The Massive Evo That Couldn't

[CaptainSquirts]

I usually write random crap on a bunch of different threads on this forum. I might as well start documenting in my own little thread about what I'm doing and i guess a diary of how the car feels before and after of anything I do?

Got nothing to document at the moment, good first post I guess...

[CaptainSquirts]

Actually I can start off from what I did prior to last event.

I installed helper springs(not flimsy 10lb rated springs but 168lb springs) on the rear of my car. On turn arounds and some other scenarios my inner rear wheel would lift due to limited droop. The helper spring now kept the inner wheel on the ground and I lost a jarring judder affect when the lifted wheel touched the ground. I was worried that the car would handle differently at the slaloms since I liked how the car was feeling there. Slaloms felt the same, next event should be a good test with all the different speed slaloms.

On the turn around, I would get some front wheel judder if I turned the wheel a little bit too much. I was at -2.5ish camber on the fronts. I kicked it up to -3.5 and fixed the toe to near 0 if anything super little toe out which probably won't be noticeable. At the dunnellon event, I felt like I was able to give more steering angle and the tire didnt get the judder affect. I didn't try cranking the wheel to see how far it would go before it did the same/understeered.

Next thing on my plate to do is install a couple of new bushings on the front control arm. I already have the big fat bushing that goes on the rear of the control arm. I just need to get a pair of the front inner bushings since why not replace those since I'll be putting the other one on. It's the super pro offset bushing(freaking pricey) so it should give me 0.7-1 extra caster. Stock caster is about 3.6 degrees.

Example of the control arm...


Example of the offset bushing I got

[CaptainSquirts]

So 1 big issue with my rear suspension is that I get some bad oscillation during some road dips/uneven drop offs and etc. Tried everything to fix it and to no avail. Spoke to Fortune auto(my coilover company) and they agree the shocks are probably not right. They built me new ones and are sending them to me and I don't have to ship my current one to them first so that means I won't have any down time so thats a win win.

I do get them delivered thursday night. So thinking about installing them friday after work, might be a good time so I can test them at autocross and hopefully my rears will be all good.

Another thing my offset bushings I got has cracks in the center of it so had to get new ones sent to me. I have bad luck of getting defective products..

Here is the offset bushings and you can see cracks, shouldn't be there.

[Native]

Fortune seems to be on the up and up.
Not so much, your fortune, though...

[CaptainSquirts]

Fortune seems to be on the up and up.
Not so much, your fortune, though...

You were the first one to drive my car on the auto x course when I installed the coilovers. You must've blown the rears

[Native]

And I'll do it again, too...

[CaptainSquirts]

So this Saturday on course technical run?

[Native]

Twist my arm...

[CaptainSquirts]

Got my new shocks from fortune auto since my cuTrent ones never felt right from the get go. Time to start disassembling the old one and putting the new shock body in.

Interesting the new shock body is a little shorter? Wonder if it needs to "break" in or something?

[JasonS]

Last minute car surgery didn't go well for me. Hope you have better luck.

[CaptainSquirts]

Last minute car surgery didn't go well for me. Hope you have better luck.

If you're talking about your clutch job, then yea your surgery was a lot more complex than mine. Worst case scenario I could reassemble previous shocks if for some reason the new ones were bad.

[Loren]

Well??? Did the replacement shocks make a difference?

[CaptainSquirts]

Well??? Did the replacement shocks make a difference?

Well for daily driving the shocks feel about the same? For autocross, it actually felt pretty damn different. I would get a lot more over steer if I went too fast into the slaloms, the rear would just slide out. Now I did not have one peep or hint of oversteer if I pushed it too hard into the slaloms. I was getting understeer now from the slaloms which I haven't really gotten the last 3 events(slalom heavy events). Now I did run the fronts at full closed and the rear 3 clicks behind it this event. Normally I ran the fronts a couple clicks from full closed and the rear two clicks softer than the fronts. not sure if the 1 extra soft click on the rear made that big of a difference but I doubt it.

Also the car previously really felt like it was kind of sliding when at the limits but still being able to control it but now it felt very stuck to the ground. But any who, I over drove some places and under drove others this event, but regardless the car feels a lot more planted! Not sure if I want to stiffen the rear bar more or soften the front shocks to now combat the slight understeer I was getting. Probably soften the front a small bit.

[Loren]

So, what was the problem. Did they give you a shock with the wrong stroke (too short), or wrong valving, or what?

[CaptainSquirts]

Couldn't tell you, they didn't ask me to send my previous set in

[Loren]

That means that their time and shipping is worth more than those shocks.

And they probably don't deal in used shocks, so what would they do with them, anyway?

Glad you found some improvement there, though. It's nice when the car feels properly planted and does what you want it to do!

[CaptainSquirts]

That means that their time and shipping is worth more than those shocks.

And they probably don't deal in used shocks, so what would they do with them, anyway?

Glad you found some improvement there, though. It's nice when the car feels properly planted and does what you want it to do!

Indeed. I'm actually happy to have them, I may try to disassemble/rebuild myself so I can figure out and learn how to do it.

[Loren]

It's fun to at least take them apart and try to understand how they work. You've got no investment in them, why not?

[CaptainSquirts]

Well took my front control arms off so I can take them to a machine shop to swap out the big rear bushing with spherical poly offset bushings. Will add a little positive caster and move the wheel forward some which it will definitely need after I throw on some caster plates. The smaller front bushing is still holding well after 100k miles so i dont need to worry about them. Hopefully the plates come on tomorrow or Thursday so I can throw them on before the weekend.

[CaptainSquirts]

Oh boy, caster! Guy made this for his ohlins and after doing measurements it was the same as my fortune autos. So bought a set from him and looks like it all bolts right in.