Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Miata Parts, Intakes, Superchargers, Headers, Exhausts, Shocks, Springs, Sway Bars, Brake Kits, Autocross and track mods.
Va MX5
Posts: 37
Joined: Wed Nov 28, 2012 11:36 am
Location: Sumerduck, Va

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by Va MX5 »

Hi Jeremy,

Not much to go on with just one photo. However, it appears you are approaching the apex cone for the corner, as such you are not yet exiting the corner. The back of the car is totaly unweighted and you still have a lot of steering dialed in, not unwinding or weighting the back of the car as would be the case during corner track out. So I would recommend you start your threshold braking at an earlier point leading up to corner turn in, which should be coupled with a later turn in point with slight trail braking, this will allow a lot of rotation of the car quickly and you can start to dial in unwind sooner with a transition to throttle before reaching apex. In a small car in a trun like the one in the photo, you want to power into and through the apex to achive maximum corner exit speed with the result being to achive the highest possible terminal speed at the end of the upcoming straightaway. In the photo it looks like corner entry was just to hot and a lot of corrrection is underway to make apex, remember "Slow in, Fast out". I am always trying to invest more in driver mods, which give me a higher return, than any to date I have made in my car. There are 2 must reads for anyone who wants to spend a lot of time running road courses; "Going Faster!" by Carl Lopez and "Ultimate Speed Secrets- the Complete Guide to High Performance and Race Driving" by Ross Bentley, both can be found on Amazon. Good luck with your future tracking experiences, you are enjoying some of the fun your car was made to provide!

Regards, Pat
Pat- Va MX5
2012 MX5 PRHT GT
JeremyJ069
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 11:42 am

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by JeremyJ069 »

suspension:
stock sport trim level, so... nothing! :P
wheels / tires:
rpf1 of course, it is a NC after all. 17*8 running 235 dunlop direzza zII.

i admit the last post was light on information. this was at auto club speedway, turn #8 which is more or less a 180*
Image
this was my last session so i was playing with the car a lot but you can see the lead up to the photo in the link below.
https://vimeo.com/75156584#t=123

its either that url time or at 4.22, honestly dont really know. but both times the corner was taken the same way.
JeremyJ069
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 11:42 am

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by JeremyJ069 »

ok, so i have been thinking this over for a while now. originally i was considering FCM coilovers, but someone had sold me on dropping them out of consideration. so that leaves me with ohlin, ohlin race, and mx5 cup.

previously i was using the commuter car excuse for thinking about ohlin vanilla. i have a new commuter so the go-kart is going full track / leisure. so that leaves ohlin race or mx5 cup. i know brian hates the mx5 cup suspension. maybe hate is too strong? i know brian does not like how heavy they are. i can get them for a little bit more than the ohlin race kit and they would be the sachs version, not the eibach.

from watching the mx5 cup videos the suspension looks very capable. interested to hear from people that had them, and since replaced them.
Brian
Site Admin
Posts: 11307
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:44 am
Location: San Diego CA
Contact:

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by Brian »

I tried the SACHS. I don't hate them, I just was not impressed. Once I changed to the Ohlins I can't imagine going back to the SACHS. Assuming the car is going to live and be used in the real world of pot holes and old roads (not just a trailer queen living purely on race tracks), then my suggestion is standard Ohlins kit, nothing 'vanilla' about it.
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
JeremyJ069
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 11:42 am

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by JeremyJ069 »

ha! vanilla was just a term of differentiation, not an attempt at being derogatory.

my only worry about the non-race ohlin is the possibility of really becoming a track only toy. but yes, roads here in los angeles are a joke at best. if im driving to an event with the full on race spec stuff it might be not ideal.

question though, are you suggesting the non-race ohlin for ride comfort or mechanical safety. because im very good at ignoring the former.
Brian
Site Admin
Posts: 11307
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:44 am
Location: San Diego CA
Contact:

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by Brian »

The problem as I see it is that you seem to think the RACE will be somehow 'better' for your original stated purpose of 'mountain ripper' and what I am trying to tell you is that the RACE will NOT be better for a 'mountain ripper'. The narrow purpose of the Race kit is for track/autocross. In the real world of real crap roads I MUCH PREFER the standard Ohlins kit. You state that you can 'ignore' the rough ride of the stiffer setup....but therein I smell your assumption that the Race kit will somehow be 'better' despite the ride compromise and I am here to warn you that it will be SLOWER and LESS FUN in the real world and on rougher tracks (like Buttonwillow). If you can't keep the tires in contact with the surface because the springs are very stiff and the surface is crap then the result is slower, not faster. Too many take from the existence of the RACE kit that the standard kit is somehow a massive compromise. The reverse is true. The standard kit is the best tool for the job that most are doing, and most are doing a mix of real world and track and/or autocross. The RACE kit is the massive compromise (much like the SACHs kit)... and I don't suggest either except for those using those for the intended purpose, a dedicated track/autocross racer.

I regularly remind folks that I put the STANDARD Ohlins kit in our NCLIGHT race car to prove the potency of the standard kit...and beat a whole field of Vipers at Chuckwalla Raceway a few years ago with 1:55 lap times...ON THE STANDARD OHLINS KIT. Thus, I suggest you don't dismiss the standard kit as somehow 'not as good', few will ever need more than the standard kit can deliver....and yet you can still drive home from the event in relative comfort and enjoy those mountain roads without getting beat up in the process.
Image
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
JeremyJ069
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 11:42 am

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by JeremyJ069 »

Brian wrote:The problem as I see it is that you seem to think the RACE will be somehow 'better' for your original stated purpose of 'mountain ripper' and what I am trying to tell you is that the RACE will NOT be better for a 'mountain ripper'.
oh no no no. in post 17631 i asked about track setups. sorry for any confusion, i just used this thread rather than starting a new one.
im done with mountain roads.

but your point about buttonwillow is a very good one. that track is pretty awful. i suppose i should start with the ohlin street / track setup. if im longing for more i could always sell those to a hungry market.

rather than starting from the top and moving down.
Brian
Site Admin
Posts: 11307
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:44 am
Location: San Diego CA
Contact:

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by Brian »

Ah, sorry to confuse you with the OP. But indeed if Buttonwillow is your regular track choice, I suggest softer standard setup.
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
JeremyJ069
Posts: 48
Joined: Mon May 14, 2012 11:42 am

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by JeremyJ069 »

yep, thanks for your input!

how about sway bars?
Brian
Site Admin
Posts: 11307
Joined: Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:44 am
Location: San Diego CA
Contact:

Re: Springs and Sways for 'Mountain Ripper NC" or Coilovers?

Post by Brian »

The most serious set of sways is our Progress kit, but they might be more than you want. If doing the Ohlins anyway,which is a total handling remake of the car already, my suggestion is start with that change and then track it and let me know how much flatter you want it. If you end up wanting just a little more then I will suggest our Racing Beat Combo, and if you end up wanting a lot more, then we will suggest our Progress sways.
Brian Goodwin
Good-Win Racing
www.good-win-racing.com
Post Reply