Here is BMW 335i racecar build part 4 of my ongoing series. You can read all the previous installments by clicking here.
Just as important as being able to stop consistently and quickly on a racetrack, as outlined in Part 3, is being able to attack corners. And just like with the brakes, skimping here will cost you in the long run and it will cost you time.
Why XYZ?
I wish I could tell you that I chose an XYZ Racing coilover suspension because it is the best in the world, or something equally technically sound. But that didn’t have a lot to do with it. A trick that anybody who is having a racecar built should figure out quickly. Go with the stuff your racecar builder wants, or you will spend many hours and lots more money while your builder figures out a product he doesn’t know. So Sav Gualtieri of SavSpeed Racing wanted XYZ, and that’s what he got.
Who is XYZ?
XYZ is Taiwan based company that has been building race quality parts for over 20 years. All its product engineers were also involved in international racing and now use this knowledge for research and development.
Their products are battle-hardened through various racing series they successfully campaign around the world. All XYZ components are manufactured in accordance with ISO 9001 standards.
Doc’s Technologies
Just like with the brakes, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to suppliers. Rather than take a crash course in Taiwanese, I decided to go with local man, Sergio Silva of Doc’s Technologies again.
I used Silva to import the XYZ race suspension on my BMW E46 M3 build, and that car ran a 1 min 10,7 sec at Zwartkops on its first shakedown run. And this time, Sav and Sergio had a few conversations and tweaked a few requirements, and the kit was ordered and delivered as expected.
Making firm, firmer
You would think that once you have spent a substantial amount of money on a race suspension, your handling issues are sorted. You would be wrong. No use in having a firm set of shocks and springs, but they are attached to the chassis of your car with all the nice soft stuff as fitted to your comfortable road car.
To firm things up, I turned to AKG Motorsport in the USA once again, and bought the bits and pieces I needed from adjustable front sway bar stabilisers, to front end aluminium bushings, to an adjustable rear camber arm set and aluminium diff mounting bushing sets.
In my next update, we will concentrate on the bodywork…
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