CSG and RCE tag-team suspension Q&A thread! Ask us anything!

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

Installed my RCE Yellows and Whiteline camber bolts, then got an alignment. How does this look for a daily driver?

Can i ask why more rear camber? Most setups i have seen have even or .5- 1° more in front.

[gramicci101]

Originally Posted by finch1750

Can i ask why more rear camber? Most setups i have seen have even or .5- 1° more in front.

No idea, that's just how it worked out with the springs. I don't have an LCA that would let me adjust it. I was expecting it to be around 1.5-1.7.

[finch1750]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

No idea, that's just how it worked out with the springs. I don't have an LCA that would let me adjust it. I was expecting it to be around 1.5-1.7.

Ah. Makes sense. I thought you had something since it was so even. Lol

[fstlane]

Originally Posted by gramicci101

Firestone on N. Durango in the top left corner of the city. Ask for Alex. He's apparently the guy that does the alignments for the exotic racing experience at LVMS, and he's very comfortable aligning to given specifications instead of OEM spec. Since I got the lifetime alignment package, he said come in before an event, he'll tweak it for that event, then come in afterwards and he'll reset it back to daily driver spec.

Perfect, I'll look him up. Thank you!

[FRS Johnny]

So here is my set up. Fortune Auto coils. spring rages are 8k front / 9k rear. Wheels are 18x9.5 +38. Tires are 245/40. Alignment specs are -2 front and -2.5 rear. Dropped down to about a generous finger gap.

So while out doing spirited driving in the mountains, on big bumps and dips it seems to bottom out a little bit. A friend of my drove the car and said the same thing. I think it might be that I'm hitting the bump stops? Maybe there isn't enough suspension travel because of the drop? Or maybe it just can't take bigger dips and bumps in the road? I'm not sure as to what the problem is, but any help or suggestions would help!
I know that being too low just ruins the handling...but it just looks too good lower. My friend and I are probably going to raise the car up a little and see if that helps at all. Any ideas or knowledge would be great! Thank you!

[ja1217]

So now that the 2014 season is over for me and I won't start back up again until spring next year I was looking to make some upgrades to my suspension to try and help get me to the top of TTD in my region at NASA.

Currently I'm running the Ohlins Road & Track coilovers with the default springs (~342 lbs/in). These have been great on the street and even the track with street tires, but I don't think they have been quite up to snuff when I throw the Hoosier R6's on. I get a fair amount of body roll which I'm sure isn't helping with the inside wheel slipping I've been seeing, which I'm also planning on getting an upgraded LSD to help fix that as well.

Now, I am looking to increase the stiffness of the springs significantly and am planning on sending the coilovers to Ohlins to get revalved (assuming the cost is reasonable). So, my question is how stiff should I go? I'm not really concerned with street comfort any more, and since I'm planning on getting them revalved, I guess the sky is the limit. I was thinking something like 650lbs/in front, 750 rear but am open to suggestions. I got these numbers from my current nemesis on track who uses these rates on his E36 M3 (~3200lbs race weight). I know you can't directly compare different cars, but I figured it might be a good starting point. I am not running any downforce and am planning on running either 225 Hoosier R7's or 225 Maxxis RC-1's for next year and my race weight is about 2900lbs.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by FRS Johnny

So here is my set up. Fortune Auto coils. spring rages are 8k front / 9k rear. Wheels are 18x9.5 +38. Tires are 245/40. Alignment specs are -2 front and -2.5 rear. Dropped down to about a generous finger gap.

So while out doing spirited driving in the mountains, on big bumps and dips it seems to bottom out a little bit. A friend of my drove the car and said the same thing. I think it might be that I'm hitting the bump stops? Maybe there isn't enough suspension travel because of the drop? Or maybe it just can't take bigger dips and bumps in the road? I'm not sure as to what the problem is, but any help or suggestions would help!
I know that being too low just ruins the handling...but it just looks too good lower. My friend and I are probably going to raise the car up a little and see if that helps at all. Any ideas or knowledge would be great! Thank you!

FA coilovers use separate ride height and preload adjustments, so if you're using the lower mount to adjust height you won't be adding any bump travel back when raising the car.

Do you mostly feel it over dips? How stiff do you have your dampers set?

- Andy

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by ja1217

So now that the 2014 season is over for me and I won't start back up again until spring next year I was looking to make some upgrades to my suspension to try and help get me to the top of TTD in my region at NASA.

