Backroads corner-carving: What kind of setup for fun/safety/performance

[mrgtx]

So is there a consensus that the Eibach Pro springs are crap?

Thanks to all for the input...I'm going to order the Whiteline relocation brackets. It looks like installation is very simple and they're cheap enough.

They're worse than that.

Ok...so why would Vorshlag reccomend these to me?

I have been modding Miatas for years. Selecting components and setting those cars up seemed to offer many fewer pitfalls.

 

[csamsh]

I'm not sure why people think Eibach pros are bad? I didn't mind them...it's just a lowering spring. They're pretty much all the same, with minor differences in rate, ride height, and linearity. I really didn't like the sportlines, but the Pro Kit seemed ok. I'd be interested to know why so many don't like them, other than by stating "they're crap."

 

[Sky Render]

Ok...so why would Vorshlag reccomend these to me?

I have been modding Miatas for years. Selecting components and setting those cars up seemed to offer many fewer pitfalls.

I'm going to disagree about fewer pitfalls. I've seen some BADLY set up Miatas. There are bad, decent, and great parts for any platform.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 4 using Tapatalk

 

[Department Of Boost]

I'm not sure why people think Eibach pros are bad? I didn't mind them...it's just a lowering spring. They're pretty much all the same, with minor differences in rate, ride height, and linearity. I really didn't like the sportlines, but the Pro Kit seemed ok. I'd be interested to know why so many don't like them, other than by stating "they're crap."

Because the initial rate is way too low so when you go to set it in a corner is slams through the travel with way too much damper speed. Then it gets into the "meat" of the rate where you can actually "take a set". It's almost impossible to smoothly load one of those springs. I suspect that it isn't as much of a hindrance in AutoX because the transitions are really fast/"violent". It is a hindrance when your trying to dump the car into a fast sweeper though.

Additionally they ride like crap because on small-medium bumps there is no spring rate there which puts the damper into its high speed range. It makes for a very harsh ride.

 

[csamsh]

So the progressive nature is no good. That we can agree on! I had them for all of about 4 months, and with shit dampers so my experience was limited

Springs seem to be an intensely personal choice

 

[2013DIBGT]

Ok...so why would Vorshlag reccomend these to me?

My guess would be because the Bilsteins that came with them are not adjustable and for most people who are just looking for the basics that combo is more then enough.

Progressive springs on an adjustable damper is a different story though. Trying to adjust the dampers using a moving target (ie..a progressive spring) is pretty pointless so that's why most who go with a Linear spring choose an adjustable damper as well.

 

[Norm Peterson]

I goes without saying that we all obey the speedlimits...but with that in mind, is fun to a seek out a curvy back road and push a car a bit.

Much of the talk in this forum is centered around competition in auto-x and road course driving...but do any of you guys focus on road handling and non-competition driving fun?

I think I've always built my cars up with some midpoint between road and road course in mind, even though I didn't start tracking until I'd had the Mustang for "a while". More capability and better behavior out toward the limit than stock, without having to live with any limitations on use has been the goal.

On the cars that I'm the main driver of, I end up with pretty much the same list of mods that's fine for track days, entirely livable on the street, and pushed way up-class at autocross.

Wider wheels with better tires, "square" for both wheels and tires with the wheels being wider than "measuring width" for the new tires.
A performance alignment
Better shocks and/or struts
Firmer sta-bars or firmer endlinks
Somewhat stiffer springs, typically 50% - 100% stiffer than OE
Better rear axle location, with consideration given to minimizing "bind"

The mod program for my cars as long as they were my wife's DD has typically stopped at tires, shocks/struts, sometimes wheels, and sometimes a mild performance alignment. Basically, stuff that wore out got upgraded and sometimes it was convenient to do other things such as wheels or a slightly more aggressive alignment at the same time. Even though all of our family cars were bought having to meet some general cornering and handling bogeys - they all started out in stock form having to be fun to hustle along a county road or through a highway entrance/exit ramp - there's always been room for improvement.


Norm