Calling Sam Strano...Rear suspension tuning help needed..
03-26-2009, 08:56 PM
#1
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Torrance, CA
Posts: 491
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Calling Sam Strano...Rear suspension tuning help needed.. Hey Sam and everyone else..
Ive run into a bit of an issue lately and finally figured out what my long time mystery issue with the rear suspension has been. I just put on wider rear wheels and finally removed my bump stops (due to clearance with the wheels) and I have finally figured out that my rear springs are WAY too soft.
The problem has been hidden quite well for some time now believe it or not. Due to the car being so low, I guess I have just been bottoming out on the bump stops without really feeling it somehow and that was mimicking a much stiffer rear setup than I had. It surprisingly felt pretty good and was quite fast. Myself and 3 other experienced drivers were all clueless about this. Go figure.
Since I have pulled the stops though the rear has been floating all over the place. I currently have Hotchkis rear springs in the back with some KONI D/A, 1 LE bar, etc. The front suspension consists of a 1LE bar, 650# coilovers with revalved KONI D/A's.
My question to you Sam and everyone else.. I just need new rear springs. I dont know if Im ready to step up to a full on rear coilover setup yet, but it is tempting. Im hoping you can offer up any advice on some stiffer replacement rear springs that would help balance me out and also maybe provide any advice on a rear coilover setup utilizing my shocks.
Thanks everyone!
Ive run into a bit of an issue lately and finally figured out what my long time mystery issue with the rear suspension has been. I just put on wider rear wheels and finally removed my bump stops (due to clearance with the wheels) and I have finally figured out that my rear springs are WAY too soft.
The problem has been hidden quite well for some time now believe it or not. Due to the car being so low, I guess I have just been bottoming out on the bump stops without really feeling it somehow and that was mimicking a much stiffer rear setup than I had. It surprisingly felt pretty good and was quite fast. Myself and 3 other experienced drivers were all clueless about this. Go figure.
Since I have pulled the stops though the rear has been floating all over the place. I currently have Hotchkis rear springs in the back with some KONI D/A, 1 LE bar, etc. The front suspension consists of a 1LE bar, 650# coilovers with revalved KONI D/A's.
My question to you Sam and everyone else.. I just need new rear springs. I dont know if Im ready to step up to a full on rear coilover setup yet, but it is tempting. Im hoping you can offer up any advice on some stiffer replacement rear springs that would help balance me out and also maybe provide any advice on a rear coilover setup utilizing my shocks.
Thanks everyone!
03-27-2009, 12:59 PM
#2
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Torrance, CA
Posts: 491
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Bump... Anyone??
Im leaning towards a 200lb rear spring... Maybe something like "AFCOIL 5-1/2" X 12" CONVENTIONAL REAR PIGTAIL SPRING - STOCK APPEARING 200 LB. RATE"
I would rather go with a 225lb spring though. Does anyone know where I might be able to find a 225lb spring that will sit my car an inch lower and fit the stock rear perch location?
Im leaning towards a 200lb rear spring... Maybe something like "AFCOIL 5-1/2" X 12" CONVENTIONAL REAR PIGTAIL SPRING - STOCK APPEARING 200 LB. RATE"
I would rather go with a 225lb spring though. Does anyone know where I might be able to find a 225lb spring that will sit my car an inch lower and fit the stock rear perch location?
03-27-2009, 01:38 PM
#4
Please not on my toll-free order line.. I have a tech-line of reason, I appreciate it if I'm not made to pay for the privledge of giving away free advice.
I just hung up with SVTHuh.... There are issues, I can't really help him. The shocks have been played with, presumably rebuild to stock specs but I don't know that's true. Further, the setup is not one I'd have done and it appears this is a case of someone taking a base setup I run and tweaking it. He's running 650 fronts because he's lacking front bar vs. what I run. But 50 pounds of spring will not compenstate for 3mm of bar diameter in roll stiffness, but does add wheel rate. In the rear he's running a 1LE rear bar with softer than I use Hotchkis rear springs. The main complaint is the rear hangs in the air. Claims he's messed with compression and rebound, but could not get him to tell me why or how under what circumstance.
I think the whole thing is kind of cobbled together (and did I mention the rear bumpstops are missing and before they were taken off apparently they were messed up anyway). That could well be causing him to screw with shock settings to try and compensated and then that's messing up the dynamics when driving.
