CSG Mike's observations on dampers/coilovers

[Chee-Hu]

How does one determine what the difference is in low, medium, or high budget coilovers? Are there price points that need to be met? Is it the adjust-ability? Comfort? Performance?

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

What is the right setup for RCE T0 for someone with an otherwise stock car for the occasional back road and track day? Lets assume that alignment is also stock, and the track/back roads are fairly bumpy.

Well I wouldn't recommend a stock alignment...for anyone really.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend RCE T0 to someone on stock tires either.

There's a lot of variables and IMO no one "right" set-up for every person.

So lets say someone is on stock width or close with sticky summer tires (good ones)...wants to maintain good ride quality, wants to reduce roll, and wants to improve handling noticeably. They like the rear end to step out predictably but also likes some stability in higher speed long sweepers at the track. They might use a little kerbing at the track too, but aren't pushing for track records.

Keep our standard 280/280 (5k/5k) spring rates we use.

Go with as much negative camber as you can up front which should be approaching -2, and 0 toe front and rear. Maybe a hair of toe in for the rear depending on the driver's preferences. For rear camber you can let it end up where it is with the drop or dial it in with extra parts. So you'd be okay without LCAs or the rear WL bushing, but could add them if you're anal like me. More camber up front is helpful though I'm not sure you can get past -2 without more parts.

Keep a 1 inch to 1.5 inch drop max front and rear.

From there, you can actually fine tune things a bit for each driver with ride height rake...even minor adjustments can make a slight difference. We can also do firmer spring rates, but all of this will depend on the car and driver and tires.

Some people don't like to mess with damper settings and just want something that works well with some basic set-up like above.

- Andy

[the.big.kahoona]

CSG Mike & RCE - what kind of coilovers and setup am I looking at give the following:

225 or 235 sticky summer tires
Perfect roads
Car is a DD but I dont mind sacrificing comfort for performance
Track not autox type driving

I had RCE T2s in my sights initially while the setup is still something I haven't tackled in my head

[CSG Mike]

@ Andy: Lets be realistic... how many T0 customers actually set them up to that extent? What would the net cost be to have an "ideally set up" T0?


@the.big.kahoona: how perfect? Perfect roads = no suspension, but that's not realistic. I do hear Dubai has very nice roads...

What kind of driving experience do you have? How do you prefer your cars to be set up? Do you have any videos I can observe? Knowing your preferences and style is the best way I can make a recommendation.

Also, what is your total budget for suspension and suspension related components?

[the.big.kahoona]

Well obviously not perfect, but pretty close.

Im far from being the best driver around. I have about 25 track days under my belt (mostly in the last year) so nothing major. No videos unfortunately. With 25 track days id say im still developing my style to be frank

Edit: ive budgeted around 5k in total

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by the.big.kahoona

CSG Mike & RCE - what kind of coilovers and setup am I looking at give the following:

225 or 235 sticky summer tires
Perfect roads
Car is a DD but I dont mind sacrificing comfort for performance
Track not autox type driving

I had RCE T2s in my sights initially while the setup is still something I haven't tackled in my head

I have a bunch of family in Dubai and Sharjah...perfect roads must be nice.

Anyway, I'm obviously biased towards RCE T2 clubsports. If you spend more money you can get a more serious shock, but these will be comfortable on your roads and are very easy to live with while performing very well. The Impreza version was on the STU national championship winning STI with a very good driver a few years back, so they can keep up and then some with more expensive shocks. For the money they are very hard to beat in my heavily biased opinion. But I also do have a decade of experience driving or riding on pretty much every brand out there and have tested a long list of BRZ stuff.

For a specific set-up honestly some more in-depth conversation would be best.

Do you have a lot of track experience? You might also want to link up with ultra on here to go for a ride in his RS*R coilovers.

- Andy

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

@ Andy: Lets be realistic... how many T0 customers actually set them up to that extent? What would the net cost be to have an "ideally set up" T0?

We're almost always just a phone call away, including weekends, and really do like giving advice to our customers. Most take advantage of that, some are just looking for the drop (and that's fine).

We are trying to work things out with our dealers so that there is more connection with the customer when things aren't purchased directly from us.

Net cost would be the price of coilovers + install + alignment, like any other set-up. You just have to have competent people do it that can listen.