Currently I'm running the Ohlins Road & Track coilovers with the default springs (~342 lbs/in). These have been great on the street and even the track with street tires, but I don't think they have been quite up to snuff when I throw the Hoosier R6's on. I get a fair amount of body roll which I'm sure isn't helping with the inside wheel slipping I've been seeing, which I'm also planning on getting an upgraded LSD to help fix that as well.

Now, I am looking to increase the stiffness of the springs significantly and am planning on sending the coilovers to Ohlins to get revalved (assuming the cost is reasonable). So, my question is how stiff should I go? I'm not really concerned with street comfort any more, and since I'm planning on getting them revalved, I guess the sky is the limit. I was thinking something like 650lbs/in front, 750 rear but am open to suggestions. I got these numbers from my current nemesis on track who uses these rates on his E36 M3 (~3200lbs race weight). I know you can't directly compare different cars, but I figured it might be a good starting point. I am not running any downforce and am planning on running either 225 Hoosier R7's or 225 Maxxis RC-1's for next year and my race weight is about 2900lbs.

Don't bother directly comparing spring rates between 2 different cars. Just don't.

Suspension frequencies yes, but not spring rates.

Do you have any other mods? Bushings, swaybars, etc?

- Andy

[ja1217]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Do you have any other mods? Bushings, swaybars, etc?

- Andy

No, everything else involving the suspension is stock and I wasn't planning on adding anything either.

[SubiePig]

Originally Posted by ja1217

So now that the 2014 season is over for me and I won't start back up again until spring next year I was looking to make some upgrades to my suspension to try and help get me to the top of TTD in my region at NASA.

Currently I'm running the Ohlins Road & Track coilovers with the default springs (~342 lbs/in). These have been great on the street and even the track with street tires, but I don't think they have been quite up to snuff when I throw the Hoosier R6's on. I get a fair amount of body roll which I'm sure isn't helping with the inside wheel slipping I've been seeing, which I'm also planning on getting an upgraded LSD to help fix that as well.

my race weight is about 2900lbs.

How so heavy?


Also, 550ish square on slicks I think would be a good starting point. low/mid 2Hz range, don't fall into over springing the car. Also, if you are on stock sways I would consider those as well.

[ja1217]

Originally Posted by SubiePig

How so heavy?


Also, 550ish square on slicks I think would be a good starting point. low/mid 2Hz range, don't fall into over springing the car. Also, if you are on stock sways I would consider those as well.

2900 lbs includes me in the drivers seat and 70lbs of ballast in the rear. Minimum weight for the car in TTD is 2885, which I can get to with only about 1/2 a tank of gas.

I'd consider doing sway bars, but those cost points in NASA's TT system, so I'm just going to stick with the stock ones. I can swap out my current springs without taking any additional points.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by ja1217

No, everything else involving the suspension is stock and I wasn't planning on adding anything either.

Forgot about points. If you can afford to add any bushings, do it. With hoosiers you'll really feel a difference from stock.

On hoosiers with Ohlins with stock swaybars I'd start around 12 kg/mm. Perhaps 12k/14k. You'd definitely need a revalve for that.

- Andy

[ja1217]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Forgot about points. If you can afford to add any bushings, do it. With hoosiers you'll really feel a difference from stock.

On hoosiers with Ohlins with stock swaybars I'd start around 12 kg/mm. Perhaps 12k/14k. You'd definitely need a revalve for that.

- Andy

I'll need to look through the rule book again. I know a lot of the bushings can be free, but some aren't. Swaybars definitely take points though and are a no-go for me.

Also, would your springrate recommendations change much for the Maxxis RC-1 tires (slightly more grip than NT01's, I think)?

Here is the section of the TT rules regarding suspension bushings:

22) Metallic and/or spherical-design replacement suspension bushings +3 (except for pillow ball camber plate joints, sway bar end links already assessed points in E.7) above, control arm spindle/knuckle joints already assessed points in E.9) above, and panhard rod, Watts link, torque arm, and third links already assessed in E.19), E.20), E.21), and E.22) above.)

This sounds like I'd be able to do the Whiteline polyurethane crossmember mount bushings, but I'm afraid the other bushings around sway bars, control arms, etc will cost points.

[ja1217]

Just got off the phone with Ohlins USA and they said they usually charge about $120 a corner for revalve/service, which sounds quite reasonable to me, so I think I will be sending mine in soon as they said they end up getting pretty busy with professional race teams over the winter.

Now all that I need to do is buy the springs. Any suggestions on brand?