I need some recommendations about coilovers for my 09 LNF.

I SCCA autocross the car in DSP. I presently use Eibach Pro-Kit springs with Koni adjustables, running 285/30 x 18 Hoosiers with 20mm wheel adapters to clear the struts with a Progress rear swaybar. With this setup I can keep the body from rubbing against the slicks which protrude outside the body about 1.5".

I'm considering going to coilovers to get better spring control (I'd really prefer non-progressive-rate, stiffer springs), better roll-center control and the ability to adjust camber easily. I don't have any experience with any of the available coilovers.

I'd like some recommendations about the following: Ksport, BC, B&G and Megan coilovers.

Thanks in advance,
Scott

 

Bump

 

out of the ones you listed bg is probablly the best but it seems people have problems with them. personally my favorite is stance but they never really realeased(for the turbocharged model)(unsure what your are) anything like it was said.

 

let's ask maven

 

i'm using megan on my T/C, it rides a bit stiffer than stock and handles pretty good.

 

The stock suspension is what you should have stock with.

Whoopps.

 

none of the available coilovers allow seperate adjustment for rebount and compresion, so you would probably be best with stock Tc struts and a good set of springs. Pm qwikredline, or Maven here on the boards, they know what they are talking about when it comes to combining the cobalt and road courses.

 

how about ARK DT-P ? We use those coilovers for Formula D pro dfriter and time attack, korean champion ship GT.

We have a summer sale going on now...

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/supporting-vendor-deals-group-purchases-133/ark-performance-09-summer-sale-begins-limited-quantity-expanded-product-line-177851/

 

megan FTW. 32 way dampening adjust, and 6kg front and rear perfect for street and spirit driving.
in MY OPINION at least...

 

Beyond 16 way adjustable there is honestly no point. If you want quality coilovers that actually work then ARK is the way to go. Its drift/Time attack proven and we will continuing to do that as well with other competitive vehicles. We will also be slowing going into Redline time attacks with our built Genesis, 350z, EVO, and S2000.

 

What kind of springs do you use? Your own or someone elses (like Eibach for example)?

Thanks,
Scott

 

why hasn't someone created a power adjusting coil over yet? it would just take an electric motor and some gearing....

Dammit.

 

ls1f body said it....

 

Pics of the 285s on the cobalt please!! what wheels? that's amazing. I've been planning an stx build with mine but if I can cram 285s DSP would be fun. Where do you run so I can check out some event results?

 

The wheels are black AMR Rogue (really ugly) 18 x 8.5" in 5x110 (these are the widest 5x110s I could find) with a 35mm positive offset. I use 20mm wheel adapters (net 15mm positive offset) because the wheels won't clear the Brembo calipers and there's insufficient clearance to the struts (I have all of this stuff from a Saturn Redline I used to own). In hindsight, I could have had wheel adapters made to use more standard wheels, but I wasn't thinking about the option at the time -- I already had a bunch of 5x110 wheels.

I've had to carve away some of the plastic molding at the rear edge of the front wheel wells to clear the tires -- I've also folded the metal edge over (where the body welds stick into the wheel well area at the rear of the wheel wells) so these don't cut the slicks -- it took a lot of hammer work to get the welds folded over. Otherwise everything clears nicely front and rear - also the slicks don't rub the inside at lock. I've been running 255/35 x 18 Hoosiers but recently mounted 285/30 x 18 Kumho V710s -- they actually fit the wheel wells a little better than the Hoosiers because of a slightly smaller diameter. Most of the class runs at least 285s. I plan to buy new 285 Hoosiers before the Nationals -- and I can't really go much wider because of the larger diameters associated with the next steps wider (maybe with a Stage kit I might be able to rotate a larger diameter tire).

Since I can't add attachments, I can't post any photos at present. If you want to PM me with a 'normal' email address I can send photos along as attachments -- if you want them. One is of the Cobalt with 255 Hoosiers, the other three are of the two BMWs and the VW R32 who all compete locally (and nationally) in DSP -- note the sizes of the rubber they all run. The green BMW is about 350 lbs lighter than the Cobalt, the black is about 200 lbs lighter, and the R32 is several hundred pounds heavier. Usually, I'm the only car that 'drives' to these events, everyone else trailers their DSP cars to the events.

