Please allow me to introduce myself
08-11-2014, 12:18 PM
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Please allow me to introduce myself Hi everyone, I'm surprised that its taken me so long to join as I have been a long time visitor of this site but as I have finally decided to upgrade my '02 WS6, I figured it would be a good idea to join, ask some questions, and maybe get the chance to answer some myself.
I'm not interested in turning my car into a drag strip monster but rather a road course/daily driving machine. I purchased my car brand new back in December 2001 and it has 118,000 miles on it. The car still runs wonderfully and has given me few problems along the way. I just upgraded and added most suspension options as the rear end was really starting to wear out and even from the first day I drove the car, was quite disappointed with how much it would sag. My prior two cars were a Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo and my dad's '01 Z06, the latter I had the privilege driving everyday for a little over a year when he was overseas on business
Needless to say, I was very happy with my T/A from day one, except for the handling- Everything else was a dream come true and in many aspects, I thought it beat out the other two cars in many aspects- Neither the Corvette or the Stealth had t-tops and I personally liked the outside looks and interior creature comforts (such as comfortable and adjustable side-hugging seats and that Hurst shifter) of the T/A more.
Anyway, I'm mainly here to get some quality advice on my suspension setup as well as affordable horsepower upgrades and the rear end gearing that I may need to go with them.
Thanks everyone and I'm happy to finally be a member!
I'm not interested in turning my car into a drag strip monster but rather a road course/daily driving machine. I purchased my car brand new back in December 2001 and it has 118,000 miles on it. The car still runs wonderfully and has given me few problems along the way. I just upgraded and added most suspension options as the rear end was really starting to wear out and even from the first day I drove the car, was quite disappointed with how much it would sag. My prior two cars were a Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo and my dad's '01 Z06, the latter I had the privilege driving everyday for a little over a year when he was overseas on business
Needless to say, I was very happy with my T/A from day one, except for the handling- Everything else was a dream come true and in many aspects, I thought it beat out the other two cars in many aspects- Neither the Corvette or the Stealth had t-tops and I personally liked the outside looks and interior creature comforts (such as comfortable and adjustable side-hugging seats and that Hurst shifter) of the T/A more. Anyway, I'm mainly here to get some quality advice on my suspension setup as well as affordable horsepower upgrades and the rear end gearing that I may need to go with them.
Thanks everyone and I'm happy to finally be a member!
08-11-2014, 06:01 PM
#5
TECH Senior Member
Hi everyone, I'm surprised that its taken me so long to join as I have been a long time visitor of this site but as I have finally decided to upgrade my '02 WS6, I figured it would be a good idea to join, ask some questions, and maybe get the chance to answer some myself.
I'm not interested in turning my car into a drag strip monster but rather a road course/daily driving machine. I purchased my car brand new back in December 2001 and it has 118,000 miles on it. The car still runs wonderfully and has given me few problems along the way. I just upgraded and added most suspension options as the rear end was really starting to wear out and even from the first day I drove the car, was quite disappointed with how much it would sag. My prior two cars were a Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo and my dad's '01 Z06, the latter I had the privilege driving everyday for a little over a year when he was overseas on business Needless to say, I was very happy with my T/A from day one, except for the handling- Everything else was a dream come true and in many aspects, I thought it beat out the other two cars in many aspects- Neither the Corvette or the Stealth had t-tops and I personally liked the outside looks and interior creature comforts (such as comfortable and adjustable side-hugging seats and that Hurst shifter) of the T/A more.
Anyway, I'm mainly here to get some quality advice on my suspension setup as well as affordable horsepower upgrades and the rear end gearing that I may need to go with them.
Thanks everyone and I'm happy to finally be a member!
I'm not interested in turning my car into a drag strip monster but rather a road course/daily driving machine. I purchased my car brand new back in December 2001 and it has 118,000 miles on it. The car still runs wonderfully and has given me few problems along the way. I just upgraded and added most suspension options as the rear end was really starting to wear out and even from the first day I drove the car, was quite disappointed with how much it would sag. My prior two cars were a Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo and my dad's '01 Z06, the latter I had the privilege driving everyday for a little over a year when he was overseas on business
Needless to say, I was very happy with my T/A from day one, except for the handling- Everything else was a dream come true and in many aspects, I thought it beat out the other two cars in many aspects- Neither the Corvette or the Stealth had t-tops and I personally liked the outside looks and interior creature comforts (such as comfortable and adjustable side-hugging seats and that Hurst shifter) of the T/A more. Anyway, I'm mainly here to get some quality advice on my suspension setup as well as affordable horsepower upgrades and the rear end gearing that I may need to go with them.
Thanks everyone and I'm happy to finally be a member!
Being an inexperienced racer you should hold off on adding any power until you get a lot more seat time, as adding more power may make your times SLOWER due to having trouble getting that power to the ground.
Some quick notes:
Search the suspension section thoroughly before you buy anything.
The "tried and true" suspension setup for these cars for handling is the koni/strano setup, you won't find a better off the shelf setup.
-Stay away from drag shocks (viking, afco, QA1, strange, etc) - only going to make you slower and the car will be loose and floaty.
-Stay away from cross drilled rotors unless you like cracks. Blank rotors + good pads will give you great braking power.
-square tire setup (17x11's all around with 315/35/17s are ideal) for best balanced handling, no staggered.
-No poly bushings in control arms, they need articulation and poly will cause bind. Rubber or rod-ended only.
-Keep the stock rear end, a 12 bolt or 9" will be heavier and not ideal for handling.
Focus on suspension and brakes and making the car durable on the road course before anything else.
08-12-2014, 03:02 AM
#6
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Maybe I should have elaborated a bit more regarding my racing experience. I've had a professional racing license for the last 10 yrs and about 300 hours total on the track. I've already built my suspension and handling in the T/A about as far as it can go without putting in a roll cage and running slicks as I'd still like to keep it a daily driver. I do appreciate the advice though because I didn't mention that I've been driving cars with 320 horsepower or more for the last 20 years. I just decided to mod my T/A recently as parts have gotten inexpensive and for the longest time, I just decided to wait and buy another car with independent rear suspension because I considered the live rear axle inferior. I still do to an enormous extent but I've got a family now and never wound up buying that Ferrari I swore I'd eventually get back when I was 25. It's true that I haven't been to the track in ages but I'd like to get back into it and I'm sure my wife wouldn't appreciate me going out and buying a new corvette. Plus, there's all the nostalgia I have with my car and the fact that it's the last of the T/A's so I'll never get rid of it. In the end, unless racing is your livelihood, it's not necessarily the car but how you drive it that determines how much fun you have anyway.