ALFAGTV6.COM

Anybody here install a full RSRacing kit recently?

We are doing two kits tonight but there are a few issues...

1) No bump-stops at top of front coil-overs - should there be -bushings that are missing...?
2) Which way does that "brass" cap/washer retainer/washer go on the rear coil (Facing up or down?)
3) Shouldn't there be ones for the front as well?
4) In fact, should there not be two each shock at the top? (One on each side of the fender...?) (Rear came with one at top one at bottom...
5) There looks to be no way the retainer ring for the rear watts DeDion center bushing will fit... It's too big!
6) New front DeDion bushing can not possibly go back in that hole in the tube...? Too big I think - even with a press...

I installed a full RS coilovers kit in my GTV6 by myself. Send me some pics so I can see exactly what you mean and help.

Cheers.

P.S.: I removed the torsion bars (I hated their behaviour) and fitted new springs (Thanks, Barry!!) because the RS 125Kg were far to stiff for me.

Jose_76 wrote:I installed a full RS coilovers kit in my GTV6 by myself. Send me some pics so I can see exactly what you mean and help.

Cheers.

P.S.: I removed the torsion bars (I hated their behaviour) and fitted new springs (Thanks, Barry!!) because the RS 125Kg were far to stiff for me.

What do you mean with " I removed the torsion bars (I hated their
behaviour)? How do you mean?

RSRacing tells you to fit the coilovers in combination with the torsion bars. I just removed the torsions, so now I have only the coil springs.
I didn't like their behaviour, torsion bars are slower in their movement than coilsprings, so you get a lack of leaness (I guess the word is wrong) over bumps and at the beginning of a turn. That's one of the reasons why stock gtv6's and 75's have a floaty front when entering a corner compared with coilsprings equipped cars.

Thanks... Installing the coil-overs is sort of the easier part here for us... It was the installation and retaining of the front DeDion for example that has me balled, wrong sized retainer clip for the rear DeDion/Watts center bushing etc...

Ron was good about clearing up some of the other issues....

Now on removing the torsion bars - I've heard that the standard shock mounting points up there are not strong enough to hold the body weight and that they tear out on the track...?

Hey Jose,Good to see that you sorted out your suspension.Is all ok now?

Barry

JJ, I have seen Andrew Garcia's car running with coil overs, no torsion bars and no reinfocing of the shock towers. You may want to ask him how that worked out. Personally the thought of nothing but a few tack welds holding up the whole car makes me a bit nervous.

I am about to PM you on another subject.

Greg Gordon www.oldebottles.com/italiancars.htm

JJ, disregard that last comment. I emailed instead of the private message.

Hi, Barry! The front 50kg springs were definitely far too soft, I've just ordered a pair of 80kg ones and I guess those are going to do the job well.

JJ, I didn't reinforce the shock mounting points and I don't feel the front twisting as everybody says. It's certain that I haven't tested it on a track (no tracks here), but I've driven it on different kind of roads and have no complaints about that.

Jose_76 wrote:RSRacing tells you to fit the coilovers in combination with the torsion bars. I just removed the torsions, so now I have only the coil springs.
I didn't like their behaviour, torsion bars are slower in their movement than coilsprings, so you get a lack of leaness (I guess the word is wrong) over bumps and at the beginning of a turn. That's one of the reasons why stock gtv6's and 75's have a floaty front when entering a corner compared with coilsprings equipped cars.

Jose_76 I think that this is a misunderstanding of how the torsion bars works. I would say that a coilspring is a torsion bar in another disguise. And if you with leaness means how the car responds to small movements, it would also be the same or even a little better
due to the smaller unsprung weight (using the same original lower
arm in both applications). Also I would say that, if you take a look at how the front of these cars are constructed, moving all the springing forces to the center of the shell, it is very clear that the front of the car was newer made to take these forces from the beginning, and especially when you push up the springrates and sometimes also the compression force of the shockabsorbers. Also racers do a lot of things to cars, but all they do is not always correct from a construction point, there can for example be regulations that stop them from modifying the shell. Also are racecars normally not run for very long time, so you get away with some things (fatigue of materials)that would come later after more extended use in a normally heavier road car.

I know th torsion bars and coil springs should work the same, but that's not what I feel.

With "lack of leaness" I mean that you don't have the feeling of having the right amount of load on the outer wheels as fast as de coils do.

Of course, there's more stress in the upper shock mounts, but it's not so critical with my setup. If I see any fatigue, I'll reinforce them, but I don't think I need it yet.

Jose_76 wrote:I know th torsion bars and coil springs should work the same, but that's not what I feel.

With "lack of leaness" I mean that you don't have the feeling of having the right amount of load on the outer wheels as fast as de coils do.

Of course, there's more stress in the upper shock mounts, but it's not so critical with my setup. If I see any fatigue, I'll reinforce them, but I don't think I need it yet.

Jose_76, what does that, is not the system of springing, you pushed springrate up a lot, and of course that made the car feel much more stable. If you go from original torsion bars to the 27mm
that is quite popular you more or less double the wheelrate.
If you follow that up with proper shocks you will have the same good feeling.

Maybe you're right, but I've already spent the money and and I did it because I didn't feel soft springs and soft torsion bars the same.

Hi All,
Has anyone been able to contact Ron Simons recently? Normally he replies to emails very quickly but I have not heard from him after a few emails. Anyone know how to contact him?

Brian Teoh

Ron Simons [Ron@rsracing.nl]
or: info@rsracing.nl
if you're in a hurry, you can reach him at the numbers in the 75Experience site.
Jim K.