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project pignose: suspension tuning
Today we are going to kick off the suspension series for Project Pignose with a bit of a background and a mod primer. The goal is to help you backup some knowledge that you might already have and maybe teach you something you might not have thought about.
While there are certain characteristics that are unique to each individual car and chassis, there are a few basics that I believe carry across to all cars.
1. Know What You Are Tuning For
I believe a common mistake that many people make is thinking that buying the most expensive suspension that they can possibly afford is going to make for the perfect suspension for their situation. In the end you may have spent a few thousand dollars and still not be happy. Lay out your expectations whether it be:
Style + Comfort | ”Canyon Carving” | Autocross | Track Days/HDPE Events | Drift | Bling
External reservoir Ohlins may be complete and utter overkill on a show-only car, but what says “bling” more than coilovers that cost as much as a used car. I have two sets of springs for my coilovers: a stiff set for autocross season, and what my co-mechanic calls a “neutered” set for the less than ideal city streets of San Francisco. He also calls them neutered because I have two sets of springs because of my girlfriend’s complaints. Above all is the idea that the individual parts you assemble each need to contribute to the goal.
Also remember there’s a give and take for each choice. The hellaflush crowd goes for style, but to push the limits of offset and clearance without eating tires alive requires a very stiff car that may have your kidneys hating you if the roads in your area are less than ideal.
2. NVH
NVH: Noise, Vibration, and Harshness. Your car came from the factory aiming for a level of NVH that can be tolerated by the general public, or at least a niche thereof. This again goes with the idea of tradeoff. Camber plates may help you reach your desired alignment, but they contribute a fair amount to negative NVH for daily driving.
Most enthusiasts seem to have a higher tolerance for loud noises coming from their suspension, however, harshness is an extremely subjective measurement. What might be a tolerable amount of stiffness for your friend, may make you end up hating your car if installed on you’re own ride. If you’re unsure about a setup and you drive a fairly popular car, try to find someone on a local internet board and ask for a ride, perhaps in exchange for a 6-pack. Unless you drive a Neon SRT-4, most other car geeks are friendly people that like to help one another out (just kidding!).
3. Tires and Alignment
Before you go on an eBay shopping spree with your credit card, take care of the basics. Bigger sway bars and fancy shocks are probably not best complimented by a set of Big-O Tire specials. Sticky tires can go a long way on a stock suspension car. To make the most of your modifications, it then makes the most sense to make a good investment with the only parts of your car that are (hopefully) actually making contact with the ground. The heavier your car and the more crude your suspension geometry design, the more this holds true. Every autocrosser knows that tire pressures are crucial to the way a car grips and rotates, so don’t forget the “free” mods.
Many people also over look the importance of a proper alignment. Your relative suspension geometry “settings” such as camber, caster, and toe can potentially have a huge effect on the balance and handling of your vehicle. Some can be adjusted by an alignment tech and others not so much. If you have an adjustable ride-height suspension I consider this a very important factor in alignment as well. Your ride height determines a plethora of things in terms of ride quality and performance, be it from shock travel or the way the front end can “bite”.
4. Research, Research, Research
The internet is a-m-a-z-i-n-g and does wonders for making informed purchase decisions. There are a couple of important things to remember while doing this research: a) the credibility of the reviewer, and b) the end goal of the reviewer. Your friend with the Pep Boys special taillights could tell you that they are the best mod for your car and add 10hp, but should you believe them? Becoming a regular on enthusiast message boards is somewhat of a time suck, but after a while you can figure out who actually knows what they’re talking about. It is important to keep in mind, no matter how credible the source, of what the reviewer has in mind for their car. I can tell you my Vorshlag Camber Plates are awesome (they are) but I just might forget to tell you that outsized potholes might make your passengers think your car is falling apart. As an autocrosser I choose to tolerate these sorts of things, but for someone who will never see more than a twisty backroad, they may have a lesser opinion of bone jarring shocks. Research doesn’t just apply to quality and characteristics, but also price. A little bit of shopping goes a LONG way.
Hopefully this lays out a foundation for our next series of posts for the modification path for Project Pignose’s suspension. And if you have anything to add, be sure to leave a comment.
Project Pignose is an ‘06 WRX Wagon prepped for battling city streets and orange pylons.
