How Do You Build a Full High Perf. Suspension

[DSMsamurai666]

I don't really know anything about high performance suspensions, but I was wondering how a full high performance suspension would go on a 1G AWD DSM like mine. I know a little a bout suspesnsions. I know struts, bushings, contrtol and trailing arms, sway bars, and I've installed most of them. I guess I'd like to know what's upgradeable and what else you do to get the max out of a 1G AWD suspension.

 

[Dallas J]

I dont know your driving experience, but its really hard to set up a car without having a feel for what you want it to do. Not just an overall of more oversteer or stability, but more specifically how the car reacts in each part of a corner.

For instance, I think my car needs more corner entry rotation without causing oversteer mid corner and when powering out of corners it needs more front grip. I think my problems can be fixed through differentials, but while I have a feel for how springs and bar changes the feel for a car I can only guess when it comes to diffs or chassis mods.

My suggestion would be to drive the car for a while to get a feel for what it does. Push it hard (on the track please) and find out where your being slowed. Ride in other cars to see whats faster in other areas so you can see where you might be able to improve. Once you really start getting a feel, then make 1 change that moves your handling towards your goals. If you have severe understeer/oversteer that makes the car uncontrollable then that would warrant a change, but barring that I would drive it for a season to know the car.

This is my 5th year auto-xing and I get somewhere between 10-20 events a year. I spent the whole time making changes until this year. This year I just drove the car as it was and was amazed how much faster my driving got. I didnt have the think about setting up the car and what to change next, I just observed the car and what I needed to do to get faster. I now have an even better feel for the car and a plan. Over the winter Ill be swapping in a quaife front and fresh tires. Other than that everything will be the same and Ill drive it like that for a year to get a feel for what it might need next.

I know this isnt a recipe for a fast car, but it sounds like you have the basis suspension stuff done to the point where you should just be driving. Just dial in as much front neg camber in the front and get out there racing.

 

[Ludachris]

You'll probably want to do some looking through the Road Racing forum. Plenty of suspension talk in there. Are you going to be driving this on the street? If so, you're likely not going to get the max out of the suspension since it will be too rough. Street cars are full of compromises. If you are building a track car, go to the Road Racing forum here on this site.