cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

Hey everyone...

Here are a few pics of my setup. I will have some on car shots later this week. I just worked most all of the weekend getting everything put back together. Now all I have to do is get the engine back going.






I can't wait to get this thing out on the track!!!

-Vincent

Black91n/a

One thing, do the rear bushings allow for the angle of the mounting bolt to change relative to the shock? Due to the suspension movement, the angle between the shock and the trailing arm changes, and I know there was a case a while ago where someone had the mounting eye break off the bottom of their ISC supplied rear shock because of this.

cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

Well I do know that there is a spacer that is supplied with the kit to take up some of slack that there would be in this area. But there is still a little slack left, so that the shock can move a little without putting stress on the stud. Not sure if that answer's your question, but I noticed that on the stock shocks there was quite a bit of slack down there.

-Vincent

wrankin

Mmmmm, shiny!!

-b

cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

I know...it looks really good all installed on the car with the S5 four piston calipers and ss brake lines!!! The hardest part was locating and drilling the holes for the universal caster/camber plates. I took alot of time with that so that way hopefully I won't have alot of problems on the alignment machine. Whenever I can get it back running with the S5 intake manifold setup, I will be taking it to get it corner weighted and then aligned. The 1 1/4" speedway bar is MASSIVE! It took a little fabricating to get it to fit properly, but other than that-it looks pretty nice.

Spring rates are 400 lbs. in front and 250 lbs. in the rear. I was going to go with a little more rear spring because I'm on a stock motor-but I want to see how the car feels with these springs first. I am trying to get everything together in time for a DE event at TGPR in October. I figured there I could get things broken in and fine tuned (or have the car break me in...lol).

A special thanks goes out to Mike and Nick at ISC-I think I made the right move by going with their suspension instead of a set of JIC's or Teins. Their RX-7's have won alot of events in Central Florida and one day when the money is there I plan on running the car in IT.

-Vincent.

HotRodMex

iTrader: (3)

I take it the Bilsteins are re-valved appropriately? Do you know if they're the RX7 bodies, or someother application (like AWR)?

cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

I was told that the front shocks are for a Porsche, and the rears I am unsure of. I'm sure that they have tried many combinations to get the end result though...

jgrewe

iTrader: (1)

You could just look up the numbers stamped on the bodies and see what they are for.

Black91N/A is correct, it looks like ISC changed the bushing design a little to (sort of) solve the problem they create with the delrin inserts. Somebody here was complaining about Bilstein quality and the collective here pointed out the binding problem with the design. I think ISC sent him a new shock.

cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

If I had known that it was a problem, I could of gotten some detailed pics for everyone. I do know that the metal insert they use is just big enough for the bolt, but still allows some play between the insert and the delrin bushing.

-Vincent

Black91n/a

IIRC the rear shocks were from a BMW Bavaria, the fronts might well be the same 944 shocks that AWR uses in their own special (expensive) housings.

I think you'll probably want more rear spring. I'm running 390's in front and 280's in the rear with an RB front and stock rear bar and it's still slightly biased towards understeer with near stock NA power. Race tires, street tires, doesn't matter.

wrankin

Hmm, I'd like to hear how these do at the track. I'm running 400f/275r with the RB front bar and no rear bar. I get a little understeer on tight corner exits, but that's usually more me than the car.

cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

Well my thoughts that because the car was going to be "underpowered" that I was going to need more rear spring. Because the chance of getting oversteer so bad that I would be getting sideways under power is pretty slim. The springs are only 48 dollars a piece so if I don't like it I can always move up.

Mike told me that most all of their drivers run 250's in the rear. He did mention that some guys like it to be a little looser so that they would run the 275's or sometimes higher.

I found out some bad news last night. I finally got my S5 UIM and LIM conversion done and most everything back together to get it fired back up. I went to put the stock radiator back in the car and IT WON'T FIT....

So come to find out if you run ISC's 1 1/4 speedway bar, you pretty much have to run their radiator. So that's more money that I wasn't planning on spending. But after talking with Mike, rotary's when pushed hard almost never survive with the stock cooling system. So I am also going to step up to his extra large oil cooler as well so that way I can do it all at once.

Other than that, now I have to decide on a tire. I'm going to be driving the car to auto x and de events for several months before I can get a truck and trailer-so I need something that offers maximum grip in the dry but also has some useable grip in the wet. I was thinking about some Hankook SP-212's?

Suggestions on tires would be great!

