[Mk2] [Turbo] Suspension Set Up

[nick_280]

Hi,

Is anybody here running a dedicated track car? As I'm looking for alignment settings. I have Dino's setting but wanted to compare these to somebody running dedicated track setting/race set up.

I've almost completed the purchase of Yellow Bilsteins, Eibach Pro Kit, full poly bush kit, ARC caster control arms, Eibach camber bolts and Whiteline front & rear ARB's.

I'll be running 7x16 front with 205/45 (ET35) & 8x16 rear with 235/45 (ET35) wheels & Toyo R888m tyres.

The car is not an everyday car and will probably spend (if I can afford it) 50% time on track and 50% time on B roads. Thats probably a bad combination to get the set up perfect for both but I can work to a compromise using Dino's settings and race settings if available.

After spendng a fortune on suspension equipment it would be a outright crime to set it all to standard oem settings.

Any help would be fantastic,

Thanks.

[TheRoadWarrior]

From what i've read the standard settings give a pretty good compromise. The rev2 on settings are supposed to be more 'safe'- with more understeer dialed in.

You can dial in more camber(Say another 0.5 neg), should corner better at the expense of wearing the inside edge of the tyre more quickly on motorway runs. I think toyo also specify that the R888 is good with a little extra caster; which you'll be able to dial in with your arc front arms.

Unfortunately its almost as much about 'who' sets the car up, rather than 'how'. What i mean is not all places will take the time to get the set up perfect. I've been to Wheels in motion in london, they're are good. Powerstation also arnt bad- they're near bristol/cheltenham way.

HTH

[Moo]

Where did you get the caster control arms from if you don't mind me asking?

[nick_280]

Unfortunately its almost as much about 'who' sets the car up, rather than 'how'. What i mean is not all places will take the time to get the set up perfect. I've been to Wheels in motion in london, they're are good. Powerstation also arnt bad- they're near bristol/cheltenham way.
HTH

Hmm, thanks for that. I'll have access to a full Toyota 4 wheel alignment system after hours if I talk nicely to my mate. I'm not saying I'm better than the other person but I will pursist until I get the set up exactly perfect as far as reading numbers and adjusting settings go etc......

I've downloaded, sorry, bought that "How to make your car handle" book and I'm just on reading through that. I'm guessing that driving it will be the only way to check the settings are good but just thought there might be somebody willing to share their findings with wheel alignment.

Where did you get the caster control arms from if you don't mind me asking?

I managed to buy them off GTSChris. Their not new but in damn near new condition. They came with track control arms and new ball joints, all for £150.

Top man Chris

Cheers

[Moo]

How do they caster control arms work? Are they something that just bolt on or do you need additional things to make them fit? Would be interested in getting a set if it's just a simple bolt on part as my caster settings are out of spec and could do with adjusting.

[nick_280]

How do they caster control arms work? Are they something that just bolt on or do you need additional things to make them fit? Would be interested in getting a set if it's just a simple bolt on part as my caster settings are out of spec and could do with adjusting.

They replace the standard non adjustable caster control arm. Simple back the lock nuts off and adjust the rod then knip the lock nuts up again. Adjustable on car.

Look on ebay, Tein sell exactly the same thing for £290 ish new for the pair. There are some on there for £360ish so look out for the price.

[Moo]

Cheers

[tarmac terrorist]

if you get these caster arms let me know if you are going to do a group buy cos i would bei nterested,also want to get the bump steer plates for track rods & ball joints

[sebastiankent]

Nick,

I may be able to help with settings as I have a dedicated track car.

Camber: Front - 2 3/4, rear - 2
Toe: Front 1mm out, rear 4mm in

Ride height - 1 have not got this 100% worked out yet, but I have lowered the front as far as it will go and left the back as standard.

Anti roll bars, Dry; Front medium, rear hard; Wet soften them.

I want to add some caster as I have +3 as standard and want to go to +5.

I have heard a lot of noise about roll centre adjusters and bump steer, but I havent got bump steer and need to go through the maths with an engineer who can convince me that the roll centres need changing.

The key thing is to dial out the understeer. I am hoping to try a couple of other things and will let you know how I get on.

I have had a look on the Tein website for the caster rods and cannot find them. Do you know exactly what they are called or where I can get some, Tein or ARC will do?

Regards

Sebastian Kent



[quote="nick_280"]Hi,

Is anybody here running a dedicated track car? As I'm looking for alignment settings. I have Dino's setting but wanted to compare these to somebody running dedicated track setting/race set up.

