Here's my situation... Stock RX-8 6-spd with Dunlop SP SS Race 255/35/18 tires, Ate Super Blue Fluid, Hawk HP+/HPS pads, B&B Midpipe, optimized alignment with stock suspension. My car will be departing me in 1 year, so all upgrades are EXTREMELY price sensitive.

Here's what I want... to lessen the toll that the outside tread of my tires takes on the track and to quicken the side-to-side transition rate. I can't get any more camber out of the stock suspension. I would like to go full coil-over set up with sways, but that overwhelms the cost sensitivity.

What can I do to improve the handling and/or gain camber (no, I won't just simply not drive as hard!)? I'm leaning towards a set of RB Sway bars, but am looking for other options. I would like anything to stay around the $300 range. Springs are cheap, but shocks are not, and I won't upgrade springs w/out shocks.

Thanks!

 

You can't go fast without spending money.

 

Shocks and springs will make more of a difference than the swaybars. The springs will help keep the body roll down and drop the car which gives you more camber. The shocks you need to control the springs. If you only have $300 keep saving so you can buy something worth while rather than just swaybars.

 

Yeah, keep saving... You are more than half way to good shocks. If you really want sway bars, I happen to know someone that has a RB front bar for sale.

 

Given the cost and time of ownership issue, shocks & springs are out, too expensive. To anti-sway bars are really the appropriate answer. To get the same anti-lateral roll capability in only a spring, you'd need one stiff enough to degrade the ride appreciably.... with sways...ride quality stays virtually unchanged for non-race bars.

Since you track (assuming race track - not autocross), I can only tell you that the Whiteline adjustable bars that I have are more than up to that task of reducing body roll... and my tires wear completely evenly, outside edges are in perfect shape, no tearing, no scuffing. And I have no other suspension mods.

Of course you may have different tires/different pressures, and that can be a huge difference right there, but.... all other things aside, WL (or any stiff equivalent) anti-sway bars are an inexpensive, quality suspension mod that pays back handling dividends big-time.

In a perfect world you would want all these mods, but not everyone can or wants to do that. Good luck!

 

PM Sent!

 

PM replied.