They are really working great right now. The ride is plush and sporty which is a feat all in itself, perfect for evryday driving with an attitude.. They still leave a little to be desired when you really push.

The H Sport and Koni set up while one demensional does that one dimension fabulously (IMO). The Bilsteins still roll just a little more than I like. The rears are set between 4-6 and the fronts on 2. Scott G (Atlanta Minis) has driven the car and has made the recomendations and I have to say it is vastly improved,... Scott loves it and so do I. For a hard session at the track I would like it to roll less. Randy said that you have to give up the plush for the performance which i will gladly do. These shocks are very easy to change settings back and forth. What I don't know is,... that Scott accurately determined that the back was too tight and when we loosened it up the car performed much better. Do I need to keep a "ratio" front to back or what? I could go to 1 for the front and 2 or 3 for the rear but I have no idea what this will do. I really want to knock down some of the roll.....the sway bar is set in the middle. Car has been corner weighted.

I also could change the spring rate to that of the H Sports which was suggested by a Bilstein dealer. All you Gurus please chime in.

 

"How to make your car handle" Puhn

 

HUH?

 

Why haven't you set your rear to the stiffer setting?
That'll probably improve that roll you got there. It's just
2 bolts....


plush and sporty... sounds like my slightly modded G35C.

 

"HUH?"

that's what I thought; it's a book.

 

I agree, he has the bar, he needs to use it, #1. Also, while tightening up the shocks won't reduce body lean in a sweeper, it will it reduce the rate of lean, meaning it will be better in slaloms and quick transional moves.

 

SpiderX,


Ive been looking at the PSS9s also for a while. So in your current setup if you did some sway bar work to keep the leaning down in the corners would you be completely happy with the setup? Or are you looking at a stiffer spring rate?

 

Could you describe this dimension?

"There is a fifth dimension beyond that
which is known to man. It is a dimension as vast as
space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle
ground between light and shadow, between science and
superstiition, and it lies between the pit of man's
fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the
dimension of imagination. It is an area we call
The Twilight Zone."

 

I am frustrated by the roll and sway. The dimension I spoke of was that the Konis and Hsport stayed flat but beat you to crap. I could go confidently into a corner without any "funny stuff" but anything less than smooth roads and you were hitting you head on the roof. The Bilsteins are much more compliant but bouncy, strange things happen when you "push it hard". I like it flat, no roll at all. I was hoping to get flat with some bump absorption. I am thinking of calling Bilstein for the next stiffer spring. I am going to change the sway bar to position number 1 but my ordered copy of "Puhn's" book has not gotten here yet. I need to control oversteer and am looking for a more nuetral feel. Since I basicaly have no idea what I am doing and am learning (quickly) as I go, this is all a science experiment to me and i have no training in this particular science.

 

totally frustrated by the "roll" and having spoke to Bilstein about a stronger spring set with no luck I have decided to install the HSport front sway bar. The H Sport front and rear bar were made to work as a set and the front rarely goes in because of install costs. It's cheaper than pulling them out and starting over so next week the front bar goes in. I will update you all later.

 

Having heard of the effort needed to replace the front sway bar, I bet it's easier to replace the PSS9's, assuming you can get a refund. Sounds like you are not happy with them...

I was going back-and-forth with these and the Ledas, and both Randy and Peter convinced me to go with the Ledas. The price delta was maybe 100 bucks or so. You can choose your spring rates also, which I like because of the way I've altered my MCS. The ease of adjustment (24 of them) was also a strong selling point. If you can't get a refund, I'm sure others here would love to have them for a slight discount...

Just an idea... Good luck!

 

Its much easier (labor wise) to replace all four coilovers than to install a new front swaybar. If you are not going to track or autox your car there isn't much point in doing the front bar. Most who track or autox don't even do the front bar.

Have you tried all of your rear swaybar settings? (Soft-middle-firm) Can you tell how the car handles differently in long sweeping turns vs short abrupt transistions (ie slaloms) with the different settings?

The hsport springs are softer than the springs that come on the PSS9s, so I'm not sure what roll you are talking about -- especially when you state that the car was flat with the hsports and koni's. Are there any other variables?

Do you get excessive roll when the PSS9s are set full stiff (1-1) or near full stiff (2-2). Have you considered testing these settings back to back on a slalom course?

Here is a picture of my 02 MCS in mid corner w/PSS9's set front 8 rear 9.

There is not a lot of body roll.

JLM is correct - go find books on suspension stuff - read them and learn the concepts - it helps to understand the interrelationships between the components and the compromises that are involved.

my 2 cents
David

 

I'll second David's comments. Nice photo too, but aren't you supposed to go all the way around the cones?


Scott
90STX

 

^^^^

 

I now have Puhn's book and two of Carroll Smith's books. Yes it would be easier to pull out the PSS9s but I am not ready to give up on them yet. Scott Grandfield who I believe had a pretty good season last year on the "local" autoX "trail" drove the car and "knew" what I was talking about. He suggested I put the Konis back in. I talked to Randy about the Ledas and that may be an option. I am willing to invest in the labor to put the front bar in. This is all for my own fun and satisfaction. I do like the way that the PSS9s soak up the road on everyday driving.....so I would like to keep them.......spend some time getting some driving instruction/experience and then make some decisions. I thank you all for your input.

 

I can drop the subframe in about an hour; this involves the bumper and support, splash pan, separating the tie rod ball joints, un-bolting the control arm ball joints (leaving the control arm ball joint tapers intact, but removing the bolts holding the joint to the hub) and a few other bits.
I've done it three times so the thrill is gone; it ain't so bad.
changing from stock to coilovers takes about the same time, given that you need to do the same jacking and wheel removal, swaybar links and spring compressions. Actually had to remove a strut nut (located down in the recess of the bearing carrier) with a cold chisel...nasty work.

 

SpiderX

It just maybe that you are used to the koni feel. I find the pss9's a perfect compromise for me - soft for the street, stiffer for autox and track days. I had several shock/spring/coilover iterations before this - I found the Leda's too harsh for the street for my taste - even with the 24 position rebound adjustment. It may have been the difference between linear springs (leda's) and progressive springs on the pss9s.

One more thought. What wheel and tire combination do you use? Sidewall height, stiffness, etc can make a difference

The right answer is what works for you. Although the discovery process can be expensive sometmes.

David

 

Ijust got the car back from R Speed installing the H Sport front sway bar and I am happy to report all is good. The front bar did the trick. The car is compliant and "flat." This is probably (for the street) "as good as it gets" IMO.