Custom Spring Rates for Coilovers?
10-17-2005, 08:47 AM
#1
Race Car
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Custom Spring Rates for Coilovers?
It seems like PSS9's are the hot ticket for 996 owners but are there vendors out there selling PSS9's with custom spring rates taylor'd to your specific needs? PSS9's for the M3 were known for being a decent setup but too softly sprung for the track.
Coming from the BMW world we had TCkline and Ground Control who would build custom coilover setups using Koni Single ajustable or Double adjustable shocks with whatever spring rate you chose AND camber plates all for around $2500 or so. While they're not on the level of a Moton most of the club racers are using these setups very successfully as well as many street users.
Even if I can't find such a setup for a 996 without paying $$$ for Motons I'd hope that I can at least find someone that sells PSS9's with linear spring rates of my choosing.
Please help a newb. out and point me in the right direction.
Andy
Coming from the BMW world we had TCkline and Ground Control who would build custom coilover setups using Koni Single ajustable or Double adjustable shocks with whatever spring rate you chose AND camber plates all for around $2500 or so. While they're not on the level of a Moton most of the club racers are using these setups very successfully as well as many street users.
Even if I can't find such a setup for a 996 without paying $$$ for Motons I'd hope that I can at least find someone that sells PSS9's with linear spring rates of my choosing.
Please help a newb. out and point me in the right direction.
Andy
10-18-2005, 03:24 PM
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There are plenty of companies doing customer spring rates for 996's. Think you will find that the PSS9's sold by RUF have custom spring rates. I think several other tuners do the same. Some manufactureres facilitate the use of custom spring like K&W, Variant 3's can be ordered with specific spring loads, as can JIC's.
I own the JIC's, and they have custom spring rates. They are great for a car that spends most of its time on the track, or really, really, really flat roads. They were SOLD to me as comparable alternatives to PSS9's, but that company has SINCE changed its tune, so you live and learn. I have since decided that if I was to do it all over again, I would do the Variant 3's, as they are fully adjustable and are made of stainless steel, which is important for those of us who use their car in the winter.
This is liable to start WW3, but my research found the PSS9's a little lacking, especially for the extra weight of the C4.
I own the JIC's, and they have custom spring rates. They are great for a car that spends most of its time on the track, or really, really, really flat roads. They were SOLD to me as comparable alternatives to PSS9's, but that company has SINCE changed its tune, so you live and learn. I have since decided that if I was to do it all over again, I would do the Variant 3's, as they are fully adjustable and are made of stainless steel, which is important for those of us who use their car in the winter.
This is liable to start WW3, but my research found the PSS9's a little lacking, especially for the extra weight of the C4.
10-18-2005, 04:05 PM
#3
Race Car
Thread Starter
Never even looked into KW's. Off to do more research now.
Looked at the JIC cross units...still look attractive although I'm not all about the helper spring design, but maybe it's just the norm for 996's...after all I'm a newb. I did read somwhere that the design of the integrated camber plates restricted the amount of travel that was available to the suspension. Did you find this to be true? and are they adjustable to get -3.5 to -4 of negative camber for track days?
andy
Looked at the JIC cross units...still look attractive although I'm not all about the helper spring design, but maybe it's just the norm for 996's...after all I'm a newb. I did read somwhere that the design of the integrated camber plates restricted the amount of travel that was available to the suspension. Did you find this to be true? and are they adjustable to get -3.5 to -4 of negative camber for track days?
andy
10-18-2005, 04:47 PM
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KW's are only available in variant 3's for the 996, and they cost about $3,400. I was drawn to their stainless steel shell, but the price scared me away. PES tuning sells KW, as do a coupe other tuners. When I was looking for suspension in the begining of the year, KW had JUST released the 996 product in the US. I now believe its been well recieved in Europe, with price being an issue in the USA.
http://www.kw-suspension.com/en/30_P...vers/index.php
http://www.kw-gmbh.de/kw_upload/Einbau/eah68671003.pdf
As for the suspension travel. Well, its definitly limited, though thats becuase the car has been lowered a fair bit. My dealer even used the word "slammed". That said, there are no rubbing issues, but I do feel the suspension "run out" over new your city bumps. PES tuning sells KW, as do a coupe other tuners.
At first, I had -2.0 of camber, and it looked like there was more to go. I assume you have access to a lift and allignement equipment for every time you make such dramatic changes?
http://www.kw-suspension.com/en/30_P...vers/index.php
http://www.kw-gmbh.de/kw_upload/Einbau/eah68671003.pdf
As for the suspension travel. Well, its definitly limited, though thats becuase the car has been lowered a fair bit. My dealer even used the word "slammed". That said, there are no rubbing issues, but I do feel the suspension "run out" over new your city bumps. PES tuning sells KW, as do a coupe other tuners.
At first, I had -2.0 of camber, and it looked like there was more to go. I assume you have access to a lift and allignement equipment for every time you make such dramatic changes?
10-19-2005, 09:02 AM
#5
Race Car
Thread Starter
Yeah...I've actually got access to corner balancing scales, a set of smart strings for allignment, and camber gauges pretty well whenever I want.
Not sure what the 996 really likes for negative camber but I was running -3.5 at the track with My M3. Just wanted to make sure there was enough adjustability in the JIC plates to get to those values in the event they are needed.
Andy
Not sure what the 996 really likes for negative camber but I was running -3.5 at the track with My M3. Just wanted to make sure there was enough adjustability in the JIC plates to get to those values in the event they are needed.
Andy
