Boosejars

iTrader: (1)

heard that - doing it all over again I would definitely raise the coils to a good height before installing, but, yeah, you got to crawl before you can run...i think i can hear a GI-Joe in the background about knowing things is half the battle...lolz

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the tips guys!

I know both of you said that you were at 12F/10R. The default settings are 12F/6R, so I'll start there.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

going back to your race car roots, you want the car to be balanced evenly.

going by this crude conversion chart;

16 = 896
15 = 840
14 = 784
13 = 728
12 = 672
11 = 616
10 = 560
9.0 = 504
8.5 = 476
8.0 = 448
7.5 = 420
7.0 = 392
6.5 = 364
6.0 = 336
5.5 = 308
5.0 = 280
4.5 = 252
4.0 = 224
3.0 = 168
2.0 = 112

12kg front = 672lbs/inch
6kg rear = 336lbs/inch


I tried to balance my rates without going toooooooo race car.

but, as I know, you have the real race car, so if you dont care about this info, please disregard

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

I don't have any race car roots, I don't race the Exige. Racing is a rich guy's sport, and I'm not that guy. My lotus is my photography muse. The Lotus Sport Suspension sits as it came, albeit lower (another story).

The TL is my daily driver, I'm just trying to make it *look* nicer, I don't need any additional performance at all. Quiet, soft, smooth, that's what I'm looking for, and I should be able to get that, even with a 1" drop in the rear, and 1.5" drop in the front, I'm just trying to figure out the correct settings.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

please disregard previous post!

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

People who race cars don't take pictures like this...



They take pictures like this...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

lol, racers could have other interest too.

i love racing and enjoy my D7000.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Haha, well, you know what I'm saying . No disrespect, just observation.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Got the coil-overs yesterday, will post install pix on Friday.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

Boosejars

iTrader: (1)

Nice!

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Gettin' serious now.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Got a little overzealous tonight. I'll raise it up a bit tomorrow.

Boosejars

iTrader: (1)

^^ that looks good man - i wouldn't raise it anymore - unless you got some rubbing issues..but I like the gap where it is.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Haha, well, this is my daily driver!! This is a pic from this morning, still just the fronts done, doing the rears here in a bit.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Finally got the coil-overs installed, and I still can't get the ride-height matched on all 4 corners. Such a weird thing, I do the math, adjust the coil-over, and it's high or low every time. I guess I'll keep plugging at it. Maybe it's because I'm so particular .

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

So it turns out that the dust shield for the rear rotor is quite sharp if you hit it just right. Sent my friend Matt to the ER for some stitches. It was a stupid mistake, and one I'm sure he won't be making again anytime soon. Could have been me, I've certainly done worse.



She's finally dropped...



On all the way soft they still ride stiffer than my stock suspension, but I guess that's to be expected.

N1h1l1ty

Looks good/painful. That dust shield is indeed a PITA, found that out myself when changing my rear toe arms.

As far as stiffer ride goes, that's definitely expected, especially with BCs even completely dampened. BC is kind of notorious for being super stiff AFAIK. If you wanted soft, Tein SAs might have been a better choice - On full soft mine feel like you're floating even while completely maxed out.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

I was going to ask someone about this. At full soft mine feel pretty good, not as good as stock, but good (not a negative towards BC, just personal preference). However, I have heard this "float" word several times. When do you experience this feeling? At low or high speeds? Around corners? Does it feel dangerous? I'm liking this full soft, so I want to put my back seat back in, but I'm not going to until I know that the dampening is set correctly.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Another quick driveway shot.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Finished

Boosejars

iTrader: (1)

stunning shots man! I like more response when i'm driving - i started at 15 clicks from soft, and now am at 20 - right where I like it - don't like the soft setting lol...but seeing as how I am riding now on 12f/10r - i will definitely be getting a higher spring rate down the road...but hands down BC was the best choice you could have made! p.s. what camera are you using?

6spd-GERCO

Car looks great! I think some of the harness could be coming from the fact that the BC coilovers are mono-tube (BC, Tein Flex) vs twin tube Tein's (SA and SS). and that you don't have the stock top hats anymore. Tein run 12k/6k as well but they use stock tops unlike the BC coilovers and Tein Flex so the ride is better with the stock top hats. Big advantage of the BC and Tein Flex is that they offer spring preload and height adjustment separately. Having the independent height adjustment is very nice for dialing in ride height (duh, lol) and corner balancing the car.

