Hey guys,

I have a stock 09 RA and I'm thinking of putting it on hsd coils for better handling and improved performance. Anything I should know about before making the move? pros/cons? would you say it will be a good investment for my car?

Thanks for the help!

 

their website only shows application for evo tho. the biggest pro is probably improved handling while sacrifice some comfort depending on spring rate and damper.

 

I'm sure you get get them installed on the RA because I know other RA owners that have done so. Could you please elaborate on the comfort part though.. I thought that was only if I decide to do the ricer thing and lower it too much.

I'm looking to do this from a pure performance, handling and long term car care point of view. I'm thinking of getting new rims too so I figured I can get it all done and properly adjusted in one shot

Current choices are rims are:
Tenzo Tracker
Enkei RP03
SSR GT

 

Spring rates on coilovers are going to be higher than the stock spring rates. So, from a comfort point of view it will be a "rougher" ride. The HSD coilovers have height adjustment separate from the spring settings. So, "going too low" shouldn't affect "ride quality" unless you're bouncing the chassis off the ground, or you did something stupid like removed the lock collars and dropped the lower spring perches to the height adjustment lock collar.

For spring rates, you'll want to have 8k Front 7k Rear. With anything softer, you'll be bouncing off the bump stops making the ride stupid and uncontrolled. You could go 9k 8k for "sportier" performance street driving or 10k 9k (or stiffer) for all out race.

 

Hi Nunyas,

Than you for the info, I am also interested in coilovers. I am assuming most coilovers are made with sedans in mind, do sportback guys need to look for coilover set up with a specific spring rate to compensate for our heavier rear end? what spring rates would you recommend for sportbacks?

Also, why are most setups made to be stiffer up front? Just for educational purposes, what happens if you run identical spring rates for both front and end or something against the norm like 9k in the front and 10k in the back?

 

I have 8k front 7k rear (actually 400lbs/in ... which is a bit stiffer than 7k) on my Sportback. With the rear springs, I have 1" of preload on them. On a sedan, you would use less preload, because while there is less weight on the back it isn't a huge amount less (~maybe~ 50lbs per side at most) compared to the Sportbacks.

Most setups use stiffer springs up front on our cars because that's where 60% of the weight is, and they're designed for "comfort". Though almost all of the ones being sold for Ralliarts are sprung for non-AWD Lancers, which have even less weight over the rear wheels and 500lbs lighter over all. As a result, most of the preconfigured coilover setups you'll find are going to be sprung at 8k 6k (that's what mine came with). The front springs are sufficient to handle the heavier weight of the RA because of their length, but you should run more preload for a RA.

People run really high spring rates on the rear of their track ready RAs because they want to make the car handle more like a rear drive car. The stiffer rear setup makes it easier for the rear end to break loose before the front does. Keeping the front somewhat soft allows them to still use it on the street with some level of comfort.

On a car that's primarily a DD, I personally wouldn't go beyond equal spring rates front/rear. Ideally, you'd measure the dimensions of the suspension arms and then use a spring rate calculator to determine your spring rates. That's what I did when I selected 400lbs/in for my rear springs.

Another thing to consider, the rear shock on most coilover's for our cars has a relatively short travel distance. So, if you regularly have rear passengers, you'll want to have a higher spring rate in the rear (which would make it equal spring rates front/rear).

I'm currently thinking about swapping my front springs for 475lb/in springs, which would be about a 8.5k spring, and pre-load it with about 1/2". I'm considering this mainly because the 8ks (while sufficient in most situations) that came on my coilovers do bottom out on speed bumps and such.

 

I have Fortune Auto coil-overs on my Sportback. I'm running 8k front / 7k rear which is a little stiffer than stock. I went with this setup knowing I could swap out springs later on if I wanted something a little stiffer.

I might upgrade to swift springs later on and move up to 9k front/8k rear is where I would be most happy and it still be comfortable enough for the family.

Some say that using the same spring rate front / rear is also similar to upgrading the rear sway bar causing more over steer.

 

Wow, really detailed responses, thanks guys,

Nunyas,

If I regularly carry rear passengers, would you suggest that I go with a different preload value for the rear? I am assuming higher since the back will have even more weight? and by how much do you think?

 

I would use a spring rate calculator, and start with a vehicle base weight of 3600lbs (rounding up to the nearest 100) add 200lbs per passenger to the rear of the vehicle. With a weight distribution of 59f 41r for the sportback ra, you have roughly 740lbs per wheel (w/o passengers), minus ~75lbs of unsprung weight (very rough ball park) you end up with the spring having to support 665lbs. Then there's the mechanical advantage/leverage you need to take into account. The rear weight is supported on the lower control arms, with the weight at the end and the lifting point in the middle of the arm (mechanical disadvantage: 21in arms, lifting point at 14.5in) etc, etc.

I used ridetech's spring rate calculator (http://www.ridetech.com/tech/spring-rate-calculator/) to select my springs. Hyperco (tight tolerance "race spring" manufacturer) has one too ( http://www.hypercoils.com/spring-rate-calculator/). I found ridetech's calculator easier to use because it based the spring rate on the spring length you choose. Hyperco's calculator bases spring length and strength on the shock stroke.

The actual spring you need will depend on your coilovers. BCRacing BR coils rear springs are supposed to be 180mm x 65mm (7in x 2.5in). So, that's what I selected for size, and then used the calculator to determine the spring rate and how much pre-load I should use.

TLDR:
If you carry passengers in the back seat use the ridetech calculator:
.start with 740lbs for the rear
.add 100lbs for each adult passenger you regularly carry in the rear
.use 75 for the unsprung weight
.use 14.5 for dimension A
.use 21 for dimension B
.use 90* for the angle
.Select appropriate spring length for your coilovers

 

Hi guys!

I've been driving the previous Ralliart for 6 years and now I've got the new one. It's a HUGE difference when it comes to stability and handling between the two, the old Ralliart being far better from this point of view. So, I'm thinking to lower the new one a bit, in order to improve both the look and handling (the body roll when cornering fast, kills me), but I don't want to go too far. What coils would you recommend for a 2011 street driving sedan (very seldom I have somebody on the back seats), with a descent rate of lowering, but nothing like the car below?

 

I have BC racing with swift spring 8/8 and love them!

 

Fuego, thanks for the answer! The 8 springs you are talking about, are the same as those you are selling? As for the shocks, I'll give a chance to the stock ones.

 

8k front and 8k rear swift spring with the BC cool overs. I know RealTune does sell BC coil overs but not sure about the swift springs so I can ask them about that tomorrow. I like the setup a lot and I drive a lot and I feel it's just right for me. I have both the front and the back dampeners set to 15 from soft. Fun to drive spirited and no issues when car is full which is rare.

 

Ok my goal here is not to create a track car (maybe take it to the track once in a while for fun) but mostly I want an EVERYDAY car that is fun to drive, quick and handles well.

I was doing some research myself and one of the things I came across was the opinion to replace the rear lower strut bar to the maximum amount before the front one needs to be replaced. I have been reading that this goes a long way into improving the handling of the car and reducing body roll for a fraction of the cost for the springs. Any ideas/thoughts?

 

To replace the rear swaybar you need to drop the rear diff to get around it. So yes it is cheaper..but also more work.