If you go to the SCCA SOLO website and look at the National Tour event for the Vail Valley event -- in DSP -- you'll see the Cobalt listed along with 7 other DSP competitors. I'm also entered in the SCCA Nationals with 8 other DSP competitors. This will be my first 'real' competition with the Cobalt so I don't really know how competitive I'll be in class.

I used to compete in DS, and later DSP, with an 06 Saturn Ion Redline -- but I was absolutely outclassed with the Redline. My first time out with the Cobalt, with 255s, my impression was that it was faster than the Redline... I have to figure out how to best drive a turbo car -- I'm still used to a supercharger.

Scott

 

Thanks I would love to see some pics ( jcole4512@gmail.com ) that's a ton of load on the wheels bearings. Ya, I haven't found any companys that stock adapters they all have to be costom made it seems. Don't look up 5x114.3 in tirerack the selection will make you sick! page after page of light weight, wide good looking wheels.

 

Here's where you can get whatever custom wheel adapters you want made -- and they're responsive and the costs are reasonable -- http://www.motorsport-tech.com/. They're in San Bernadino, CA. Yes, you can get 5x110 by 5x114.3 at no additional cost -- and they can be made hub-centric on both sides -- mine are hub-centric on both the rotor side and the wheel side, makes it much easier to ensure everything is actually centered.

Here's where you can find any wheels you might want by size, bolt pattern, width, offset -- you name it -- and they list where you can buy the wheels of your choice at reasonable costs -- http://mostwheels.com/index.php.

Photos will be on the way shortly...

Scott

 

I forgot to mention that the Cobalt is sitting with 2.8 degrees of negative camber (each side) as you see it in the photos.

Scott

 

WOW! looks great. Looks like some serios competition. I'm running against an 08 MazdaSpeed 3 on RE-01s tommorow in D-stock tomorrow. see how that goes. can't wait to get some real tires on this thing. The stockers aren't horrible but some sticky 245s will be great. Thanks for the info on the adapters. I'm gonna have to put that on the long "to do" list. Oh and the car looks mean with all that tire under it.

 

you should throw some of those pictures up here. i would love to see your setup. My rear axle has some serious negative camber as well. I'll have to ask what the alignment settings are.

 

I had an 06 Redline (LSJ) and on that car I had the rear shimmed to 1.5 negative on both sides -- the factory 'book' says the spec if .8 negative plus/minus .75. SCCA says you can mod the rear (in DSP) to factory spec -- so I went to -1.5 (I could have gone as far a -1.55. I've looked at my LNF rear axle and I don't think I have the ability to mod the rear because of the way the caliper is mounted to the axle -- perhaps I should look again, closer.... I liked -1.5.

Again according to SCCA rules, I was able to grind the lower strut mounting hole out to the 'embossed ring' on the LSJ front struts -- and legally get as much as -4.5 for both SCCA DS and DSP. For this LNF, at least for now, I'm using camber adjusters which are allowed in DSP, but not DS. I can put the camber adjusters in at a race site and just crank them out as far as possible and be OK.

I'm looking seriously at coilovers because I can't get enough spring strength otherwise. My competitors are running between 500-1050 lb springs front and rear. After much discussion with them, they're all recommending that I start at 500/500 or 600/600 to be competitive (this comes from several SCCA national champions in DSP & FSP -- FWD, RWD, and AWD experiences). I recall seeing that the stock spring rates are 177lbs front and 126lbs rear -- and no 'progressive' spring gives the consistency you'd like.

Unfortunately, looking at all the available coilovers, I don't see anyone, other than Ground Control with a complete Eibach spring set, that offers a decent range of springs for both front and rear for the Cobalt (at any kind of reasonable prices -- the 'real' coilover vendors, Megan, Ksport, BC, G&B, ARK, etc., seem to be mostly in the 420/224 range -- you can get some custom springs from these vendors, but you're looking at another ~$80+/spring pair, more money). I could spend several thousand and get custom anything -- Penske, Ohlins -- but I don't have that kind of $$$. I called Ground Control and they said they'd give me whatever spring rates I wanted and I already have Koni adjustables front and rear so it looks like I'll be calling Ground Control.

