So i recently started autocrossing and while my MCS has more than enough power, the biggest thing keeping me back (besides my tires) is the stock suspension.

What is the best setup for a daily driver / autocross setup? megan racing coilovers? koni yellows and new springs? I would like the ability to lower the car for a better street look but not at the expense of increasing the handling.

thanks for the input -
b.

 

You might want to read the SCCA rules on the category you want to drive in. I used to auto-cross in the 80's and changing the springs would throw you out of the Stock class, but changing the sway bars or shocks didn't.

 

ST coilovers are becoming popular on the forum. They give you a nice daily ride quality but will also cut down your autocross times. Let me know if I can provide you more info.

 

The two are not mutually exclusive. However, most people, when installing coilovers, simply raise the spring perch until it contacts the spring, set the ride height, and call it a day. With a proper setup (by someone who's considered the hundreds of parameters in suspension), you can have that look AND the improved handling. A good suspension tuner should be able to work with any damper that performs well. That said, I have no experience with Megan Racing components.

If you're just starting out, I suggest that you keep driving at events to first improve yourself as a driver, then figure out what specific areas of the concern need to be addressed. I've found that I've improved quicker as a driver when I had fewer things to fiddle around with and, as a result, a more predictable car to drive.

I'm not suggesting that coilovers won't help. To answer your question, the best setup is a set of coilovers with good dampers, setup properly to match your driving style. A crappy setup will be crappy, regardless of brand.

 

oh i'll keep driving! my next race is this sunday

my first set of priorities is getting some good rubber - then getting some coil overs. there is a justa that is kicking *** in GS using adjustable koni yellows. I'll be in STX so i can run all the suspension changes i have planned (coil overs, new linkage, camber adjustments) and still have a kick but daily driver.

 

Let me know if there are any coilover questions I can answer for you. Here is what another member of the forum had to say about the coilovers for his R56 JCW

"The coilovers made the car stick to the track like glue. Almost nonexistent body roll through every turn, making it much easier to put the power down on the way out. Extremely happy with the purchase so far.

Thanks!
Andrew"

 

More negative front camber is a big help for Auto-X. You can adjust the camber slightly at the top mount holes. However, I would suggest adj or fixed camber plates to really increase the negative camber. If you go with coil-overs look for ones with adj camber plates or plan to buy camber plates that will work with the coil-overs you purchase.