[dootdodoodledodo]

What would be the best rally suspension set up for lowest to reasonable cost??
Anybody know?

 

[mlbbaseball]

I know tein makes a rally setup, but its freakin expensive. Rally stetups usually include the suspension being in the interior of the car. For a basic setup, just lift ur car about 1" or so w/ stiffer springs!! o, and get a darn good skid plate!!

 

[metallicnotazx5]

OE style replacement parts
or
SVT suspension

parts are cheap enough that if you break something you're not out a grand.

You can seriously spend 1,500 dollars having front control arms fabbed but the first time you bend one or snap it in half.. you're gonna wish you stayed stock because you can get replacement control arms for about 60 dollars.

 

[mlbbaseball]

I guess if anything, you could just get some spacers w/ stiffer springs, that would give you a decent lift.

 

[Geezer]

There's really no such thing as a "cheap" rally suspension. So in a nutshell....First and foremost all control arms must be strengthened or "boxed". Custom springs are next. They need to be a little longer (not much) and of the correct spring weight. That's determined by the race weight of the car (gross weight..car fully equipped, full fuel load, driver & co-driver, etc.). The general rule of thumb is that the resulting spring rate will be about 1.5 to 2 times stiffer than the stock rate.... but that's just a ballpark in lieu of more precise calculations. Next is shocks. A mono-tube shock is preferred as they operate cooler than a double wall shock. Adjustability (a real height adjustment) is a plus but not necessary. It naturally must effectively dampen the chosen spring rate and must have adequate travel and beefy construction. The hot setup and a little more cost effective are made by Hot-bits. They're not cheap (about 1500 to 2000.00 for four) but that's more than half the cost of a set of DMS coilovers (the ultimate rally setup). That said, I have seen people get away with using KYB AGX's and Bilstein HD's (Bilsteins can be custom valved which is a plus). I even used KYB GR2's successfully and fully knowing that I needed an extra set on hand and would have to replace several of them at or after each rally. For me this was cheaper in the long run than the really good stuff. My car was also extremely light (1st gen RX7) and I drove within myself as I did not have the money to rebuild the car if I wadded it up. A very aggressive driver will require a more aggressive suspension. Naturally all bushings have to be replaced and new tie rod ends and ball joints are a must. Expect to replace lots of suspension pieces at or after each rally so budget for lots of spares.

 

[dootdodoodledodo]

Awesome, what about wheel and tire sizes, I know i need to upgrade the breaks, Im just more so concerned with replacing the wheels.

 

[faster_than_u]

wrc wheels http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/WheelCloseUpServlet?target=runWheelSearch&initialPartNumber=W01672252W&wheelMake=O.Z.&wheelModel=Superturismo+WRC&wheelFinish=White+Painted&showRear=no&autoMake=Ford&autoModel=Focus+ZX3+Hatchback&autoYear=2002&autoModClar=&filterSize=All&filterFinish=All&filterSpecial=false&filterBrand=O.Z.&filterNew=All&sort=Brand

 

[Geezer]

Awesome, what about wheel and tire sizes, I know i need to upgrade the breaks, Im just more so concerned with replacing the wheels.

Fifteen inch tires and wheels are by far the most popular. IF you're a beginner I suggest the cheapest wheels you can find because they are going to get ripped to pieces. There's no downside to using steel wheels either, they're actually cheaper and stronger....just don't look as pretty and may be a little heavier. The 15 inch size gives the tire some sidewall which is critical for a rally tire. Goodyear, Michelin, Kumho and Falken make rally specific tires. They arn't cheap and like most racing tires don't last very long. The Falkens and Kumhos are a little more affordable. I got away with using Cooper weather/winter master snow tires for awhile. They're cheap and have two ply sidewalls (most tires now a days only have one ply sidewalls) and a open agressive tread. They're no where near the performance of a dedicated rally tire but once again good for beginners in a slower car (non-four wheel drive and/or turbo'd).