There's no way to post pictures except via an HTTP link (at least in so far as I can tell -- pls advise if there's a way), so I just emailed them to the last person. Sorry.

BTW, I see airborne tag -- I'm a master parachutist, static line and freefall -- 26 years in SF -- 1st (RVN), 5th (RVN), 6th, and 10th SFGs, + the Special Warfare Center for one tour, time with the USAPT (the Golden Knights), and 1st SFOD-D (Panama & through the 1st Gul War). All great fun!!! I'm a retired SF guy (yeah, I'm a LOT older than probably everyone here...).

Scott

 

Hell, I'm only 28 and sometimes I get the feeling I'm older than 70% of the people on here.
So, what made you leave DS. Seems that's where most competitive.

 

i see what you mean about the coilovers, the problem is that rebound and compression are not separately adjustable in any of them, at least in the off the shelf units. Custom springs and mounts are available easily, contact "qwikredline" here on the forum, he was responsible for the building of the original time attack cars, and has taught just about all i know when it comes to suspension, which is nothing comared to his breadth of experience.

Military, yes, haha, nowhere near your level though. I have a RIP contract, thats how i got my airborne slot. Ended up getting med dropped during the fast roping training, and was told to come back in six months. Got to my unit, and they didn't want me to go back. I deployed to Iraq as an e-3, came back as an e-5. Made my 5 at 2 years 7 months. Love the military, proud as hell to be in. Actually met the CSM of 3rd group when i was in afghanistan, and when he found out how fast i was promoted, asked me if i wanted to work for them. i guess we'll see.

wow, sorry for the novel, haha

 

DS is more competitive at the local level and I finished 2nd in points to two years in the Rocky Mountain region. I also took a 1st in DS at the Texas National Tour event a couple of years ago and took 2nd in San Diego last year but -- DS has been the personal playground for Acura ITRs for years. A local SCCA competitor has been national champ several times and finished near the top other times in his ITR. I'd compare my times against his times in local SCCA events and I was routinely slower on the same course. I looked closer and discovered that his DS times were + or - one second from the DSP times, again on the same course, same day, same heat -- and those guys are also national champs.

Hm-m-m-mm, I can't do very much to get faster in DS within the rules -- but I can do things to get faster in DSP -- and the best times are almost the same -- looks like DSP is the way to go for me. Granted, DSP costs a lot more $$$ to compete, but it you can't win otherwise, find a way to even the odds...

Scott

 

Quick update: I have the new Ground Control coilover kit and they now are using standard 2.5" ID X 6" springs up front and standdard 2.5" ID X 8" springs for the rear -- which means you can get springs at any spring-rate -- front and rear -- from either Eibach or Hypercoil. The Ground Control kit used to have special rear springs with a 'pig tail' at the top to accomodate the stock top rear spring mounts -- it still uses the stock top rear spring mounts but there's a different way of adapting the spring to the stock setup so it doesn't need the 'pig tail' end -- therefore standard 2.5" springs. This is a great improvement -- I'll be installing this Saturday so I can test this Sunday.

I also got the B&G camber plates for the Cobalt. I'll need to re-drill and tap the strut bolts to accomodate my Koni cartridges (the Koni's are quite a bit larger than either stock or most coilovers -- I think they're 14mm, but I'm not yet certain -- I'm waiting on an email from Koni). As soon as the bolts (etc.) are re-sized, I'll mount the camber plates with the Ground Control coilovers.

I plan to run with the springs at least (with luck I'll have the camber plates modified) this coming Sunday at a local SCCA event. I think I'll need to buy more (stiffer) springs, but I'll have to see how this works. I may go to the Nationals with this setup for the interim (550lb fronts and 250lb rears -- with a swaybar).

I, too, have purchases a Stage I kit and am waiting on the GM flash.

Scott