Red Devil mkII - The Journey Continues

[sambb]

thinking back, Eddy was a big advocate of a stiff front end (400lb springs and 24mm FARB) but maybe he was able to get away with it because of his plate LSD runs. If it unweighted an inside front he'd have had full drive still. Kind of makes sense that with your quaife that your car won't tolerate any inside lift so yeah softening the front in roll or maybe the droop thing is the answer?

[seangti]

I can't adjust the droop, at least not sure how I would. The H&R coilovers are height adjustable only. There was noticeably more roll in the front, initially a little disconcerting but after the first session to see how it behaved, I was confident to throw it in hard and it stuck nicely. I was starting to hit the bump stop on the front right entering the kink at lakeside - that's 180kph odd and bumpy. So will need to consider that, partially why a soft bar or firmer springs will be needed.

The car still stopped straight, turn-in was sharper, I didn't notice any unfavourable traits from my experiment. On slower speed tracks, I'd go harder on the rear bar. I was reluctant to try that yesterday because I was having a good time.

Yeah Eddy's set-up seems to go against everything I've read and experienced myself, but it works for him, which is why trial and error is essential.

[sambb]

I don't know myself regarding droop setup. I've only ever had strut style suspension through the years. Of the total suspension travel available, can't you change the position of the main spring and helper spring ie less main spring travel and more helper spring travel = more droop.

[seangti]

I don't know myself regarding droop setup. I've only ever had strut style suspension through the years. Of the total suspension travel available, can't you change the position of the main spring and helper spring ie less main spring travel and more helper spring travel = more droop.

Ok, yeah I thought that's what you may be referring to, but Nope, not of the H&R. Height goes up, height goes down.

Will also be looking into the control arm bushes and how they're set-up.

[sambb]

.On the control arm bushes, I just repositioned my super pro offset bushes from the anti dive position to the castor position. The castor change was a full 1.5 degrees. I know you have strut tops that might be able to compensate but that'd be a lot of castor to give away if you can't. Biggest change I've noticed other than the benefits of more castor, are that the car will axle tramp on launches now whereas it used to spin cleanly in the anti dive position. I can't really comment on whether there is more or less pitching because I went to lower stiffer springs at the same time.
I know I've said it before but when the offset rear LCA's are in the 'anti dive' position they are not giving you more anti dive/lift. They are giving you less. As standard our control arms make the hub track forward into a bump. This makes it harder for the car to pitch under brakes or lift under power or to look at it another way allows them to control pitching with a softer spring rate. From what I've read its meant to give you more power down traction (I'll let you know the difference next hillclimb) but from standstill reaches a point and then gives up and goes into axle tramp though which is what I've just found out. It definitely brakes traction earlier and cleaner in the 'anti dive' position. It seems to hook up a bit stronger coming out of corners I think in the standard position. Even in the anti dive position the car still retains lots of anti dive geometry though- its not like wrx's where this mod gives them almost zero anti dive/lift. But then again if you go by whitelines explanations they do this on the rexies because it effectively softens the front which lessens power out understeer due to the roll stiffness change so it may be what you are after.

[seangti]

Getting ready for next years events, timeattack and some street events, perhaps a hill climb or two too.

So yeah, these turned up. A set of yokohama A050's 225/45/17 in a soft compound. And yikes, softs are soft. Poke em with your finger nail and it leaves an indentation

I've also got a forge baffled sump to install over the break and looking into oil coolers. Still haven't sorted stiffer rear springs though haven't driven the car in 3wks+ now.

[Machine]

Love your work. One of the best tyres out there. You were already fast, but these will make you Lowndsey-fast

[vwthunder]

Interested to see how you fit a 225/45

What is the offset of your wheels Sean ?

[seangti]

Interested to see how you fit a 225/45

What is the offset of your wheels Sean ?

The enkei's are a 35 offset and 8" wide. I currently run 215/45's on both daily and track wheels. I was considering 235 width, though could only get 2 tyres at the price point I got these for. I may get some inner guard rubbing on full lock, though you never get near lock on track so I'm not expecting any issues. These tyres probably won't get fitted till March as I have a little left in my Kumho V70's.

[sambb]

sweet sweet virgin rubber. You won't believe the grip these things give. I ran in the whiteline tarmac rallysprints last night. Ist run was damp, second was still damp but had a dry line and the last three were properly wet and my medium A050's gripped unbelievably. I was loosing tyre heat as the event went on and they were pretty much cool to touch at the end of a run and still gripped, they are that good. I'd go as far as to say that I would never run street tyres as wets ever again unless its full monsoon aquaplane conditions with deep puddles. A mate of mine just got some softs and was told by the yoko race tyre dealer at Gordon Leven that with A050 softs you need to really take care on the 1st heat cycling procedure or you can butcher them for life and they really are only for hillclimb, time attack, short sprints. Going out and doing 8 + laps on them is too much. Hope they fit - I found the A050 to be a much wider tyre than an equivalent street tyre. I reckon you'll be way quicker on these.