Finished with the suspension on the silver car. Swapped a bunch of new stuff from the white car, the difference was newish rear calipers, better rear bushings and an addition 22mm sway bar.

22mm torsion bars
22mm sway bar, set 3/4 soft
150lb springs on adjustable perches (will probably replace these with 200lb jobbies)
Koni sport shocks all around
new wheel bearings at front
new ball joints
new turbo tie rods
I tried Brett W. trick of using a hose clamp on the steering rag joint on the rack, regreased rack
New rotors all around
rebuilt front stock calipers
New looking rear calipers
new 19mm M/C

Reindexed the bars and quickly set the ride height and tore up the neighborhood. 80 hp of raw power LOL.

This thing is like a freakin go cart, woohoo! With the swaybar set as it is I can easily swing the back end around. Rides very, very good considering.

Next is to replace the bushings and/or the drop links for the swaybar, new rear springs - maybe, new tires (old ones are starting to check and they are 175x70x15) alignment and corner balance.

I think I blew a nut!

Sounds similar to my set-up. Gotta love it.
Very predictable turn in.

KT

If I toss my westerns on the car, it will start to look like yours too! I am probably going to do my engman kit on this car, it is just sitting in the other one at the moment for fitting. But I guess I'll have to pull the gas tank and tunnel lines before I start welding that.

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 17 2005, 09:08 PM)

22mm torsion bars 22mm sway bar, set 3/4 soft 150lb springs on adjustable perches (will probably replace these with 200lb jobbies)

You are setting yourself up for understeer. Even with 200# springs you are probably going to push. I had that exact same set-up and I understeered like a pig. I swapped out the 22mm torsions for stock ones and use the sway bar to adjust the front. Works like a charm.

I agree with your thoughts on setting the car up for understeer, but this is a mix of parts that I already had.

I bought the shocks and rear springs first, ran stock torsion bars and no swaybars. Then got 22mm torsion bars when I rebuilt the front end, now all of that was swapped onto a car that has a 22mm swaybar. My choices are to run the bar full soft at the moment, replace the rear springs to 200+lb units, or downsize the torsion bars.

I am going to drive around as is and get a feel for what I ought to change out, on the street on a few blasts around the block it seems great.

I guess the test will be your 1st pivot cone or fast sweeper with decreasing radius. You do race it right? Cause you got one heck of a suspension there. When you get the upgraded suspension bushing or better yet roller bearings. Then you will be really rockin. Don't forget the camber plates. What ya running for tires? street and track.

Nope never raced, YET. I plan on getting my shorts dirty trying though. I have welt street bushngs up front, file fitted and grease grooves, no stiction at the moment - the rears are still original.

Tires that are on it are 175x70x15, I am going to go for 195x60x15 or 205x55x15 - so I can drive the crap out of it on the street and freeways. Probably 195's so I don't have to pull the fenders in the rear - I am gonna test fit my westerns with that size this weekend.

Camber boxes? Not ready or that yet. I took my white car down and got an alignment at Stuttgart Southwest. Told them it was mainly street but I will do some autox and track stuff occasionally. They basically gave me 0 camber all around and a little toe in at the front, street setup all the way- So at this point I need to figure out what specs I need to tell them to put in on this one.

go for 205's. don't even mess with anything less.

i've heard mixed things about spring rates with 22 torsion bars... i've got some 22's laying around (as well as a 22 sway), and when i install them i think i'm gonna step up to 225 rear springs.

I am thinking that 200 is going to be the minimum, but I can also do a rear bar and bump that up a notch too - or invest in a few pair of springs. At any rate, this point I am not a seasoned autox or track driver - so I have some time to kill on my learning curve.

QUOTE (ChrisReale @ Mar 18 2005, 11:49 AM)

QUOTE You are setting yourself up for understeer.  Even with 200# springs you are probably going to push.  I had that exact same set-up and I understeered like a pig.

If you really want 150 or less spring in the back, I wouldn't
be running big front torsion bars (for low speeds). I have
21mm front bars, 180 rear springs, the _smaller_ front
weltmeister sway bar and it is still difficult to turn.

150 isn't what I want, it's just that I had it. rear springs are cheaper than torsion bars, so I am going to play with those first me thinks..

QUOTE (ChrisReale @ Mar 18 2005, 08:49 AM)

QUOTE (Travis Neff @ Mar 17 2005, 09:08 PM) 22mm torsion bars 22mm sway bar, set 3/4 soft 150lb springs on adjustable perches (will probably replace these with 200lb jobbies) You are setting yourself up for understeer. Even with 200# springs you are probably going to push. I had that exact same set-up and I understeered like a pig. I swapped out the 22mm torsions for stock ones and use the sway bar to adjust the front. Works like a charm.

Thats interesting because I have a 22mm front swaybar, koni adjustables (Fronts set at 3/4 firm and rears full firm), 140lb springs and I can tease out lift oversteer whenever I want it. Its only when I dont setup properly (typically apexing early) for a turn that I get a little front end pushing, but nothing close to the order of the understeer I get from my stock Boxster.

There's something to be said about a well balanced car that lets you evoke oversteer when you need it but stays balanced when you fly into a series of slalom cones.

you've got 22mm torsion bars, grant?