Track guys-new coilover kit or sleeves on my hts?

[OTB]

I am currently running tokico hts (reds) and micro image springs. The setup is actually quite nice, but I'd like to go lower and a little stiffer. The car is damn tall, and I still have a lot of space in the wheel wells.
http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i134/casual540/Yaris/IMG_0726.jpg

If possible, I'd like to find a budget way to sleeve the fronts and get height adjustable rears. (or at a minimum height adjustable fronts and rear springs that match the right height.) I saw that kngrsll did something like this here: http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25368&highlight=coilover+sleeves

I like that setup, however it stinks to buy a set of coilovers to throw away the rears, then buy springs to throw away the fronts. I would end up with a really expensive setup, considering the tokico's aren't cheap to begin with. Perhaps there's a cheap sleeve out there that I can add standard eibach springs to?

Megan's coilover setup seems good due to its adjustablility and firm spring rates, however feedback on this forum makes it sound like they don't take the corrosion very well. This car will be driven on Utah streets in the winter, which is salt-sunshine-salt-sunshine....a perfect corrosion combo.

I'd appreciate your input.

[OTB]

if anyone can measure (or has the data) of the unsprung length of Micro Image springs, it would make it a lot easier to calculate the needed length of coilover springs.

cheers.

[Jason@SportsCar]

Sure seems like you would be going to a lot of effort to build a custom setup, when you could sell what you have any buy one of the very reasonably priced setups that already exists. :iono:

This looks like a great quality system that would give you the ride height adjustment you want: http://shop.microimageonline.com/HR-coilovers-29070-1.htm Currently Mazda and Honda are testing the Bilstein (Euro market) branded version of this kit for SCCA B-Spec racing.

Coil springs alone are $50-80 each, and the sleeve kit could cost $100-200.

[cali yaris]

^ Thanks. Yes, the new H&R coilovers feature Bilsteins, very nice product.

Sounds like the OP would benefit from height adjustability, corner balancing, etc.

[OTB]

I appreciate the input.

It seems like the H&R's come with mystery spring rates, no damping adjustability, and a claimed rear ride height that is higher than the micro image springs. More rake may decrease understeer, but my ride heights front/rear balance (with large rear swaybar) make a pretty neutral car right now. It's just a neutral car that is quite tall.

Damping adjustability has served me quite well, to speed up the valving for street and slow it down for track.

it's been a long day, so if I'm on crack let me know....

[Jason@SportsCar]

I appreciate the input.

It seems like the H&R's come with mystery spring rates, no damping adjustability, and a claimed rear ride height that is higher than the micro image springs. More rake may decrease understeer, but my ride heights front/rear balance (with large rear swaybar) make a pretty neutral car right now. It's just a neutral car that is quite tall.

Damping adjustability has served me quite well, to speed up the valving for street and slow it down for track.

it's been a long day, so if I'm on crack let me know....

Well you didn't say damping adjustments was something you wanted:wink:... There are still lots of options out there, certainly you can find one that does what you want.

We custom built our stuff, between the shocks and dozens of pairs of springs, it is likely twice the cost of anything on the market. That does not even begin to cover the time installing and removing everything multiple times to get it just right. Buy, don't build... Unless you need to eek out every tenth of a second on the track.

You do know that just dumping the front is not the best thing, you go to low and you mess up the roll center and create a lot of bump steer.

[OTB]

yeah, you are right, I better be careful how much time I spend trying to make a non-competitive Z production car into a non-competetive Y production car.

[Kongo-Otto]

If you are interested in the H&R/Bilstein coilovers you may have a look at my thread:

http://www.yarisworld.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35018

[cali yaris]

Do you know what height you want to be? I can get springs for you with basically any height and any spring rate combination you want. You already have really good struts and shocks.

You just wouldn't have height adjustability, pre-load, etc. but that might be ok if you make a good educated guess on your choices.

[OTB]

To keep things simple, a spring set identical to micro image (diameters, rates) but 1" shorter front and rear would be great.

Ideally firmer spring rates would be cool, but predicting final ride height with different spring lengths AND rates would be difficult. There is an unloaded length, pre-loaded length from full strut extension, and final ride height with vehicle weight. The engineer in me says "easy." The mechanic in me says "how often is anything engineering right the first time?"

So, would it be possible to have a set just like Micro Image, 1" shorter (unloaded length on the shelf) front and rear?

I actually asked you this in a PM a few months back, but I imagine you get a few million PM's a day.

cheers

[RacerFreakXXX]

IMO go coilover or tein springs. Tein springs were low for me and I didn't cut the bump stops. Now teins were not slammed low but, low enough and planted enough o keep up with a crotch rocket on the Taconic.