Looking for better handling, and one specific issue, see pic

Well take a look at the pic. Look at how much my rear end is jacked up on one side and rolled over on the other. I want to decrease this, as it makes the car a lot ot handle when going though S curves where it will jack the rear end up going one way, and then have a massive body shit as you turn hard the other way and do the same thing. Gives the car a very loose feeling at times.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u171/msccpics/2007/Fox%20Valley%20Sports%20Car%20Club/9-23-07%20Shawano/IMG_1262.jpg

[Extremedsm]

Put some sand bags in the back. :D

[Dizmm, (Old Account)]

Start with biggea bigger sway bar in the rear.

Start with biggea bigger sway bar in the rear.

That's what I was thinking also, I'm guessing the next step would be better struts or coilovers?

[ragdoll]

Or something not FWD would help?

[devlish]

thought you were getting coilovers already? either way, lowering your car will help some, but the effect will still be there, just to a lesser degree. rear sway bars will help keep it straighter.

[Dizmm, (Old Account)]

if you go coil-overs, you should bring your car over and we can corner weigh the car so you know what spring rates you should get.

[TomKat]

Start with biggea bigger sway bar in the rear.

Dizmm sure has been pushing bigger sway bars lately. He has a good point though. They will provide better handling without a compromise in ride quality.

They do have disadvantages though. Bigger/beefier sway bars that are not factory engineered put a lot of stress on components that were not designed for that much tension. Over the years I've seen a lot of problems with aftermarket sway bars. Example: Sway bar mounting points that rip right out of the cars frame. Brackets breaking. Just something to consider.

Stiffer springs will get rid of a lot of body roll, but the car will ride like shit and will not handle rough pavement very well.

[Extremedsm]

Start with biggea bigger sway bar in the rear.

Dizmm sure has been pushing bigger sway bars lately. He has a good point though. They will provide better handling without a compromise in ride quality.

They do have disadvantages though. Bigger/beefier sway bars that are not factory engineered put a lot of stress on components that were not designed for that much tension. Over the years I've seen a lot of problems with aftermarket sway bars. Example: Sway bar mounting points that rip right out of the cars frame. Brackets breaking. Just something to consider.

Stiffer springs will get rid of a lot of body roll, but the car will ride like shit and will not handle rough pavement very well.

Tomkat says stock is best!!!

[Dizmm, (Old Account)]

They do have disadvantages though. Bigger/beefier sway bars that are not factory engineered put a lot of stress on components that were not designed for that much tension. Over the years I've seen a lot of problems with aftermarket sway bars. Example: Sway bar mounting points that rip right out of the cars frame. Brackets breaking. Just something to consider.

Stiffer springs will get rid of a lot of body roll, but the car will ride like shit and will not handle rough pavement very well.
The problem with stiffer springs is you lose low speed grip. High springs rates are intended to be used with race rubber and at high speeds where more down force is put on the springs.

Not too familiar with those SRT's but I'm sure if you talk to some of the big guys that road race their SRT4's they'll tell you exactly what works best and what they have proven to work reliably.

[Pointdsm]

Big sways bars kick ass. My rear sway bar made the largest impovement on my car yet, which will last another week. While you in there though, you might as well replace the bushings, the struts, maybe though a cage in there too 8) :wink:

[EVILUTION]

I don't think that picture looks too bad especially for a FWD.

Do you have a front LSD? If not that would be my very first purchase.

The sway bar will help keep the car flat but it does so at the expense of rear grip.

If money was not an issue I would get a good coil over (LIKE THE KWs) that have moderate springs, excellent dampening, and better than stock travel.

Stiff springs can be dampened to provide an excellent ride but very few brands have the coils dialed in perfectly to the dampners.

Recklessly recommending an RSB isn't a good idea especially not knowing if the car understeers, oversteers, or would really benefit from the shift in balance.

[Dizmm, (Old Account)]

if my memory serves me right you were having understearing issues. A rear sway bar should help that. Springs should be chosen very carefully and knowing the front/rear weight ratio will better help you choose the right springs.

[EVILUTION]

I've never had an understeer issue. Purely out of preference I added my rear bar to keep the car flat. That move probably ended up costing me some performance.

Almost all of the very fast SM EVOs run 12k/16k springs and the stock sway bars. This is because the rear sway steals rear grip and travel causing the inside rear wheel to lift. Bad for going fast but good because loose is more fun to me.

thought you were getting coilovers already? either way, lowering your car will help some, but the effect will still be there, just to a lesser degree. rear sway bars will help keep it straighter.

I was looking at a set but.. I decided not to, to many unknowns, about the condition of the rest of the coilovers in that deal.. The car was wrecked pretty bad.

f my memory serves me right you were having understearing issues. A rear sway bar should help that. Springs should be chosen very carefully and knowing the front/rear weight ratio will better help you choose the right springs.

This is correct I was having the front end plow at times at Shawano in the hard 180 turns.

I don't think that picture looks too bad especially for a FWD.

Do you have a front LSD? If not that would be my very first purchase.


I do have the Quaife ATB LSD, it works wonders.

