After much contemplation regarding the merits of saving up for a V6, I’ve decided that while the V6 is no doubt faster, it isn’t really any more fun than my S2 and it isn’t available with the paint job of my car either! As a result, the car is not going to be going anywhere for a while and so I’m now considering a suspension upgrade early next year. I’m currently running the standard S2 suspension set up, they have done almost 30,000 miles now and could probably do with an upgrade. It’s my weekend toy, I only do between 3 and 6 trackdays a year and no more than 4,000 road miles on top of that.
Appreciating that this may well open a can of worms, what is the current forum recommendation for an upgrade? I would really like to achieve more compliancy in the ride as a road car, but have the option of making things firmer/better on track - although to be honest I’m rather lazy so it’s likely that once the car is set up by a professional, I’ll be leaving it like that!
Hangar 111 are my local specialist and they look after the car, so I’m toying with fitting JRZs - probably the one way adjustables in all honesty; I’m not sure I need to spend the extra on 2 ways, although the remote reservoir does look cool! Does anyone have any experience of them (there seems to be very little coming up on a search)? Will probably also have the Nitron rear track brace set up fitted at the same time and whatever preventative improvements are necessary on the front end. As the numerous people who overtook me at Hethel will know, I’m not a driving god by any stretch of the imagination so I don’t need the last word in adjustability or want to spend many 000s on this
Assume that the budget is the Hangar 111 price of the JRZ one ways, so c£1,600 plus VAT; and the seriously lotus price on the track brace looks like being c£500 inc VAT (maybe a bit less as my car is a 2009 model so I believe it has a slightly uprated part out of the factory) - so an all in budget of 3k for the coilovers, rear brace, geo and whatever else would be about my limit (and ideally I’d like to get 2 new front R1Rs into that budget as well).
And then after that I might fit some uprated cams and have the seats re-trimmed…
I’d just get one way adjustables and a slightly increased spring rate. I’m happy with the compliance for road and set up for track with my one way adjustable nitrons. Albeit with odd valving (Hofmanns) and massive springs (550.700). Mine are old school, the new 46mms are meant to be one step up again.
I’d suggest a try and buy (or not) from our own Dave ( who still hasn’t got back to me about charge coolers )
Will
With that budget you could get NTR 46 one ways, the toelink kit, two new rir tyres and have them fitted and set up by our own JDS aka the professor and have some change!!!
Give me a ring if I can help !!!
01482 702111
Thanks all. This is something I’m looking at doing reasonably early in the New Year. Dave I will probably be in touch with you in January as I think I would like to take up the try and buy offer that is referred to above, assuming you are still doing it?
I think the Nitrons would probably work out £3-400 cheaper than JRZs if I can fit them myself and then get a geo done separately, is it an easy job to change them over? It looked easy enough on the elise on Wheeler Dealers, but I don’t have a ramp/pit or even any axle stands…
At the risk of coming across like a ‘My-Shock’ fanboy, I have recently fitted, the 46mm Nitron NTR fast road one ways which are for my ten-penneth-worth, more compliant and yet solidly roll resistant than the 2way Ohlins they replaced.
I’ve done about 3 track days on them now wet and dry, running 425 550 springs. The difference is when running over curbs (on track that is!) the car recovers composure/ settles far more quickly.
I turn them up a couple of notches for track days and when I remember back down for the trip home.
Changing the dampers is easy. Most likely challenge is rusty nuts send bolts, I have once had to resort to a nut splitter, £10 from your local motor factor. You will also have to change the front upper mounting brackets. This is easy (two bolts) unless, as I found, the nuts holding the abs pump are rusted. Mine were. There is no space even for a dremel to cut them off so I used a nut splitter on one of them as well.
Set the ride height to the handbook settings as a first setting before getting a geo. I have always found I have to take the car on a short drive after each adjustment to get it to settle, bouncing it up and down was not the same. Do not forget to set the height with gas in the tank and weights the same as you in the driver’s seat. I use three big bags of compost and a dumbbell as my weight.
Finally, you cannot adjust the height with the nitron spanner with the dampers in place. I have a tommy bar of just the right size to fit in the socket on the damper so I can adjust them without removing them.
It is easy and you neighbours will be impressed with your mechanical skills.
Haha this reminds me of when the boys at Tech9 were fitting mine…they emailed me to get my weight and the lads on the race team ran a book on it in the canteen
)