I have Aspec on my TL and Skunk2 Pro-C's on my Integra, the Pro-C's are fantastic for handling purposes but the ride is very harsh, 8kF and 6kR but on a much lighter car. Taking a few PSI out of the Integra's tires helps improve ride quality for long trips.

Lol at how you take pictures vs track guys... it's so true.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

No way I could use anything more than full soft. I spent some time driving it yesterday and find that I dislike it completely, and wish I had the stock suspension back. I have a race car for that race car feel, this is my luxury car, so I want a luxury car feel. I no longer have that. The BC rep and myself feel that this is because the spring-rate is too high, which in turn forces me to under-damp them. Now comes the process of getting softer springs and setting the damping higher. It's a lot of work, but it has to be done. BC, and the rep are super cool, I'm just one of those guys that knows exactly what I want, and what I want isn't so normal I guess. Not sure why someone would want a big, heavy luxury cruiser to be anything other than what is was from factory, but I guess it takes all kinds!

Camera kit is a Nikon D800 + 200/2

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

When I get the new softer springs I plan to replace the pillow mounts with new stock units as well!

SidhuSaaB

Riding on BCs on 12/6 spring rate. Stiffness set to 20 front and 15 rear. I love how they ride.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I even told you that its for race cars and not for daily driven cars...

p.s. the TL has one of the best suspensions ever in a FWD vehicle.

SidhuSaaB

3/4 cars in this picture are running BCs. The AM is FnF2

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Just because it has "Racing" in the name doesn't mean it's for a race car. BC Racing supplies parts to a lot of companies that produce coil-over's, and so produces a wide range of components for all sorts of driving. I simply got the wrong springs with my set. I thought choosing the non-Extreme Low option would be soft enough, and so did the rep, but we were wrong.

You live, you learn.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^not to imply that the name had anything to do with it....
i simply stated my opinions on them earlier in this thread, before you even put them on.

to learning!

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Ah, I don't remember you saying that the BC Racing coilovers were for race cars, not daily driven cars, I must have missed it. At any rate, it's going to take some work to get them where I want them, but it'll be worth it, the car only has 83K on the clock, so many years/miles to go.

SidhuSaaB

BC Racing BR type coilovers are not made for race applications. There are other series from BC that are.

Taken from BC's website:
"Our BR Type model is the perfect choice for street driving and the occasional road course or autocross duty."

SidhuSaaB

I also want to add that BCs ride stiffer than most coilers such as Teins, for instance but the BR are not for race.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Thanks Sid. I guess this is a fun process for most, but I didn't really like the install that much, and I'm dreading taking everything apart again to do the mounts and springs...especially setting the ride height (an exhaustive process IMO). Maybe I'll pay a shop to do it this time around, I got a great deal on the coilovers, so I guess it evens out.

SidhuSaaB

The install process, for me was toughest when I did the backs. I finished the fronts in under half hour using impact gun. The rears took most time when taking out OEM strut out. I learned that if I take out the 4 12mm bolts for the Rear sway bar out, sliding out OEM strut becomes much easier.

As for adjusting the height, instead of rotating the assembly using the wrenches I would loosen up the bottom (3rd) locking ring to match how low I want to go and then rotate the bottom sleeve. I also use wd-40/spray polish/sewing machine oil in threads to make it easier to rotate the strut sleeve.

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Thank you sir!

6spd-GERCO

Most of the coilovers you see are purely for aesthetics. A serious race set-up will cost well over $2k. I haven't seen anybody with suspension corner balance their TL, but this is the real advantage of being able to adjust height independent from the spring. Corner balancing will make the car turn/react the same way when turning right or left.

For height adjustment follow this clip :

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

Dude, I own a Lotus Exige, I got that .

I've seen it, but thank you .

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

So I've got some camber issues, but my local tech doesn't think they'll cause an issue.

LF = -.70°
RF = -.75°

LR = -1.65°
RR = -2.20°

I'm guessing this is normal.

The real issue was the toe after the install, which was pretty far out. Glad I got it aligned asap!

VisualEchos

iTrader: (1)

On a side note, I've found that the camber difference is definitely part of what makes the front tire look thicker than the rear, even though it's not. Basically the shadow is very short on the front, and longer in the rear. I'm wondering now if I should get a camber kit for the front to help with this.