I already have upgraded swaybars, front and rear, but it looks like it's lifting the inside front tire....

EDIT: In this pic I am running 8k front, 6k rear... I'm going to switch to 10/8 regardless, but should I look into race coilovers with even stiffer springrates?

 

Yes. Many custom setups actually use a lighter front spring...like a 10k/12k. I have the track Megans, which come stock with a 12k/10k which you can change +/- 2k.

 

Need is a tricky word.....but they'd certainly help.

If you're in SM, then yes, you need stiffer springs to be competitive. Stiffer then 10/8 or 12/10 for that matter. What is your wheel/tire set-up and how much camber are you running in that picture? From that pic, it looks like you could use a little more camber as a band-aid solution, although it's a bit of an awkward angle.


- Andrew

 

Well, I have the street Megans and I'm upgrading to 10/8's now... we'll see what kind of improvement those make, and if not enough... I'll have to step up to the race units...

 

17x9 FN01R-C with 275/40 Falken 615's

-2.3 front / -1.7 rear

Whiteline swaybars front and rear, rear at 2 of 4.

 

Honestly if you want to be fast in SM you need real tires first and foremost - Hoosiers or V710's.

I would swap your springs front-to-rear and put the 10K's out back where they belong. See how that does first.

 

I'm already fast in SM, the R comps are on the list for next season, money doesn't permit anything more than what I have right now.

How would a stiffer rear spring help with lifting the front tire? My car does not go tripod now, no matter how hard I push it. As a matter of fact I really like the balance it has right now... I just want to know how much stiffer springs will help with the excessive body roll, since the anti-roll bars are already installed.

My car is already tail happy at this point, I thought that increasing the rear springrate would increase the tendancy to oversteer? Maybe I'm missing something here...

 

- Andrew

 

The stiffer rear spring should have been there to begin with....rear suspension is not a strut so different motion ratios then the front struts.

At this point for your car, adding the stiffer rear spring will reduce the lifting of the inside front tire, if that's what you're talking about. Think about the cross loading of the chassis in a turn.

If you like the balance of the car as it is now, you have two options.

1. Keep car the as is, always wonder how good the car could have been .
2. Swap stiffer springs to rear. Change driving style slightly and be faster. You could also reduce some of your rear sway bar since it's adjustable to tune out some tailhappiness.


- Andrew

 

Well, in that case I'll give it a shot...

 

Superhatch,
You ever run with NNJR SCCA at Etown? I could use a little company this Saturday. Everyone else is gonna be at NEDiv's. Check out www.autox4u.com for more info.

As for springs, myself and another guy are at 12/14 and it's good, but not stiff enough. The balance is great for local events on decent asphalt, but once the rubber gets laid down at National events the car gets pushy again. To be a proper SM/SP car you gotta run stiffer.

John

 

Nope, havn't run at E-town, I've only done 3 autox's ever, so I'm just getting my feet wet in the South Jersey region. I was planning on being at e-town this weekend with my g/f for the DSM shootout... so at the very least I will stop over there and say hi. I may run my car, but I'm not sure yet.

I guess when my replacement springs come in I'll set them 8k front 10k rear... And if money permits I'll get a new set of coilovers next year with something stiffer. The r-comps are my priority though.

 

Don't forget that as grip increases with the r compound tires this will produce more body roll. You then roll yourself right off the contact patch. For everything to work effectively it must work as a system, not just a couple parts. As someone mentioned, I would start with more neg camber in the front and add stiffer springs. If you are planning to move to a wide (285 or more) V710 or A6 then those soft springs really are gonna be tough. Your gonna need 12/14 ish at a minimum.

 

He's right....it's not always as simple as just changing one little thing. Everything affects the total system.

If you cant go to 12/14ish springs right when you get your R-comps, then running a crapload of camber will be a decent interim solution. But not ideal.

That should hold you over until you get Motons


- Andrew

 

lifting the inside tire isn't somethign that springs will exactly solve... but they'll solve that massive body roll and that horrid roll center you got goin' on there... also lowering would help... don't know if you considered that