hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

ok i'm going to be getting the folowing:

099.99 UMI Lower Control Arms
099.99 UMI Adjustable Panhard Bar
379.95 BMR Track Pack
069.95 UMI Control Arm Relocation
139.99 UMI Boxed Subframe Connectors

what springs/shocks would be good for roadracing / drag racing (focus on corner carving)

thanks!

felton316

I'm happy with my Koni SA's and Ground Control Coil overs.

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

ok well thats a little out of my pricerange.how much anyway? haha should have made that clear. no more than 5-600 for shocks and springs. thanks tho

DONAIMIAN

iTrader: (18)

For the control arms and panhard bar, make sure you get the rod ended version for road racing , otherwise just stick with the stock suff.

The trackpack uses a shorter TQ arm than stock and what will in turn hurt you braking, stick with one that mounts in the stock location that allows adjustable pinion angle.

On a roadrace car the relocation brackets arent that big of a deal, but they do help.

Everything else sounds ok. For the springs and shocks, you might want to try the HD bilstiens with the G2 springs for now, and upgrade shocks later. Also it might be a good idea to skip the TQ arm and get a stranno 35mm front swaybar and a performance oriented alignment.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

What class and what sanctioning body are you gonna compete in?

For some classes, a lot of that stuff is illegal ...

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

well i'm not going to be too competitive right now. i'm basicly going to open tracks and such to gets some track time in until i know what i'm doing lol. once i get some experiance, i may consider compeeting. i hear road racing is very expensive tho, so well see how that goes...

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

t t t

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Road racing CAN be real expensive.

There are some classes, however, that allow you to keep yuor budget minimized.

I OTed for 5 or so years and found I was spending as much to keep my street car on the track AND looking nice as guys were spending to go "big time" racing.

I now run a '96 Firebird in the NASA sanctioned Cmaro/Mustang Challenge. It is as close to gut it, cage it and race it as you will find. $8K to build (and that's buying the car first), $2K a year for tires and brakes and the series requires me to run a restricotr plate (230 rwhp) so the Mustangs can be competitive. Consequently, I shift at 5K. The drivetrain does not take a beating at all.

Many in this class have gone a year on 6 tires, 1 set of brakes and have multiple seasons on the stock motor, clutch and trans.

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

well i dont plan on being that competitive right now. i just wanna get a taste, but who knows i may get hooked! what springs/shocks would you recomend? if i do go with the trans mounted TA, that will free up some $$$$ for more expensive springs/shocks. so keep the sugestions coming. oh and mitchntx, 230 hp that sucks man!!!! stupid mustangs...

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

t t t

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

After a while, running by yourself and spending mega-bucks just to tickle FTD looses it's luster. It's kind of like breaking into the 11s and then staying there forever spending $$$ and never really making any more headway.

But a close race, side by side, is a real adrenaline rush and the time no longer has the same appeal. It's now about the competition.

I'm not gonna recommend ANY parts as that always stirs up a ****-storm.

Chris Paveglio

iTrader: (2)

Have you thought about brakes? or do you have upgrades already? If you can get some ducting/air to them (www.severnmotorsports.com/index.html). At least new brake fluid. Think about another set of pads and discs to burn through, or have a new set to change when you get home.
Big 'Ol f-bodies have a lot of weight to slow down and I've smelled pads even after some 'spirited road driving' (01 ws6).

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

i will consider some brakes as well. can somone answer my original question plz

absolut_speed

iTrader: (1)

Kind of on Mitch's coattails, if you don't know where you want to end up road racing, spend the money on seat time, quality brakes (pads, rotors and fluid), shocks, sway bars and maybe springs is the first order.

Step one is learning to drive a road course. A little simpler said than done. If you do get hooked, which you easily may, then you want to find out what mods are legal in your sanctioning class. Nothing like spending several hundred bucks on parts, then doing the install only to find out a year later that none of it's legal in what you want to do.

Lastly, if you want to "road race," then you're not going to buy a setup food for road racing and some drag racing. There's no such thing. So unless you're richer than I imagine, and since you have a whole $600 to spend on springs and shocks, I don't imagine you are, spend the money where it counts, on seat time and brakes.

Ojustracing

iTrader: (4)

I guess many of us are in agreement that if it is your first time out. You might want to think about other issues with the car than having it handle. The ability to stop the car lap after lap is key. Why go out and spend a thousand bucks on suspension parts only to have to brake sooner going into the corner. The car might handle better but what you make up coming off the corner you are going to loose in braking and then some. Also if you have a major brake issue you might not be able to stop and damage the car, yourself and your instructor... Im not saying not mod the car but you might want to change your plans around. Later John

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

I will tell a story on myself ...

