Coilover Views

[Kev@Apex]

Hi guys,
You may have noticed that the testing we have done with the K-Sport setups to find a supple road setup for the GTiR. It seems to get the harshness out of the hard sprung K-sports the springs are too soft for the short damper travel. They are useable but I have concerns over the extra load on the dampers, hitting the bump-stops repeatidly and this leading to premature failure of the dampers.

I'm therefore looking to expand my range of "Apex Coilovers" which have been very sucessful in the Evo, 200SX and Scooby incarnations, for road and race and availble with various damper ratings and a huge range of spring rates.

The 200SX ones have a full range of setups, varying in damping and spring rates, most are now available as normal or inverted dampers.

5/4 "comfy" - Ride similar to Nismo S tune / Tein Flex Control Master
6/5 "road" - Ride similar to Tein Super Street
8/6 "track" - Ride similar to Apex N1
10/8 "drift & Race" Ride Simialr to Tein Super Drift / Type RE circuit master /Apexi N1 Circuit

I'm hoping to sort something similar for you GTiR people as I'm not happy with low spring rates on the K-sports as mentioned. They are a cracking track coilover but there seems to be plenty of interest in a more supple ride.

To aid the development I need to know which kits you guys rate, and which you dont, then I can get some to compare and measure the various setups.

If anyone has a set of knackered standard topmounts, shocks and springs they can let me have for measuring, cheap , then this would also help the development.

 

[Rishi]

I like this.. Someone keen to help develop the GTiR further in the Handling area!..

If i was in Aberdeen i would have been able to help you out there, but i'll be in London all week..


Rishi

 

[PaulB]

i have a set of standard springs you can have fella, just pay the postage and there yours kev.

 

[campbellju]

IMO from people's opinons on the SR20 forum, some detailed calculations and with predominatly road experience but sufficient wet and dry track experience to test things.

3/2 - standard Nissan - understeer bias
4/3 - Tein ratings, blooming good for B-roads, good for wet race tracks, good all-rounder
5/4 - Recently changed to these, not as compliant on B-roads but more oversteer bias. 4's on the back are getting very stiff for road use. For the rear, the Maths says they are the max, my experience says If you really had to there might be a 4.5 for the rears but I wouldn't go to 5 for road use, its far too stiff for our cars.
6/4 - Would give you the same understeer bias as a 3/2
6/4.5 - Absolute max on the road
6/5 - Might be too oversteery for some.
6.5/5 - Too stiff for road, +/- 0.5 at each end this is a typical Sentra Race cup owners balance.
7/5.5 - I've read about it was meant to be alright
7.5/5 - Underster biased again, quick buy a smaller silver front ARB from whiteline because I've messed the handling up :lol::lol:
9/7 - One Sentra racer with a weld in roll cage, semi slicks and aero package obviously only racing on very smooth tracks ;-)

That's your range, IMO if I had to keep it simple (It isn't but people want solutions not more questions):

4/3 B-Road, A-Road, Track
5/4 A-Road, Track
6.5/5 Track
7.5/6 Track with stiff roll cage and Semi slicks

Drifters, stuffed if I know :lol::lol::lol:, probably something bonkers like 9/8

Kev, If you want to see my monster spreadsheet with various roll centre, spring rate, roll resistance nonsense, PM me your e-mail. Its not complete and its not tidy so I wouldn't put it up on the forum.


The problem you will get is if people drop their cars to the max, put their dampers on full stiffness and then hit a pot hole with a sensible all rounder like 4/3 you will probably get warranty complaints :doh:

 

[youngsyp]

Kev,

I have a set of knackered front dampers, OK rear dampers and ok top mounts for them all.

The front dampers are still operational but, to get the old top mounts off, I had to grind part of the piston rod flat. So, they obviously can't be used on a car but, would be fine for measuring up !

Pm me if you're interested in them, I'm sure your idea of cheap is the same as mine !

Cheers

Paul

 

[Kev@Apex]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I think I'll start with some 5/4's for development and I'll give one of you a shout about getting the standard ones picked up by a courier.