42 replies to this topic

[MAXR]

As I'm doing a makeover on my VX, I fully intend to now keep it for the foreseeable future.

 

I'm looking to do a mechanical overhaul to improve the car in the wet & dry conditions. I don't want any additional power full stop! But, I'd like to improve low, medium and high-speed handling through corners. Braking and balance, steering feel and also comfort behind the wheel. Plus extended stints on track up to 30 mins at a time.  

 

As my car has had much work done over the years, much has already been done.

 

Current configuration:

 

Steel front discs 308mm

Lotus 4 pots front callipers

CL6 Pads (I think? but, whatever I'm using, I don't want to change from)

1" arb

Bump steer kit

Quantum Zeros

Spitfire toe links and brace bar

Machined uprights for better camber

Matt B Geo with standard ride height

M62 Supercharger

Tubular 4-1 manifold with two silencers

Enclosed air intake

Vocky Engine build (basically all done)

Charge cooler

Electric water pump setup

Oil cooler

Vibra technics engine mounts left/right

Upgraded gearbox cables

 

Options I'm considering:

 

1. GT Race hubs fronts? Rears?
2. New Elise parts quick steering rack
3. Ally belled rotors and AP front discs
4. Rear radial calliper mounts for 2 pot conversion (concerns with brake bias issues as I tend to brake quite late and hard, I think?)
5. Removal of one or both radiator fans
6. New wheel and tyre setup 18/17"
7. Better air cooling and heat dissipation
8. Heated screen? No heater installed. I want to do wet days.
9. Better cold air feed electric fan assisted?
10. Aero changes??
11. New seats and mounts.
12. New driver and passenger air flow (it's too hot on track)
13. Adjustable mirrors, rear view camera and screen (due to coupe rear)
14. Tyre monitoring system (I blame SteveA)
15. Better fire protection/bulkhead
16. Weight reduction (me and the car.lol) 40 kgs target
17. Quieter exhaust system/induction...Benchmark is Bedford National 2019
18. New revised body incorporating Aero/cooling vents/splitters etc
19. New paint job 

 

Any thoughts? I'd like a tangible improvement over what I have now. I guess Aero is in that grey area of suck it and see?

 

Cheers

 

Max

[CocoPops]

Get it finished first

Any scope for oil coolers? To help with cooling.
Built into the new bumpers etc.

[MAXR]

The bodywork will be properly completed, I have companies ready to complete it when I've finally resolved the rear end. 

 

I have one oil cooler currently in the side pod. Gearbox oil cooler may be useful as It seems to be a weak area for me?

[MAXR]

The bodywork will be properly completed, I have companies ready to complete it when I've finally resolved the rear end. 

 

I have one oil cooler currently in the side pod. Gearbox oil cooler may be useful as It seems to be a weak area for me?

[Captain Vimes]

I'd agree with a focus on cooling/durability to ensure you stop driving when you're ready and not when the car forces you to.

 

Approach: measure the current position first and take action if needed.

 

Water temps: clearly you have a gauge for this... do you have high temps? If you have the pro-alloy CC rad blocking the main rad it can cause problems on hot days. Removing fans, adding shrouding, improved engine bay air flow etc. can help but feels like it's a part fix. More permanent fix could be fitting a smaller CC rad to open up flow, adding secondary water rads etc. 

 

Intake temps: Do you have a TMAP? If not, then fit one and log intake temps. If it's an issue then Water injection may be an idea.

 

Oil temps: Do you have an oil temp gauge for engine and gearbox? If not then worth fitting, measure the temps and decide if further mods are needed.

 

Fuel: Do you have a standard tank? If so, a baffled tank might be an idea so you don't get fuel surge on left handers.

 

 

I'd then move on to brake durability and driver cooling (although not sure what the realistic options are here).

 

 

 

[siztenboots]

have a look at Lee's WI setup

 

dumping the Proalloy kit will save weight

[Spitfire Engineering]

A quick rack!

That is sooooo yesterday ....

 

This will do a much better job, give you lots of ratio options, has several other functions and will remove a few other things on your list at the same time  ..... and save you a small fortune.

