When do shocks/struts need to be upgraded? (2020 PP1)

[MinDseTz]

I'm buying

• Steeda dual rate springs (.75 drop)
• Steeda camber plates
• Steeda bumpsteer kit

Is there a point at which the stock shocks/struts are unsafe or detrimental to the performance gains?

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[EFI]

Do you race the car on track often eg. timed events or wheel to wheel? Have your skills evolved to a point where you are outdriving the OEM setup and it's holding you back?

If not and it's just a street car, you probably don't need them. Although if you're dead set on getting the Steeda dual rate springs, you should get some better shocks just so that you don't destroy your stock ones with those springs.

 

[MinDseTz]

Do you race the car on track often eg. timed events or wheel to wheel? Have your skills evolved to a point where you are outdriving the OEM setup and it's holding you back?

If not and it's just a street car, you probably don't need them. Although if you're dead set on getting the Steeda dual rate springs, you should get some better shocks just so that you don't destroy your stock ones with those springs.

I will be taking it to tracks occasionally (MSR-Cresson, Eagles Canyon, etc). I honestly planned on getting simple a upgrade first, then moving to something like kw v3 in the future as I upgraded power.

So you don't think the dual rate would work alright with stock? Should I dial back to the ultralight linear or something?

As for driver skill... I've done track days in lighter cars and karted when I was younger. I'll have to get back to you on if I'm outdriving the OEM setup.

 

[shogun32]

Steeda dual rate springs (.75 drop)

do NOT, do NOT, do NOT buy these for anything that lives on the street unless you WANT the overly firm and 'jittery' experience of a race car on the street. The stock dampers (rear in particular) are hopeless anyway, and utterly useless if paired with those springs!

There are many threads that talk about the 2 aftermarket combos that are universally acclaimed.
X/Y springs or 200/800 and up to 250/1000 paired with Bilstein or Ford Perf Track dampers.

Skip the KW and go for the Ohlins. Also to 'button down' the car you want the Steeda or BMR chassis mods fore and aft.

Driving the car hard with the DR springs and the warts melt away. However when you hit bumps mid-corner the heavy spring winds up and throws the car around and if you're trying to modulate throttle or brake it's most unwelcome. Tracks tend to be on the smooth side and crashing over curbing is not normally done during 'delicate' footwork. I think some of Steeda's choices may have been unduly influenced by spending too much time at Miami and Sebring vs at Road Atlanta, CMP and Barber. The DR springs should be reserved for earnest track work IMO.

 

[MinDseTz]

do NOT, do NOT, do NOT buy these for anything that lives on the street unless you WANT the overly firm and 'jittery' experience of a race car on the street. The stock dampers (rear in particular) are hopeless anyway, and utterly useless if paired with those springs!

There are many threads that talk about the 2 aftermarket combos that are universally acclaimed.
X/Y springs or 200/800 and up to 250/1000 paired with Bilstein or Ford Perf Track dampers.

Skip the KW and go for the Ohlins. Also to 'button down' the car you want the Steeda or BMR chassis mods fore and aft.

Driving the car hard with the DR springs and the warts melt away somewhat. However when you hit bumps mid-corner the heavy spring winds up and throws the car around and if you're trying to modulate throttle or brake it's most unwelcome. Tracks tend to be on the smooth side and crashing over curbing is not normally done during 'delicate' footwork.

Okay thanks, and yeah I'm getting basically all the steeda chassis mods. So you think the I'll need upgraded dampers to run the x springs?

I think bilsteins are incompatible with the steeda camber plates. Suggestions?

 

[MinDseTz]

Skip the KW and go for the Ohlins. Also to 'button down' the car you want the Steeda or BMR chassis mods fore and aft.

Are ohlins available for the 2020?

 

[shogun32]

So you think the I'll need upgraded dampers to run the x springs?

you want upgraded dampers even if you keep the stock springs. The fronts are 'tolerable' but the rears have to go!

And replace the bump stops with chopped down units from Eibach.

I think bilsteins are incompatible with the steeda camber plates. Suggestions?

they have a kit for mating those up. The SKU for the rear and their shock mounts isn't published on the website but call up @tj@steeda and they'll put the various parts together.

Yes the Ohlins work fine for all S550.

 

[MinDseTz]

you want upgraded dampers even if you keep the stock springs. The fronts are 'tolerable' but the rears have to go!

And replace the bump stops with chopped down units from Eibach.
they have a kit for mating those up. The SKU for the rear and their shock mounts isn't published on the website but call up @tj@steeda and they'll put the various parts together.

Yes the Ohlins work fine for all S550.

Alright, thanks. I see the camber plates work for the b6 and not b16. I'll wait to see if I get a response from TJ.


Also, the FRPP street pack is what I already have with the performance pack except it has 1"drop springs?

 

[shogun32]

Also, the FRPP street pack is what I already have with the performance pack except it has 1"drop springs?

yup. The PP1 should have come the Track Pack. The Street Pack needs to be buried under 20 feet of dirt and manure never to be spoken of again.

 

[Roadway 5.0]

@shogun32 speaks many truths.

If you’re hell bent on retaining the stock dampers, then the X-Springs you mentioned are a good choice. They’re “a bit” stiffer than OEM PP springs and are very street friendly. However, you won’t get much of gains with these alone—if want a lower stance then good, otherwise spend your money on a dedicated track set of wheels and tires and run your OEM setup until you pop for something big.

As for the your overarching question, I’ve heard 2018+ OEM PP dampers are better than 2015-2017 PP units, which would be great. My OEM PP shocks were terrible to begin with, and badly leaked at 8k miles. I still vote to dump the OEM dampers no later than 30k miles in—for 15-17 dampers swap asap.

 

[EFI]

I will be taking it to tracks occasionally (MSR-Cresson, Eagles Canyon, etc).

As for driver skill... I've done track days in lighter cars and karted when I was younger. I'll have to get back to you on if I'm outdriving the OEM setup.

This to me makes me think you don't "need" anything more than stock, especially when there are many other more important aspects to consider when trying to get your car and yourself better on track.

Tires, brakes, bushings, cooling etc. are all priorities before shocks/struts.

 

[kz]

I'm buying

• Steeda dual rate springs (.75 drop)
• Steeda camber plates
• Steeda bumpsteer kit

Is there a point at which the stock shocks/struts are unsafe or detrimental to the performance gains?

If anything this car needs is the dampers first, then springs. Taking struts apart to change springs and install camber plates (how much camber are you planning to run ?) And not changing dampers makes little sense.

 

[MinDseTz]

This to me makes me think you don't "need" anything more than stock, especially when there are many other more important aspects to consider when trying to get your car and yourself better on track.

Tires, brakes, bushings, cooling etc. are all priorities before shocks/struts.

Yeah, that stuff seems pretty clear on what I should get. I'm getting all the "stop the hop" stuff and g-trac.

To be honest the car feels way easier to control than I expected (pre chassis stiffening too), but I'll see how I feel after I get more track time. It seems fairly unanimous that I need to replace most of the suspension.

What's the issue with cooling? I've heard the transmission gets hot, is that what you're talking about?

 

[MinDseTz]

If anything this car needs is the dampers first, then springs. Taking struts apart to change springs and install camber plates (how much camber are you planning to run ?) And not changing dampers makes little sense.

Yeah I've noticed, and I'm not concerned about taking them apart multiple times. I only plan on running 1 degree or less, but I'm gonna get camber plates and bumpsteer kit since I'll need it regardless.

 

[shogun32]

is that what you're talking about?

no. Diff. Spend some hours reading the HPDE sub-forum and more threads here.

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