First couple of times I went to a local road course I thought I was Joe Stud. Big HP and a manual trans ... let's get it on ...

Rolled onto the track and after about 2 or 3 laps, there was this Saturn in my rearview mirror. Crap ...

He passed me and I shook it off.

5 or 6 laps later, there he was again. Damn, he must've hot pitted.

He passed me and I shook it off.

After 5 or 6 more, there he was again, in my mirror. Dammit! I was driving my *** off.

then it dawned on me ... it ain't about the car ... it's about the driver. Get your *** handed to you by a Saturn and it makes you rethink how great one is at Gran Turisimo.

As it sits, there is a LOT of car underneath you, bone stock. More than most driver's realize.

Get some seat time, listen to and read what your car is telling you.

Then call Ryan at UMI and order what you NEED based upon facts, not supposition. Your Visa card will thank me ... and Dennis and John ...

hpjunky98

iTrader: (3)

ok i dont think i explained myself very well so here it goes.

i dont think i'm some exelent road racer. what i am doing is going out to open track times with a few of my friends and i'm going to have some fun. i dont plan to race competitively, and the reason i want a better setup is that the car has 131k on it, and the suspension isnt 100 right now. yes i could get just new bushings and stuff, but i want to have a good solid car to start with. i am going to invest into some new pads / rotors and i'm going to check my brake system for any defects...i'm not stupid. the point of this thread was to ask experienced road racer4 what setup worked for them. hell i could dump 4-5k into the suspension if i really wanted to, but id rather save my money. id like a good spring/ shock combo that will meet my needs. please answer the original question. the reason i said i wanted a road racing/drag racing setup, is i wanted springs that were firm, but that didnt detract too much from a good launch. so yes there is such thing. its called a compromise between 2 extreemes. please dont lecture me, i'm already scared but excited, and i dont need anymore negative vibes. thank you.

pimpmaro

I know you want the spring question answered, but to be totally honest, you're not going to find a good compromise between road racing springs and drag springs. They're simply too different. For a good drag launch, you need to get the weight transfer from the front to the rear and get the rear tires planted. For raod racing, you're typically going to find very high spring rates that allow the car to be lowered quite far. You'll also look at the LCA issue. Most people who lower their car use LCA relocation brackets to "correct the geometry." Well, for handling, you'll want the LCAs more flat than anything else. It won't help your launch much at all. When I first started out I wanted the "do it all" car too, but after a lot of learning I realized that it's just not possible.

BTW, if you're interested in some good LCAs and PHR, check out trackbird's pieces. His are some of the strongest and lightest out there.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

You explained yourself perfectly, but I don't think YOU understand ...

Until you actually get out there, get some seat time and gain experience, throwing parts at the car is NOT gonna make you faster.

You have plenty of car for the task you describe.

Right now, you have a "drag racer's" metality whereas the one who spends the most money will win or set FTD.

In road racing or OTing, that same mentality just doesn't work. A lot of money (or even a small amount of money) will not make you a better driver. And until you can begin wringing the most out of the car, go-fast goodies might make you a worse driver.

trackbird

iTrader: (4)

I'd get under the car and check everything out. Look for worn balljoints, tie rods, etc. Replace anything you find "wrong" and look into a set of good quality performance brake pads (Hawk HP+ at a minimum) that will handle the higher temps that track duty will cause.

What everyone is trying to tell you (but nobody has said it directly) is that by raising the performance level of the car (springs, shocks, tires, sway bars, etc) you raise the limits. Seems like a good thing, right?

Well......

The problem is, the higher you raise the limits, the steeper the penalty can be for exceding those limits. We move the line closer to the edge, but that also makes it much easier to fall overboard. So, it's not that we don't want you to have a fast, fun, safe car, it's that we do want you to have a fast, fun, safe car....and you already do (if there are no worn/broken parts under the car). It's very easy to drive a truly well developed car at 7/10's, it's even reasonable to get towards 8/10's. The problem is getting into the 9/10's and above range makes it really easy to find 11/10's the hard way (accidentally?). So, though it defies common logic, you are very likely safer in your car as is (with any worn parts replaced) than you will be in my car, or Mitch's car, or any of the others here. It's not that we don't have an assortment of fast, reasonably well sorted cars, it's that we have an assortment of cars that are more demanding to drive at the limit and will let you get into that range a little too "comfortably". You can run right up to that line....and trip over it just as quickly.

That's why everyone is wanting you to tighten the nut behind the wheel first. That only comes with seat time. Make the car sound, and work on the driver. Once you catch up to the cars capabilities, we'll help you push the line back another level. It's not a bad thing to start in the shallow end of the pool, with these cars, that's still fairly deep water.

Be safe!