What suspension setup for road racing?

[Hobbes =^.^=]

I would like to know your opinions on which suspension setup I should use for road racing.

I heard from that B&G wasn't a good choice because it was too short.

 

[JustDSM]

You really need to address a few other issues. Cost is the biggest factor in a set-up and how it performs. In relative terms, you get what you pay for.

You could get away with a AGX/GC setup. TIEN/JIC would be a bit of a step up from that. Or go with a custom built set of coil-overs from a variety of sources such as Moriss Dampers (http://www.morissdampers.com/).

I realize this isnt the information your looking for but I hope that you can take this small tidbit and do your own research. Call up some vendors and ask questions. HTH

 

[DragonKnight]

Stay away from the AGX's for 2g's. They're too long if you decide to lower your ride. RRE recommends Tokico Illumina 5 Way Adjustable Shocks. Pair these up with GC coilovers with proper spring rates for a cheap coilover setup (Tein if u want to take it a step further). Then go for bigger anti-sway bars, front and rear strut tower bars, and bigger brakes (TCE big brakes if they have them for your car).

Oh yeah, tires. Those really should be first as tires are god on the track. Never neglect that. 225/50/16 should be good to start. Probably Bridgestone S-03's unless you go for 17" rims and Azenis RS.

If you really wanna get serious, look into a real roll cage (none of that bolt in crap) and harness that will be legal for the track. A harness will keep you firmly planted in your seat while u can concentrate on driving.

Hope this helps a bit. I've been to 2 track dates and a couple autocrosses myself. Turns are pretty addictive.

-Rich

 

[Rx3]

If you are serious about road racing, and you have the money, get coilovers( and I'm not talking about Ground Controls either) . LEDA is a good company for those. You will need the versatility provided. With the coilovers, you can adjust height, camber, rebound, everything you can think of. Most serious race coilover kits are usually custom made to the racers specs. I would guess you would spend cose to $1000 or more on the setup. But it's worth it if you are a serious road racer.

If you are just doing some lapping track days or a drivers school or club event, and are on a budget, you can't beat Illuminas and Eibachs for quality/price. They work well for autocross too

I would also suggest getting swaybars.

 

[siueclipse]

Look in my sig, thats what you should get.

 

[mdre21]

If you are serious about road racing or even autocrossing for that matter then dropping your car 2.5" is a horrible idea. Yes you will get a lower center of gravity and on the street you'll think that "she corners on rails." On the street however you don't put nearly as much load and stress on the tires and suspension as when you do when you are racing.

Drop springs lack the spring rate necessary to compensate for the lost distance in travel to make up for what you loose. You will end up having your tires rub or the suspension travel max out then your center of gravity is useless because the energy you "gained" by having a lower center of gravity is now "lost" in the form of rubbing and eventually skidding.

Start off with a really good set of struts first. And like others have said you get what you pay for. If it is something you really want to do get an exceptional set of coilovers with struts, expect to pay $1000 or more if you really want the goods. Then top it off with new bushings, strut and sway bars and get a good sold connection between all the pieces.

i forgot to mention too, you have to find some way to keep the rear end on the track, are weight balance sucks and the car is generally loose, so keep that in mind as well, as you are looking for suspension components.

 

[Dr. Design]

Well after reading this thread we realized that everything said thus far was correct. However only one person mentioned anything about a rollcage. If you do go with a roll cage please weld it in the the car do not bolt it in. There is much more function when the cage is actually welded in the car.
As far as all the suspension mods, they DO NOTHING unless you keep your chassis from flexing and moving. The best suspension mods will not keep your chassis from flexing. If you allow the chassis to flex then it acts like one big undamped spring. This makes it impossible to tune for optimal performance. It is a proven fact!

 

[RACER-X]

i would have to agree with dr. design. 1st do what you can to keep your frame from flexing; just that within it self will make your car handle better, and then get some comp coilovers.