Racing coil springs for GT

Is their anybody road racing a Legacy GT.I would like to know what kind of spring rates they are running.This is a race car dont care about the ride.Thanks

most people are running coilovers with 8k/8k or higher

look into ohlins pcv coilovers (from japan) with swift coilover springs (you can pick and choose which rates you want)

There are currently two teams racing Legacies in Grand Am's Street Tuner (I think thats the new name) class. I believe that ICY Racing is running JRZ coilovers and GOTO Racing is running DMS coilovers. GOTO has talked some about the spring rates they use (although they change depending on the track) and ICY says that they are going to post some information about the spring rates and suspension setup that they are using.

What series will you be racing in?

Is their anybody road racing a Legacy GT.I would like to know what kind of spring rates they are running.This is a race car dont care about the ride.Thanks

 

 

Soon I will be running as high as 14kg front and 12kg rear after my rebuild on the coilovers.. VIR and Summit Point surfaces arent as banked or extremely harsh to drive on, and with these spring rates, it will suite Gymkhana and Autocrossing better. Our sway bars aren't all that big either, so each corner of the suspension should be made stiffer (IMO) to tackle this issue to keep the car flatter around the turn. I am still getting a lot of wheel lift in general from the inside, so Im going to stiffen the springs up some more and make a few more adjustments.

 

I believe GOTO Racing's GT uses progressively wound springs with their DMS 40mm coilovers which that I dont have the specs on.

 

ICY Racing uses JRZ coilovers with their own custom valving and spring rates.

 

 

Spring rates really doesnt mean much unless it's mated with the correct valving.. you can have a really stiff spring rate, but if your shocks can't keep it in control of bound and rebound, there's no real use.

 

What tracks are you trying to run at?

I,m runing Touring 3 SCCA in the mid west at national events.The tracks I have been on are St louis Gateway,Memphis Raceway park.The car has a lot of body roll.The rules only allow -2 camber.The car is wearing out the outside of the tire & pushing bad.I can get the car to turn a few good laps but I need to fined 1 1/2 secs a lap to run up front.The car has been tuned & Koni made some shocks for the car.The factory help Cobalts SS is killing me.I need help getting this thing up to speed.

SCCA GT, there aren't really many people that will be able to help you on this board. No one on here racing an LGT with the exception of the GOTO Racing guys. I would try contacting them directly.

 

However, if you've already gone to Koni for shocks, I don't think there's much else that you can legally do in T3. I'm not sure why you're asking about springs. Does the LGT have an exception for springs?

 

Warren

The SCCA Gave the Cobalt SS ,Spings,Control Arm,Smaller pulley for the supercharger,Aftercooler,Griffin radiator & 17 x8 Wheels.The allow weight for the Cobalt is 520 lbs lighter than LGT.

 

I think LGT will need a few items to hang with the Cobalt.I would like to start with spring.Before I ask SCCA for springs I need do some testing.I need a starting point.Thanks

Nice talking to you SCCA GT. ICY Racing is the other Legacy running in Grand Am this year.

 

If the Cobalt can run that much stuff, I am sure you can opt for similar parts, after all, you are 500+ lbs over them.. I dont care how incredible our AWD is, making up for 500+ lbs advantage is a lot. I am sure you can get away with modifying the caster somewhere along the road, it's something that you'll just have to submit to SCCA for approval on. Other than what I have shared with you on spring rates, there's going to be a huge guessing game. Do you happen to have a Traqmate or some kind of comparison of where the Cobalt is running away from you? Is it corner entry or just higher corner exit speeds? If you can catch the Cobalt under braking and corner entry (and we just hope their superchargers are so wound up of making too much power through a turn) maybe that's one way to reel them in.

Frankly, I don't think that the LGT will ever be competitive in T3. The WRX, which is lighter, and has close to the same power as an LGT is in the same class too. Allowances on the LGT will lead to similar ones for the WRX, I suspect. Plus the Cobalt SS is a seriously fast car on track.

