"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
05/31/2016 at 09:33 • Filed to: None
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"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
05/31/2016 at 09:33 • Filed to: None | 0
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My suspension is now stiffer than my cars chassis. Oops. Time for some frame bracing to make this car less of a floppy piece of shit. Every expansion joint reveals a cacophony of rattles and squeaks from the doors and parcel shelf area due to the car twisting around them. Not fun.
sony1492
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
05/31/2016 at 10:39 |
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Really the stiff spring made an upgrade to your car without you knowing it. They turned your frame into a torsion bar, because racecar.... obviously
DrJohannVegas
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
05/31/2016 at 11:58 |
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Stiffer =/= Upgrade.
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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> DrJohannVegas
05/31/2016 at 12:01 |
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Going from the stock 160/90 to 450/400+disconnected rear sway bar is a fabulous upgrade. Miatas have stupid suspension that only has 3 inches of uptravel combined with enough body roll that cornering means the outside corner of the car rides on the bumpstops all day erry day. Garbage. Car handles better in pretty much every way, though it’s a bit underdampened (duh) so large dips in the road result in a bit of bounce.
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DrJohannVegas
> Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
05/31/2016 at 12:13 |
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I’m not trying to start a big argument here, but I guess I’m still nursing a FSAE hangover...
1) The original post was more a critique of the general assumption that stiffer is always better. Spring rates are but one part of the total design of a suspension system, and sometimes body roll serves to better load the outside tires. Damping, geometry, and the rest all play a part. Anywho...
2) Given the massive increase in spring rates, it’s not a surprise that you don’t need a rear anti-roll bar. All of the roll damping you were getting from the bar is now handled by the 400%+ increase in rear spring rates. Did you get the springs and dampers together? If so, it’s surprising the package had such weak rebound damping. (Ok, maybe not, given the eBay marketplace for suspension parts...)
3) The rough heuristic I’ve always operated on is that your chassis should be at least 10x as stiff as your suspension. Otherwise, the chassis becomes part of the suspension system, and controlling movement becomes trickier. So, good plan stiffening the chassis in what ways you can.
4) Not sure what you’re planning on, but you might be able to get both safety and stiffness in one go if you install a rollbar of some kind. Basically, be safe, yo.
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Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
> DrJohannVegas
05/31/2016 at 12:55 |
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1. Oh, yes. This is a good point. Stiffer isn’t better, but 25 year old springs that were never that stiff to begin with are a poor choice for performance.
2. I’m actually using stock dampers for now, with the aftermarket spring. That’s why it’s so underdampened. The springs were bought from a local autocross winner who had them in his purpose-built autox Miata on stock Bilsteins from a 2nd-gen Miata. Eventually I’ll buy some Godspeed coilovers, regarded as the best entry-level monotube adjustible coilover for $640. ‘till then I’ll live with my underdampened mess.
3. Even Mazda realized the NA6 was a terrible chassis. The NA8 (refresh of the first-gen Miata) comes with significant chassis bracing that transforms the car. Right now it feels like every bump gets transmitted directly through the chassis before the suspension has a chance to react. Definitely not ideal.
4. My plans right now, in order, are to get Delrin door bushings that turn the doors into a structural member ($60), then frame rail reinforcements ($120), then some DIY cross-bracing between the frame rails ($40 in parts), locate the rear LCA mounts, and the diff, then eventually a roll bar/half cage, probably a Hard Dog or similar (bloody expensive).