Mca Suspension X-series Race For R33 Gts-t Review

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Alright, I've done some updates to the alignment, installed braided brake lines (OEM rear LHS was weeping), in preparation for a shake down this Sunday at Wakefield.

Alignment

• Front Toe: 1.5mm toe out each side, total 3mm toe out
• Front Camber: -2.3 degrees (no adjustment, due to lowering the car)
• Front Castor: 9 degrees
• Rear Toe: 2mm toe in each side, total 4mm toe in
• Rear Camber: -1.5 degrees

Should be great for tyre wear haha

[niZmO_Man]

Toe out... interesting.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Toe out... interesting.

foe dat turn in doee!!!

Because Wakefield Park has many tight-ish turns, toe out should help with the initial turn in.. also with heaps of front castor dialed in the car should have very good turn in as the camber will ramp up quicker (well theory wise).

Let's see how she handles, I've backed off the ARBs to 2nd softest out of 4 at the front and softest out of 2 at the rear

[Ke55pig]

Ive always ran about 1-2 per side toe out really helps with turn in but lil sketchy on the straights

[Dale FZ1]

Alignment

• Front Toe: 1.5mm toe out each side, total 3mm toe out
• Front Camber: -2.3 degrees (no adjustment, due to lowering the car)
• Front Castor: 9 degrees
• Rear Toe: 2mm toe in each side, total 4mm toe in
• Rear Camber: -1.5 degrees

Should be great for tyre wear haha

Be prepared to try up to +5mm toe out each side at the front. ie. total front toe out 8 to 10mm.

If you're doing your own alignment you should have a good idea how much adjustment is required to get you in that ballpark (and back to where you currently are). 5 minutes with two spanners between sessions and you will soon know what works.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Be prepared to try up to +5mm toe out each side at the front. ie. total front toe out 8 to 10mm.

If you're doing your own alignment you should have a good idea how much adjustment is required to get you in that ballpark (and back to where you currently are). 5 minutes with two spanners between sessions and you will soon know what works.

that's maybe a little bit too much toe out for Wakefield, but not going to discount it

I did run total 4mm toe out before and on the main straight the car felt pretty sketchy, however that was during the days when I owned the SK Bilstein kit and the car would point to the sky down the straight like a Powercruise car LOL

I might buy a basic toe kit and attempt to tweak on the track, but not this Sunday though.. it's an open day so time/space would be a little hard to manage.

I'll wait till I hit up another private track day and trial and error the setup then.

[Ryno]

What are you initial thoughts on this coil over package when compared to the SK Bilstein kit?

I've been running the SK kit in my R32 for the last 10 years or so and I'm generally pretty happy with it. But I'd love some more rear traction. The new rear shock/spring package of yours looks very different!

Edited December 17, 2015 by Ryno

[MrStabby]

foe dat turn in doee!!!

Because Wakefield Park has many tight-ish turns, toe out should help with the initial turn in..

Does this equate to more grip when turning in, or is it a steering feel thing? Ie will you go faster than with zero toe?

[Ryno]

It's more grip, as the front wheels are arcing on different diameters as you go round the turn. i.e. The inner wheel is on a tighter circle.

Aa stated earlier this will bring in other compromises... Less grip under braking, straight line stability etc.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

What are you initial thoughts on this coil over package when compared to the SK Bilstein kit?

I've been running the SK kit in my R32 for the last 10 years or so and I'm generally pretty happy with it. But I'd love some more rear traction. The new rear shock/spring package of yours looks very different!

Day and night difference, but for street this isn't too ideal as it's more on the stiffer side.

If you're having traction issues, I would look more into your alignment, subframe bushes, camber arms, toe arms, diff bushes etc.

Stiffer suspension means less squat and less pressure on the contact patch.

However in saying that, the overall comfort levels of the MCA X-Race is nearly comparable to my previous Bilstein setup however the car behaves more like a go kart now and response so much better to steering input than before.

This Sunday shall review all, maybe a blown motor too. it's going to be 37 degrees at Wakefield Park lol

[Ryno]

Yeah, alignment is fine and all the bushes (including subframe) have been replaced with Whiteline/Nolathane. But the car don't want to squat.

I'm wondering if the MCA X-C coilovers will be no worse (comfort wise) for a street car, but allow more squat and rear traction.

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

Yeah, alignment is fine and all the bushes (including subframe) have been replaced with Whiteline/Nolathane. But the car don't want to squat.

I'm wondering if the MCA X-C coilovers will be no worse (comfort wise) for a street car, but allow more squat and rear traction.

If you're using Bilstein shocks/spring combo then going to the MCA X-Race will squat less as the spring rates would be double, if not triple what your current package would be.

I notice now on the street I'm able to fry my semi slicks (Nitto NT01) when they're cold in 2nd... where as before it would drop and bite.

What you need to remember is, when the car squats camber ramps up and also naturally will toe out... to combat this run lower camber and some toe in.. Also a proper diff helps too, I have a 2-way KAAZ diff in mine so torque is split 50/50 unlike the stock VLSD boat anchor which is probably like 10/90.

Do you even squat? haha, nose is pointing into the sky! (old SK setup)

[Duncan]

well that is the basic difference in 2 fundamentally different schools of thoughts about spring rates.

The high spring rate/ light or no swaybar camp (eg MCA) use high spring rates to control both rear/aft and side/side movement.

The low spring rate/ harder swaybar camp (eg Sydneykid) say there is benefit in using swaybars for at least some of the side/side because it does not affect fore/aft and it is more readily tunable.

so yes, you would expect less traction out of corners from the high spring rate approach because there is less squat/less weight on the rear wheels and therefore less grip. Not so much of an issue with 4wd of course.

btw braking balance is affected just as much by this sort of change; the right front/rear balance may change if you change the spring rates too

[Duncan]

BTW totally off topic, but is that my old car Johnny? I only ever saw 2 dark blue s2 in Sydney, the other one was Nathan Pilkington's old car

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

BTW totally off topic, but is that my old car Johnny? I only ever saw 2 dark blue s2 in Sydney, the other one was Nathan Pilkington's old car

I have no idea Duncan, I purchased this car off Carsales and I'm sure the owner wasn't a car enthusiast lol...

it had:

• massive 19" wank wheels
• rubbish tyres
• southern cross sticker on the rear windscreen
• stupid gear knob, ugly as f gearboots
• hectic turbosmart blow off valve
• hectic turbosmart bleed valve
• more yellow and red vacuum hoses you could poke a stick at
• pedder shocks and springs LOL

and of course, the owner said it was purchased from Edward Lees... so the car has at least another 200 000km on top of it lol

within a week, the parts listed above met either the bin or eBay

[Duncan]

not impossible then....when it left me it had a bleed valve and lowered springs...I don't have a VIN to check but I always wondered where that reliable old bus ended up

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

not impossible then....when it left me it had a bleed valve and lowered springs...I don't have a VIN to check but I always wondered where that reliable old bus ended up

was the original colour KR4 Silver? because the boot, engine bay and interior is that colour.. just door jams, outside of the car is in that bluey/purpley colour

[Duncan]

definitely not mine then, it was dark blue from the factory very unusual colour, I always liked it

[Dose Pipe Sutututu]

definitely not mine then, it was dark blue from the factory very unusual colour, I always liked it

if it was yours.. the car was pretty sad when the previous owner destroyed it ahahaha....

Next year it should be getting a makeover

[zebra]

BTW totally off topic, but is that my old car Johnny? I only ever saw 2 dark blue s2 in Sydney, the other one was Nathan Pilkington's old car