 

Ratio can be changes easily from -4% to +21% in 4% increments.

Full coarse and fine bump steer is now carried out on the arm in seconds.

Extra camber is built into the arm so no need to machine uprights.

The dubious OE TRE's are replaced with the same bearing we use on the toe links so considering the reduced forces they should give a service life or 10+ years.

 

 

 

 

 

[MAXR]

I do have a large pro alloy charge cooler rad upfront with twin Rad fans. No Tmap, no gearbox or oil gauges. Tank is long range pro alloy and is baffled. Changing the water radiator configuration, if that improves the cooling on long stints, then that seems worthwhile. I presume my elec water pump does increase water flow through the system anyway?

WI was going to be fitted some time ago, but I never got around to having it fitted.

Does the WI setup on Lee's car work well? Ive heard various positive and negative comments about WI installations.

[MAXR]

A quick rack!
That is sooooo yesterday ....

This will do a much better job, give you lots of ratio options, has several other functions and will remove a few other things on your list at the same time ..... and save you a small fortune.

Ratio can be changes easily from -4% to +21% in 4% increments.
Full coarse and fine bump steer is now carried out on the arm in seconds.
Extra camber is built into the arm so no need to machine uprights.
The dubious OE TRE's are replaced with the same bearing we use on the toe links so considering the reduced forces they should give a service life or 10+ years.

I'll call you in the next few days for a chat.

[Spitfire Engineering]

Cool

I may have another of your list in the pipeline .....

 

[2-20]

Front GT hubs to get your roll centers correctly located ( notably with 17" front wheels )

[Spitfire Engineering]

That will be two more then!    

[Aerodynamic]

About handeling of the car generally I´m trying to go for more rear end grip

beacause I feel I can "turn on" the front if I want too.

 

Till this year I have removed more the 2kg unsprung weight from each rear wheel and got a bit harder front springs.

And have got a much better feel of the car. 

So over the time I will try to reduce the rear unsprung weight even more, another 3kg per wheel should be possible

and ofcourse not forgett the front, but with less attention and work towards 45/55 instead of 40/60.

 

This is except all basic work like keep suspenion with the right geometry 

and try to lower the car a but further.

 

I also have been thinking of making my front suspension arms a bit longer, don´t know how yet.

 

And then it´s the rest.  :-)

 

Br, Per

[The Batman]

Options I'm considering:

 

1. GT Race hubs fronts? Rears?
2. New Elise parts quick steering rack
3. Ally belled rotors and AP front discs
4. Rear radial calliper mounts for 2 pot conversion (concerns with brake bias issues as I tend to brake quite late and hard, I think?)
5. Removal of one or both radiator fans
6. New wheel and tyre setup 18/17"
7. Better air cooling and heat dissipation
8. Heated screen? No heater installed. I want to do wet days.
9. Better cold air feed electric fan assisted?
10. Aero changes??
11. New seats and mounts.
12. New driver and passenger air flow (it's too hot on track)
13. Adjustable mirrors, rear view camera and screen (due to coupe rear)
14. Tyre monitoring system (I blame SteveA)
15. Better fire protection/bulkhead
16. Weight reduction (me and the car.lol) 40 kgs target
17. Quieter exhaust system/induction...Benchmark is Bedford National 2019
18. New revised body incorporating Aero/cooling vents/splitters etc
19. New paint job 

 

2 - ive never really liked the quick racks

4 - i wouldnt do, ruined the brakes imo and i reverted back

8 - i have no heater and had no issues on track (zoobeef doesnt either even when racing)

9 - just put the biggest air filter you can in the side vent

10 - no they look gash

14 - proper gay

[2-20]

[quote name="Aerodynamic" post="1964495" timestamp="1539879968


I also have been thinking of making my front suspension arms a bit longer, don´t know how yet.



Br, Per[/quote]
Just install longer S2 front wishbones or even longer V6 exige ones...

