KYB AGX settings

[fadetoblack]

-96 S14

235's in front and 255's in back, lowered with Eibach Pro-kits. What settings do you guys use for front and rear, for daily driving, drag, and track?

[sykikchimp]

it'll be different for you..

set it up yourself.. If it's loose (tail happy) either a] Soften rear setting. b] Raise front setting

If it pushes.. do the opposite.

remember wherever the suspension is SOFTER the car will have more grip.

This is ALSO true for tire pressure.

[THX1138]

Yeah, what Chimpy said.

I usually run with both the front and back set on 3 for daily use, then got to 4 in front and 5 or 6 back for autocross. Since you have wider rear tires you'll probably tend toward understeer, so you might want to run with the rears stiffer/front softer than someone with four identical tires.

But the best way to figure it out is just try out several different settings. Maybe drive to work/school/whatever in the morning with both ends at full soft, and change ONE end before you go home later in the day. If you change both, you won't know which really made the difference. Try several different combinations until you find the best comfort/handling setup for your car and your butt.

[MorganS13]

mines currently set at 4/1... i think having the front set at 4 gives a good feel compared to 3 or 2. i can't break the rear end loose on most turns for the life of me, which i really don't mind. i might turn the rear to 3 or 4 for a couple days to see how it is though. anything above 5 on the rear is to stiff for me and seemed to just float around corners, not what i'm really going for. this is all with matching 205 series tires though so i guess it won't help u too much, lol

[fadetoblack]

I noticed that some people have their rear stiffer than their front, while some have their front stiffer than their rear. Why is this?

[sykikchimp]

There are many other factors in any given suspension that cause someone to setup their dampening the way they do..

Also user preference plays a part.

Variable include:
Tires
Chassis braces
sway bars
pillowball links
spring rates
etc..

Depending on all those factors it will determine if the car is loose or tight, and whether or not you need harder or softer dampening front to rear.

[whateverjames]

Four in the front, eight in the back. Always :cool: (with Sprint springs)

[Dream240]

Originally posted by sykikchimp


remember wherever the suspension is SOFTER the car will have more grip.

This is ALSO true for tire pressure.

Do you mean, the lower the tire pressure, the better the grip? I thought it was the more air in the tires the better they grip the turns? Maybe I'm just confused....

[THX1138]

There's a range of good tire pressures. If you don't have enough air in the tire, then the sidewalls don't have assistance in maintaining the shape of the tire. This will cause the sidewalls to flex too much, which will put the majority of the load on the shoulders of the tire and can lead to irregular wear and overheating of the tire.

If you have too much air, then the tread area will tend to "balloon" out, putting most of the load on the center of the tread.

What you want to do is find the pressure range where things are balanced; you have sufficient pressure to keep the sidewalls from rolling over in turns, but not so much that the shoulders get pulled away from the pavement. Ideally, you want about equal pressure between the tire and the road all the way across the tread.

I think this is accurate, but if I goofed or left anything out, anybody who knows this better feel free to add/correct as needed.

[Dream240]

Okay, I get that, but what is the right tire pressure?
I run 35 psi all the time. I used to run 30 but I noticed strange wear on the tires so I raised it. I did notice a little better grip on accelerated turns when I set them at 35psi.
BTW I run 18" 225/40.

[THX1138]

The "right pressure" will depend on a bunch of different variables, like the size/type of tire, how much the car weighs, the car's weight distribution, suspension tuning and geometry, the types of roads you drive on, your driving style, and tons of other factors.

FWIW, I run 34-35 psi, in 205/55/16 Yokohama AVS ES100s on a 1993 S13 hatch without LSD or ABS and AGXs and ProKits. That, with both front and rear shocks set on 3, gives me a firm but not stiff ride and neutral handling with slight understeer in steady-state corners and a touch of lift throttle oversteer when I want it.

[sykikchimp]

I didn't mean that grip goes up for the WHOLE car.. I meant grip for any specific tire goes up with lower pressure. Not necessarily in a cornering situation, but definately in a stright line where tires have the most grip, and least resistence.

The proper tire pressure is where you have even tread wear, and the car is neutral in handling. You can check if the tires are rolling onto their sidewalls with a little chalk.. Draw several chalk lines on the tires (about 1-2" wide), then drive the way you'll be driving, say at an auto-x.. If the tire is rolling, add air, if your not using enough of the shoulder, reduce air pressure.

To adjust the cars handling characteristics..
If you feel the car oversteering (tail happy), Drop the rear tire pressures, or raise the fronts, or both.

Then the opposite setup for pushing (plowing)

Make sure when doing this you stay within an acceptable range of pressure that allows for correct tire tread wear/contact patch (that you checked for with the chalk)

Got it?

[Dream240]

Okay, I....um...got it, no...wait...I lost it...Damn It!!

:)

thanks for the info.

[BLT123]

There's a range of good tire pressures. If you don't have enough air in the tire, then the sidewalls don't have assistance in maintaining the shape of the tire. This will cause the sidewalls to flex too much, which will put the majority of the load on the shoulders of the tire and can lead to irregular wear and overheating of the tire.

If you have too much air, then the tread area will tend to "balloon" out, putting most of the load on the center of the tread.

What you want to do is find the pressure range where things are balanced; you have sufficient pressure to keep the sidewalls from rolling over in turns, but not so much that the shoulders get pulled away from the pavement. Ideally, you want about equal pressure between the tire and the road all the way across the tread.

I think this is accurate, but if I goofed or left anything out, anybody who knows this better feel free to add/correct as needed.

A little to add. You get more grip over-inflated than under-inflated. :) It's safe to be on the high side.

[Phlip]

Holy Resurrected Threads Batman!!!