Legitimate coilovers
sorry it took so long to post
with no shims the rear "axle hub" is flush with the "trailing arm" but with shims the contact area is vastly reduced and the bolts holding the axle is subjected to non-axial forces.
picture a deck of cards laying flat on a table with 4 bolts at the corners holding down the cards to the table..this represents the axle bolted to the trailing arm.
with no shims the deck is flush with the table and the strain on the bolts is axial.
now put 1 penny each under 2 corners of the same side between the deck of cards and the table and u will notice that the deck is kinda like a ramp.
because only 1 side of the deck is "shimmed" there will be a triangular shaped gap between the deck and the table if looked at from the side, like a ramp
the bolt holes on the table will remain vertical but the bolts will be perpendicular to the deck, causing "bending" stress on the bolts
the bolts were designed to have great strength in tension (try pulling apart a straight section of a paper clip...it will be extremely difficult to pull apart a straight section of wire) compared to relatively no strength in "bending" forces (try bending a paper clip back and forth...it will break easily)
this is exactly what happens when u introduce shims between the
hub and the arm....the bolts will be strained in a fashion beyond their original design parameters, thus weakening the entire rear wheel assembly
hope this wasn't too difficult to understand without the use of pictures
this is with STEEL shims...DO NOT use plastic
with no shims the rear "axle hub" is flush with the "trailing arm" but with shims the contact area is vastly reduced and the bolts holding the axle is subjected to non-axial forces.
picture a deck of cards laying flat on a table with 4 bolts at the corners holding down the cards to the table..this represents the axle bolted to the trailing arm.
with no shims the deck is flush with the table and the strain on the bolts is axial.
now put 1 penny each under 2 corners of the same side between the deck of cards and the table and u will notice that the deck is kinda like a ramp.
because only 1 side of the deck is "shimmed" there will be a triangular shaped gap between the deck and the table if looked at from the side, like a ramp
the bolt holes on the table will remain vertical but the bolts will be perpendicular to the deck, causing "bending" stress on the bolts
the bolts were designed to have great strength in tension (try pulling apart a straight section of a paper clip...it will be extremely difficult to pull apart a straight section of wire) compared to relatively no strength in "bending" forces (try bending a paper clip back and forth...it will break easily)
this is exactly what happens when u introduce shims between the
hub and the arm....the bolts will be strained in a fashion beyond their original design parameters, thus weakening the entire rear wheel assembly
hope this wasn't too difficult to understand without the use of pictures
this is with STEEL shims...DO NOT use plastic
the shims ive seen are not like washers, they are a two wedge shaped circles. You cut out holes for where the bolts go threw.
man i just read one of the rpf1 threads, and it seems like people rub with +35's or lowered too much with +41. i hope around 1" lowering, 225/45R15 toyo r1r's, +41mm offset, and camber won't rub. *scrrd* i definitely don't want to lower more than 1"...
Last edited by sl0wp0k3; Apr 6, 2009 at 09:58 PM.
Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 542
From: Northeast GA
It will rub more at the back. I have 15x6.5 rims, +45 offset, with STOCK size tires, and they rub in the back on bumps with passengers in the back, and occasionally on the front outside wheel during hard cornering. Oh, and this is stock suspension.
You can imagine what would happen if you went with anything more aggressive.
You can imagine what would happen if you went with anything more aggressive.
well i'm concerned most with the front, cause i want 195's in the rear.
where in the front will it rub? fender? bumper?
stock suspension is softer, so it will compress more under hard cornering...so it could rub less if springs are stiffer and right height isn't much lower.
where in the front will it rub? fender? bumper?
stock suspension is softer, so it will compress more under hard cornering...so it could rub less if springs are stiffer and right height isn't much lower.
It will rub more at the back. I have 15x6.5 rims, +45 offset, with STOCK size tires, and they rub in the back on bumps with passengers in the back, and occasionally on the front outside wheel during hard cornering. Oh, and this is stock suspension.
You can imagine what would happen if you went with anything more aggressive.
You can imagine what would happen if you went with anything more aggressive.
I rolled the rear fenders, and trimmed the black bumper bracket made of plastic. I also had to cut the bumper tab off, this would still scrape lightly under HARD driving on the old coilovers. Fronts with -2.5 of camber rubbed on the fenders and worn the fender liner a bit and wore off one or two of the fender clips completely off
Normal 205 street tires on a +40 or higher should be ok with neg camber and slight trimming in the rear.
Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 542
From: Northeast GA
Yeah, it's rubbing on that tab. I've been thinking about cutting it. It's kind of melted from all the rubbing.
@sl0wp0k3: I think the fronts rub on the fender, but I'm not sure. And again, this is stock springs, and only a little on HARD corners.
@sl0wp0k3: I think the fronts rub on the fender, but I'm not sure. And again, this is stock springs, and only a little on HARD corners.
oh yea another thing, i haven't been getting much wheel hop anymore which is interesting to me. maybe it's because i just control the throttle better now, or maybe the sway bar keeps that inside wheel on the ground.
what kind of wheel hop? usually wheel hop means the front hopping and shaking due to wheel spin.
yep exactly...i used to launch pretty aggressively with some wheelspin, and the front will hop very violently if it's spinning just a little too much. i even bought a stock rear tranny mount and filled it with polyurethane. i've been trying to swap it out, but it's really hard to get the bracket out, and i have yet to do it successfully. i think now i launch more gently still with wheelspin, but not as abrupt, so the wheel doesn't start hopping, also coming out of corners i don't slam on the throttle anymore, i roll on the gas, so i think that has prevented a lot of the wheel hop.
i think the amount of grip makes a difference too. on a wet, slippery track, wheel hop happens much more than on a dry, grippy track. last couple of weekends have definitely been of the latter type
mr2 spyder! i've always been a big fan of the mr2, and if i'm gonna race, might as well get something that's better at it. i doubt i will need much of the fit's practicality everyday anyway.
Hey Slow, if you havent already found them, check out Monkeywrenchracing. They make a turbo kit for the spyder. And they offer custom built shortblocks to allow over 400whp in that lil guy 
Also you would HAVE to get a hardtop...sexah
Also you would HAVE to get a hardtop...sexah
yea no screw that. i'd get a spyder cause it's a spyder...not for a hard roof. and no turbo either, not a fan of lag...especially in autocross, and it's illegal in CSP.
but yea i found mwr, they look pretty awesome.
but yea i found mwr, they look pretty awesome.
Nice i love those cars. Poormans elise
