[BillyM]

Those who race their mk2's find that the front swaybar stiffness is unacceptable. Corner dive and body roll give unpredictable steering response, unwanted positive front camber, and thats not even mentioning the hell it deals out to the weight balance of the vehicle.

We have limited options...

1.) Addco upgraded swaybars, available front and rear. Both are a good deal stiffer than stock, and will give the best price/performance ratio for a street driven car. The downside of this package is that us g-stock autocrossers either have to move to a much much faster class, or not install the rear bar. Plus the addco front swaybar supposedly is somewhat lacking once you get some sticky tires underneath the mk2.

2.) Custom bars, available in any stiffness you could possibly desire. One of the members (DonL I believe) had a custom front swaybar made by a company in Florida. There was quite a bit of info in some thread, but it has since been lost. I tried searching, but to no avail. (So if you could, whoever has any more ideas or input on custom bars, or other options, please add here.)

(Reason I started this thread is because I want to purchase a front bar in the next month as a FAST cooperS needs to go down before this season is over. Struts will be in at the end of this week, keeping my eyes open for a set of stocker rims, and tires (Kuhmos to be exact) within the next 5 weeks or so.)

--BillyM
Viva La AutoX!

 

[Don L.]

Hey Billy,

Saner Performance in Florida did my 1 & 1/4" front bar. It has 3 adjustable holes on the ends, horizontally, so use spherical bearing end links. Had to create the endlinks as my lowered front susp had limitations in space. eg, the distance from the bar end to the susp arm was only about 4 inches, thus it made the bar really not adjustable. I used the stiffest setting anyway. If to do it again, the bar end would be bent a little different to allow a longer endlink, so the 3 holes in the bar end could be utilized, the angle right now is too extreme. You live down there in Nascar land right ? Must be a bunch of shops that could bend you a sway bar. Just bring in your front bar, have them copy the angles, or slight mod if you need, and thickness you spec. Saner charged me $185 for the bar, came with endlinks that were not usefull. A good price, but across the country, and too hard to communicate with them. Plus they were pretty slow (about 2 months). Here's their info if you want:

Saner Performance
1365 N.Killian Dr.
Lake Park, Fl. 33403
561-873-0238
email: [email protected]
www.sanerperffab.com

Hope this helps. If you can maintain enough threads on the wheel studs, try using 1/4" spacers on your race wheels. Little wider track, legal in stock class too. Those new front struts should help a bunch too. Stock class you can run whatever tire you want as long as on stock size wheel. Are you using the 225/50-14 tires ? Lowers the car and gets you a lower gear overall.

Don L.

 

[BillyM]

The spacers are a definate, though I may just run 14x7wheels with 0-offset instead.

The struts should drop me half a second just due to me having a stable and predictable vehicle on non-perfect surfaces. I really have to hold back on sweepers, because the slightest pit or pothole will send me into a superduper-understeer trip towards the cone-wall.

I currently run 50,000mile Falken Zeix 420tw 225/60 street tires. The fastest car in Gstock at my region (CooperS) runs those new Kuhmo Ecsta v700's, so I want to run those in 225/50 as to not have any unfair advantage when I beat him. The guy who drives the cooper also drove in SE devisionals, and did fairly well. If I can beat him, I will take a shot at devisionals next year and will have hoosiers for those type of events.

I am learning the limits of the car really well. I beat last years regional champ yesterday on a rough course, and he's on hoosiers /w well tuned supression and a decade+ of autosport experience. Next up is the cooperS...

--BillyM
Too much talk, Results will hopefully back some of it up within the next couple months.

 

[wingnut]

go and take that mini bimmer down bud :twisted:

 

[Supra GTR]

Billy

Get rid of the Falkens! Pronto!

Go with race compound Hoosiers, Toyo RA1, anything other than street tires. This will shave noticeable time off your runs. The Falkens are great drift tires (no grip at the limits).

 

[Dean]

Billy,

The 82 Supra race car that I got this summer has been built for road racing, and was used occasionally for autocross too. Here's some info on the setup, for what it's worth.

Previous owner put on a big sway bar in the front with urethane bushings, and a new rear bar came with the car, but it was not installed. Maybe it was not legal in his class (ITS), or maybe he just didn't like the way the car handled with it installed, I don't know. Previous owner passed away, so I can't ask him.
Other suspension components are Eibach lowering springs and Tokico Illumina adjustable struts and shocks (set at stiffest setting) at all four corners.
He also used Kumho Ecstas, 225/50R14 on stock rims to lower the gear ratio. He used 1/4 inch spacers on rear only.

I thought my 83 handled well with Eibachs and Tokico HP's until I drove my race car. Whoa! Of course removing 450 lbs from the car helps too.

 

[BillyM]

Yea, rear swaybar isnot allowed in my class either, and kuhmo ecstas are going on within the next few months. (Things are slowing down with me buying two more cars and possibly a houseboat.) Exactly how large is that front swaybar?

--BillyM

 

[jhooten]

Don't have my GCR handy but I am sure you can change both bars in ITS. Havn't done mine yet but they are on the list along with a 2" drop on both ends. I am 8" ride height now and the min is 5" so I figure a 2' drop will leave a safety margin.

I have heat cycled my Ecstas, now to try them at speed.

There are a couple 240Zs that lead that class here. I hope to change that soon.