 

Keefe: "and we hope their superchargers are so wound up of making too much power through a turn." Please tell me you're kidding.

 

Forget the pyrometer. Crank the rears tire pressures up seriously high. It won't fix the handling, but it'll help out some. You can race on 60+ psi. Don't ask how I know that ;-)

 

As far as modifications are concerned, you can make a case for them, but I'm not sure that they will give in unless they see multiple LGT's fairing about the same. Unfortunately the AWD advantage really doesn't come into play unless there is standing start, bad weather, a long race, or a debris causing a slick track.

 

It's an uphill battle. Good luck.

 

Warren, who also used to race against cars that had more power and less weight.

60 psi ... hmm that seams wise :o

THe GT suspension geometery is way better than the WRX. I believe it will be competitive. It is faster than the STi in many ways with less power and more weight! !!

 

-mark

funny, Paul at AVO said the same thing two years ago about the LGT vs. STi, after passing many an STi at Motegi. Maybe the boys at GOTO will drive the point home.

 

side Q - Anybody planning to be at Mid-Ohio later this month?

I will be there with the GOTO guys, and my buddy Franz from KTR will be there with the ICY guys. Head to head legacy GT racing everyone.

sounds like fun doesn't it?

-mark

MSI do you contend that the LGT runs best with a bit of rear spring bias? It seems like GOTO and ICY are going this route...

This is part of the reason I am heading out to mid OHIO. In some conditions, perhaps, but the majority of the time I believe the LGT should be equal front to rear. At the end of the day though, it is the driver and crew chief of each team that is going to make the call. I work with the clock and the drivers input. If the driver likes the setup, they are normally fast. If they are good drivers, they will be able to adapt and give proper feedback. GOTO:RACING has come along way over the past 3 years. I have not helped them with the chasis on the legacy yet. This will be the first time we work on this car together this year. Last year it was all WRX testing. From the beginning to the end of the year a lot of data was collected that helped them setup this car.

I really enjoy working with teams that want to learn. It shows that they can adapt to different situations and make their own conclusions. All we do is provide them the tools and knowledge to build upon

-mark

Frankly, I don't think that the LGT will ever be competitive in T3. The WRX, which is lighter, and has close to the same power as an LGT is in the same class too. Allowances on the LGT will lead to similar ones for the WRX, I suspect. Plus the Cobalt SS is a seriously fast car on track.

 

Keefe: "and we hope their superchargers are so wound up of making too much power through a turn." Please tell me you're kidding.

 

 

you know I have to be on that I gotta make some kind of joke of how it's ok for such mods for a Cobalt, but the LGT is so limited to be worked on. Eh, my humor sux0r.

 

As for the WRX vs LGT comparison, I think the raw difference will come down to 200 lbs.. but if you have the ability to drop to whatever the minimum weight is, I think weight wouldnt matter. What the advantage is of having the WRX over the LGT are the support for parts and such, which will be less of a headache to find and fit into the rules.

 

SCCA GT, Warren runs Honda Challenge in an FWD car (H4?), so he would fair well in knowing how to drive that Cobalt, and probably wished he had a supercharged honda to play with on the track

 

(Warren is going to run me off at the next track event for my incoherent posts and end the misery of poor/pathetic excuse of knowledge )

The 06 WRX min weight is 3380 the LGT is 3410.I don't think weight is a big deal.The 04 WRX is 3085.The 04WRX get 16 X 6.5 rims & LGT / 06 WRX gets 17X 7.I set the track record at Memphis last year in a Z28 in T-2.I was 3 sec. off the Cobalt SS last weekend.I don't think a WRX or LGT will run with the Cobalt without SCCA giving them parts.

I ran H1, H2, and H4 (not the same weekends, obviously). Currently not really racing though. I just race/instruct in my friend's H4 car sometimes.

 

Warren