Optimal ride height for track setup

vq37818

If you have a proper thread-into-body coilover, don’t worry about travel within your suspension components. The biggest problem is that lowering our double wishbone fronts causes unwanted alignment changes and limits suspension travel from the front upper control arm to the strut tower.

At stock height, the upper control arm will sit nearly perpendicular to the front knuckle; therefore, the camber/toe doesn’t not change a lot through compression/extension. Lower the car 1-2 inches, now that upper control arm sits at a 30-45 degree angle upwards. With the same amount of compression/extension, the camber/toe will change drastically more. Over bumps, the car will be easy to unsettle because your tire contact patch is diminishing.

Ideally, you would shorten knuckles and get full SPL arms to eliminate this unpredictability (similar idea for the rear to prevent unpredictable oversteer from camber/toe changes when lowered), but that’s a lot of $$$ and work to support a simple mod.

Basically the closer the ride height to stock, the better your car will handle. The alignment benefits really outweigh the slim benefits from low COG. Driver confidence is key. A low bucket seat will also help.

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2019 370z Sport 6MT | Magnetic Black