you at least gave a starting point, or say what you paid for them.

RX-Heven

iTrader: (1)

Here is the story on these shocks.

I originally purchased a Ground Control coilover kit with single adjustable Koni Yellows. After a few years of track events and street abuse with those, I sent them down to Tri-Point Engineering to be revalved for stiffer springs, dynoed and converted to double adjustable. They replaced the fronts entirely with brand new double adjustables and converted the rears to double adjustable. The front strut tube had to modified to accept the double adjustable shock. They were rattle canned black since I hate yellow. You can see the Koni logo in the shock on one of the pics.

These obviously have the front camber/caster plates and the rear hat. Everything you need to bolt them in and go (fast). The rears have a tender spring also which can be removed if inclined to do so. This are a very nice setup. You can also clearly see both rebound and dampening adjustment *****.

I only mounted them on the car but never drove it as I sold the body only and kept all the parts that could be unbolted.

I have well over $3000 into these but cannot remember exactly how much. Any reasonable offers will be considered. I'll even throw in the original single adjustable Yellows for the front inserts. They are still good too.

Otherwise I'll just put this setup on my vert and rattle the discs out of my spine while driving on the street in between track events...if I ever get my damn car back from the bodyshop

Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

Hmmm, that sounds tempting. I'm curious, if you have experience with other setups of course, what is the quality of the ground control parts? I have heard of not-so-good reports in some japanese coilover sets, so I was hoping that ground control might have better quality, especially since it seems that some actual racers use their products. Think you could give any first hand reports?

Black91n/a

May we see the dyno plots? You say they were valved for 500/350 springs, is that what's in there now? It is tempting, but that's probably too stiff for the tires I'll be running.

RX-Heven

iTrader: (1)

They are 500 lb springs up front and 250 in the rear. I sold the 350 lb rears awhile ago. Eibach springs are only $50 iirc.

I looked for the dyno plot and the receipt just a bit ago and cannot find them (they were once stapled together). That is why I couldn't remember exactly how much I paid for them. I just remember it was more than $3000.

My car is 3150 lbs with a turbo 20b and 16x12's all the way around. I needed the stiffer springs and that is what Tri-Point recommended to me based on projected weights after the engine swap was all said and done. fwiw, spring rates can (and should ideally) vary from track to track. Most, however, including myself, find that impractical. There were quite a few Guys in NASA and SCCA who switched to that spring combo because of bottoming out issues, particularly because of turn 3 at Infineon. Springs and revalving can always be changed.

The GC stuff is very nice quality. The only Japanese stuff I have run are the Tein Flex coilovers currently on my vert. The build quality of the GC stuff is much better even though the Teins look much better. Also, at least with the single adjustable yellows, the range of adjustment is WAY better than with the Teins. 27 or so adjustable positions with the Teins is BS marketing imho. They do work decently though. That is really just my opinion though. One good thing about the Teins and others like them is the independant ride height adjustment that the GC lacks. Though the Teins have a very limited amount of Camber adjustment and no caster, at least with my Flex's.

I have also run non-adjustable custom valved Bilsteins. I'll never run non-adjustable shocks again. They were nice but I like to tinker with ****...for better or worse. They were another set of GC coilovers I had. That was 400 lb fronts and 275 rear spring rates iirc.

Tokicos....crap. Though I did only run 5-way adjustables with Racing Beat lowering springs. Ahhhh, my first setup.....memories. I though it was fast too.

The Koni yellows I had originally were my favorie setup but I am older and cannot tolerate the monster spring and shock combos on the street anymore. Niether can my girlfriend for that matter. "The car is so stiff." followed by my automated response, "Isn't that how you like it Baby?" got old pretty quick.

Bunchies, if you want to convert them to kg, any online calc can do that.

Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

do you think i could get away with throwing less stiff springs on the front and stiffer springs in the rear? Or would it be wise to have the shocks revalved?

edit: I'm guessing the stiff fronts were to help avoid bottoming out, and also that you had lots of power and a mean lsd?

bean13

iTrader: (1)

Ok, maybe bunchies can help me out here. I called GC just now and asked them about this and they pretty much acted like they have no idea. They prolly think I am one of "those people", haha. Do you have any information on the full setup for $1700? Any pics? Is this full as in springs, mounts, shocks, plates, ect? Or do you know who would be best to talk to over there. I am looking at the set up offered by mazdacomp but I have heard better things about this set up and it is cheaper too. So, what am I missing here.....a suspension **** needs some help.....thanks fellas.

Bunchies

iTrader: (1)

The setup isn't listed on their website for whatever reason. However, they said they do make a full coilover kit for the 2nd gen. Ask about that. It includes springs, shocks, mounts, everything to bolt it on.