The sway bar will help keep the car flat but it does so at the expense of rear grip.

If money was not an issue I would get a good coil over (LIKE THE KWs) that have moderate springs, excellent dampening, and better than stock travel.

At the moment money is def and issue, but I'm working on saving up for them . Hopeuflly it will happen.

Stiff springs can be dampened to provide an excellent ride but very few brands have the coils dialed in perfectly to the dampners.

Recklessly recommending an RSB isn't a good idea especially not knowing if the car understeers, oversteers, or would really benefit from the shift in balance.

[EVILUTION]

The SRT4 is a very popular track car. I'm surprised you don't have a 1-2-3 check list of things to do to make the car perform better.

[TomKat]

I'd spend my money on track time rather than modifications. Much better way to spend your $$$$.

If your car has understeering issues - you can learn how to modify your driving to compensate.

I'd spend my money on track time rather than modifications. Much better way to spend your $$$$.

If your car has understeering issues - you can learn how to modify your driving to compensate.

Compensate... that's no fun.. change that word around to say... Dominate. Now there that sounds much better. Also as stated in the first post, the main concern is not so much the understeer, it's the massive body roll in the rear that is my focus. I can compensate for the understeer, but besides slowing down and taking corners that I know I can go through faster, my cars rear is rolling round like a J. Lo's ass in a work out video.

The car performs and handles excellent all besides that one attribute. It's only obvious on 180* turns and large S turns. I'm not looking for a full make over just to tighten it up some.

Honestly on the SRTFORUMS that I belong to, there is not a whole lot of anything besides the drag and street racing going on. Gotta remember the average SRT owner is young, and just wants to go fast.. gosh that sounds repeative. There are a few guys that do the road race scene, and a few pro teams that compete, however the setups they genearally use are way beyond the average Joe. Most of the guys just dump money into the car and buy whatever cost the most. I was just trying to find out some more real world advice, looking outside the box you could say.

I've got the basic 1-2-3's on the list.. Poly lca bushings, poly strut tension bushings, motor/trans mounts, stage 1 springs with 25mm drop. Sticky tires, solid front and rear strut tower bars.

[SgtRauksauff]

Use the body roll to your advantage. That body roll is the suspension doing it's job, keeping the tires on the ground during maneuvering.
Get too stiff, and you'll end up overshooting the slip angle of the tires, and spin out.

I've seen some people at autoX have cars that were bone stock suspension, and the things leaning like crazy, and yet those people were pulling faster times than just about everyone else.

Tighten the nut behind the wheel, and make your steering input as smooth as you can.

--sarge

[Dizmm, (Old Account)]

I would buy a rear sway bar first, then track the car before spending MORE money on coil-overs. In order to really know what you need for suspenion, you must be very familier with how your car handles the way it is.

[fordssuck]

I would just do the sway bar this year, and race it with only that.

[EVILUTION]

I would talk to someone that already has your mods and a sway bar. Or you could come to Blackhawk and talk to fellow road racer and SRT4 owner Joe Thornton. He has already registered and paid for the event.

The rear bar will make the car feel better but it probably wont make it handle better unless you are fighting a plowing problem. Then it may do some good. On my PGT the rear bar kept the car much flatter but made if very ass happy in the esses.

[TomKat]

Spend your money on track time. If you want to dominate it will never happen unless you improve your driving skills.

There is nothing wrong with your car.

[EVILUTION]

Keeping mind that autox contains alot more cranking of the wheel than BHF. You will still see some roll but the car will eventually "set up" and stay that way.

You really need to leave your car alone and come to BHFs. Its not that expensive and you get a crap load of track time.

If you thought golden sands was fun you will nut in your pants at BHFs.

[Pointdsm]

Very true. Those of you that have not been the BHF's(or any bigger track), it is something else.

[ragdoll]

Very true. Those of you that have not been the BHF's(or any bigger track), it is something else.

Yep. In track terms you can't get much smaller than BHF's. It's peckin TINY. But with the tiny you get constant turns. A great place to learn to handle the car better... slow track with lotta turns... perfect.

[Pointdsm]

Well ya, it is small, but with a lower HP car, the big track would be boring. BHF's also is pretty good with run-off areas.

[Dizmm, (Old Account)]

Very true. Those of you that have not been the BHF's(or any bigger track), it is something else.

Yep. In track terms you can't get much smaller than BHF's. It's peckin TINY. But with the tiny you get constant turns. A great place to learn to handle the car better... slow track with lotta turns... perfect.

its not that slow, your well over 100mph. yes a smaller track than RA or a few others. Its much easier track to learn i think.

[TomKat]

Yep. In track terms you can't get much smaller than BHF's. It's peckin TINY. But with the tiny you get constant turns. A great place to learn to handle the car better... slow track with lotta turns... perfect.

WTF planet are you from?

Small track???? It would take an average person 40 minutes to walk one lap.

Slow??? Two spots on track well over 100mph for a stock EVO.

Constant turns??? What the hell are you smoking? 7 turns in 2 miles is not turning constantly.

You need to come to Shawano to get some real track experience.