lovemyseven

iTrader: (2)

I've been taking my FD to the track this year and have been running with the 17" wheels that I use on the street. It's an R1 package with Pettit/Eibach springs and upgraded shocks. The tires are scrubbing the tops of the wheel wells in the front on both sides. I know it could be a host of reasons, but what have some of you found? Should I just put some stickies on the stock wheels and run those or could it be the shocks are worn out?

Thanks in Advance!

ptrhahn

iTrader: (9)

What are your wheel/tire sizes, and how low do you have the car set?

Track tires will make it worse, but that will also depend on size a bit as well. Sounds at first blush like you're driving hard enough that your suspension/roll is too soft.

lovemyseven

iTrader: (2)

I will get home and get back to you on the tire size I've got on there. The enkei rims were on the car when I bought it, they are offset with I believe 17x10's in the rear and 17x8 in the front. May be 17x9's in the rear. Been meaning to measure, but don't know how accurate the measurement will be with the tires mounted. Still have a bit to learn about tire sizes/wheel offsets, etc.

I meant putting track tires on the stock 16" wheels. As far as how low it sits, I don't have coilolvers, so it isn't adjustable, probably sitting an inch or so lower than stock. Right now the car is on jack stands, so I will have to measure the ground to the lip later in the week when I lower it back down.

I'll get back to you this afternoon or evening. What do you mean about the roll is to soft?

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

What shocks are you using?

Eibach's are a nice spring, but they are soft compared to some of the others. Depending on your shocks and wheel/tire fitment you may get some rubbing using the Eibachs. Post up some more info and we'll try to help:

Wheel & tire specs (including offset)
Shock type (and setting if adjustable)

lovemyseven

iTrader: (2)

will do - Thanks!

lovemyseven

iTrader: (2)

OK, here are the facts
Wheels - Enkei RS Evolution, 17x8 in front, 17x9 in rear. The tires are 235/45 front and 255/40 rear.
Offset I believe is +38, not sure as I didn't purchase them. Anyway to find out for sure?
The springs have the following printed on them: Track Pro by Pettit Eibach 29/99 front & 30/99 rear.
The only marking I could find on the struts read FD 03 34 7000. They are black, and possibly the originals that came on the R1??

Thanks!

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

If you pull the wheel off, typically the offset is imprinted somewhere on the inside of the wheel.

It sounds like you have a fairly aggressive offset. If you combine that with stock shocks and Eibach springs, you are going to rub some on hard cornering and maybe under some hard braking zones. I would look at this opportunity to upgrade your suspension, in the least your shocks (something adjustable which can get you some stiffness on the track).

You might want to take this opportunity to investigate coilovers, but that just depends on the amount of funds you are ready to spend. Some shocks to take a look at are:

Tokico HTS (D-Spec) shocks
Koni shocks

lovemyseven

iTrader: (2)

when you say a fairly aggressive offset, do you mean the wheels are sticking out closer to the edges of the fender lip? I assume that is what you mean. I will remove a front wheel today and tell you the offset for sure.

I'd like something adjustable, to firm up at the track, and back down for around town. Are the Tokico's adjustable.
I'm not opposed to a set of coilovers, besides the amount of time it takes to get them dialed in and set correctly.
I put some on my evo a couple of years ago, and getting the height just right was a pain in the ***.

Thanks Again

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Yes. You mentioned they may be 17x8 at +38. The stock wheels are a +50 so a +38 is fairly aggressive for a somewhat soft suspension setup.

Yes, the Tokico's are adjustable as well as the Koni's. The HTS line is their new shock which is getting a lot of good noise lately.

The reason I mentioned coilovers is that once you pay for a decent set of shocks and go with a good set of springs, you are pretty close to the cost of decent coilovers. However, I would caution you against the "cheap" coilovers. I would suggest a good shock/spring combo over the cheaper coilover kits, but if you have the money for a decent set of coilovers that is the preferred way to go.

lovemyseven

iTrader: (2)

Thanks Mahjik. Couple of questions: if the setup I've got, and I will verify the offset, is rather aggressive for track use, is there a better wheel size/offset I should consider? Also, if I chose to go the coilover route, which ones should I look at? Also, who sells them that will give me the best support when it comes to getting them setup properly.

