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EP3Lov3
01-25-2012, 10:15 PM
On my summer set of wheels, i have ridiculous amount of wheel gap. wheels are rota slipstreams wrapped in falken azenis rt615 and the size is 215/45/16. I want to get rid of the wheel gap but also be able to use the stock wheels for the winter without having to switch the suspension. I was looking at coilovers but they are pretty pricey and I dont really want to spend that much money. I was looking at some skunk2 springs and they offer about a 2 inch drop. Will I need a camber kit if I go 2 inches lower? Or whats the other alternative? i would possibly consider coilovers. This car is also daily driven 365 on the shitty Chicago suburb roads so all i care about is not scraping, i can deal with a stiff ride

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mitchlikesbikes
01-25-2012, 10:21 PM
i'm dropped on eibachs, which is like a 1.5" drop. my camber is at -2.1 degrees in the rear, which isn't too bad but still out of stock alignment specs. not sure what your front will do when you drop, but you should be able to get everything up front back into specs with an alignment

EP3Lov3
01-26-2012, 07:07 AM
I dont think a 1.5 inch drop will be enough. Im possibly looking at coilovers but I dont want to pay 1K, it's money that I don't have, so is there any other coilover for a fairly cheap price under 800?

whatsvtec
01-26-2012, 07:10 AM
racelandus.com (www.racelandus.com), Raceland coilovers will use your stock tophats and such from the OEM struts, they're about $400 shipped and will get you dumped for cheap. They won't perform well, or be comfortable.

Also, I saw 16x8 +20 with 205/50r16 dropped on racelands (about 2") With the stock rear camber arms, it definitely had about -2 or -3* of camber, but it looked alright. You should at least get camber bolts for the fronts.

EP3Lov3
01-26-2012, 07:48 AM
I might be auto-xing in the summer so it would be nice to have a mild performance coilover, plan to take out rear seats and going to need coilovers with adjustable stiffness in the rear. I saw some skunk2's on thmotorsports for fairly cheap, like 750 bucks

whatsvtec
01-26-2012, 07:58 AM
I wouldn't advise Skunk 2 coilovers for any type of performance either. The rear spring rates are softer than the front... :mrolleyes:
I've read a lot about our cars performing well with an extremely stiff rear suspension, so skunk 2 coilovers wouldn't be a good performance option. If you want to spend about $800 on a nice adjustable coil and strut combo you could look into Koni Yellow strut inserts and custom Ground Control coilover sleeves.
http://www.ground-control-store.com/products/description.php/II=522/CA=71

Here's some links for spring rate and suspension design.
http://www.ephatch.com/forum/showthread.php?41336-Spring-Rates-Drop-rate
http://forums.clubep3.com/showthread.php?t=564642
http://forums.clubep3.com/showthread.php?t=569763

Also, with some personal experience. Tein basic is a great option if you want to add performance at a cheap price. Added with a progress rear sway bar you can really get the car to rotate much better than stock. However, if you're looking for the most performance out of your set-up, you're going to need camber kits, a pillowball mount in front would be ideal.

EP3Lov3
01-26-2012, 08:30 AM
Wow, alot of information, thank you so much. So with the ground control coilovers and the koni yellow's, I should be well of for getting a nice drop and good enough performance for autox?

whatsvtec
01-26-2012, 08:36 AM
Wow, alot of information, thank you so much. So with the ground control coilovers and the koni yellow's, I should be well of for getting a nice drop and good enough performance for autox?
Definitely should be good for spirited driving and the occasional auto-x for fun. Tein basic is good too for a full coil! Just don't go too low, or if you do, invest in RCA ball joints like Buddy Club or HardRace. Remember, your suspension will not perform well after just upgrading one part. Good wide tires, light wheels, good brakes, a stiff rear sway bar, good struts/springs and a proper alignment only scratch the surface on contributing factors of suspension performance.

EP3Lov3
01-26-2012, 10:54 AM
I like the tein basics but I don't like that you can't adjust stiffness. I'm looking for a coil with function and form. I already have some nice tires and wheels so all that's left for suspension is rear sway bar

AKEP
01-26-2012, 11:24 AM
ksports - you have a lot to read. gotta pay to play.

if you go lower than 1.2-1.5" your going to want camber adjustments. without camber adjustment you might not be able to get your toe straightened out. you will go through tires real quick.

whatsvtec
01-26-2012, 09:37 PM
I like the tein basics but I don't like that you can't adjust stiffness. I'm looking for a coil with function and form. I already have some nice tires and wheels so all that's left for suspension is rear sway bar
Notice earlier what I said.

