my Fat Cat Motorsports custom FD coilover setup
03-31-17, 08:24 AM
#26
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Very good very good. Glad you're happy with your set and makes sense for highway and city driving. Track use its no good imo, as soon as you start cornering at 80mph+ you'll quickly be desiring more car control, less roll, dive, pitch. The ohlins dfv's around where i live are far more comfy in terms of ride quality than my 99 spec oem suspension the 11kgs spring rates make no difference, at one point I had to recheck i was running 11kgs spring rates. On streets i run 5 clicks from full soft and it is way better than oem and could have been softer still but it is already too comfy for my liking haha.
I'm not a ohlins fanboy but they have saved me few times at the nurburgring which is a treacherous track. I've made rookie mistakes and hit the high kerbs in error by choosing the wrong lines, usually this is enough to end up in the armco/barriers but they kept the car from unsettling which I find amazing.
Anyways glad you're happy with you're set
I'm not a ohlins fanboy but they have saved me few times at the nurburgring which is a treacherous track. I've made rookie mistakes and hit the high kerbs in error by choosing the wrong lines, usually this is enough to end up in the armco/barriers but they kept the car from unsettling which I find amazing.
Anyways glad you're happy with you're set
I like the softer rate springs at higher speeds, the lower speeds I want more spring rate. lower being 1-2nd gear. 3rd and above I like the 8/6 spring rates. 11/11 feel better down low. the 11/11 have more control, the 8/6 have more mechanical grip and stability at high speeds.
03-31-17, 09:44 AM
#27
I just had my Advanced Designs coilovers rebuild in Washington by Advanced Auto Fabrication. It was about $740 with seals and full rebuild shipped back to me. I'm selling them now though because I just bit the bullet and bought some Quantum coilovers. Let me know if you are interested in them.
I'm a relatively new FD owner (6 months) and My FD came with some leaking Ground Control Advance Design coilovers, and when I couldn't find people to rebuild them (locally) and wanted to hit the track quickly, so I just bought a kit from Ground Control with some Koni sports to tide me over but I'm still interested in the Advance Design for the track. I'm fairly happy with the Koni sports though I need to adjust my set up (more rear toe and different rear sway bar).
The previous owner ran the Advance Designs on the street, which isn't really what they were meant for so it's not surprising that they broke. I had someone recommend Fat Cat as potentially someone local who could rebuild these -- based on this thread sounds like I should give them a yell
The previous owner ran the Advance Designs on the street, which isn't really what they were meant for so it's not surprising that they broke. I had someone recommend Fat Cat as potentially someone local who could rebuild these -- based on this thread sounds like I should give them a yell
Last edited by Jonnybravo408; 03-31-17 at 03:54 PM.
03-31-17, 11:02 AM
#28
I'm up there Sat and Sun. I'm participating in the Self Racing Cars event so won't be pushing too hard but will have fun nonetheless giving demo rides, some coaching, some teaching autonomous cars how to drive etc.
Next Event ? Self Racing Cars
03-31-17, 10:25 PM
#30
I just had my Advanced Designs coilovers rebuild in Washington by Advanced Auto Fabrication. It was about $740 with seals and full rebuild shipped back to me. I'm selling them now though because I just bit the bullet and bought some Quantum coilovers. Let me know if you are interested in them.
GC folks won't even rebuild them themselves anymore -- though they'll sell you the kit!
Their story is interesting, they said they use some part that came off a Boeing 737 that they don't make anymore -- I wonder if they used it because it had some exotic metal (super high strength to weight ratio) and they were getting it for cheap?
They first pointed me to Performance Shock up at Sonoma Raceway, but they refused to do it and then GC pointed me at that same shop in Washington.
I will talk to Fat Cat -- this thread is inspiring confidence :-)
(Sorry to threadjack!)
05-04-17, 08:39 PM
#32
Any more thoughts on this setup? Sounds like the perfect setup for a weekend warrior and a car that spends the majority of its' time on the street. I have Tein Flex right now and I don't really have anything else to compare it to, but a setup like yours would be ideal for me.
04-13-20, 02:29 PM
#33
I am so jealous of your setup! I had done a lot of research and this definitely seems to be the best option money can buy. When my funds grow I will eventually go this route. I hope that bumping this older post will give others the visibility to this gem.
