Strut / Spring combo's for autox and HPDE down the line

[Shift_Kouki]

I am trying to set up my 240 for autox a bit better than stock. I am thinking about new struts pretty soon. But I would also like to get the car a bit lower as well. (not slammed, just to keep air out from under the car at track speeds)

I know lowering springs on the OE struts can cause them to blow out and be ruined. How do i avoid this when selecting my spring strut combo?

I see things like the KYB AGX adjustable strut's and the Eibach pro-kit spring set over at tire rack. Can you run those at the same time? If not what are some struts that can handle slight / moderate lowering... and yield improved performance over OE struts. Feel free to recommend springs too (looking for mild lowering and a stiffer ride), I am still learning all this stuff.

My next question. Alignment.

This is also my DD, and so i need to keep it reasonable for tire ware.I was thinking about the following alignment specs. (good? bad? what the hell was i thinking?)

Front:-1 deg camber2-3 deg caster 1/8'' toe in

Rear:-0.5 deg camber1/8'' toe in

** Can someone explain caster to me in detail, I already know how toe and camber work, but i draw a blank on caster... other than maybe some slight weight transfer improvement. **

[Shift_Kouki]

Quick thing on allignment.

Do i need to pick up some camber bolts from auto zone or where ever to adjust camber as described in the above post?

[chester_ff7]

dude..... get the same suspension that i am going for. the MEGAN Racing street or track series suspension. this suspension come with 32 stiffness adjustments, ride height adjustment, and camber adjustment! and all for like 800 to 900 dollars. i think megan is your best bet. and for the recoud... KYBs..... SUCK!! hahaha! i had kybs and they didnt last to long. so just get a coilover kit. you will like it better in the long run.

[DrftS13]

You could go with Tokico Illumina struts and ground control springs. that would lower you car some (not too much) and make it reasonably stiff. H&R suspension company makes whats called a cup kit which is essentially a strut with a matched spring if you want to check them out. utimately coilovers would be a best bet tho...just my opinion.good luck

[nismoautoxr]

My next question. Alignment.

Front:-1 deg camber2-3 deg caster 1/8'' toe in

Rear:-0.5 deg camber1/8'' toe in**[/QUOTE]

that alignment ...while being very easy on tires is too conservative for PDE and autox.you should run at least -3 degrees camber on front and 1/4 toe out, and on rear you should run -2 degrees on the rear (thats what mine has with no adjustments )and 0 toe .I have never seen gains in laptimes or corner speed by fiddling with caster.Its a stability /feel adjustment .Its the relationship of the upper and lower ball joint on a verticle line by definition and has no impact on tire wear or grip from what i can tell.Its a stability adjustment.

[Shift_Kouki]

Some people i have talked to have said that lots of caster can magnify negative camber when turning... at least on the outside wheel anyway.

Some of the same people have also said that the main advantage of camber kits is that you can switch quickly between two alignments for track and DD use without having to go back to the alignment shop all the time.

You say 1/4 toe out... You are the first i have hears recomend toe out on the front. Could you please explain??

(Sorry for not checking this thread in a while... I had some exams, and then i went to sebring for the 12 hour race *fcuking SWEEEEEETTT*)

[Kenny_D]

Ride in a 240 with coilovers, and you'll never think about spring/shock combos again. If you get coilovers with front camber plates you can have it aligned at 0 degrees camber, and then once you get to the race it can be adjusted to the camber you want. Toe in or out on a daily driver is NEVER good for tire wear, at all, ever.

Another thing, Eibachs are poo. They're only like 2.2k and 2k. I'm assuming you didn't buy your car to make into a lowriding Rice Queen. You want it to handle, handle like the 240 was meant to, and you'll never get that with stockish spring rates. The ONLY springs I would use are ones with spring rates over 5k, ie: RS*R Race etc. My coilovers are 8k and 6k, but they're for daily commute also. The guys that run purpose built 240's in Street Modified are running 12k and 10k, if that gives you any idea of what others are running.

Coilovers: $700-1000

Springs+Shocks+CamberPlates: $700-1000 = Waste of MONEY

[Shift_Kouki]

Yeah, I did the math on it all recently for running the costs.

MR Street coilovers were only $110 more than some KYB AGX and Tien springs. I think thats worth the adjust ability thats offered from the coil overs..

[Kenny_D]

You won't regret going to coilovers. Well maybe, after the tenth time you have jacked up your car in the past hour to adjust ride height. But still worth it.