Help an opinions on car setup...

Alright guys, going a seperate route then most, looking for a BUDGET ORIENTATED setup. I have already priced out a good $800-$1200 I'd like to spend. :) But not going to...

Alright, what I have...

2000 v6 Camaro.

It is for the most part stock, only mods I have are...
-poly tranny mount
-homemade intake
-short shifter and short stick
-Factory style LSD(SLP take off)
-assume the car to be a very high 14-low 15 second car when at the autocross
-everything else is pretty much factory stock including shocks

these are the specs on my stock suspension since they are not commonly well known on v6s, some things are similar something are different then v8s.

http://tech.firebirdv6.com/suspension.html

Steering Type
Power, Rack & Pinion
Steering Ratio
16.9:1
Turning Circle
37.9 ft (left)
Curb-to-Curb
40.6 ft (right)
Front Suspension
SLA / Coil Spring Over Shocks
Front Spring Rate
45 N/mm, 257 lbs/in
Front Stabilizer Bar
28 mm, Tubular with links
Rear Suspension
Salisbury Axle with Torque Arm, Trailing Arm, Track Bar, Coil Springs, Shocks
Rear Spring Rate
19.9 N/mm, 114 lbs/in
Rear Stabilizer Bar
15 mm, Solid with links
F/R Shocks
Direct Monotube Hydraulic with High Pressure Gas Charge
Front Brakes
11.9 inch vented disc, power assisted
Rear Brakes
12 inch vented disc, power assisted

Alright... Wheels and tires I have to work with..

17X9.5 GM Zr1s with 275/45/17 Kuhmo 712s, they have roughly 15k on them, and a few autocrosses, they seem like they are getting harder then they used to be.

16X8 GM firebird 5-stars with 245/50/16 Yokohama AVS sport ES100s Unknown miles, but worn to the wear bar, or slightly above, they feel like they still get sticky since I used them for drag strip duty 2-3 times.


SOme problems I am feeling, little bit of push on the car, not so bad on other months but really felt it this time around. I know this can be to driving style, of entering the corner to hot, but I entered fine, started through the corner fine, on a couple, then it started to push. I had one corner I would hit to hot and just pushed hard from speed.

I hear powering oversteer, to counterset the front form pushing will help a little, problem is I am having a hard time power oversteering 275s, with a torque monster of a v6. I was considering

A. Run the 275s, pump up the pressure pretty high, maybe 45 psi area(I run 35ish)
B. run the 275ss up front, and put the 245s in the rear(I know I can power these to break loose ALOT more easily then the 275s)
C. run 245s all 4 corners and just try and work with that for awhile

Also what do you guys think about upping to better endlinks, like a prothane setup, likely cannot do the sway bar bushings since they are sort of hard to find for sway bars that thin.

I could possible run a slightly stiffer front and rear bars to get the front to stick and rear to come around a little better, but like said, on a budget :D Also trying to get an idea of the impact of runing stock v8 sway bars on a v6.



Any help or ideas are appreciated.

You're going to need your suspension to balance your vehicle since your engine isn't up to the task ;)

So long as the pieces fit, you're welcome to borrow my spare sway bars (30 & 32mm front, 19mm & 25mm rear) and play around with which combo works best for you. At least you'll have some other data and the only cost will be your labor to install. I'm pretty sure I have all the bushings and brackets.

If you can find someone to mount 315's on a 9.5 wheel for autox, you can pickup my used Victoracers too, and only run them on the rear - that should address most of your understeer problem :D

I might hit you up on your offer of sway bars... any chance I could borrow them for a little bit to try a few setups? If you need them back I can get them back to you quickly. Possibly buy them dirt cheap of off ya. :) If not I its cool I completely understand :)

hehe I like the offer on the 315s, but I use my zr1s for daily driving, the 16X8s are "track/if I trade my car in I am putting these on" wheels

Not a problem. Let me locate the necessary mounting brackets. Is this something you want to install before our next event on the 13th? I'd try the 19mm rear bar without any changes. The 25mm rear bar would be a huge change. Going to a stiffer front bar alone is only going to aggravate your situation. You're still welcome to play with all of them, however.

Going to a stiffer front bar alone is only going to aggravate your situation. You're still welcome to play with all of them, however.

Funny, I'm running a 35mm solid bar up front with the stock 19mm rear bar and if anything I think the car is a little loose (especally at Gainsville). :D

Eric, if I were you I'd try Jim's 32mm front bar with a 19mm rear. If you can keep the front from rolling over so much the front tires will stay better planted which equals more grip. More front grip = less understeer.

BTW those 245's you've got have about 10k miles plus ~80 autocross runs :D

Time to install that T2R ;)

I was gonna say run the 35mm front bar and play with size of the rear one.

Eric, if I were you I'd try Jim's 32mm front bar with a 19mm rear. If you can keep the front from rolling over so much the front tires will stay better planted which equals more grip. More front grip = less understeer.

BTW those 245's you've got have about 10k miles plus ~80 autocross runs :D

I was thinking of going with that setup, and I know somone with a junked 3.4L, I can likley get a 17mm rear sway off of him as well. But I think I might be better with the 19mm...


as for the tires I got from you, they are seeing dragstrip duty, and they get me 2.0 60's :)

as for the tires I got from you, they are seeing dragstrip duty, and they get me 2.0 60's :)

LOL, I'm glad they're working out for you! All I could ever get out of them were 40' one-wheel burnouts coming out of corners...