best shocks for b-stock
05-03-2005, 01:35 AM
#26
Originally Posted by TeamRX8
I'm not convinced the car needs one though, IMO a decent set of shocks is an imperative though, but 2812's are probably overkill plus excessive ride height due to the high gas pressure requirement
Hmm, did not see any difference in height between my car and the one with 2812s......
05-03-2005, 01:37 AM
#27
your shocks have gas pressure too, but not as much
the hydraulic degassed shocks dropped the car quite a bit
they could also be running them at low pressure, but if so it won't be long until the gas burps into the oil chamber and muffs them up, the Koni monotube piston chamber seal uses gas pressure to maintain the sealing force on the sliding wall
the DA conversion is currently $360/corner from Koni NA + the SA shock
ps: if Kumho doesn't ship anymore 245/35-18 V710 tires soon a lot of people will be SOL
the hydraulic degassed shocks dropped the car quite a bit
they could also be running them at low pressure, but if so it won't be long until the gas burps into the oil chamber and muffs them up, the Koni monotube piston chamber seal uses gas pressure to maintain the sealing force on the sliding wall
the DA conversion is currently $360/corner from Koni NA + the SA shock
ps: if Kumho doesn't ship anymore 245/35-18 V710 tires soon a lot of people will be SOL
Last edited by TeamRX8; 05-03-2005 at 01:55 AM.
05-03-2005, 02:24 AM
#28
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Originally Posted by fastmike
how much body movement we were getting at Everett
05-03-2005, 11:32 AM
#31
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Has anyone tried intentionally shortening the shocks? Seems like it would get 1/2" to 1" of lower ride height by doing that. Is that legal in B-stock? If not, maybe one could make the last inch of rebound extremely stiff to keep the shock more partially compressed at rest than stock.
05-03-2005, 12:33 PM
#32
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Originally Posted by tuj
When you guys say that the big front bars might work on a totally setup car, what do you mean by that? Different shocks and racing tires, or even more than that (coilovers, etc)? I hate to think that the RB bar I've got isn't going to work into a good setup.
I'm one of the people that's been pretty happy with the OE front bar but until recently, I was the only one with shocks. If anything, I had issues last year with getting real loose mid corner and on exits (not to mention in slaloms). Better transitional response would certainly be nice to have, and I started thinking that a little push in the direction of understeer (sorry for the bad pun) might not be a bad thing. All winter I wanted to test different solutions this year and see what happened. I sent an OE bar off somewhere last January to be used as a template for an adjustable bar. I was waiting on that forever (I may as well have sent it into a black hole) until they finally returned it a couple weeks ago.
As winter turned to spring and there had been no progress I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I'd still like to have some adjustability for courses that are very heavy with one element dominant over another, but there aren't a whole lot of adjustable options out there...and info on how stiff they are from full soft to full stiff is lacking a bit. Also, one of the few that is out there is solid and appears to have some issues from what people have described in the suspension forum and another one is rather expensive compared to the rest (without any readily available info on rate range, weight, construction, etc).
While trying to figure out what to do, time snook up behind me and I found myself already having done a couple Tours and a local event or two. The big setup change from last year is the tire change from S04s to V710s. The smaller setup change has been starting to get a handle on shock compression adjustments. (The jury is still out on the most important change, though...driver improvement.
). What I've found is that I'm very happy with the car and how it's behaving when driven like it wants to be driven. The mid/exit corner oversteer is pretty much gone in the dry (in the wet, it feels like it's right on the edge). Improved transitional response would still be nice, but at the cost of introducing some understeer... 
Perhaps with something that's not a lot stiffer than the OE bar I could keep it in check with tire pressures and/or alignment and/or shock adjustments. On the other hand, as things stand now, if I finish out the season with the OE bar, I don't think it would be the worst thing in the world.
05-03-2005, 12:48 PM
#33
Originally Posted by tuj
Has anyone tried intentionally shortening the shocks? Seems like it would get 1/2" to 1" of lower ride height by doing that. Is that legal in B-stock? If not, maybe one could make the last inch of rebound extremely stiff to keep the shock more partially compressed at rest than stock.
Shocks can be +/- 1" in overall length... You can not change the spring pearch or ride height in any manner other than what you gain or lose in shock pressure.
05-03-2005, 12:55 PM
#34
Originally Posted by clyde
Look at it this way...most front bars are dirt cheap compared to everything else. About 1/4 the cost of a set of tires. 1/3 the cost of a complete off the shelf exhaust. 1/3 the cost of a set of Konis. Etc. If you were to decide to sell it, you could probably get msot of your money back and have your pick of buyers in the Parts For Sale/Wanted forum here.
I sent an OE bar off somewhere last January to be used as a template for an adjustable bar. I was waiting on that forever (I may as well have sent it into a black hole) until they finally returned it a couple weeks ago.
I sent an OE bar off somewhere last January to be used as a template for an adjustable bar. I was waiting on that forever (I may as well have sent it into a black hole) until they finally returned it a couple weeks ago.
