Hey guys,

So I know close to nothing about suspension tuning and I wanted to learn a little more. What are the possible ways of improving your suspension (coilovers, xbrace, etc. what else am I missing)? What exactly are coilovers and how are they fitted on a car? How do coilovers differ from getting new shocks? What mods would you guys recommend for someone on a budget? Sorry for having so many questions, but I really don't know squat when it comes to the suspension. Thanks in advance!

Jim

 

You have many questions, my child. One must know what aspect of one's suspension needs to be improved before strapping on parts.
And, what kind of driving are you interested in? Autocross, Road Racing, ...
So, start there... What kind of driving.
Coilovers are springs that fit around the shock. They vary in stiffness and height. Shocks control the rate of dampening... You have many possibilities. I suggest that you should create a criteria for your specifications and performance goals, then seek knowledge.
Choose wisely.

 

Thanks for your kind response splndid. I'm asking this question not so much for my own car but just in general. So in that case, what would be good setups for the following situations:

racetrack
autox
street

Personally, however, I would want a suspension setup that would decrease body roll, lower the car a tad (to improve appearance) all while maintaning a relatively comfortable ride for everyday use. I haven't gotten my car yet, but I'll probably track it every so often and use it primarily as my daily driver. Thanks in advance

Jim

 

There is a rather promising article in GrassRoots MotorSports magazine. I forget the month, but their goal is to take a new '04 and do exactly what you are requesting. Daily driveability while improving the weekend tracking.
The article mentions a change of rubber and alignment. No other suspension mods yet. But future articles promise an update. A champion autocrosser said that the factory MY04 is soft like a sponge. So, the writers are considering stiffening but I am not sure what components they are adding or changing yet.
Myself, I am going for the alignment and have thought about stiffer springs. Not too stiff though... the roads all around Gilbert, AZ SUCK!

 

http://www.grmotorsports.com/s2000.html

 

http://www.se-r.net/car_info/suspension_tuning.html

http://www.susquehanna.com/susq/other/stuning.htm

http://www.drifting.com/article.php?thread...ost&show_Title=

http://www.autornd.com/Merchant2/merchant....=SUSPENSIONTUNE

http://www.advancedracing.com/chassissetup.php

 

Moiving to S2000 talk, you'll get more response there.

 

RED MX5,
Great bunch of links to write-ups. I too seeketh good advice. Most consistent advice I read and hear is to add a mod at a time and test afterwards.