Proof that Coilovers Reduce Lap Times??????

[Purist]

Does anyone here have any evidence of coilovers reducing their lap times? For example: My lap times were consistently X, then I got coilovers and dropped Y seconds off my time.

If you do have such an anecdote, please share a few specs (and tyre specs too)

Thanks in advance

[broberg]

This has probably been up before

[ame]http://youtu.be/ca3KmMZ577o[/ame]

[DarkSunrise]

Yep, also here (FR-S was 1.5 seconds faster on KW V3):

http://www.superstreetonline.com/fea...ing-challenge/

[ApexEight]

I wonder how much a new and more aggressive alignment after installing coilovers has to do with it

[ApexEight]

Double post

[kch]

For novices, coils can actually increase times. A friend of mine dropped 3-5 seconds per lap after going back to stock suspension.

But for intermediate or advanced drivers, they absolutely help.

[strat61caster]

Depends on if they're setup well, put them in with whack damper rates, unbalanced spring rates (or too soft or too stiff), poor alignment and you just lost a lot of grip.

Suspension design is hard, general advice is if you can't point to a specific area that needs improvement and how what you buy is going to help then odds are low it will be money well spent unless you pick the right setup by chance or good guidance.

The fastest way to make your car faster is with seat time and instruction, it doesn't matter if you have a car that can corner at 2g's if you're not confident and go through a corner 15 mph slower than a stock 86 or Miata can with a good driver.

Then again sometimes the best way to learn is to dive in head first into the deep end. Best of luck.

[dattran86]

well putting on a set of coilovers and head straight to the track right after doesn't magically make you go a couple sec faster.

You need to know how to set up the coilovers, what damper setting is best for your local track. whats the spring rate? is your tire grip level matching the stiffer spring rate?

hows your alignment? how much camber you have in the front compare to the rear. you need rear lower control arm to adjust the rear camber, top hat for the front coils because some doesnt come with one

what about your ride height? are you too low?

alot more work that goes into setting the car right after you installed coilover.

So does coilover make you go faster? Yes if it set up right with proper alignment and ride height. No if you just slap them on and hope for the best

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by dattran86

So does coilover make you go faster? Yes if it set up right with proper alignment and ride height. No if you just slap them on and hope for the best

A lot of systems are designed to bolt on and be marginal improvements, "close enough" to being "correct" that the stiffer springs provide most drivers a confidence boost (which usually translates to an improved laptime), even at the budget levels it seems like many are happy with them and many vendors are happy to put their name behind stuff in the <$1.5k category.

It just won't be optimized, which for people hunting laptimes, that means that it's money down the drain when you eventually upgrade to something better suited for the users desires and applications.

Edit:
Something rarely talked about is that the goal of modifications should be to make the car EASIER to drive, not stiffer, not reduce roll, not improve transition speed. The goal should be to make the car easier to control and keep at the limits of traction. It's something I don't see mentioned often enough and it's why the OE coilovers are regarded so highly by so many.

[mav1178]

Yes, only if the adjustment(s) and differences in spring/dampening rates address the deficiencies in the car with you as a driver.

If you are very skilled and are basically outdriving the car at every corner, adjustable coilovers can only improve your lap times.

[Purist]

So 'No' is pretty much the answer. My concern is that even if I did get the suspension set up really well ($$$$$) the limit handling characteristics might not be as sweet, so I may be less inclined to drive at the limit, slowing me down.

I just have to keep repeating the mantra:

'This is your road car. Racing is a hobby, This is a road car, racing is a hobby...'

[x808drifter]

Don't fix what isn't broken.

Better tires, alignment, wheels will go far.

[Purist]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

The fastest way to make your car faster is with seat time and instruction, it doesn't matter if you have a car that can corner at 2g's if you're not confident and go through a corner 15 mph slower than a stock 86 or Miata can with a good driver.

.

100% agree. there is a dude at my local hillclimb in a Levin BZR who laps a few tenths quicker than I do in the BRZ. He's been doing it for years and is always at the limit.

[Purist]

All good info, thanks all. BUT...

The question was not 'Will coilovers make me faster?'

The post was about actual evidence . Does no one have any actual evidence from their own experience of faster times with after fitting coilovers? Should I post this in a more track-focused discussion?