Hasbro's Build Journal

[Hasbro]

Thanks for the advice, GT.

I have been getting schooled by Ba82, just pmed him, lol. I'll probably go with his reverse pin set up, which gives the power of a Killer but very good mpg. Will also be concentrating on the mid range as opposed to the Killer's high rpm range.

SHG uses Todd's plates, which I can't use due to softer springs. I can't give up the 3/4" of less travel. I'm pretty sure HondaFreak could use them, though. They sure are beautiful.

[gtimportfanatic]

yeah i remember when he had em on his hatch.. i was going to take them off his hands but i had other things i needed to do and my suspension is pretty rigid as it sits.

on another note, could you tell me what you did to achieve 2450? i really want my car around that weight so that when im factored in the car is still well below the stock weight of itself. so far i have the rear seats remioved, driver seat is a sparco bucket with the buddyclub rails, i have the N+ coilovers, and the exhaust is pretty light too( no res, superlap styled muffler) and AC removed, i just wouldnt want to start getting at the small stuff like the interior panels and such just yet because i still daily drive the car

[Hasbro]

yeah i remember when he had em on his hatch.. i was going to take them off his hands but i had other things i needed to do and my suspension is pretty rigid as it sits.

on another note, could you tell me what you did to achieve 2450? i really want my car around that weight so that when im factored in the car is still well below the stock weight of itself. so far i have the rear seats remioved, driver seat is a sparco bucket with the buddyclub rails, i have the N+ coilovers, and the exhaust is pretty light too( no res, superlap styled muffler) and AC removed, i just wouldnt want to start getting at the small stuff like the interior panels and such just yet because i still daily drive the car

2450 is a very reasonable number and a good place to stop. I would approach it a little differently if I were stopping there. There's 150 -200 or so lbs. that would need to come off the front that should absolutely be included in that 2450. I have hardly removed any of it and is next on my list. That will transform the handling to a whole other level.

[Hasbro]

Just a couple small updates;

Suspension tuning
There is usually a big difference between a nice road ride and great handling. Now that the tires clear the fender it's time to movemore from ride towards better handling, even though the handling is pretty sweet and adequately balanced. Having the fenders in the way helped by forcing me to be smooth. Played with the slip angle today. Rears are still at 33.5 cold and moved fronts from 35.5 to 37. Dialed front dampers from 50% down to 40% firm. Firmed the rears another 1/4 turn from 1/2 turn from soft. Feels pretty good, a little better feel and steering response in the esses. Will try that for a few days.

Brakes
I mentioned having brakes done at a shop to avoid getting stuck without a ride. One of my better decisions. Ep's going back in a few days for it's third time. EP is an 04 but Fast Brakes sent me the four bolt hats and we dealt with that last week. Then it turns out the pads were fitting incorrectly due to eventually finding out that the caliper brackets were wrong. This isn't bothering me as I told myself that a custom kit would take some time. Now the bumps are smoothed out and anyone else wanting the lighter 11.75" kit can just order it. Brian at Fast Brakes has been very patient and professional and I'm glad Wilwood referred him to me.

Brake Max, the installers, have been excellant. They are willing to do just about anything, are fine with non oem aligning, and treat me like royalty. It's the first time in seven years that I've had to have someone work on the EP so they are a relief.

As an aside the brother I take care of is a retired Professor of Business and Economics, Harvard mba, etc. so I had to find out how Brake Max is structured since he knew I was so pleased. Sure enough, they bring the managers into a profit share and "partial ownership". Bro is usually right, lol.

Edit, note to self; do NOT start reading about suspension tuning at midnight. Re-think shaving dot track tires for the street in the morning.

[Ba82Ep3]

Shaved tires can be trouble... less forgiving. Closer to a slick in terms of temperature sensitivity... which includes how hard you push them (less heat easy driving/more heat hard driving). They are rewarding for a smooth and consistent driver...IMO best saved for prepped track conditions.

