Need some help with suspension settings for my '06 MCS. It is a daily driver that will also see about 12-15 track days a year. This car is new to me and I'm coming from a SC Miata so I really don't have an idea of where to start.

The car will be on coilovers, adjustable camber plates, Wilwood BBK, 15X7.5 wheels running 205/50/15 Toyo R888's. I am not sure which rear sway, end links, camber links and STB as of now, but will have all of those installed at some point, keeping in mind that I want it to be enjoyable for the road as well.

My main question relates to camber f/r. What would be a good setting to start with for the track. I run in the advanced group and can adjust it for daily use afterwards.

Any help with the settings of recommendations for the suspension bits would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
Mio

 

at the risk of preaching to the wise...

the car fundamentally understeers. more negative camber up front relative to the rear will be helpful. -2.5 front and -1.0 rear seems popular. the limit up front is affected by braking and straight line acceleration, and of course by body roll. not sure where the coil overs will leave you, as it depends on the spring rates.

of course, make certain that the car is properly corner weighted once the coil overs are installed -- t'would be nice to see the same behaviors in LH and RH corners

opinions differ, but I find that if the camber alone still leaves the car in an indersteering mode, going high on the rear tire pressures is a good next step

and of course the pyrometer will be your friend

i assume you've an approach to the LSD question?

cheers,

Charlie

 

Talk to one of the racers--the guys at TSW, for example.

I ran -2.5 up front last year; I'm backing off to -2.0 this year--the more negative camber is great for autox, but for me, I think it may be a bit too much for the track--specifically my car got a bit squirrely when threshold braking, and a member here recommended backing off a bit on the negative camber. I think I'm set at -1.5 in the rears.

You need a stiffer rear sway bar, there are a number to chose from (I have and H and R, which I really like, but there are a number of good ones out there), that will help the understeer significantly. And if you're corner weighting, you'll need adjustable endlinks (and rear control arms, which you'll need anyway with coilovers).

I actually run a little LESS pressure in the rears--picked that up from Mike at TSW, and a racer at an HPDE--and with the stiffer sway bar, that combo actually works great for me--others swear by exactly the opposite, so I think it's one of those things that's highly individualistic. For me, with the stiffer sway bar, higher tire pressures were giving me fits with the back end sliding; a pound or two less in back really helped.

Endlinks are next on the list for me, along with corner weighting. I have the KW VS2's, and they're fantastic for double duty--but transitions could be a bit better, and that's where I'm hoping the endlinks/corner weighting will help out.

 

-2.2 up front with -1.2 in rear (fronts will still wear on the inside, rears on the outside)

0 toe front and rear - fudge to ever so slight toe in for daily driving.

With stock springs / shocks car will still understear.

I run this sway bar set at full stiff, but I have coilovers on the car now with 325 pound/in springs. With stock springs/shocks I think full-stiff would be too much for the track. I recommend going to sway bar first before coilovers.

Alan

p.s. I do a DE a month in the advanced run group.

p.p.s. No way a MINI can run with a SC Miata in the right hands. Even SM track records are a second or two quicker than the MINI can run. But you should run quicker than NA street Miatas and most SMs.

 

Thanks for the input guys, it gives me a starting point to play with. Seems the fronts are -2 to -2.5 and rears -1 to -1.5.

The car will have 8k front and 6k rear springs and I'm looking to get as neutral as possible with maybe a little oversteer. Coming from a Miata, I'm used to having the rear end tossable.

When the suspension is put on, it will be corner weighted.

As far as LSD, that may have to wait till next season. I'm putting enough already into brakes, suspension, some engine mods to keep me happy for a while.

 

That is one big rear sway bar behind set at full stiff. It would be a little too much oversteer for me.

Last year, I ran -1.4 front and -1.8 rear for camber. I think I will move to -1.8 front and -1.6 rear this year. I have a 22 mm rear bar set at the softest.

I run street tires with hot pressures about 46-50 psi front and 50-54 psi rear. I can also run about 42 psi rear hot to get the same oversteer effect. Just as long as there is a difference between the front and the rear of about 4-5 psi and the front is close to where the tire grips best, you should get oversteer.

 

Well, I'm going to start out with -2.2 front and -1.2 rear, 1/16 toe out front, and adjust from there. Off the track I can adjust the fronts back to -1.2 for the street and the rears will be left alone for the most part. Next Wednesday will be the shakedown day at my first track day of the season. Really looking forward to finally getting this car on the track and start learning how to drive a front wheel drive!

Mio

 

First track session, that is great.

You want to do VIR with Mazda driver's June 12-13.

We have 4 of us signed up; Two Minis, Two other cars (aka Miatas).

 

First track session in a Mini. Sold my supercharged, track only Miata a few months ago and before that I tracked motorcycles. So this will be a learning experience with a heavier, slower, fwd car. As far as VIR goes,
I generally don't know that far ahead when I can go, but I get there at least 2 weekends a year, and I'll try for that one. VIR is my favorite track, 2 wheels or 4.

Mio

 

Hope you can make it to VIR.

Do tell us what your suspension settings are.

 

When you change the camber you will also affect the toe, so unless you are willing to pay for two alignments for each event you need to pick a front camber/toe you can live with on the street and leave it there. I use -2.2 camber with 0.0 toe.

Alan

 

don't know if its been said yet...

but adjust your settings as basic as possible. no one will know what you need until you get out to the track and find out where your at. did you buy a car with those mods or did you add them? Find out what the cars doing and go from there

also I thought I would add after reading some posts in here you don't want oversteer. you need to get the car neutral

 

Good point. I guess I will just leave the settings during the track day calendar and put it back for the winter.

Mio

 

Not true. My car usually runs 3-8 seconds faster then the SM record at any of the tracks I've been to. It's relatively easy to get a mini down to the SM records. In showroom stock trim they'll usually run within a second or two of the SM record at various tracks. In TTC my local competition was a Turbo Spec Miata. (not a spec miata anymore). We battled it out all season and I would usually get him by a little over a second.

 

That's encouraging! Now I just have to learn how to drive a FWD car.

Mio

 

So loose your afraid to drive it, drive it with your foot on the gas! I run 30% more rear spring then front and as much rear bar as I can.