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

[CSG Mike]

Originally Posted by finch1750

I have searched and cant seem to find a diffinitive answer.

For camber bolts the options seem to be an aftermarket 16mm bolt in the upper hole or an 14mm oem crash bolt also in the upper hole.

What about a 14mm aftermarket bolt in the lower hole combined with the crash bolt in the upper hole? I was thinking set the crash bolts to max negative and then fine tune with the lower camber bolts that are lobed and easier to adjust.

My reasoning is from talking to people it seems between -2 and -2.5 is good in the front and about a degree less in the rear, which you cannot obtain with only camber adjustment in the top holes without camber plates (and Im not ready to fork over cash for those while still on stock struts).

Remember, they're held by tension. You can do it, and it'll work, but keep an eye on them to make sure your setting doesn't slip. Torque them properly, and don't overtorque either. Check after any spins.

[Mikepage]

Hi,

Question for you guys,

Am on Mach V springs and I just ordered the rear Whiteline 16mm sway bar with braces and link to be able to play with the oversteer because I feel the car a little be more understeer after installing my springs.

I have also a front Whiteline strut bar.

Am with stock tires for the moment...

Do you know if need to add the front sway or it will be enough with only the rear one to get play with the oversteer understeer?

Thanks!

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Mikepage

Hi,

Question for you guys,

Am on Mach V springs and I just ordered the rear Whiteline 16mm sway bar with braces and link to be able to play with the oversteer because I feel the car a little be more understeer after installing my springs.

I have also a front Whiteline strut bar.

Am with stock tires for the moment...

Do you know if need to add the front sway or it will be enough with only the rear one to get play with the oversteer understeer?

Thanks!

I don't like running a larger rear bar without a larger front on this car. But maybe try it and see what you think. I suspect you'll like it more with a bigger front bar.

- andy

[ihaskrayon]

Just installed Eibach Sportlines. Everything went well, car rides nice, alignment doesn't seem off.

However, when I turn, I hear a loud squeal. Almost like I'm rubbing on metal or something. Wheels are 18x8.5 +44 in the front. That's where I seem to hear the noise, mainly on the passenger side

[Mikepage]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

I don't like running a larger rear bar without a larger front on this car. But maybe try it and see what you think. I suspect you'll like it more with a bigger front bar.



- andy

What do you suggest for the front with an 16mm rear sway bar?

[SubieNate]

Question for you guys. I did extensive research when I setup my old impreza. That being a much more front heavy car, the specifics were different but I have been wondering about one aspect.

I went with a pretty beefy front bar on the Impreza. The reasoning was that on a front heavy, MacPherson strut car the benefits of keeping the geometry in check outweighed the potential for increased under steer and for a street car, sways give more lateral adjustability without murdering rode quality.

I upgraded the rear to match and always enjoyed the setup. Is there any need for similar tuning on this car or does it do a better job of controlling chassis movement/geometry naturally?

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Mikepage

What do you suggest for the front with an 16mm rear sway bar?

It depends on the rest of your set-up, but we generally like a 22mm front or a 25mm hollow. Our own RCE bars are 25mm and 19mm (hollow so about 22 front and 16mm solid equivalent). That works well for most set-ups but if you're going very stiff on springs you may want to go smaller. Adjustable bars are recommended.

- Andy

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by SubieNate

Question for you guys. I did extensive research when I setup my old impreza. That being a much more front heavy car, the specifics were different but I have been wondering about one aspect.

I went with a pretty beefy front bar on the Impreza. The reasoning was that on a front heavy, MacPherson strut car the benefits of keeping the geometry in check outweighed the potential for increased under steer and for a street car, sways give more lateral adjustability without murdering rode quality.

I upgraded the rear to match and always enjoyed the setup. Is there any need for similar tuning on this car or does it do a better job of controlling chassis movement/geometry naturally?

If you're comparing to a GD chassis Impreza, don't. Throw all that out the window! Different bar motion ratios and just a chassis that behaves a lot differently. A lot of people never changed their thinking from GD to GR, too.