-Vincent

thetech

iTrader: (1)

Suspension looks great! Are these non-adjustable similar to the AWR setup?

I am running the Koni double adjustables in the AWR tubes (custom built rears) and running a 650f 400r spring setup using a big speedway sway bar (similar to your picture) at the front and no rear bar. Setup felt great with very slight understeer. Car weighs 2450lbs.

cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

Wow!!! How are you getting by with running such a huge spring in the front? Is it because your running a 20B? What class do you run in? And yes the tubes are stock tubes that are adapted to run non-adjustables. In the words of Mike, "most people don't know how to adjust shocks anyway!"...lol.

Thanks for the compliments!!! I am learning so much about the car and trying to have fun while I'm doing it. I am trying to upload some installed pics of where I am at now with the car...

-Vincent.

SCCAITS

iTrader: (3)

You know you could have saved a boat load of money by picking up a used ITS car

I've got the AWR tubes, Koni double adj. front and back with 550f, 400r, stock front sway, solid mounts, spherical bearings, AWR rear top mounts. My suspension was setup and tuned by Jason Saini a pro driver. Flatout Motorsports who campaigns many top ITS cars recommends the 550f, 400r. It's my third suspension.

Since you got to get a radiator, why don't you sell me that front pipe now It's hard to even keep a rotary cool enough with an expensive aftermarket radiator, it will also need to be carefully ducted.

thetech

iTrader: (1)

My car is built for ST1/SU in NASA, but I haven't come close to running it there yet.

550-600 front and 400 rear seems to be a pretty standard setup. I went with 650 because I have more weight up front than most and it seems to be fine.

jgrewe

iTrader: (1)

You need to finally get that hatch from me Amir, until then your just playing

Silkworm

My car is running 500/325s. I could see going heavier, but I was pretty happy with the car's balance at those rates.

cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

Yes, your right-I could of saved alot of money going that route-but then I wouldn't have the fun of building the car! To me that's whats been the exciting part, and I've been able to do most all of the work myself.

Those spring rates are INSANE!!! I wonder why ISC recommends the 400/250 setup then? I will have to chat with him about that.

How does it need to be ducted?!?! Man I need to talk with you sometime about your setup and about what I'm trying to do with my car. Keep in mind that I plan on driving this car to auto x events until next year when I get a truck and trailer and cage in the car and all of that stuff.

LOL, no way I'm getting rid of my mid pipe now....I was blessed to receive the last one....it was my destiny! It's so sexy too...lol.

-Vincent

thetech

iTrader: (1)

I know! If I could stop breaking/upgrading stuff I could end up with a pretty decent car

wrankin

Stiffer isn't necessarily better.

(I know, I know - "that's not what she said..." )

Different drivers like different setups. Different tracks favor different setups.

400/250 is a good starting point, and you can test and tweak from there. Like SCCAITS pointed out, it's his "third suspension". Also, it you are going to drive to the track, you probably don't want to run anything stiffer than this. Your spine will thank you.

ISC has built a lot of winning cars, so you could do a lot worse than listening the them. Just be aware that they are trying to sell you their own stuff, so their solution may not be the cheapest.

Also, if you intend to eventually go race door-to-door, make sure that you pay attention to the mods allowed in the different classes (NASA or SCCA). You don't want to spend a lot of $$ and time on mods that you have to remove later.

Good luck,

-bill

cobaltss81

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the advice....I have been trying to pay attention to the rules and because of this it has saved me money!!! I was planning on getting an aluminum flywheel and doing a 12A tranny swap (cheap way to get more gear in the car). But after reading over the GCR some, I found out that these are BIG no-no's...lol.

And Mike knows that I'm just starting out so maybe that is the reason why he told me the spring rates he told me, cause I'll be driving to the track. The closest auto x event is in birmingham, which is about an hour away from here.

-Vincent.

SCCAITS

iTrader: (3)

What class are you building to - ITS, EP, ITE? ITS won't allow the flywheel or tranny but you will need a 5.12 rear - good luck finding one though. ITE or EP will allow those mods though. Miata gears in an RX-7 box is an option, but not for ITS. Any of these will go in NASA PT.

thetech

iTrader: (1)

But no one will ever know!

jgrewe

iTrader: (1)

Until a crew member of one of the fast guys notices you're shifting at different spots than everybody else...

Until you start running up front nobody will care what you do though. If you start out legal, you will not have to spend money two or three times.