semi-competitive fwd suspension

[mavisky]

ok here's the deal, i'm looking to have a semi-competitive suspension for my fwd to use in autocross this up-coming spring. right now the only suspension mods i have are a set of eibach sportline springs which i'd really hate to have to get rid of.

here's the plan

agx's front and rear
strut tower bars - will possibly even modify then if they're the cheap ass e-bay ones.
suspension techniques front and rear swaybar kit
and the road race engineering lower subframe brace

well that's the planned list of hard parts, of course i know there are other things such as bushings and just stock parts that will need replaced.

for tires i'm thinking about going with 215/45-16" falken azenis since the only other size they make that will fit my rims are stock 205/55-16 and since this isn't a daily driver i think i might gain more from the lower sidewall than i'd lose in gas mileage with the shorter tires. the tire is a definite, its just which size to use.

opinions?? comments??

 

[jtmcinder]

With regard to your specifics, a RRE lower front brace is not really needed until you have stiffened up a lot of other things, so you can save $100 for now to put towards more useful things, such as getting better shocks. The AGXs are a poor choice. You need high rebound damping with lowish compression damping for autoXing, so you want something like Koni Yellow inserts, instead.

But - if you don't mind (and even if you do) - I have to say that trying to set up a heavy FWD for SM is self-defeating. (You're in SM because you added a turbo.) SM is full of WRXs and STis with chips, AWD DSMs with t28s, M3s with super-chargers, and some ultra-lightweight Civics. If you're trying to compete in SM with FWD, you need to be down in the 2000# range, but you weigh more than 3000#. I'd not throw more money at this particular car if you're at all serious. It just isn't going to work.

I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm trying to save you money and heartache.

- Jtoby

 

[mavisky]

the car is more for fun than competition by a long shot, otherwise i'd start with my gf's awd instead. and right now my car weighs only 2600 with me in it. the car is a full on tsi replica so unless they check the vin number against factory reference code it won't be noticed. i've ridden in cars with both konis and kyb's, and i really couldn't feel much difference. the rre brace was the last thing on the list for a reason. it'll easily be the last thing i get. a whole new tranny setup with a kaaz would probably come before it anyways.

regardless what class i end up in the last thing it will cause is a headache, it's just a fun project for me and my gf to get into.

 

[cait sith]

Not to be a negative nancy, but if you want to be semi-competitive in a class, you're going to have to lose the street tires and run Hoosiers or a similar tire.

 

[mavisky]

Originally posted by cait sith
Not to be a negative nancy, but if you want to be semi-competitive in a class, you're going to have to lose the street tires and run Hoosiers or a similar tire.

I second everything jtm has to say.

If you're doing it for kicks like I do, it doesn't really matter. But 205's are tiny, and Anezis just don't grip enough to make a FWD 1G competitive.

trust me if i had the cash i'd be sporting kum-ho's r compounds on 8" forged wheels in a heartbeat, but this thing has to serve double-duty as a weekend car too and i already need one set of tires, buying two just isn't going to happen. that's why i'm thinking of going with the 215/45-16's to sacrafice some sidewall for cornering since no matter how much sidewall they have they'll suck at the strip since the sidewalls are so stiff.


i'm guessing mentioning semi-competitive in the title was the wrong thing to do now.

 

[jtmcinder]

Why Konis and not AGXs? Because the Konis have more rebound damping.

Yes, they might feel similar on the street, but that's mostly a function of compression damping. When autoXing, what matters is how quickly you can get the weight to transfer (so the car takes a set) and that's mostly a function of rebound damping. You want the nose of the car to be much more responsive than it is stock. You want the car to turn in and then stay in, not wallow in and/or wash out. It is hard to describe how much better Konis are than any of the other OTS shocks in this regard. If you can take a few runs on Konis and some others to convince yourself before spending money, I urge you to do this.

Use the money you save not getting a lower stress bar and get better shocks. After tires, the most important mod for autoXing is shocks.

- Jtoby

 

[mavisky]

now i gotcha, i fully understand how shocks work, i just didn't understand the differences between the two sets.

what are your opinions on teh kyb/koni combo rre offers??

 

[jtmcinder]

The guys at RRE know a lot than I do, so I would guess that it's good. But I would also suggest that you talk to Mike at DSS, too. He knows 1Gs quite well and is more sensitive to autoXing issues than most vendors.

- Jtoby

 

[mavisky]

well i never even got a chance to talk to anyone about shocks since my dad went and bought me a full set of agx's for christmas. so even if they suck they're still free. so far the simple fact that they're not blown is all i care about.

 

[cOiL]

I managed a 2.1 60' on the azenis at the strip. Take em down to 20psi and a very short burnout. They got so soft and sticky I had to pick 1/4" rocks out of the tread blocks (actually in the blocks, not tread groves) back in the pit. These tires are hard to get a good launch cause the sidewall being so damn stiff, but it's possible. My tires at 20psi still looked like 40.