Remember, your suspension will not perform well after just upgrading one part. Good wide tires, light wheels, good brakes, a stiff rear sway bar, good struts/springs and a proper alignment only scratch the surface on contributing factors of suspension performance.

I quoted the following for the truth within. Gotta pay to play. Anything that will perform very well under hard driving conditions is going to be out of "budget" range.

ksports - you have a lot to read. gotta pay to play.

if you go lower than 1.2-1.5" your going to want camber adjustments. without camber adjustment you might not be able to get your toe straightened out. you will go through tires real quick.

tinman5
01-27-2012, 03:39 AM
I also noticed through the course of this thread your wants have increased, but your budget has not.
BUT, what I can tell you is $2k is a much better budget than under $1k. That being said, the ground control/koni set up will be your best bet. Get your spring rates and valving right the first time and you will not need adjustable damping.
This setup has worked very well for many years on many different makes with the proper supporting mods. The guys at ground control are very knowledgeable and very helpful. Get you one of those Godspeed rear sway bars off Ebay, proper rear camber arms and eccentric bolts for the front and you will have a surprisingly good setup. And this will run you not too much over your budget.
Be advised though, there is a point at which too much lows becomes a detriment to performance. Some wheel gap is not a bad thing.
You have a great set of tires that are being wasted on the crap stock suspension.

EP3Lov3
01-29-2012, 07:45 AM
So if i took out the rear seats, it wouldnt affect the suspension in the rear because ill have higher spring rates anyways if i go the ground control/koni yellow setup?

.colin
01-29-2012, 10:34 AM
You should get the correct tire size - 225/50 or 205/50. A taller tire will help fill the wheel gap. As far as camber kits, they are always a good thing to get but any drop over 1.5" you will need them unless you like excessive rear camber.


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NEO_FOLLOWER2
02-03-2012, 10:55 AM
You should get the correct tire size - 225/50 or 205/50. A taller tire will help fill the wheel gap. As far as camber kits, they are always a good thing to get but any drop over 1.5" you will need them unless you like excessive rear camber.


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isnt having a wider wheel better for steering response?

225 would be better?

and dude at least get front camber bolts.
then eventually buy rear ones and fix the rear camber as well. camber can make a big difference in driving quality

you should never cheap out on anything. thats how we end up with riced out cars.
if you cant afford something done the right way...save up for a couple months and do it right.
im sure you can afford to buy a camber kit if you're going to drop your car...otherwise dont even bother cause you're gonna be driving around a car out of alignment

G-MaC!
02-03-2012, 02:13 PM
I might be auto-xing in the summer so it would be nice to have a mild performance coilover, plan to take out rear seats and going to need coilovers with adjustable stiffness in the rear. I saw some skunk2's on thmotorsports for fairly cheap, like 750 bucks

Auto cross and Junk-2 drop springs on stock struts do not mix, at all. Seriously, if you don't have the money right now, wait. Don't cheap out on something your car is riding on.

EP3Lov3
02-03-2012, 03:13 PM
isnt having a wider wheel better for steering response?

225 would be better?

and dude at least get front camber bolts.
then eventually buy rear ones and fix the rear camber as well. camber can make a big difference in driving quality

you should never cheap out on anything. thats how we end up with riced out cars.
if you cant afford something done the right way...save up for a couple months and do it right.
im sure you can afford to buy a camber kit if you're going to drop your car...otherwise dont even bother cause you're gonna be driving around a car out of alignment

I'm probably gonna end up getting Tanabe DF210 springs and stick with the stock shocks for now and get a rear camber kit for sure, the camber kits aren't that expensive either so I could definitely afford them. I don't know how much longer I'm going to keep the ep, might upgrade within year and a half or 2

nowhales
02-03-2012, 03:20 PM
I'm probably gonna end up getting Tanabe DF210 springs and stick with the stock shocks for now and get a rear camber kit for sure, the camber kits aren't that expensive either so I could definitely afford them. I don't know how much longer I'm going to keep the ep, might upgrade within year and a half or 2

well with a 2 inch drop in the front and a 2.3 inch drop in the back you are going to blow those shocks pretty fast. and you will most likely need front camber bolts with that kind of drop too

.colin
02-07-2012, 10:30 AM
well with a 2 inch drop in the front and a 2.3 inch drop in the back you are going to blow those shocks pretty fast. and you will most likely need front camber bolts with that kind of drop too

He'll want a REAR kit for sure to pull his wheels back in after dropping it on it's ass. Negative camber in the front is a good thing.