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

@the.big.kahoona: how perfect? Perfect roads = no suspension, but that's not realistic. I do hear Dubai has very nice roads...

What kind of driving experience do you have? How do you prefer your cars to be set up? Do you have any videos I can observe? Knowing your preferences and style is the best way I can make a recommendation.

Also, what is your total budget for suspension and suspension related components?

We do ask a lot of the same questions which is why I respect you guys so much.

- Andy

[Gixxersixxerman]

The biggest problem I see is, the shops have to push what they are sponsored by or what ever.. Robi and KW, CSG and Tein and so on..They WILL how ever help you set up anything the best they can, nd I respect that a lot.. I went with RSR because after all the cars I've been in, they felt the best.. I guess if I was trying to get the last tenth out of a car I'd look at something more "race spec"

I had a goal to get with in a sec of randy pobst lap time around streets of willow and I did.. 9tenths, so I just started doing stuff.. I'm getting a performance alignment, sticker tires and hopefully getting these RSR dialed In.. Something I'm hoping Mike or Robi will be doing before the spring mtn event here in Vegas..

Which btw I need to send you the info on that if you don't have it.. Love for the rest of the Vegas guys to meet you and robi, mike

[CSG Mike]

I only like the SRCs in the Tein lineup... at the ~2k price range, the KW V3/RCE T2 are unbeatable values, but just dont cut it for me when it comes to a double duty track car. We believe in preparing for the harshest condition the car will be exposed to, rather than justifying less preparation with "it's only going to experience the condition occasionally/rarely".

E.g. will stock brakes get by at the track for a relatively inexperienced driver? Probably. Is it ideal? Not at all. Is it cost effective? It has the least up-front cost, but it depends on what you want to get out of that track day. Value is all relative, and we value maximizing the utility of our time, so we try to prepare as best as we can.

Wouldn't it suck to drive all the way to Laguna Seca, and discover on your 3rd lap that your brakes are fading while braking into Turn 2?

Likewise, the more serious drivers tend to outgrow less expensive setups, which is why we like to ask a lot of questions before recommending a product. We quite frequently have to turn clients away because we don't carry a product that suits their specific needs. However, they often come back to us to get their setups dialed in.

We push JRZ far more than Teins... at least, I do. The differences in potential between suspension at anything sub-5k is not tenths, but seconds.

If only RCE were closer to us for some more collaboration...

[Vicious LED]

Originally Posted by Gixxersixxerman

The biggest problem I see is, the shops have to push what they are sponsored by or what ever.. Robi and KW, CSG and Tein and so on..They WILL how ever help you set up anything the best they can, nd I respect that a lot.. I went with RSR because after all the cars I've been in, they felt the best.. I guess if I was trying to get the last tenth out of a car I'd look at something more "race spec"

I had a goal to get with in a sec of randy pobst lap time around streets of willow and I did.. 9tenths, so I just started doing stuff.. I'm getting a performance alignment, sticker tires and hopefully getting these RSR dialed In.. Something I'm hoping Mike or Robi will be doing before the spring mtn event here in Vegas..

Which btw I need to send you the info on that if you don't have it.. Love for the rest of the Vegas guys to meet you and robi, mike

With what you just mentioned, I also wouldn't be adverse to having Mike from CSG dialing in my suspension for a more performance based setup...especially considering we just bought new, smaller wheels (only dropping from 19" to 18", but still a change) we could definitely use a change in our suspension setup.

What day is the spring mtn event again? I need to start saving up my pennies for that

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by Vicious LED

With what you just mentioned, I also wouldn't be adverse to having Mike from CSG dialing in my suspension for a more performance based setup...especially considering we just bought new, smaller wheels (only dropping from 19" to 18", but still a change) we could definitely use a change in our suspension setup.

What day is the spring mtn event again? I need to start saving up my pennies for that

Gahhh I've had a lot of people asking if I'm going to make it to SMMR....

Maybe if you round up a few more Vegas guys that want to get their suspensions dialed in, we can work out a group rate.

[Vicious LED]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

Gahhh I've had a lot of people asking if I'm going to make it to SMMR....

...are you?

[HeubergerMotors]

Haayyyy!

[the.big.kahoona]

Mike you still owe me an answer