STF posts

[xnamerxx]

Nice, what did you end up doing for springs and shocks?

[NJ Drive]

Originally Posted by xnamerxx

Nice, what did you end up doing for springs and shocks?

Still on Tokico HTS but with custom springs and Cusco tops.

[racerb]

Very nice!!

racerb

[xnamerxx]

what spring rates did you end up going with? if you don't want to tell everyone you can pm me, i won't tell.

[justjesus]

Originally Posted by NJ Drive

Still on Tokico HTS but with custom springs and Cusco tops.

tops? as in the front upper strut mounts?

[NJ Drive]

Originally Posted by justjesus

tops? as in the front upper strut mounts?

Yes.

[xnamerxx]

I just read your blog and I'm liking the custom bushing you've made for the engine/transmission. How bad if the vibration in the car? With my shore 60a poly tranny mount the vibration is pretty awful when the AC is on.

Also how are you liking the Cusco uppers, I've been on the fence about buying them but I'm having a hard time in deciding if they're actually worth the money or not.

[NJ Drive]

Originally Posted by xnamerxx

I just read your blog and I'm liking the custom bushing you've made for the engine/transmission. How bad if the vibration in the car? With my shore 60a poly tranny mount the vibration is pretty awful when the AC is on.

Also how are you liking the Cusco uppers, I've been on the fence about buying them but I'm having a hard time in deciding if they're actually worth the money or not.

Thanks!

Since I did all the mounts at the same time, I cannot comment on individual NVH issues. With all three done though(including an all-steel custom passenger mount), it is horrendous, lol. I've had 95A mounts in my STR S2000 CR and these are 5x worse.

In retrospect, I would have just done the lower pitch mount and call it a day, but there are side benefits to locking everything down.

First is the braking... it just stops way better while in gear. Secondly, the front end just seems to respond to harsh steering inputs better. Lastly, wheel hop has been reduced but still present. I plan on removing the pitch mount again to also replace the front bushing with Delrin.

I've only driven a couple days with the Cusco tops and haven't really been aggressive enough to offer a performance opinion. I'll tell you that they're worth the money just to be able to change shocks out in five minutes and springs in ten!

I would like to get the control arm bushings in tomorrow to see if that kills the wheel hop for good.

[xnamerxx]

Hmm guess the Cuscos on the short list after I get my new springs in.

Also on another note with your custom springs, do you still have spring travel in full droop are are you holding the springs in place with zip ties or something like that? If its the zip tie solution, I found a way a better way to handle it by using steel rope and steel tabs bolted to the frame rails. There is a open bolt hole on the frame that uses an M10x1 bolt that was almost directly in line with the second hole for the RSB. Its not the best way to deal with it but it works without having to get the shocks shortened.

[xnamerxx]

For anyone who was wondering Rival vs Toyo in width.
And you can see my severely overheated Toyos in the picture.

[Jason@SportsCar]

You are not getting very even tire wear.

Originally Posted by xnamerxx

For anyone who was wondering Rival vs Toyo in width.
And you can see my severely overheated Toyos in the picture.

[xnamerxx]

Yep, really really bad shoulder wear...even with -3.5 camber. I do think most of it is from me over driving the car though.

I talked to Andy Hollis about that at Nationals last year, since the same thing was happening to him. I don't think I could ever get enough static camber to make these tires work to the fullest.

[racerb]

Thats the one issue I always had with Solo, no real time to dial in camber, toe, tire temps, and pressures. The only Toyos I've ever ran are the RA-1s on road race cars, as for auto-x it's been BFG Comp T/As, Bridgestone RE-11s, Yokohama A001Rs and Falken Azenis 215s. I know kinda shows how long ago I ran alot, but judging by what I've seen lately the new Rival looks very strong! If you can get advice from Andy Hollis, take it as gospel, he and his wife Ann were already top competitors in '84 when I ran at the Solo II Nationals in Salina Kansas. One thing I have learned through lots of trial and error is to slow down and go faster, best way is to slow your hands down while limiting your steering inputs. Good luck with your car, I'll be working on the STF set-up on my Yaris this season as well.

racerb