Or you could go with one of the 6 non adjustable bars that are on the market. If you dont like the first one you try, buy another and so on, still going to cost $150-$200 each time. You could spend $500.00 on a bar, $4000.00 on shocks, $900.00 on a cat back and $2000.00 on wheels. Does not matter how much you spend, still got to drive it. 
05-03-2005, 12:56 PM
#35
Originally Posted by TeamRX8
fwiw, the MS bar is only 21% stiffer than stock, in swaybar terms that's almost nothing
The RB bar is WAY stiffer, huge gap between the two
and of course both are not tuneable either ...
The RB bar is WAY stiffer, huge gap between the two
and of course both are not tuneable either ...
05-03-2005, 01:23 PM
#37
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Originally Posted by ULLLOSE
I think the number I heard was 200% for the RB bar.
I should have my shocks sorta dialed in by then.
--kC
05-03-2005, 01:28 PM
#38
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Originally Posted by ULLLOSE
I would disagree.... There are already three adjustable bars out there for the RX8, one in the US at over $500.00. The other two in AUS, with shipping over $500.00.
Or you could go with one of the 6 non adjustable bars that are on the market. If you dont like the first one you try, buy another and so on, still going to cost $150-$200 each time.
You could spend $500.00 on a bar, $4000.00 on shocks, $900.00 on a cat back and $2000.00 on wheels. Does not matter how much you spend, still got to drive it.
bar: ~$10 to ship an OE bar; still running OE bar
shocks: $82.49
wheels: $150 used set of OE wheels (after subtracting value of RE040s @ 90%+ tread that were on them)
exhaust: $166.85 + shipping (not yet installed)
Does not matter how little you spend either, still got to drive it.
I should do some more Evo schools...
05-03-2005, 01:31 PM
#39
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Originally Posted by ULLLOSE
Yes, very small. 1/8"-1/4", I still hope as it gets some miles it will come down more.
05-03-2005, 01:59 PM
#40
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I'll admit I haven't looked at the shock mounts, but if they are anything like a Miata, the top end of the shock is shaped and threaded to fit into the mount. Why not machine the top of the shock a little bit so that more of the shock goes through the mount, letting the car sit lower? Anyone tried this?
(apologies if I'm totally off on how the 8's shocks mount).
(apologies if I'm totally off on how the 8's shocks mount).
05-03-2005, 02:08 PM
#41
Originally Posted by clyde
Did you ever get a auote on the Whiteline from the US distributor? Considerably less than that. Still, I demonstrated the ***|u|me rule (at least the ***|me part :o ) since I never got a quote on the Ric Shaw bar.
...
...
True, you will save a ton on shipping if you use the US dist... However did you ask them how long it takes..... Order from them now you might get it before natls.
05-03-2005, 02:09 PM
#42
Originally Posted by tuj
I'll admit I haven't looked at the shock mounts, but if they are anything like a Miata, the top end of the shock is shaped and threaded to fit into the mount. Why not machine the top of the shock a little bit so that more of the shock goes through the mount, letting the car sit lower? Anyone tried this?
(apologies if I'm totally off on how the 8's shocks mount).
(apologies if I'm totally off on how the 8's shocks mount).
05-03-2005, 02:11 PM
#44
Originally Posted by clyde
I didn't measure before taking the car to Koni, but they told me there was an 11mm drop. At my last local event I was gridded next to a stock shocked car (with street tires too) and the difference was striking.
05-03-2005, 02:57 PM
#45
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Originally Posted by ULLLOSE
I guess if we end up pulling wheels off at natls again we will see which shocks have the right dimensions. Sure hope the 2812's and any preproduction shocks are all legal length.
And if they aren't, the Koni truck better get in gear and beat feet out the paddock quick...
05-03-2005, 07:08 PM
#48
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^well i now for a fact it isn't 21% bigger around.
so i'm guessign 21% stiffer. makes sense since i think teh MS shocks/springs are 25% stiffer as well...as per someone measuring stiffness ... for got the thread but it's around here somewhere.
so i'm guessign 21% stiffer. makes sense since i think teh MS shocks/springs are 25% stiffer as well...as per someone measuring stiffness ... for got the thread but it's around here somewhere.
05-03-2005, 10:04 PM
#49
231% stiffer for the RB front bar
the Whiteline bar "appears" to be an adjustable MS bar, the ID/OD is basically the same, I don't have complete data on the adjustable arms but unless you make the arm shorter than the MS bar it won't be any stiffer
some assumptions are made, but yes those are strictly theoretical % stiffness comparisons
the Whiteline bar "appears" to be an adjustable MS bar, the ID/OD is basically the same, I don't have complete data on the adjustable arms but unless you make the arm shorter than the MS bar it won't be any stiffer
some assumptions are made, but yes those are strictly theoretical % stiffness comparisons
Last edited by TeamRX8; 05-03-2005 at 10:10 PM.
05-03-2005, 10:15 PM
#50
Originally Posted by clyde
I didn't measure before taking the car to Koni, but they told me there was an 11mm drop. At my last local event I was gridded next to a stock shocked car (with street tires too) and the difference was striking.
don't forget that you're race tires are shorter than the factory tires
edit: maybe you were already implying that, I wasn't sure
Last edited by TeamRX8; 05-03-2005 at 10:54 PM.