BmacIL's Guard GT Build

Did you go with fixed struts/shocks or adjustable?

BmacIL said:

And installed! Love it so far. Fantastic handling AND ride. I like the mild drop a lot, too.

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Great to hear! Just think once the temperature gets warmer, the ride quality will even improve more. Again, great job on a well thought out process!

Mike D

Good stuff! Agreed with Mike above, well thought out!

Glad I could be a part of it. I have been helping people with these kind of combos for a few months now and they all really like it. It is nice that there are so many OEM and aftermarket pieces available for people to put together something that better caters to them, instead of "one size fits all" packages.

Enjoy!

Lexman said:

Did you go with fixed struts/shocks or adjustable?

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Fixed!

The sale Steeda had on them around Christmas was too good to pass up, and it all coincided with gaining more knowledge around what they were capable of handling (spring rate). I'd pair these shocks & struts with a 200-300 lb/in front spring and ~800-1000 lb/in rear spring, base on my experience thus far. I'm at 240 and 980 and it is properly damped for a sports coupe. Control, no bounce, but without harshness.

Thanks, that was what I was guessing. Nice to know I am not the only one who would like just a bit of drop to their car vs what is out there just a short time ago.

Lexman said:

Thanks, that was what I was guessing. Nice to know I am not the only one who would like just a bit of drop to their car vs what is out there just a short time ago.

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Nah you're far from alone. There's at least four or five of us who have been pretty vocal about it for some time. [MENTION=26233]Rebellion[/MENTION] has a nearly identical setup, except he has the FRPP track handling dampers instead of the Steeda. Based on my conversations with him, I think our cars both drive very similar.

At the moment there's only GT350/GT350R and BMR for a minimum lowering setup. The absolute minimum would be GT350 (non R) front and rear, or anything with BMR rears and the Steeda 1/4" spring spacers, which would stay at stock rear height.

Adding a pic of the new setup

Stance is about perfect, I'd trade front springs out for my Handling ones if I didn't lose the front spring rate.

Did you paint your base rear lower bumper? Any pics?

Competition Orange said:

Stance is about perfect, I'd trade front springs out for my Handling ones if I didn't lose the front spring rate.

Did you paint your base rear lower bumper? Any pics?

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You could always go up a little on front bar. These springs feel fantastic. I took a couple of tighter corners quick and the flatness and speed of the transition made me really excited to autocross it in a few months.

Nah, just plain old base bumper. It looks great in guard, so I don't miss the premium trim bumper except for the ability to go quad tips.

BmacIL said:

You could always go up a little on front bar. These springs feel fantastic. I took a couple of tighter corners quick and the flatness and speed of the transition made me really excited to autocross it in a few months.

Nah, just plain old base bumper. It looks great in guard, so I don't miss the premium trim bumper except for the ability to go quad tips.

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The car is a little soft as is on spring rates on track (mid ohio) so I don't want to go any lower on rate.

Optical Illusion then! Picture looks slightly grey, probably just the Guard color playing tricks on me.

Competition Orange said:

The car is a little soft as is on spring rates on track (mid ohio) so I don't want to go any lower on rate.

Optical Illusion then! Picture looks slightly grey, probably just the Guard color playing tricks on me.

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Yeah, Guard can do that!

It's amazing that you feel the car with the handling springs is soft for the road course, when this spring setup that I have is a 45% and 35% increase in wheel rate over the stock PP (and 50% and 47% over my stock springs). I know some of the autocross focused guys are running wheel rates in the 350-400's, which seems like would be intolerable on the street.

I've been really impressed so far how little roll the car has and how quick it responds now.

BmacIL said:

Fixed!

The sale Steeda had on them around Christmas was too good to pass up, and it all coincided with gaining more knowledge around what they were capable of handling (spring rate). I'd pair these shocks & struts with a 200-300 lb/in front spring and ~800-1000 lb/in rear spring, base on my experience thus far. I'm at 240 and 980 and it is properly damped for a sports coupe. Control, no bounce, but without harshness.

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I couldn't agree with you more. Going over the speed bumps at work was a revelation. One and done. Same with freeway expansion joints. I've taken the new setup to all the places where the stock stuff made me cringe. All properly damped and so much more control. I know the spring rates are higher but darned if this combo (Steeda Linear Sport and Pro-Action fixed) feels more comfortable overall vs stock.

Competition Orange said:

Stance is about perfect, I'd trade front springs out for my Handling ones if I didn't lose the front spring rate.

Did you paint your base rear lower bumper? Any pics?

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The drop on the front bmr handling springs are about 1.6 inches. Your strut travel will decrease and you need more spring rate. With that kind of drop I think 330lbs would be good.

Niz55 said:

The drop on the front bmr handling springs are about 1.6 inches. Your strut travel will decrease and you need more spring rate. With that kind of drop I think 330lbs would be good.

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The Rev A is not a 1.6" drop.

Updates! Adding quite a few big things in the next week or so.

SVE Drift 19x9.5 Dark Stainless Wheels
Resonated X-pipe (remove stock resonator)
Steeda Billet rear shock mounts

I will have pics with the wheels and driving impressions with the mounts and resonated X-pipe soon

Here's an recent good pic of the car too