I hate polls and there are possibly too many choices, so I'm just gonna ask some questions...

For those of you with adjustable shocks or coilover systems, how do you configure them for:

1) Normal driving
2) Autocross
3) Street Launching with Street Tires
4) Track Launching with Street Tires, with slicks

Please indicate front & rear settings if they are different.

I realize there will be many different opinions, especially for normal driving, personally I have my TEIN's set about 1/3 down from hard for normal driving. Haven't done anything other than that yet since I put them on.

The TEIN's have 24 clicks of adjustment, I currently have the rears set 8 clicks down from stiffest and the fronts set at 6 clicks down from stiffest. I really have no idea if it is normal to have the fronts stiffer than the rear for normal driving, that is just how they ended up so the ride wasn't "pick up truck bouncy", but still as firm as possible.

The ride is certainly harsh on bad roads, but boy, does she like the on/off ramps and twisties!

K

 

i don't have as nice a setup as you (bastid!!), but i do like the koni yellows i'm running with now. typically for daily driving, i'll set the front and the rears 1/2 turn from full soft. the noise is significantly less and the car doesn't rattle going over bumps and cracks.

for auto-x, i set the fronts 3/4 turn from full hard and the rears 1/2 turn from full hard. i like the rear to be more responsive ... much better for slaloms and close offsets.

i really don't know if it makes that much difference for launching with street tires. i can never tell ... i do get more tire squeal with the softer settings; even when i'm not intending to. i don't own a set of slicks, so that one i'm SOL.

 

Dang...too much adjustability for just plain road driving...I'd hate that much tuning for the track...I guess that's why I have the stock R1 Showa shocks with H&R springs. Ride comfort is outstanding on public roads (even bumpy roads), and that's with 17s and 255/40-17 tires...Admittedly there is much more body roll than I'd like on track, but I have to make compromises for a road/track car...(sigh)...

When the time comes, I'll get the "self-adjusting" Bilstein HDs (Heavy Duties), and go back to Racing Beat springs, when I convert my R1 to track-only configuration...once I get my wife's old car (and she buys a new one...whoo hoo!) for the daily grind.

 

TEINs HA,
normal driving 10 in the front 8 in the back
Autocross, 15 in the front 14 in the back
launching on the street tire in Street 8 IDRC, 8 in the front, 1 in the back
launching on slicks, 8 in the front, 3 in the back...

 

Thanks voodoo, that is great information!

K

 

hi guys,

i just installed a set of tein RA's...i'm assuming that the higher the #s, the stiffer the shock is? The type RA's have 16 way adjustability. also, i have the fronts at 3 and the rears at 5...i thought you would want the rear stiffer than the front? i'll hafta play around with the setup a little more...but i just wanted to see what you guys had to say about shock stiffness and pros/cons of front/rear stiff difference.

anthony