Suspension refresh - help
 

Car is base model with 89k. There is some play and slight vibration felt through the steering wheel.

Looking to replace below items. Does the track arms need replacement too?
Bilstein B6 or Koni FSD? The car may see some track time. Also looking to dial out the understeer. Boy, does it understeer at limit!



tie rods
Control Arms
ball joints
Sway Bar Bushings
sway bar drop links

front/rear shocks
strut bearing
front/rear strut mount

You will need to increase neg camber to get rid of the understeer
Either camber plates or adjustable control arms or both

The lower control arms (LCAs) have the ball joints on them. May as well replace the track arms while you have everything apart, especially the rear ones.

I used the Bilstein B6s on my base '02 that I did track days with, and also replaced the springs with ROW M030 springs. I had an aggressive alignment done with maxed out front camber, and ran 245 front tires. The car was pretty well balanced, with no understeer. Later on I installed a Cayman rear bar that allowed the car to rotate on corner entry more easily, but it wasn't a big change in behavior. I will have that rear sway bar up for sale soon, BTW.

@racer boy, did you use camber plates or adj control arm to achieve max neg camber?

@jayg, I was hoping to avoid installing either camber plates or adj control arms as I’m still trying to figure if I’m keeping the car.

The car is running on 225f/265r on stock suspension.

Also avoiding on lowering the car as my drive way is steep. I need a ramp to get into my garage to avoid ripping out the front bumper.

What is the max neg camber with ROW M30 springs?

No camber plates or adjustable LCAs, the camber was what we could get out of the stock components. Sorry, I can't remember what the camber numbers were.

The springs lowered the car about half an inch, so it wasn't a big difference.

I've got a set of Camber Plates available for sale.

In my experience, without camber plates or adjustable LCA's, you'll struggle to get much more than about -1d camber on the front. I ran closer to -3d with my most recent setup, and I was still regularly cording the outside edge of the fronts; though this may be more about the track, than the setup. I could've probably dialed-in a little more bar, but I was afraid that would put in more understeer.

Moosport; I think we've communicated, yes? If not, I have for sale:

Billstein struts with M030 springs.
M030 sway bars
Camber Plates
Adjustable Drop-Links (one set Tarrett Front, one set SPL Rear).

forum member PCarferher is ALSO selling a complete set of M030 struts & bars. ('cuz he bought my Ohlins coiloivers & Tarret bars :cheers: )

@maytag, I just saw your ad on Sun night. If you still have the springs. I’ll take it.

But I’m going with new shocks and rubber bits. Will also look into 245f for tires.

I just need to keep up with the Lotus.

You can also widen the front camber slot to get around 0.5 degree more. On M030 suspension and standard arms I can get nearly -2.5 on the front.

I was just going to say that. You wont get more than -1deg without camber plates or adjustable LCAs. Without lowering springs or plates or LCAs, you will probably max out around -.75 deg. The ROW M030 setup (or other lowering springs)will get you around -.25 additional front camber

You will most likely still have understeer with -1deg

So I still need GT3 style LCA for the rears to get more neg camber without lowering springs?

Rear LCAs don't have any effect on the front camber

Ordered all the parts except for the rear coffin arms, sway bar bushings and drop links.

If I can get my hands on ROW M30 springs and camber plates, I’ll have it installed 2 weeks from today.

I've got the springs and camber plates. and the M030 bar. check your PM's. :dance: (but give me a few minutes to send it, haha

Thanks for the plates. I may come back for the bars after the next event.