Maximum Motorsports front suspension Questions

[Saleenrose]

Looking for you guys running the full front k-member and control arms, it seemed to have widened track, how low do you set the suspension? I have 275/40/18 on stock wheels and have the car set to 6.75" at front rocker panel(below Door) and 26.75 to the top of fender. Worried about tire rub on the track.

 

[Cobra-R]

Talk to MM and they can tell you what to set everything at. I switch between 17's and 18's with no rubbing.

If you cant get the specific answer(s) you want, let me know and I can go measure my car for ya.

Brian

 

[Ruslow]

the spindle moves forward about 1 inch,track is wider but no more than 1/4 inch.that is using the stock 95 spindle now if you use the 96 and up spindle the bumpsteer pack is alot less but it does move the hub out .5 inch on each side.Which can help if you plan on running coilovers.since tire clearance seems to be a problem.Also will need to move the sway bar mount [body] forward 1 inch to so the links will be correct.Stan

 

[Jack Hidley]

Brent,

Exactly which of your cars is the front suspension ins question installed on? Do you know which model FCAs you purchased? They are a couple different models available, each of which put the wheels in a different location.

 

[Saleenrose]

2000r, MMFCA-8, Looking for weather the stock wheels with this tire will rub, or what height has been done, I used coil overs, 450lb front spring and 650lb rear, Just don't want to rub when I get to track. I lowered car from stock fender lip height of 27.25 in front to 26", the rear was 28.25 and now is 27". I am sure rear is fine, front looks like could hit due to tires being kicked out.

 

[Jack Hidley]

That combination of FCA and k-member will move the front wheels forward 3/4". Any change in track width is difficult to calculate. Let me explain why.

Assume the car is in the stock configuration. In this configuration the ball joint and FCA inner pivots are at about the same height.

If the car is then lowered 2", then the ball joint is going to be higher than the FCA inner pivot. This lowering pulls the wheel inboard.

If you then install the MM k-member and FCA at the same lowered ride height, your FCA is now level because the FCA pivot points in the k-member are raised up. Since the FCA is now level, the wheels have moved back out to the stock location. From the customers standpoint, the track width has increased. The total track width of your MM front suspension will be within 0.100" of the track width of the stock suspension when both suspensions are at their widest (FCAs level).

What is your front camber and caster set to? The amount of negative camber will have a large effect on the tire clearance at the top of the fender.

It appears that your tires are 10mm wider than stock (275 versus 265).

If you do experience tire rub, it will probably be in the front part of the fender liner towards the outside. There is a lump that forms a low spot in the liner there, with a wire harness directly above it. Most owners move this wire harness inboard and heat the fender liner with a heat gun to make more clearance here. Whether the tire hits the fender liner in this location is almost completely a function of vertical wheel travel. If the track has big bumps in high speed corners, it may hit. If the track is smooth, it will probably never hit.

As the suspension compresses, it gains negative camber, so the top of the tire moves inboard. This usually keeps the tire from ever hitting the fender itself. If there is a problem here, the best solution is to see if you can increase the amount of negative camber in the alignment.

 

[Saleenrose]

Working on car now, was looking for the best ride height so as to set the rest from there, I will work on desired height and see if I have a problem from there. 1" lower than stock.

 

[flattrack53]

Bringing the thread back from the dead... Have you had any problems with the MM products.
I am thinking about doing this kit
K-Member Package, 1996-04, Urethane bushings, Bilstein

 

[Cobra R Man]

The only problem I can think of, is when you buy these kits to lower the ride height, the shocks you get are for the stock height.

After it's lowered, the shocks only have about 1-2" travel. To me that is not enough.

My race car was lowered when I got it. The racing shocks were wore out.

I ordered the Bilstein racing shocks(4) from MM.
The rear only have about 1-11/2" travel.

I bought shorter(8"?) racing shocks (QA-1?) from Coleman Racing. They're adjustable and work great. :rockon:

Again, just $.02

 

[tomshep]

I like MM stuff. I have run Griggs. MM is built stronger based on my observation. If I was doing a suspension package again, I would go MM.

Talk to their tech department and tell them what you have and what you want to have when done so they can get everything correct.

Tom

 

[Saleenrose]

Suspension parts have worked great, I lowered Rear more, have not run into issues with bottoming out but I have had tire rub issues in the front. This depends on what tire and how hard you drive it. Last track has fast front straight, right hand turn in the 135ish range and a bump, it rubs on hard braking down from there. I run a 275 40 18 and I am thinking of going to a 275 35 18. Car corners great just need bigger tires in rear. I run a stock front sway bar and a Eibach rear on stiffest setting. I would like stiffer springs in the rear.

 

[flattrack53]

Tom, I have been emailing back in forth with Mike at MM. Hopefully I will be able to figure out exactly what I need. The only problem I am finding with this kit so far is that the front spring rate is 800lb/in. All of the aftermarket stuff is around 500.

What tires do you run saleenrose? If you are running a street tire, look into the nitto nt05's. They are the exact same width as the 265/40-18 bfg kdw and less then a .25 of an inch taller.

 

[Ruslow]

If you run the fox body shocks you should get about another 1 inch of travel over the sn ones.As for the rear I too run a double adj koni shoch and have bushing on the shaft to see the travel amount and have not bottomed out yet but also running a 5 link with 450 rear spring.Stan

 

[Saleenrose]

NT05 are my rain tires, I run NT01s and Michelin Take offs, 270 680 18 rear and 270 640 18 front, the rain tires are what I ran at last track day, they are slick in dry at limit but fun, 275 40s work except for that one corner, trashed tire. Ran all day, 250 miles on them so I guess that is ok. I put on the track day in Spokane Washington if anyone would like to come out and try. Fun Days. I do lunch, dinner and track is hot all day with no run groups. I am limiting it to 25 cars.

 

[flattrack53]

Are you still running a 450lb front spring and a 650lb spring in the back?

 

[Saleenrose]

Been a few years since I looked, as this post is old, and if thats what I wrote I must have known at that time. I know the rears are higher in spring rate due to there location on the control arm. I looked for a picture showing the rear squat but cant find a good one, there are some youtube videos of a friend I was trying to teach the line if you want to watch the rear of the car.
Cobra R follow the leader - YouTube

 

[flattrack53]

That was a good video.. The smile I got when you passed the C5 and the porsche was priceless... I got sad when that huge wing vette came out of nowhere. I guess it is time to put my FTBR and MM order together now.

 

[Saleenrose]

I was playing leader, not there to pass everyone, although there are no excuses, sometimes cars are just faster, not all that often. That corvette is driven by a guy we call Rock Star, he tends to go off in the dirt allot. By the way I have passed him before. The idea of the video was so you could see the rear suspension movement. I think 800lb front springs are bit much unless you are not using coil overs, is this is the stock spring type them that is about right. I suggest that you get the complete MM Coil over kit front and rear with there bilstien none adjustable race set up. I have been trying to get MM to let me be a dealer but for some reason they wont discuss it with me, you could help by throughing out that you have talked with me (Restoration Rods) and see if that helps me. I would sell to you at cost just to get things going. I hate that have to buy retail from them or go to another supplier and have the order screwed up. Thanx Brent

 

[flattrack53]

Actually, I am sending them an email in a few minutes. We are figuring out exactly what I need.. I will mention your name a few times in that email strategically. BTW, I am trying to get these parts asap so I can go to American Racing and get long tubes as you see in the other thread. I didn't realize they are only 3.5 hours away from me. I think that would work out better for everyone so you won't have to travel 1200 miles. Hopefully Fran at Race Proven Motorsports can get some pull on getting these done for us.