Until then, I am going to transform my koni / ground control kit by using stock hats similar to what you have shown. I also need to get new bump stops. Without diving deep into bump stops, the most straight forward solution would be for me to use the same bump stops that you used. Can you please let us know:
1. What bump stop part number can I order to match yours?
2. What did you do to modify your bump stop? (cut off a certain part to x length?)
Thank you again!!
Until then, I am going to transform my koni / ground control kit by using stock hats similar to what you have shown. I also need to get new bump stops. Without diving deep into bump stops, the most straight forward solution would be for me to use the same bump stops that you used. Can you please let us know:
1. What bump stop part number can I order to match yours?
2. What did you do to modify your bump stop? (cut off a certain part to x length?)
Thank you again!!
04-13-20, 03:46 PM
#34
Hi. I can't believe I never got around to updating this thread... Sigh...
I'm still a very happy camper with regards to this setup. Awesome street ride; still fun on track. Felt similar to the Porsches that I was in at the track day that I mentioned above except maybe a little stiffer with less body roll. Wouldn't change a thing - except maybe going to stock sway bars. Going to do some testing on that.
@jakewah , I don't have the answer to either question. Fat Cat supplied the bump stops. I remember him telling me to trim the rears but don't remember what the measurement is.
I'm still a very happy camper with regards to this setup. Awesome street ride; still fun on track. Felt similar to the Porsches that I was in at the track day that I mentioned above except maybe a little stiffer with less body roll. Wouldn't change a thing - except maybe going to stock sway bars. Going to do some testing on that.
@jakewah , I don't have the answer to either question. Fat Cat supplied the bump stops. I remember him telling me to trim the rears but don't remember what the measurement is.
04-13-20, 04:06 PM
#35
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you'd have to confirm the shock shafts are the same diameter, but all the miata bumpstop stuff is here https://5xracing.com/c-1231717-miata...ump-stops.html
04-13-20, 10:33 PM
#36
Darn, I was hoping to luck out on the bump stops J9fd3s, thanks for the link!
gracer7-rx7, do you know what color your bump stop stripe was? Maybe no stripe? It looks like a cut version of these: https://5xracing.com/i-20915244-5x-r...tegory:1105233
Also, do you know if the fronts and the rears looked the same?
Definitely fill us in more on your long term experience as well when you get the time Fully assembled front and rear shock pictures would also be great to see. Again, I am very jealous
J9fd3s, thanks for the link!gracer7-rx7, do you know what color your bump stop stripe was? Maybe no stripe? It looks like a cut version of these: https://5xracing.com/i-20915244-5x-r...tegory:1105233
Also, do you know if the fronts and the rears looked the same?
Definitely fill us in more on your long term experience as well when you get the time
Fully assembled front and rear shock pictures would also be great to see. Again, I am very jealous
04-15-20, 12:10 PM
#37
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the bump stop thing is really simple, but somehow not.
the Miata, and everything after that used a soft spring for a nice ride, and then the bump stop is more like a second spring, and is tuned for handling. with the FD we usually just use the spring as a spring and call it good.
in my miata i just went with full soft and its like my dads last mercedes (probably because they were both on the same bumpstop), 100% street car.
for length, you can either make it the same length as stock, or put it together with no spring, and run the suspension through its travel and see where your car wants to be (the limit in the front is where the tire hits the fender liner)
the scope is there to run a softer main spring for a nicer ride and a longer bumpstop to keep the handling part. you'd have to calculate the wheel rate with the spring, and then add the bumpstop and remove spring until it matched, could be done in excel
the Miata, and everything after that used a soft spring for a nice ride, and then the bump stop is more like a second spring, and is tuned for handling. with the FD we usually just use the spring as a spring and call it good.
in my miata i just went with full soft and its like my dads last mercedes (probably because they were both on the same bumpstop), 100% street car.
for length, you can either make it the same length as stock, or put it together with no spring, and run the suspension through its travel and see where your car wants to be (the limit in the front is where the tire hits the fender liner)
the scope is there to run a softer main spring for a nicer ride and a longer bumpstop to keep the handling part. you'd have to calculate the wheel rate with the spring, and then add the bumpstop and remove spring until it matched, could be done in excel
04-18-20, 12:17 PM
#39
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when we go racing we try to dumb things down as much as possible, its too easy to get lost in all the theory, especially at the track, if you recall those things
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