Thanks

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

The offset isn't aggressive per say, but it all depends on your suspension setup. Different suspension setups are able to accommodate more aggressive wheel configurations. If you do have a +38, I think you are fine as long as you stiffen up the suspension a little.

For a multi-purpose coilover (street/track), I typically recommend the Tein Flex:

http://www.rx7store.net/product_p/teinflex.htm

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Another option is Koni shocks with Ground Control coil over setup. That is what I run.

Here is another Tein dealer (AutoRND) also has wheels for our cars:
https://www.rx7club.com/a-138/

And of course, you might as well read Howard Coleman's thread:
https://www.rx7club.com/suspension-wheels-tires-brakes-20/howard-colemans-fd-chassis-setup-723617/

lovemyseven

iTrader: (2)

please explain the koni/gc coilover setup for me - thanks

also, i've seen some differing opinions on wheel size for track use. though I need to look at my suspension tuning, what about using the stock wheels for track time?

I didn't get around to pulling a wheel and checking the offset of my front rims tonight, but will tomorrow hopefully.

great right up by coleman! lots of things to keep in mind. my car handles really well, but I am still learning to push the car harder at the track, and my wheel wells are taking some punishment, so some changes are needed.

although setting coilovers isn't fun, I assume it's a good way to get a spring/strut combo truly made for one another.

thanks again guys

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

Ground Control sells coilover sleeves with custom springs that can be used on existing shocks. This works well if you already have a good set of dampers that don't make sense to part with just for a full coilover kit.

Today, I would recommend Tokico HTS shocks even over Koni. New, better technology until Koni comes out with a new offering for the FD.

If you have the means (or money), I don't recommend the stock wheels for tracking. They are light, but they are prone to cracking. There are several alternatives out there for tracking. Personally, I'm looking at the Diamond Wheels for a few sets of track wheels:

https://www.rx7club.com/suspension-wheels-tires-brakes-20/15-3rd-gen-694952/

For the most part, yes. However, it's highly questionable whether some of the cheaper coilovers actually match their dampers to their springs. This is why I recommend a good spring/shock combo over the cheaper coilovers.

lovemyseven

iTrader: (2)

You Da Man. Thanks for the quick responses. If that's the case with the stock wheels, I will keep my enkei 3pc wheels and work on suspension tuning. I like the wheels and the staggered look for now.
Regarding the GC setup. I don't know what shocks I have, quite possibly the stock r1's. So maybe it will be in my best interest to go with the tein flex's or buy a set of Tokico HTS's and get the GC sleeves.
I do agree, some of the cheaper coilover sets are more for looks than anything else.
One more question, what spring rates have you had the most success with? From the coleman thread - he was happy with 8kg front, 6kg rear (coleman: I run 432 front and 378 rear. Expressed metrically 8 KG and 6 KG)


Thanks!

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

I run similar rates currently with the Tein S-Tech springs. The Ground Control coilover sleeves typically come with 500F/400R for the the FD unless you specify differently. The good thing is that you can always just order a new set of springs to dial in what you want from the car (which you can do with just about any coilover setup as well).

It is possible to get custom springs for a non-coilover setup. Eibach and Swift are two companies who do custom springs.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

^That is one of the things I like about my Koni/GC setup. I've played around with rates and can go out and buy the springs used for $75 a pair or new at $59 each. The original GC setup uses 500F and 400R. I softened it up a bit to 450F and 350R since I use the car on the street a lot. When my Konis got tired, I sent them out to Tripoint and had them revalved to suit my needs ($100 each). The Konis also offer great street manners.

However, the Tein coilovers are a pretty good option and potentially cheaper if you don't already have shocks (depending which Tein you choose). They have some attractively priced models and seem to be well built. I think the out of the box rates of the Teins that howard mentions are fine on a car that sees lots of track time. The drop to the softer 8/6k springs helps make it a bit more livable on the street but the desire/need to decrease rate can depend on the condition of the roads you drive on and your tolerance for a rougher ride.

FWIW, a friend of mine runs stock low mileage R1 shocks and RSR Race stock style springs and absolutely kicks *** on track. He is a talented driver.