I've almost completed the purchase of Yellow Bilsteins, Eibach Pro Kit, full poly bush kit, ARC caster control arms, Eibach camber bolts and Whiteline front & rear ARB's.

I'll be running 7x16 front with 205/45 (ET35) & 8x16 rear with 235/45 (ET35) wheels & Toyo R888m tyres.

The car is not an everyday car and will probably spend (if I can afford it) 50% time on track and 50% time on B roads. Thats probably a bad combination to get the set up perfect for both but I can work to a compromise using Dino's settings and race settings if available.

After spendng a fortune on suspension equipment it would be a outright crime to set it all to standard oem settings.

Any help would be fantastic,

Thanks.[/quote]

[ashley]

I have had a look on the Tein website for the caster rods and cannot find them. Do you know exactly what they are called or where I can get some, Tein or ARC will do?

www.tein.co.uk/price/pillow_ball_tension_rod.html
www.roguemotorsport.co.uk/forms/Product.aspx?ID=490

[nick_280]

Thanks for the information Sabastian,

I had almost come to the same setting simply reading loads of brain knombing information of the internet but if you have had experience of these settings I will try them.

I had come up with

Camber - Front 2.5, Rear 1.5
Caster - Front +6 degree's, Rear - As Is
Toe Total - Front 2mm out, Rear 5mm in

Anti Roll bars is the only thing I beg to differ on, I'd tend to keep the rear standard and uprate the front as my car seem to turn a bit to well when pushed hard. That could be down to crap rear tyres but anti roll bars will come later

Bump steer spacers are supposed to correct the angle of the bottom arm when the car is lowered but will only do this if its lowered by the same as the depth of the spacer. I have had no experience of these either but they cost a fortune so must do something musent they?

I was planning to drop the ride height approx 30mm all round, maybe 35 at the front just for looks but not decided yet with this, it'll just be a pain to set all the suspension up again when adjusting the ride height.

As for Caster control arms, they are called PILLOWBALL TENSION RODS

As ashman says, they are on Rogues website for sale or ebay,

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/TOYOTA-MR2-SW20-9 ... 7C294%3A50

Cheers again for your input, a big

[Ayrton]

My 2p, I've tried a few different settings.
I think you can get too hung up on the ultimate settings - make it handle nice & predictably, not on a knife edge, esp if you still drive on the road. After all what does it matter if you're a tenth slower on a track day.
Camber - tyres like 888s like loads of camber, roughly -2 & -1 on mine if you can get more then great, more front than rear obviously. Too much & again not good on road, inside edges will wear & it'll tramline.
Toe - toe out at the front will make it quite darty/tramliney on the road (fine if track only), I'd go for parallel or a smidge toe in.
Caster - I've tried loads of extra on a Mk1 & didn't like it - made the steering too heavy (not so much of a problem with ps) & felt like it fell into the corners - may be slightly quicker in theory but feels awful so why bother.
Roll bars - tbh mine are standard, with coilovers they'll not do much anyway - you can dial in oversteer setting elsewhere - with your set up I guess you can have a play with them.
Bump steer - I think they just want to make money for nothing ! I've never felt any 'bump steering' & used super low ride heights. Again maybe Ayrton Senna could tell the difference (lol) but not me.
Best thing is to try a few different things at a track day & on the road & choose settings that 'feel' the best for you.
HTH


I think you've gone too soft also - if it's really a dedicated track car then a set of height adjustable coilovers would have been better - & not bother with the arbs. Then you can really drop the height & play with the balance.
Sticky tyres will make the eibach/bilstein combo feel soft as well.

[Moo]

Tein pillowball tension rods are £210+ VAT from Fensport.

http://www.fensport.co.uk/parts.htm

[nick_280]

I think you've gone too soft also - if it's really a dedicated track car then a set of height adjustable coilovers would have been better - & not bother with the arbs. Then you can really drop the height & play with the balance.
Sticky tyres will make the eibach/bilstein combo feel soft as well.

I haven't gone for the eibach/bilstein set up in the end and its looking more like HSD coilovers are coming but still undecided, might be BC RM's.

Your right about the set up, I was just wanting a starting point to work from to speed up the process.

Thanks for your input though

[Ayrton]

Cool, just watch the spring rates, some of the jap stuff are ridiculously hard & a real pain on the road (virtually undriveable at speed on a B road).
I've gone from std turbo suspension (too soft on track) to Tein HAs (far too hard on road) to Tein superstreets (just about perfect).