track/autox suspension setup...
 

setting up a track fd over the winter and now i am pretty confused on a suspension setup. this will be my first season so i want something that will be slightly inexpensive but still handle well. i was originally looking into coilovers but after searching and reading some of howard colemans post i think i may go with a shock/spring setup. i am thinking of either bilsteins or koni yellows, and tien s tech springs ( f rate 426 r rate 324 ). i know most track cars run close to 500 front and 450 rear spring rates. also looking possibly at the ground control coilovers. as for tires i am planning on running nitto nt-01's based on the price and they are well compared to the ra-1's. also i was reading that removing the rear sway bar may be better in track events. but needed for autox to slightly oversteer more. any imput on what i should do is greatly appreciated.

btw this will pretty much be a track only car.

My suggestion:

* Koni shocks
* Ground Control coilovers (you can later get a few springs to adjust for various events) Tein S-Tech springs are a good starting point if you don't want to shell out the extra cash for the GC's just yet.
* Widefoot Billet Swaybar mounts

As far as swaybars, I would leave them stock for now. As you get more seat time, the Tri-point adjustable sway bars would be a good upgrade.

Nitto NT-01 is a good tire. If they have your sizes, that's a good pick.

thanks mahjik, on the tires note i am looking at a set of 5zigen 17x9 all around. issue is that they are +37. so on the front it will be tight. i plan on rolling the fenders. btw tire size is 255 40 17.

If that's what you plan to run, I would encourage going the Ground Control route. You'll want and need that extra adjustability with those tire sizes and rim offset.

Talk with Rishie about the Enkei RPF1s in 17x9 +45. The only drawback is that they are too tight for some big brakes.

how is the staggered offset? handling wise vs. the all around. i know that it will reduce oversteer, but every car is different. i was looking on the nitto website and they make a 275 40 17. just want some opinion...

275/40 is a tall tire...

I have GC + Koni yellows, and the spring rates (700fr/500rr) allow me to set the ride height pretty close to 25".

Sorry for the hijack, but could someone point me in the direction of why to use the spring/strut setup over a full coilover? I just really don't understand the benefit. Thanks,

-Tony

It's cheaper, you have more control over the spring rates, and you can usually get better dampers that you don't get in a full coilover setup. This is assuming you are using the "JDM YO" coilovers. For instance, I'd rather run Bilsteins with some springs rather than JIC coilovers.

i looked into the enkei's and they seem like a good choice. i will keep the 17x9 all around with a 255 40 17 tire.

neo, 700f 500r spring rate seems pretty high or is that normal for a track setup?

That's more of an autocross setup, since the stiff springs allow the car to react more quickly. This will be difficult to handle for drivers with less experience! Some people build track cars with very stiff springs, but this is probably better for cars with real downforce (e.g. Brad Barber's old FD).

Because softer springs increase grip, you'll need to find a compromise between ride-height and stiffness. The springs need to be stiff enough to keep the car from bottoming too often. Any stiffer is too much or should be used to lower your ride height.

But you're building a lapping-day car, not a racing car, right? Start with proven, conservative pieces. Use springs around 400-500F/300-400R, and set corner weights with ride height around 25.5". Once you get familiar with that setup and know how you'd like to change the handling, people will be able to suggest particular parts to get there.

Final point: on a limited budget, a stock suspension will get you farther than a stock radiator, brake pads or swaybar mounts. Spend wisely.

yes for now i am building a lap day car. maybe in the future i will go for racing events. i would like to get seat time and get a good feel for everything. thanks to all for the imput.

If you go with the Enkei's and a decent offset, you can use the Tein S-Tech's matched with Koni's. That would give you a good setup which will last you for a while. I'm currently tracking on Tokicos with Tein S-Techs. Granted, I only had a few sessions before I blew my motor, but they felt really good. Koni is a better shock so your setup should be real nice if you go that direction.

Wait until you can out-drive the suspension before upgrading. Too many people try to get a top of the line setup before their driving skills are at the same level. While it sounds like a good idea to have something to "grow into", it can actually be a bad thing. The closer you put the car to that edge, the less feedback you get from the car to let you know how close to that edge you are getting.

yea thats what i am thinking mahjik. i may even go with bilsteins for now just to save a few $$. when it comes time i will upgrade to the koni/ ground control setup. from doing more seaching the koni/gc setup seems to be best and a more advanced setup.

I'd spend the extra for Konis now. The GC upgrade will be a lot cheaper next year.