Spring rates, f/r for coilovers

[ericrapp]

I am about to purchase full coilovers it seems and i have the opportunity to pick my springs. I am not concerned so much with comfort or drop just performance at speed. More high speed control for a fast track like Watkins Glen. By the way i will have stock Mazdaspeed springs for sale and a set of Cobb when i switch over. What do you folks who track your car ( road course ) , and anyone else certainly, think. Thanks

 

[bykeryder4life]

i dont have the specs on hand but i think my BC's are like 320/230???? for the spring rates... feel great at high speed to me.

 

[ericrapp]

Thanks, I am still looking for a speed shop to install and corner weight the car. Mostly 1/4 milers up in my neck of the woods. What did you set the camber to, if you recall.

 

[bacarl]

If you're quarter-miling, bump up the spring rate in the back, and you probably want as close to neutral camber as you're comfortable with, esp in front.

edit - wait I take that back. The front end will lift when you launch so I guess you'd still want some camber up front... I wouldn't think you'd need as much as if you were road racing though.

 

[ericrapp]

Sorry i mispoke. I am trying to build a road car for the likes of Watkins Glen. A fairly fast road course with some banking etc.. But most of the speed shops around here are focused on Dragging or motor building for the roundy rounds. Sorry to confuse

 

[CnoTataymo]

i dont have the specs on hand but i think my BC's are like 320/230???? for the spring rates... feel great at high speed to me.

BC's are 330 front/220 rear.

Personally, I have the BC's and they're good for DD driving and some fun. But If I were to track, I think I'd want something stiffer.

 

[Wastegate13]

BC's are 330 front/220 rear.

Personally, I have the BC's and they're good for DD driving and some fun. But If I were to track, I think I'd want something stiffer.

OT but what does your SN mean? I read it as tomato for some reason even though its not.

 

[CnoTataymo]

Well, I'm Filipino so in my dialect which is Tagalog, it would mean,"Who's your father?" or basically "Who's your daddy?" I thought it was funny when I was like 12 years old and have kept my screenname that ever since.

 

[bykeryder4life]

camber is at -1.75 to save tires and give a decent feel. If u track alot go more like -2 if not then no need to kill tires. Put like a total of 1/16" to 1/8" toe out for good turn in on the track. It is difficult to find a good susp shop that will corner weight and stuff and doesnt cost tooo awefully much.

 

[Nliiitend1]

What coilovers are you getting?

Are they going to valve the dampers to match the springs??

If not, I would think you'd want to pick rates that match up to the damping abilities/characteristics of the dampers...

 

[ericrapp]

camber is at -1.75 to save tires and give a decent feel. If u track alot go more like -2 if not then no need to kill tires. Put like a total of 1/16" to 1/8" toe out for good turn in on the track. It is difficult to find a good susp shop that will corner weight and stuff and doesnt cost tooo awefully much.

Thank you for the help, I might use less toe for more straight line high speed stability and use some in the rear for some rotation. Those camber #s make sense. I was thinking of starting at -2 at front and play from there.

 

[ericrapp]

Thank you for the help, I might use less toe for more straight line high speed stability and use some in the rear for some rotation. Those camber #s make sense. I was thinking of starting at -2 at front and play from there.

What coilovers are you getting?

Are they going to valve the dampers to match the springs??

If not, I would think you'd want to pick rates that match up to the damping abilities/characteristics of the dampers...

I am going with Ksport and you make a great point that seemed to have slipped my mind about spring rates and valving. I am trying to figure the springs i want as i have some options and i want quite abit less movement than my Cobbs will provide. I appreciate the good advice folks. I am about to call a race shop to get some more details and set up the install, probably April. So any more thoughts are welcome you people are awesome. Well most of you Ha jkg

 

[Boostin McFly]

Well, I'm Filipino so in my dialect which is Tagalog, it would mean,"Who's your father?" or basically "Who's your daddy?" I thought it was funny when I was like 12 years old and have kept my screenname that ever since.

HAHAHA!!! I would always say this to girls when I was in middle school...little did they know...

 

[ericrapp]

Dampers are matched up to the springs. 7 and 5k/mm. 36 way adjustable too. And rebuildable if need be. I guess its just wait and see now and learn.

 

[Nliiitend1]

"36 way adjustable" is a misnomer. It's got 36 different "clicks" of adjustment, but I would bet that they are really 1-way or 2-way adjustable...

Just as an FYI, I've heard some sketchy things about K-Sport in the past. Not exactly the best made stuff, and I hear that their customer support after purchase is far from great. I don't have any personal experience with them myself, but I figured I'd throw that out there.

 

[ericrapp]

"36 way adjustable" is a misnomer. It's got 36 different "clicks" of adjustment, but I would bet that they are really 1-way or 2-way adjustable...

Just as an FYI, I've heard some sketchy things about K-Sport in the past. Not exactly the best made stuff, and I hear that their customer support after purchase is far from great. I don't have any personal experience with them myself, but I figured I'd throw that out there.

Thanks i am glad to hear good and bad. i have done some legwork beyond this forum and hope i have learned enough to make a good decision. The damping is manually controlled and ranges from soft to stiff with a bunch of little clicks in between to fine tune i suppose. The height is first set by the clamping on the monotube to allow full travel and then of course the spring tweaking with the spanner wrenches adjustment i would not be surprised about customer support. Some folks are great with all kinds of help till you pay. than they wash their hands. I hope to find a shop for suspension set up that will help me out. If it does not work out lesson learned and i will put the Cobbs back on and go sulk in a dark corner!