[pete-r]

I've spent the last few years and few thousand trying to get my car driving better but not adding power etc. I'm not sure exactly your spec so you may already have some on these bits, and also you mention you want better handling in the corners so is that feel or outright grip? But my 2p is...

1. Ditch the 5 stud for lotus 4stud forged wheels immediately!!! Massive improvement in feel and makes the car more finger tippy. Plus if you go for the lightest ultras you'll save half of your target as unsprung mass which according to Williams F1 equates to a benefit of multiple times that as onboard weight.

2. Look at new seats, I have tried a few and Tillett B5s are mega comfy on long trips (and I mean Germany in a day long) and much better on the track for making you feel part of the car. I've tried Reverie Mulsannes but they were back breaking for my shape. B6 will grip you much more but they need you to have snake hips which I don't.

3. Possibly change the steering wheel, again it's all feel over performance but I fitted a Reverie carbon jobbie on my car and I know it's 100% in the mind but everyone whose driven the car agrees it just feels nicer to drive somehow. It's smaller and nicely shaped etc, and looks cool as f***!

4. Lastly I would be wary of aero stuff, you may end up making things worse.

[Exmantaa]

Lots of good idea's here; we installed some trick Swedish front hubs with a good improvement in front feel!

Maybe something for your custom sides; a friend heard from an Exige GT3 racer that it is a notable improvement to shed the air from the front wheel wells to the sides. So modify the sills where the air now slams into the flat parts right behind the front wheels...

[Aerodynamic]

S2 is 10mm more narrow front rrack width than the vx220 so I belive they are the same.
Maybe V6 then. Anyone know how much wider the v6 front arms are?

[quote name="Aerodynamic" post="1964495" timestamp="1539879968


I also have been thinking of making my front suspension arms a bit longer, don´t know how yet.



Br, Per[/quote]
Just install longer S2 front wishbones or even longer V6 exige ones...

[MAXR]

Options I'm considering:

• GT Race hubs fronts? Rears?
• New Elise parts quick steering rack
• Ally belled rotors and AP front discs
• Rear radial calliper mounts for 2 pot conversion (concerns with brake bias issues as I tend to brake quite late and hard, I think?)
• Removal of one or both radiator fans
• New wheel and tyre setup 18/17"
• Better air cooling and heat dissipation
• Heated screen? No heater installed. I want to do wet days.
• Better cold air feed electric fan assisted?
• Aero changes??
• New seats and mounts.
• New driver and passenger air flow (it's too hot on track)
• Adjustable mirrors, rear view camera and screen (due to coupe rear)
• Tyre monitoring system (I blame SteveA)
• Better fire protection/bulkhead
• Weight reduction (me and the car.lol) 40 kgs target
• Quieter exhaust system/induction...Benchmark is Bedford National 2019
• New revised body incorporating Aero/cooling vents/splitters etc
• New paint job

2 - ive never really liked the quick racks
4 - i wouldnt do, ruined the brakes imo and i reverted back
8 - i have no heater and had no issues on track (zoobeef doesnt either even when racing)
9 - just put the biggest air filter you can in the side vent
10 - no they look gash
14 - proper gay

2. Why? I would have thought making corrections would be quicker? Maybe it would stop you from spinning so much? 😂
4. Did you have a brake bias? I too am not sure if it would slow the car down quicker?
8. My windows don't go down. In the wet, the screen fogs up and it's impossible to clear, even with fogX/rainX.
9. BOT have just supplied me with an enclosed filter and housing.
10.?
14. You sold me one a few years ago Mr Gay Boy! But I never used it, just like you.

[MAXR]

Lots of good idea's here; we installed some trick Swedish front hubs with a good improvement in front feel!
Maybe something for your custom sides; a friend heard from an Exige GT3 racer that it is a notable improvement to shed the air from the front wheel wells to the sides. So modify the sills where the air now slams into the flat parts right behind the front wheels...

I will be fitting front GT Hubs to reduce ride height and to maintain wishbone angles and camber. As for air flow slamming into the rears of the wheel arches, not sure what I can or if I want to do with that? Although, I have now incorporated vents behind the front wheels.