[Hasbro]

I'm only thinking 9/32 down to 6/32" That would give me more than an inch of tread extra compared to my Kumhos and about an inch more than the Dunlop ZIIs. About 9 1/2". That's big for a 16 due to limited tire selection. I'd have to go up in spring weight but I have the next weight, although they are Eibachs, not Swifts. But the wheels are only 8 1/2". Trying to get more grip without blowing the scrub radius. I don't think I can go much wider with the track (as per Evan).

^ I'm referring to the Bridgestone RE-IIs, 245/45s. It would be a lot simpler to stick with the Dunlop ZIIs, 225/45s. Only 8.5" tread but lighter, fit the rim perfectly, drops car 1/2", makes room for more travel, cheaper. sigh....

[Ba82Ep3]

Its always a compromise. lol

Have you ever run Hypercoil springs?

[Hasbro]

No.

[Ba82Ep3]

I never heard of Swifts till a few years ago amongst the s2000 crowd. Which do you prefer... Eibach or Swift? Or is it just a case of one feels different than the other even though the rate is the same?

[captaingamez]

how are you adjusting your rear koni's hasbro, I cant fit the tool in mine.

[Hasbro]

I never heard of Swifts till a few years ago amongst the s2000 crowd. Which do you prefer... Eibach or Swift? Or is it just a case of one feels different than the other even though the rate is the same?

Do you ever sleep? Supposedly the Swifts are quicker but they are both held in high regard. Dunno. Swifts are more expensive. edit; and lighter.

how are you adjusting your rear koni's hasbro, I cant fit the tool in mine.

One side I can fit the knob, the other I use a small adjustable wrench. It's very easy once you get the hang of it. I just leave the wrench in the back as I'm always adjusting.

[Ba82Ep3]

Do you ever sleep? Supposedly the Swifts are quicker but they are both held in high regard. Dunno. Swifts are more expensive.

Not really. Insomnia is a bitch. Ill go about two days with no sleep then crash for 6-12 depending on how tired i am. I used to go for 4+ days no sleep when i was a young lad. lol

Where do you scoop up the Swift springs? Im assuming you can get them in varying lengths? (I used Hypercoil for that very reason... a lot of length and ID options... but im willing to try something new)

[Hasbro]

There is a dealer page but I went straight through Swift. I like to harass the techies, lol. The norm is to go with 6" on our set up as most guys drop a good bit but I chose the 8" since my drop is minimal (Mustclimb). The 6" Enkies weigh the same as the 8" Swifts, which, of course, was a plus for me, lol. I know you are looking for your EJ, just wanted to mention all of that for others. By the by, was looking at the EJ build on MotoIQ last night. Pretty neat but it was a B series build so the suspension etc. would be different on your little monster.

http://www.swiftsprings.com/index.html


My 8 year old camera is so bad! Now, if I could just squeeze those shaved RE11 245s on there....

[Ba82Ep3]

Preciate the info!

I have a `bad habit` of listening to someone with personal investment/effort in a project versus a sales rep (usually... but that can also be a pigeonhole statement). If i see passion in someones work (like SHG E for instance), its hard NOT to consider their input before anyone elses. Its also a way to save yourself trial/error and hard earned cash... and meet some awesome people in the process.

Thats not to say there isnt anyone else that can offer great info. Having an open mind, being willing to try or consider new things you have yet to try, and realizing there is ALWAYS someone smarter than you... can make someone invaluable in any position.



Ill check out the EJ build you referred to. The k isnt that much heavier than a b18... so it may be a good place to start!

Also, last night i trounced that boosted single slammer (14psi) that got me a few weeks ago. WITH stock exhaust, 6 runs back to back... dig, 20, 45 roll... whatever... his kung fu good here no mo...

[Hasbro]

^ Yeah, I pester SHG with pms, there's one waiting for him now. I'm still stressing over tires. And you, of course, get pestered, too.

^ As far as smarter, I'd be lost without all you guys on here! The engineering/math side of my brain barely functions.

^ That must feel good to have shut 'em down! Your strutting more today, I'll bet.

^^ Edit; and just to set the record straight, I'm an orange belt compared to a black belt in the suspension world. I know just enough to get hurt. No pretenses here.