Remember I'm on an X... so my fitment issues are different. My wheels are the 18x10.5+15, so no spacers needed... but big fenders are . I like the RPFs and NT03s for what they are, cheap and lightweight, but not very stylish wheels.

I also can't recommend any non X sway bars. I'm running the Cobb ones (hollow, weight is important on the X) and they work just fine.

I'm running 12/14 springs right now. They are stiff enough to be annoying a year later on the street. I actually think that they might be a touch too stiff for my driving style (which is poor, so maybe leave the car alone and learn to drive is the answer lol)...

I don't know enough about the 265 tires to comment, but I'd be careful with what you buy. I know that the RX8 guys have had longevity issues with the new 255/xx/18 A6s (new this year) compared to the 285/30's they had been running.

You can contact http://www.jbracingtires.net or http://www.philstireservice.com for used tires (as well keep an eye on here or nasaforums.com).

 

Thanks a lot for the links.

What do you attribute the RX8 issues to? Just less rubber so they are burning up faster? Or is there a manufacturing issue with some mid range sizes? Id love big fat 285s because Im sure theyd stick like glue but 2" more rubber... dunno where that would go

Based on your slightly heavier car and thinking the springs might be too stiff, maybe a 10/12k setup somewhere in the future? 7/9k really isnt soft by any means... why would you think A6s would expose the weakness of the spring rates?

 

Jumping into the middle of this so I'll try to provide some input from an Evo IX point of view.

I can tell you from experience that 10k/12k will a) not quite be stiff enough for a race tire in a width of 265 or greater and b) be pretty pushy. I run in STU on 245 Yoko AD08s and have 700lb F (about 12.5k) and 900lb R (about 16k) with a 24mm rear bar and it's still got some steady state push to it. It feels great everywhere else, even on corner exit with the stock rear diff - throttle steering the car is fairly easy to do once the shocks and tire pressure are dialed in.

The setup still needs some tweaks, but IMO, for a competitive auto-x setup, you have to have a lot of spring/bar in the rear to get the car to rotate - 12k/16k sounds like it would be a good starting point for someone on race tires. If it's a daily driver, start with 10k/14k. Remember that the effective spring rate of the rear on the Evo 8/9 is only about 1/2 or 2/3 of the actual spring rate... 900lb springs in the rear sound high, but in reality the effective rate is only about 500-600lbs...

One other thing I'd like to point out is that 700/900 springs are perfectly streetable - provided you have the right dampers to control them. Cheapie eBay no-name coilover kits - and their mainstream counterparts that have gotten by thanks to persistent marketing - won't cut it. You'll need dampers made by Koni, KW (i.e. Robispec Race), Bilstein, Ohlins, Moton, JRZ, etc. etc. to get the most out of big spring rates and still have them be streetable. The damper should AT LEAST have separate rebound/compression adjustment (which is a BIG BIG thing to getting the car to handle right).

 

Well I have been quite pleased with my inexpensive EnduraTech coilovers. I understand where you are coming from with the higher rates, but realistically, there is no way I am going to rebuy suspension components at this point when the coilovers are still relatively new. They are only height and one way dampening adjustable. Would higher rates still benefit me or am I fighting a loosing battle in and attempt to optimize my coilovers? Maybe larger than 24mm rear sway would allow me to compensate for my lack of rates? Im not sure I am ready to make a jump to a race tire next season, I was just looking at ways to tweak my car for AutoX, more than anything because I enjoy working on it.

 

You say you are pleased with your EnduraTechs, yet you are asking about how to optimize your suspension. Hard to offer advice when you seem a bit uncertain what you want to do.

Lets start here. Stiff 700/900 spring rates will NOT work with your Enduratech shocks. Not well or for long anyway. Keep them with whatever springs came on them, +/- about 2K or 100# at the most. As you raise spring rates you need to have the dampening to control them. Most all shocks, and especially the lower end ones don't have the dampening adjustability to raise the spring rates 50-100% and still be able to control them. Even the higher end shocks must be revalved when you change spring rates by any more than a couple hundred pounds.

As for the issue with needing more spring with r-comps - that's generally true. The more you increase mechanical grip - the more leaning force is put into the chassis - and the more spring rate you need to keep your car from having horrible body roll.

However - there are some STU (245 width street tires) guys running spring rates comparable to what the SM and BSP guys are running (285 width A6's) . . .

 

The shocks were tested by AMS to 12k I believe though if I changed anything I would call them again to verify in the event I put new springs on. I am not sure what is difficult about the advise I am asking for. You are right, I want to optimize MY suspension, not new suspension. How can I get the most out of what I have? New springs are a lot cheaper than new coilovers. My car is admittedly compromised, it is a DD that gets run hard. I guess maybe I needed to state that. I am just looking for thoughts and ideas, no stress

What I am getting from you guys is the I would need stiffer springs no matter what, especially if I get RComps. I am thinking the sways are going to be the next thing I do.

 

It's difficult to give ideas and advice because we're unsure what your goals are for the car. Do you (A) want a decent daily driver that you can go out and autocross with every once in a while or do you (B) want a competitive BSP car?

In either case, the suggestions you're getting from people here involve purchasing a set of quality, adjustable, monotube shocks. Why? As you've said already, the ride on your EnduraTech coilovers rattles your brains out with the spring rates you have now. That's not going to get any better with the higher spring rates that you'll need to manage R-comp levels of grip. It's great that your shocks were tested to 12K spring rates, but that tells you nothing about their longevity at that spring rate or the quality of the dampening that they can provide. With quality shocks, you can manage high spring rates appropriately and will probably find that your ride is improved.

If you don't want to do that and your goal is to make the most of what you have now without buying new shocks and without sacrificing any more ride quality from increased spring rates on your current shocks, then you already have your answer: upgrade your sway bars, buy some used R-comps and have fun.

 

The last line was what I was looking for, thanks

 

Also the head studs and maybe the undertray put you in SM.

Rick