Here's what I run on my car:
Front: 275 Lb. springs, "race" Illuminas, camber plates, Respeed hollow swaybar
Rear: 150 Lb. springs, Bilstein shocks, Respeed coil adjusters, ISC adjustable swaybar
In my own opinion, this is the perfect car for a daily driver/autocrosser. I even drive her down South each year for events (3,500 miles in 6 days last year).
The Illuminas that you have now will work fine with the Respeed coilovers (somebody said the softest setting was too stiff?). You can go straight to the Race version of the front coilovers too (cut stock perch off, tape replacement into position, drop off at weld shop with a 12 pack, pick it up after work).
Now, back to those Illumina shocks. If you upgrade to camber plates, you'll have two choices:
1. Grind down the diameter of the shaft at the top where it slides through the bearing in the camber plate (slightly smaller diameter).
2. Upgrade to the "race" version of the Illumina, which already has the required diameter and does not need modification.
I went with route #1 the first time around. It wasn't too difficult, but I screwed up and reduced the shaft size going too far down the shaft (you have to be specific) so I ended up having to correct that issue with spacers.
A few years later I upgraded to the Race version, which mounted perfectly. (Nothing wrong with the original Illuminas, just wanted to feel the difference in the race version (setting of 3 on race roughly = 5 on standard). But driving around on a setting of 1 on any of the Illuminas results in a Cadillac like comfy cruiser (unless you have extreme spring rates).
And, speaking of extreme spring rates.... lol.
A lot of the top guys recommend spring rates around 400 - 450 Lbs up front. This can work, but then you'll need high dollar shocks to handle the high spring rates. Obviously, this can be made to work, as it has in the past.
My theory runs a little differently. I run (comparitively) light spring rates, very light. But I make up for this with high quality swaybars. This combination gives you a reasonable ride, keeps the tires in contact with the pavement, and the swaybars result in nearly zero body roll.
My old Nemesis that used to be in my class had a 13b, fuel injection, sticky tires, and a couple of parts (I found out after he sold the car) that weren't exactly legal in our class. We had some great racing though, with me always hot on his heels with my little 12a and $50.00 tires. The biggest thing that I noticed between our cars became obvious when I allowed a buddy of mine race my car. Watching my Nemesis (450 Lb. springs w/Illuminas), you could see him "skip" across the pavement because his springs were so stiff, but he didn't have the shocks to back them up. Meanwhile, my car looks smooth as silk in that aspect.
So, I guess my point is, don't "overspring" your car unless you intend to go for a National Championship this year, and have the money to get the shocks you'll need. Personally, I think my "soft sprun" car would still be able to keep up with that setup (I'd sure like to try sometime!).
Besides, on top of all of that, you can't drive a car like that to the event. And passing those beaten trailer queens on the freeway after the race, on the start of your 200 mile drive home, feels pretty damn good.
P.S. I can take almost no credit for any of this. Once I learned that Racing Beat suspension just wasn't going to cut if for me, I got in contact with Billy Waits (original owner of Respeed). After months of discussion, he set me up with a nearly perfect solution. Other than a couple of very minor changes made over the following years (like the Bilstein shocks in the rear), the car is exactly as he set me up. I was very happy to discover that our theories on spring rates were in perfect alignement! Therefore, I consider him to be a very highly intelligent individual.
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