I didn't mean to sound harsh Mike, but you aren't giving me a lot to go on. I can't see your car, drive your car. I have to depends on the driver to give me good information much like a Crew Chief needs from his driver to help with with setup. Evey notice the best NASCAR drivers are the ones that give the best feedback?
I just hung up with SVTHuh.... There are issues, I can't really help him. The shocks have been played with, presumably rebuild to stock specs but I don't know that's true. Further, the setup is not one I'd have done and it appears this is a case of someone taking a base setup I run and tweaking it. He's running 650 fronts because he's lacking front bar vs. what I run. But 50 pounds of spring will not compenstate for 3mm of bar diameter in roll stiffness, but does add wheel rate. In the rear he's running a 1LE rear bar with softer than I use Hotchkis rear springs. The main complaint is the rear hangs in the air. Claims he's messed with compression and rebound, but could not get him to tell me why or how under what circumstance.
I think the whole thing is kind of cobbled together (and did I mention the rear bumpstops are missing and before they were taken off apparently they were messed up anyway). That could well be causing him to screw with shock settings to try and compensated and then that's messing up the dynamics when driving.
I didn't mean to sound harsh Mike, but you aren't giving me a lot to go on. I can't see your car, drive your car. I have to depends on the driver to give me good information much like a Crew Chief needs from his driver to help with with setup. Evey notice the best NASCAR drivers are the ones that give the best feedback?
__________________
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
www.stranoparts.com --814-849-3450
Results matter. Talk is cheap. We are miles beyond the success anyone else has had with the 4th gens, and C5, C6, C7 Corvettes,
10 SCCA Solo National Championships, 2008 Driver of they Year, 2012 Driver of Eminence
13 SCCA Pro Solo Nationals Championships
2023 UMI King of the Mountain Champion
03-27-2009, 01:54 PM
#5
Banned
Thread Starter
iTrader: (10)
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Torrance, CA
Posts: 491
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I know I wasnt much help Sam, but thank you for your help. It's odd how the car behaves and very hard to describe.
The best I can do is explain that while the car is going through a decent sized undulation in the road that will compress the suspension at the bottom of it, the front reacts fine and feels thoroughly planted and composed. The rear however feels like it compresses harshly and "bottoms out" and then when it uncompresses, it feels like it hangs and floats, and I guess a better explanation now that I think about it would be that it uncompresses too far and the rear unloads too much. Its really an odd feeling that I have not really experienced before. It makes me feel like a noob.
The car works through the twisties and the corners. Better than most of the other cars I find out there. It will not give up any ground mid corner to an Elise with a decent driver behind the wheel, but this issue pops up and oddly its only while going down the freeway hitting a bit of rolling undulation that is tight enough to compress the rear and let it fully uncompress. In the corners though, the rear feels fine. Its a very odd issue.
As far as the bump stops go, they have been off the car for a short period of time, I have not driven it without the bumpstops, I drive my truck daily. The passenger side rear bump stop was the only one with any damage and it must have been recent. I swapped to wider rear wheels 2 months ago and checked them then. I was going to go with a shorter stop due to being lower, but decided against that after talking to Sam.
Im confused by this.
The best I can do is explain that while the car is going through a decent sized undulation in the road that will compress the suspension at the bottom of it, the front reacts fine and feels thoroughly planted and composed. The rear however feels like it compresses harshly and "bottoms out" and then when it uncompresses, it feels like it hangs and floats, and I guess a better explanation now that I think about it would be that it uncompresses too far and the rear unloads too much. Its really an odd feeling that I have not really experienced before. It makes me feel like a noob.
The car works through the twisties and the corners. Better than most of the other cars I find out there. It will not give up any ground mid corner to an Elise with a decent driver behind the wheel, but this issue pops up and oddly its only while going down the freeway hitting a bit of rolling undulation that is tight enough to compress the rear and let it fully uncompress. In the corners though, the rear feels fine. Its a very odd issue.
As far as the bump stops go, they have been off the car for a short period of time, I have not driven it without the bumpstops, I drive my truck daily. The passenger side rear bump stop was the only one with any damage and it must have been recent. I swapped to wider rear wheels 2 months ago and checked them then. I was going to go with a shorter stop due to being lower, but decided against that after talking to Sam.
Im confused by this.
Last edited by SVTHuh; 03-27-2009 at 02:18 PM.