preventing bumper damage during trail braking? - spring-only upgrade recommendations?

[Arachnyd]

When I trail brake, my bumper hits the ground. I've chopped it up and started cracking it.

I can't do a full suspension upgrade due to racing class regulations.

I CAN do spring-only upgrades.

Can anyone recommend a spring-only that may firm it up just enough that I'm not diving my bumper into the ground during trail braking?

[Bruce@raymondsperformance]

What class are you racing?

[ipimpthisc]

sorry for my ignorance..what is trail breaking. please explain

[Arachnyd]

Well Bruce, I guess I failed at understanding the rules. I can't change the springs except to "stock replacements"... I might have to go see if theres any "stock replacements" that just happen to be a little bit stiffer... lol...

SCCA Autocross FS does allowed aftermarket shocks, no more than 2 external adjustments, Any shock absorber bushings (not offset). Thats not really going to help me though. I thought it was springs and not shocks, but I guess its shocks and not springs. Blah...

IPTC:

Trail braking is braking hard into a turn shifting the weight forward until you hit the apex, increasing the contact patch of your front tires... In practice it leads to putting your entire car weight on one tire. I know a lot of guys recommend against it, but after having an instructor teach me how to do it properly, I'm seeing record race finishes on my camaro.

Properly adjusted suspension components (Camaros ship with excessive understeer) would negate most of the benefit of trail braking, but with a stock suspension setup I am at least sticking to it, and I'm trying to figure out the right spring set up if I'm not effecting the rest of the suspension.

I dont want to argue with anyone on here about whether or not trailbraking is appropriate. I know most people dont like it, and most the autoX guys say "Thats for track racing, not AutoX", but tell that to my finishes! haha... The only problem I've been having since doing it is busting the brackets for the black strip and scraping up the bumper pretty bad... this last time I managed to wear it down and crack the underside corner.

Thanks!

[caverman]

Wow.....so your car is dipping down far enough in the front that the front bumper is touching the ground? Wouldn't adding springs only make that worse by lowering the car closer to the ground?

[ipimpthisc]

wow this is scary,,,,but if u can pull it off...hats off to you

[Arachnyd]

Originally Posted by caverman

Wow.....so your car is dipping down far enough in the front that the front bumper is touching the ground? Wouldn't adding springs only make that worse by lowering the car closer to the ground?

Well most the other big time camaro racers on here have aftermarket suspension and are not having this issue (and they are better drivers than me I'm sure).

If it is lower, not only is it stiffer, but the far side wouldn't rise as high is my guess, therefore maintaining a lower angle when cornering, preventing the corner from hitting?

[TankMorph]

"Both the front and rear suspension may be adjusted through their designed range of adjustment by use of factory adjustment arrangements or by taking advantage of inherent manufacturing tolerances."

Just a thought...maybe you should look at getting a more aggressive alignment. A little more toe-in for the rear and some negative camber all the way around would do you some good on the track. Get too far from factory settings, though, and you'll get some premature tire wear.

Also, I think you can upgrade your front sway bar to your heart's content, but not the rear and stay "stock". I'm pretty sure you can't use anything other than the springs the come from the factory, too.

Another couple of tricks are to run with MINIMAL gas in your tank, and change out the stock air filter for something like a K&N, keeping the stock intake.

[Arachnyd]

I am running axle back and K&N element. I also have a more aggressive alignment.

Front sways make sense, and have been on my To Do List. Would sways help with that roll at all?

[TankMorph]

Honestly, changing out the front sway bar, end links, and bushings won't make that much of a difference for understeer (probably make it worse). The rear would, but you can't touch it under Stock rules. :(

[Cam8]

Different springs while they might lower the car would be stiffer. I have the Eibach springs and sway bars and while it does lower the car it stiffens the car up so you have less body roll as well. I think that stiffer springs if you can would help and also a sway bar will keep the car flat through the turns. Good luck with this and your racing. I also race SCCA but club racing and also Trans-Am.