the 80Q track Q's (redux)

[Iain Mannix]

Have you looked into the Falken Azenis?  Super cheap, and
probably comparable to the Yokohama A032R, maybe not *quite*
as capable, ultimately.

Or, maybe a Toyo RA-1.

I've currently got a set of Kumho Victoracer V700s on a street
car - they're lasting OK, but the car is not used for long
distances on a regular basis.

Coilovers do not inherently work better than stock-style springs.
They're a smaller diameter (2.5" or 55mm, typically, depending
on a few things - some formula cars use smaller diameters than
that).

Coilovers tend to be a smidge lighter.  They typically have
threaded perches, so you can adjust ride height and corner
weights.  They don't function any better, though - the car
cannot tell a difference between a 2.5" diameter spring and
a stock diameter spring in the same rate.

Another possibility - have springs custom made to fit in the
stock perches.  Takes longer, but you get to use stock mounting
stuff (good and bad), they fit in the stock location(good), no
corner weight/ride height adjustments(bad).

What about swaybars?  I'm an advocate of big spring rates for
competitive use, but by the time you get enough spring to
make a car _fast_, it often becomes semi-unstreetable(used to
run 400#f/600#r on an 1800# Scirocco).  Big(BIG) swaybars can
reduce bodyroll a LOT without compromising street manners
too much.

Are these competitive track days, or lapping track days?

I'd use a Falken for a lapping, no-times-involved car, assuming
they make the Azenis in an appropriate size.

I'd use a Kumho for a limited-street-use timetrial car,
if I wanted to be in the same timezone as the fasties.

I'd use a Hoosier on separate wheels if I wanted to win.

Coilovers are cool in a lot of ways.  They're not in
other ways - they can get clunky.  Depends largely on the upper
strut bearings you use - camber plates or not, etc.

I'd _absolutely_ fix the suspension before adding a cam.
Then work on driving.  Power matters, but the reason
Miatae are so fast on roadcourses is not because they're
powerful, but because they're light and handle well.

I guess my real question is simple:

What's the point of this car?  Is it a competitive car, or is
it a recreational track-day car which you're trying to make
more enjoyable to drive?




Iain Mannix