So I bought a race suspension...

[Kraftwerk]

Always enjoy a suspension thread, so I thought I would start my own. Just in time for my suspension re-fresh, I found a guy selling off his entire suspension off his dedicated race car.
It was a 'package deal', The Elephant ASP and poly bronze bushings have less than 50 miles on them. Everything seems to check out. It came with everything pictured: Front A-arms, new bushings, turbo tie-rods, with the whole steering rack. Front hubs, rear hubs w/ banana arms, brand new Elephant racing ASP, new Smart racing rear sway bar, ( so nice!) big torsion bars: "Sway Away" 30mm rear/ 23 front. Will have the shocks re-valved to match my car and double-check that they will match up with the torsion bars. Shocks are the only 'unknown' both age and damping rate. Front struts have threaded tower but apparently those were not utilized (?) Banana arms are modded in that I noticed a little 'tab' was ground off on each arm, which I assume was to make room for the asp stuff (?)
A few things will be needed, such as a front Smart Racing or Tarret sway bar.
Rear sway-bar mounts > will have some ER ones welded on and sway bar bushings. Might think about de-cambered ball joints. Need to buy the appropriate grease for the ER Poly-bronze stuff. I have a Renn-Sport Triangulated strut brace ready to go.
Any thoughts or other idea's /advice welcome. That is one other thing I need, information. I will be installing all this myself. Total budget is around 4,500 bucks, ( everything pictured here was 3650.) Of course the car will get an alignment & corner balance, euro ride height after it gets all the new jewelery installed. Its the practically the only expense on this car in 10 years of ownership (!) that is besides an alternator and a few sets of tires, oil, sparks etc.. maint. stuff.. The car is for street and track: Spirited driving, in other words sweet decreasing-radius-off-cambered on-ramps and twisty country roads.

[Kemo]

get some rugged rear sway bar mounts...Buckley Racing or Wevo, both sold here at Pelican. And, front sway bar beefup metal from Buckley Racing.

[Kraftwerk]

Will do, thanks Kemo!

[oldgunner]

I'm gathering suspension parts as well. Looks like great stuff. Now put it on and go storm the streets of Brooklyn and post the video. I'd like to see the video.

Be Safe

[will hung]

Smoking deal. Those front struts look like RSR struts. So the spindles are raised 19mm. Everything you'll need to know to swap everything over is here in Pelican. The good thing is, since the car is still assembled and complete, you can see how it's assembled, take it apart and assemble quickly. I did a complete suspension and brake refurbish last winter in my little 1 car garage last winter. It takes time, but it's very much worth it when done.

[ivangene]

well as much as I would like to offer support - I have to caution you that you are not going to like this....

so I will PM you my address, you send all that stuff over here promptly and I will make sure to save you from it




NICE PILE!!
you are not going to recognize your own car when its done...and I don't mean the looks...I mean the drivability!


WOW
WOW
WOW

[ivangene]

BTW I run the same size T-Bars - drive to work about 60-70% of the time and light track use - I have not seen any reason to complain - some say too stiff for street

I have the Koni externally adjusted gas shocks so I can "dial them down" for street - you might consider that because when i set them to "stiff" the expansion joints on a concrete freeway WILL just about loosen a tooth...its rough!

with single settings (valving) you will always compromise one way or the other - keep it in mind for later if you get jarred too much...that will help a lot -

[Elombard]

After you get it bolted up look closely at the final angle of the tie rods, if not parrallel to the lower a arms (depends how low you are running) get some of the bump steered rod ends for the Tie rods from ER - would hate to have all that beautiful suspension not feel good because of bump steer.

[will hung]

Honestly, I'd measure the height from the bottom of the strut to a consistent part (with your stock struts) of the spindle. If indeed the spindles are raised, you'll need the bump steer correcting tie rods.

[Kraftwerk]

Yeah, I was thinking a bump steer kit would come into play. Was told the spindles were raised.
Check it out;
also think those are Weltmeister camber plates..

[will hung]

Yeah, with the spindles raised, the control arms will be angled much further down than the tie-rods, so you'll most likely need bumpsteer adjustable tie-rods.

Who would you like to rebuild your struts and shocks? If either Chuck Moreland at Elephant or Clint at Rebel Racing, you can have them weld on the double arm for the bump steer kit so that the steering is more direct.

[Kraftwerk]

There is a thread which details the process, it is a very inspirational read:
My Elephant Racing Suspension Upgrade
Looks involved, expensive and probably worth it.

[will hung]

Originally Posted by Kraftwerk

There is a thread which details the process, it is a very inspirational thread:
My Elephant Racing Suspension Upgrade
Looks involved, expensive and probably worth it.

I've read that thread way too many times. Luckily for you, the spindles are already moved and gusseted. I'm talking about the extra little blade in the pics in this post.

My Elephant Racing Suspension Upgrade

Chuck charges like $50 to weld them on, I think Clint includes the service with purchase price (you pay shipping).

[Kraftwerk]

That is good to know , thanks!
I mentioned adding the 'tab' to the previous owner of these struts and he frowned at the idea saying if they were on there he would have cut them off!maybe we weren't communicating clearly or he didn't understand me, it seems like a good thing to have on there.

[will hung]

It's a good thing. The adjustable tie-rod ends are pretty long. If the tie-rod is placed high up on the adjustment, there will be deflection when making steering inputs, or just when maintaining the line. The tabs will lock everything in place so that there is no deflection.