We do go stiffer up front than most with this car. It does help with keeping geometry in check up front but also helps put the power down and keep the rear from stepping out.

EDIT: This car also doesn't need HUGE bars since it just rolls less and is lighter. It feels a little better to get a higher % of roll resistance from the springs, but for street cars sometimes you can make a compromise that rides better.

- Andy

[Mikepage]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

It depends on the rest of your set-up, but we generally like a 22mm front or a 25mm hollow. Our own RCE bars are 25mm and 19mm (hollow so about 22 front and 16mm solid equivalent). That works well for most set-ups but if you're going very stiff on springs you may want to go smaller. Adjustable bars are recommended.

- Andy

Hi Andy,

I have only Mach V springs, Strut bar...with a good alignment, like I said before....

I think the best choice bases on your information, I will go with : 22mm solid. Do you suggest to go with an aftermarket link kit or only the front sway bar will do the job? I have the link for my 16mm rear...

Are you informed about clearance issue using oem link on an aftermarket front bar?

I saw a thread concerning this and they fix it with an aftermarket adjustable link...

Let me know!

Thank you again!

[utekineir]

Quick question on what I should do:

Bit back I had found a good price on kwv3 and picked them up. Since it's salt season here and the car is just seeing daily use they are still in the box. The price paid was low enough they should have no issue being sold for about a wash.

I've been having second thoughts about wether to sell the v3 and pick up a set of rce t2. Or just throw on the v3.

I spent years with no weekends due to work and other obligations. Now that that has changed, there's a good local autox and 2 tracks within about an hour slated to open later this summer. I plan on going to things as frequently as possible. That puts my experience level at roughly 0.5 on a scale to 10.

That said the frs sees the majority of my work/commute/etc miles due to driving 700-1k miles a week and the mpg being a huge jump over the other vehicles owned. Mechanically I'm a shade tree idiot, but I have rebuilt an ej25. Not too worried about wear and tear on the vehicle with dd and toy use.

So, in a nutshell, lots of dd miles, planned autox/track whenever schedule allows during the season. Beginner experience level. V3 or t2? The v3 being already here. Or a 3rd option: sell and learn not to suck with stock suspension?

Thanks

[jvincent]

Car is an all season DD and due to our nasty winters, there is no way it can be lowered. Too much snow.

I'm planning on tracking it this summer, and was wondering if there is any benefit to upgrading the suspension given the above, or would I just be spending money for the sake of spending money? If yes, any recommendations for upgrades that will keep the stock height and ideally improve both road and track drivability?

I'm already planning on upgrading brake pads and fluid and will upgrade the stock tires to something stickier once I burn them out.

Thanks.

[Malt]

Originally Posted by jvincent

Car is an all season DD and due to our nasty winters, there is no way it can be lowered. Too much snow.

I'm planning on tracking it this summer, and was wondering if there is any benefit to upgrading the suspension given the above, or would I just be spending money for the sake of spending money? If yes, any recommendations for upgrades that will keep the stock height and ideally improve both road and track drivability?

I'm already planning on upgrading brake pads and fluid and will upgrade the stock tires to something stickier once I burn them out.

Thanks.

Why not just get a decent set of coilovers and lower it for the summer and raise it back up for the winter? RCE T2s or KW V3s sound like they would be a good match for you since they have a coating to resist rust. You might even be able to raise it higher than stock during the winter for more ground clearance. I'm not 100% sure about raising above stock though.

[jvincent]

I thought about that, but I'm not sure about the hassle factor of changing it every season.

[Ninjin]

Originally Posted by Malt

Why not just get a decent set of coilovers and lower it for the summer and raise it back up for the winter? RCE T2s or KW V3s sound like they would be a good match for you since they have a coating to resist rust. You might even be able to raise it higher than stock during the winter for more ground clearance. I'm not 100% sure about raising above stock though.

I asked Myles about this when I installed T2s. He said they're not designed for it and it is not recommended.

Originally Posted by jvincent

I thought about that, but I'm not sure about the hassle factor of changing it every season.

If you're changing to winter tires (and you should be!) then adjusting the ride height is an extra minute per corner, it's easy and fast.