Best CG spring rates?

[Irrenarzt]

Anyone want to elaborate on the best spring rates for the CG system for a daily driver with some light auto-x/track use (i.e. 1-2x a month)? A friend of mine back East has a set and I'm not sure if I should buy his or buy new and spec the spring rates myself. Thanks in advance for your input.

[SpaceMonkey]

Why don't you just call them? The GC staff is supposed to be great to work with, and they'll give you advice tailored to your specific needs.

[Irrenarzt]

I am planning on calling, I just wanted to be better prepared when I do call by hearing what the actual end users had to say first.

[FlyingDutchMan]

I am planning on calling, I just wanted to be better prepared when I do call by hearing what the actual end users had to say first.


I am using the Eibach ERS with that system, 550 F, 600 R, I don't think it rides harsh at all. You do notice the linear spring rate, but I like having the better feedback. YOu might want to ask if you can use Hypercoils, they are regarded as the best spring. In otherwords when you order a batch of springs the rates are consistant among the gruop.

[Pinecone]

Best thing is to call and talk to them. Be honest with them about what you want and are trying to do.

I have heard of NO ONE who did not agree that GC gave them great advice.

And they know the questions to ask to be able to recommend srping rates.

[Beowoulf]

Best thing is to call and talk to them. Be honest with them about what you want and are trying to do.

I have heard of NO ONE who did not agree that GC gave them great advice.

And they know the questions to ask to be able to recommend srping rates.

Who do you guys suggest talking to? I spoke with daryl??? and he wasn't too helpful. Maybe he was having a bad day. I have been delaying my order until I figure out the best spring rates. I have read all I could find but most people are tracking their car so it doesn't apply to me. I want to get rid of the understeer but since I use it mainly on the streets I don't want my fillings coming loose. I would appreciate any input.

[SteveMedina]

Who do you guys suggest talking to? I spoke with daryl??? and he wasn't too helpful. .


There are no "best spring" rates....its all determinate of what you would like to do....

Talk to Jay.....directly to Jay........Tony and Dale are great help....but if they should answer, you tell them that I suggested that you talk to Jay.

Now...a word of reason to why you felt a little unserved.....GC just lost one of their employees to a car accident...It was last week....young employee with a surviving family was killed in a head on accident....Although I don't know when you called, if it was within the last week, that may have been the reason..

For the record, I'm running 550 fronts, 450 rears.....softer rear allows for more "power" to be put down.....of course rear swaybar plays an important role in how it all feels...

Running double adjustable fronts, double adjustable rears.....have reduced weight in the trunk by approx 90 lbs...thru exhaust/battery/trunk mods.....

with a full loaded (meaning un modified), was running 550 front/500 rear....I have sampled with every spring rate from 375/400, 400/450, 450/500, 500/500, 550/500, 600/550, 550/600.......etc...you get the idea...

The "best all around" track/street setup imo, is 500/500.......don't forget that this is still a 3000 plus lb car....with each corner when balanced in the 800/900 range.......it is also my opinion, that the stock suspension is too soft.....

although spring rate alone is one aspect, the biggest factor in ride quality (straightline, rough or not rough).....is shock dampening.....adjusting bump and rebound is a big factor in how a car handles the rough stuff....

case in point....550/450...on soft bump and rebound setting....thing just absorbs the bumps..etc.........bring the bump and rebound settings up.....ride over the rough stuff gets rougher....

set at max front, max rear (although, I've yet to go that high at the track on the rear)...but if one were to do it on the street....schmoly....it would be fun as all get out....but it would be a rough ride....

Thing about it is....is that with spring rate and adjustability....can tune the ride to fit different aspects of your daily life with the car...

So.....talk to Jay.....but before you do....get an idea of what you're looking for before you make the call.......make the call and talk to Jay...tell him I sent ya....

Whew..that was long.

[Beowoulf]

Thanks Steve. I have read many of your posts. In fact you are instrumental in my choosing GC. I did get the feeling that something was not right when I called, so I was going to wait and call again. I will speak to jay. I don't know if I should get DA or SA since I am a neophyte and don't want to complicate the setup process.

[FlyingDutchMan]

Who says you have to get just one spring rate. The springs are dirt cheap, you can get more than on set if you like and fiddle with them yourself.

My advice is, if you don't know alot about car setup, don't get the DA's. It will only give you something else to adjust and likely screw up. I know that the more things I have to fiddle with, the more I screw around with it and often end up screwing the set-up up.

PS you can take Medina's advice at full face value, he was dead nuts on with regards to my set up. Use his specs and you'll get 90% of the result of a full race shop set up with 10% of the time and money. I wasn't sure about the numbers, but the scales don't lie...most of the time.

[Irrenarzt]

Thanks to Steve and FDM for shedding some insight on this. Like FDM said, Medina is the moniest man on the internet. I chose S/A's with 500F/550R springs to start. I plan to adjust accordingly as I get more experience in suspension tuning...

[SteveMedina]

Glad I could help, but Shep, ChuckD, Metalman, DanLaw and I have all exchanged information and experiences...including the things we've done the "hard way"...

Thanks for the compliment, but its not my doing alone.

[Mr. The Edge]

Medina is the moniest man on the internet.


Let me tell you something, Medina. You're money.

Medina's the guy behind the guy behind the guy.

By the way, how's things going with the beautiful news baby?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[SteveMedina]

What beautiful news! What happened....Clarret coming to Aggieland? :dunno:

[Mr. The Edge]

What beautiful news! What happened....Clarret coming to Aggieland? :dunno:

I meant, whatever happened to the baby from the local news ;)

[SteveMedina]

she ran a skinny post....and I was defending the ol "statue of liberty"....couldn't recover in time....good thing its only the 1st quarter....still a lot of game to play... :p :rofl: :thumbup: :D :) ;) :str8pimpi :banana: :whip:

[Mr. The Edge]

she ran a skinny post....and I was defending the ol "statue of liberty"....couldn't recover in time....good thing its only the 1st quarter....still a lot of game to play... :p :rofl: :thumbup: :D :) ;) :str8pimpi :banana: :whip:


hey--I think I'll be in College Station for the game this year...

[SteveMedina]

hey--I think I'll be in College Station for the game this year...

Sweet.....Let me Be the First one to tell you....."Thank you for coming out to support the Aggies" hahahaha...

:thumbup:

[Mr. The Edge]

I will NOT uncover! Not for these dudes anyway!

http://members.roadfly.com/atyclb/2003fran.jpe

[SteveMedina]

AAAAAAAAAAAH.......Man that's scary.....like "Its Alive"......creepy.... :bustingup

[Beowoulf]

I was talking to another guy that just got the GC setup and he was having some trouble with a bouncy ride. He was thinking that the front shocks were set too soft. What would be a good starting point on the SA shock setting?

Does anyone have a recommendation of a shop in the San Diego area for installation. One last thing I hope; is it a good idea to get GC rear shock mounts since I have heard the OEM ones are prone to failure?

[FlyingDutchMan]

I was talking to another guy that just got the GC setup and he was having some trouble with a bouncy ride. He was thinking that the front shocks were set too soft. What would be a good starting point on the SA shock setting?

Does anyone have a recommendation of a shop in the San Diego area for installation. One last thing I hope; is it a good idea to get GC rear shock mounts since I have heard the OEM ones are prone to failure?

I left the shock setting the way they came from GC, ask them to set it up. You can install the stuff yourself, or spoon your local BMW tech a few bills and have him install it. It will take some getting used to if your not used to riding on linear rate shocks, that has more to do with what you'll feel than the spring rate itself.