StyleLab

Hi,

My car is currently setup with single adjustable LEDA coilovers with remote cans up front. Spring rates are 600 and 650 lbs. All my bushings are racer's edge solid bushings and I am running weltmeister sway bars. I am running with no t-bars. The rear shocks are setup with spherical bearings and racer's edge lower shock mounts. I find this setup to be extremely firm on the street!

I also have a full coilver Firehawk suspension sitting on the shop floor with 500 lbs. coils up front and 300 lbs. coils in the back. If I use this suspension, I will likely convert the rear to sperical bearings and use the racer's edge shock mounts and change the coils.

Here is where I need advice, I will be keeping all the solid bushings on the car. I do not use the car very often on the track actually more like 90% street for the moment. I am quite busy and will likely not get out to the track much this season. I have also noted that Bilstein rebuilds their units at a very reasonable price.

1) What spring rate in the rear would you choose to match the firehawk 500 lbs. in the front?

2) Will the Firehawk setup be more street friendly or are the solid bushings throughout the car killing the ride?

3) Would you use the Firehawk coilover shocks with no t-bars and with no sperical bearings using the stock mount?

4) How much better is the LEDA setup on the track?

I may just end up swapping out suspensions and testing from there. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance.

-Nick

dand86951

What you might want to try is a different set of springs on the Leda coilovers. Lower your fronts to around 300 and rears down to say 350. Then turn your adjustable damping way down. With my Leda and 300 lb front springs the ride is good with the dampening turned down and it is jarring with the dampeners set up higher as when I use it on the track.

With all solid bushings it is still going to be stiff.

Dimi 944

I agree with dand86951. Just get a set of softer and possibly longer springs. That way you can raise the car a bit to allow for more suspension travel without hitting the bump stops if you are running it really low in its current set up.

I run front LEDAs and rear Billsteins with 400lb springs at the front and 500lb at rear. I don't have all the solid bushings but the car is definitely for track use only...too harsh on the street.

docwyte

Solid bushings are pretty killer as far as ride quality. Those are a track only item really. I'd go with softer springs on the Leda's and see what you think...

JohnKoaWood

While I agree with the others on the springs, but would go 300/400.

I disagree regarding the bushings, I only see them transmitting more noise, and eliminating any play or flex from the suspension, NOT being too harsh for the street.

FWIW, my 944 is all rubber bushings (new), Koni Sport front and rear, stock spring rates (coil over). My 951 is Bilstein Escort valving, 300lb front 400 rear, all solid bushings.. solely a street car. VERY solid suspension, very predictable, responsive, and "sporty" feeling!

Darwantae951

Haven't really pressed it as the car barely has 100 miles on it since I finished it, but I'm happy with my LEDAs and 300/500 with new bushings and polybronze spring plate bushings.

ritzblitz

I disagree, im running monoballs and the ride is awesome. I still have stock struts and 200lb springs though. Kinda funny that I have monoballs with stock suspension.... i know.

2bridges

Wheel and tire size will make a difference in how it feels on the street (Sidewall height and firmness)
16" will be "softer" feeling than a 18" setup.


I ran 350lb fronts with 16" 245/45 was very streetable here in the midwest US.... firm but definately streetable.

Sysgen

Nick, at what settings are your Leda's ? Have you played with the valving? They are 24 position adjustable so what I do is set them around 10 for street and to 24 for the track. Main difference is that my springs are 350/500. With this setup it is very streetable.

Bri Bro

Leda on all four. Front 400 rear 550 with most of the factory suspension rubber removed. When cold and the valve are set to stiff it rides like a truck, you fell every bump in the road. If you adjust the valves and the temps are up, it gives a good ride. The setup really works well for me on the track. I would go with 300/500 if you want a DE/street setup.

Dimi 944

Brian, what position do you use on your front LEDAs when on track? DO you know the range of springs that the LEDAs can take with the stock valving? I run the same shocks and springs at the front.

ehall

I ran 550lb rear Escort Cups w/out helpers and it was right on the money. No t-bars. I would have like 450 to 500 better. Sometimes it was just too harsh.

Bri Bro

As far as shock setup range, give Carl a call at racer edge or Chris White. I know there is a range but I am not sure how much the range is. I set the shocks to full soft on the street and start in the middle on the track and adjust to the conditions.

Duke

Reliability is a big difference here. Bilstein have panzerwagen reliability while the Leda's need regular rebuilds. But if you want to as quick as possible on the track I would take the Leda setup due to the adjustability. The Bilstein setup is IMHO better suited if you it's street car you take on occasional track days and don't want to tinker with the setup.

Duke

Yes, it's true that too much adjustability can be bad for a novice driver and mechanic. In that case a non adjustable setup is good because it will never be "really bad".

But here we're just talking about single adjustable shocks so it's not rocket science either, on the car that I had a Leda setup on everything was fixed except for tire pressure and the single adjustable Leda shocks. That is too simple to screw up even for an amateur and we managed to "better" the setup. Maybe not in outright speed, but we could dial in a setup that "felt" better which in turn would relax us when driving the car at the limit = faster lap times.

On my race car I have a 3-way Öhlins setup, blade style sway bars etc. Now that is definately easy to screw up!