I'm wondering if most Evo owners will changes their suspension (springs, coilovers, etc.) or add mods for power first. I'm kind of torn myself; coilovers would really help on track days, but I wouldn't mind more power, either.

I wouldn't mind seening some of the reasons behind your choices, too.

 

For me, handling on a track is what is fun. More power is always secondary. I like playing around with suspensions and make a car better inch by inch

 

I'd actually go brakes first. Since the Evo already comes with Brembo 4 piston calipers up front with brembo rotors I'd look into whether or not Stoptech is making replacement rotors. If they aren't I'd get the full Stoptech BB kit which is much more efficient at keeping the entire brake assembly cooler/less fade.

But in the order you mentioned, I'd go suspension first. My Eclipse is now faster on the autox than every Evo I've ever compared to. And thats only because of my suspension, JIC FLT-A2. My motor is still bone stock with only a drop in K&N.

Power: if your driving an Evo on the street and its not making enough power for you, then you should've imported an R34 Skyline GTR.......

 

Power. The car stock handles as well as pretty much anything else on the road.

 

Spoken like a person who's never driven on a track, hehehe. I know this is all opinion, but if you want to go fast on a road course (or anything that isn't straight line actually), make your first mods handling and braking...period. You'll be able to run MUCH faster times than other EVO's that have 100+ more hp than you (don't ask...don't want to offend anyone on this board). Oh, and lets not forget about tires...you don't have to go full slicks, but an R compound tire will give you a few seconds by itself!!

 

suspension is ALWAYS first...

 

So what's a good upgrade path as far as suspension goes?

 

How about spending money on the driver? The car is only as fast as the driver lets it be, and you will pick up far more time by learning how to drive then by dumping money into the car...

 

ABSOLUTELY CORRECT!!! Of course I'm assumng that the owner already knows how to drive Which actually kinda brings us to another dilema: Should I spend my money on suspension mods, or on R compound tires and track days? To be quite honest, I think that it'll be tires and track days for me. I'll probably have my coilovers, and R tires before the next track day, but after that the mods budget will get really small, and the race budget will get much larger.

 

I will broaden the subject a little while trying to answer your question:

In upgrading the vehicle, the first items should be tires first, then wheels, then chassis rigidity (X braces, etc.), then A/R bar, then suspension geometry if feasible, then suspension, bushings (which should go with the suspension, but it is driver's choice), then engine.

Driver education is absolutely critical. You can have all the best tools toward an objective, but if you do not know how to use the tools, you won't get there.

In terms of suspension upgrade path, it is totally dependent on what is it that you want to achieve. There are widely varying tastes and priorities for every driver indepdent of experience. There is no prescription for it. If you have specific objectives, pm me and I'll try to give you some direction.

 

the Evo is one of very few cars I have ever driven that have more suspension then power from the factory. I will do power mods first - but much of this is because I don't know what I want to do suspension wise... as I see it there isn't a clear winner when it comes to coil-overs/springs & struts...

 

Just out of curiosity, why wouls you need to change the wheel/tire combination first thing on an Evo? Yes, there are lighter wheels out there and maybe a better tire, but is the difference large enough to worry about those two first? I really do not know, so I am asking. I would have thought a rear a/r bar to give better balence followed by either springs or a coilover setup and then maybe wheels and tires.

 

You may want to look at my sig? I race open wheel formula cars. What do you race?

 

Sorry I was not clear. I did not meant the list to be specific to Evo, it is a general list/approach in modifications for a vehicle.

In terms of Evo, Wheel/Tires would be in the middle of my list as well. A/R bar also for Evo would be towards the end of my list. I believe the rear A/R bar is stiff enough already, and I would recommend springs or coil-over upgrades first depending on objectives. Then potentially, pending testing, at this time, I will be try and see how the car balances with a smaller bar up front. But, that can only be done after coilover upgrade.

I hope I could clear my approach.

 

I think the correct answer is both as any true gearhead will tell you. It can never be fast enough whether in a straight line or around a bend.