[Hal900x]

So I'm looking at fairly serious road-racing setups, without destroying streetability. I've always been told that to do it right, you should really put all your eggs in one basket. Meaning buy your parts as a kit or system that has been designed to work together. As far as I can see, the only true system designed for the S197 is the Griggs GR-40. Actually, it's more of a "port" from their system for the SN95. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing. They are proven and respected systems which cost an arm and a leg. My gut feeling is I'd like a system completely redesigned for the S197, but right now that's wishful thinking. Maximum Motorsports isn't jumping into this particular boat yet, they are waiting on customer interest, meanwhile selling individual parts and smaller kits made up primarily of other vendor's parts with a few MM pieces in the mix.

Then there is the not-so-recommended route, building your own setup from the vendors of your choice. Not guaranteed to work as a system, will require customization and/or fabrication to get it all integrated, but probably alot cheaper.

I'm just fishing for *intelligent* input along the lines of a full setup for open track days, mountain twisties and daily driving. I don't need any replies like "just save the money and buy springs". I'm commited to a full-on suspension replacement. I've even looked at IRS, but there is only one I know of, the Control Freak setup, and it's neither specific to the S197 nor particularly well-known. Plus, it looks heavy as hell. And I'm pretty sure I saw a page somewhere with a full road-racing system from Blue Moon, but I have no idea who they are and how they would have produced such a complete kit so quickly with so little exposure/financing. Anyway, help me out here.

[POCO]

I went with the FRPP on my 06'GT and I ran Raceline GT's 20's with KDW 2's.It was awesome on mountian twisties,cut corners like no tomarrow.But the freeway was a another story.Lots of road thump and feedback.Its a great package for road and solo racing.You might consider using the Tokikos D-specs dampners with any modified drop kit for street driving,having the adjustable feature would be a benefit for street use.

[Hal900x]

Originally Posted by POCO

I went with the FRPP on my 06'GT and I ran Raceline GT's 20's with KDW 2's.It was awesome on mountian twisties,cut corners like no tomarrow.But the freeway was a another story.Lots of road thump and feedback.Its a great package for road and solo racing.You might consider using the Tokikos D-specs dampners with any modified drop kit for street driving,having the adjustable feature would be a benefit for street use.

So you're running 20's eh? That's a question that's been on my mind but too embarassed to ask the real track guys about....don't think any of them would consider 20's. But I am, simply because to me these gigantor fender wells need 'em aesthetically. I finally sent a sheepish email to Griggs, but they never check email.

[POCO]

You could run 18's and eliminate all that rotating mass the twenties have,save some weight and run a smaller wheel.Check Steeda for light weight wheels.

[SportsPix]

Hi Hal900x,

How serious are you? The GR-40 is a real race suspenion and is not really a good street setup as it is. They have a reduced content streetable configuration but it is still mostly a race car on the street complete with solid suspension terminations and a lot of noise.

You have to ask yourself some hard qustions and if you are going to be happy with the results of your work you have to answer completely honestly. Whatever you do don't go into it thinking you are going to build a race car and drive it on the street if you never go to the track you will hate the results. Conversly you will not have a sucessful project in the end if you are going to build the car for the street and use it as a dedicated race car. These goals are diametricly opposed goals and there are too many compromises involved using one type of car in the role of the other.

Is this a daily driver you will have to drive in all weather or is this a secondary car that will get parked when it raining or to go to work in? Do you live where it snows? What is your budget? Are you experienced with road racing and chassis setup and maintainence? Do you have scales, alignment tools, lift, shop air and the roll-a-way full of tools that you will need to properly maintain a car like this? If not I think you have to ask yourself can you afford or maybe more likely are you willing to afford a car developed to this level and have it maintained by a local race shop? IS there a good local race shop?

If you are serious about the GR-40 suspension you need to call Griggs and talk to them about the downside of driving their suspension on the street and get a test drive in a Griggs GR-40 car with the "street suspension" to make sure you are willing to put up with driving a race car on the street.

That said you can also build a pefectly good street car and decent race car by calling Steeda up and ordering all of the applicalble S197GT parts they sell along with a set of D-Spec or Koni Sport dampers (or fab up some Koni double adjustable race struts and rear dampers if you are very serious), and some nice 4 or 6-pot fixed calipers with 14" 2-piece rotors and matching rears and call it a day after you buy some nice 2 or 3-piece wheels with dry performance tires to match. This route is quite a bit less expensive and not any less fast assuming you don't need to deal with sanctioning body rules. The only thing I think Steeda is really missing the boat on is a good Watts link. Steeda said they were considering ofeing a Watts link but Saleen has recently released one which is a very good part for both street and track use. The Saleen Watts link is the only suspension part I am seriously considering and only of I can buy one at a really good price with a connection I have. There is not really much of a difference overall between a well implemented Panhard bar and a good Watts link for lateral location of the S197GT's live-axle rear end on the track but even a well designed and implemented Watts link adds a huge amount of unsprung weight and plenty of monkey motion complexity and maintainence to the equation if you want the Watts link to continue to be an advantage over a Panhard bar. I have always prefered simple over complex but I may be willing to make an exception in this case.

Maimum has shown a complete IRS and SLA front suspension setup but I don't know the status of the MM suspension or if it's even a viable product with a part number yet. The MM IRS looked very heavy and IMO that would be a deal breaker. The Ford 8.8" solid rear axle can be well controled with the right parts but the sheer mass of the thing can and is an issue on bumpy surfaces. At least it's not a nine inch rear end, that thing is a heavy sucker!

There is no advantage on the track to IRS, this has been proven over and over on the track in the Rolex Grand-Am GS class where the S197 based FR500C cars complete with live rear axle have been wooping the Porsche 911's and BMW M3's butts on every road course in America even on skinny tires, small brakes, longer gears and 300-400lbs. of extra weight for the last couple of years. Keep the solid rear axle, it is a bit of a problem on the street and bumpy tracks but not a major issue.

Cheers!

[jre8806]

Hey check out steedas suspension. a lot or racers use it and one guy won a titiel with hit, the article is on the steeda site.