Best modifications to get increased handling / decrease body roll?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 382
From: nj
Best modifications to get increased handling / decrease body roll?
Right now I have springs and spacers but I feel like the car still isn't flat enough. I've driven a 2015 Porsche Boxster which felt like a go cart. I understand it's a Porsche and a mid engine sports car but I want to try to get close to that driving dynamic. I don't have rims, but would wider rims make help? Also should I look into getting a strut bar? Not sure what else to do.
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 462
Likes: 56
From: Texas
Upgraded sway bars really help. A stiffer rear sway bar on my 2IS was by far the single best improvement, cheap and installed in a few minutes. That was going to be the first thing I did to my 3IS, until I realized there is very little available due to the complexity and apparently a pretty involved installation. It really does suck the rear bar is so inaccessible.
Wider tires and strut tower bars will not really have any effect on body roll.
Wider tires and strut tower bars will not really have any effect on body roll.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 382
From: nj
Upgraded sway bars really help. A stiffer rear sway bar on my 2IS was by far the single best improvement, cheap and installed in a few minutes. That was going to be the first thing I did to my 3IS, until I realized there is very little available due to the complexity and apparently a pretty involved installation. It really does suck the rear bar is so inaccessible.
Wider tires and strut tower bars will not really have any effect on body roll.
Wider tires and strut tower bars will not really have any effect on body roll.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 9,535
Likes: 2,589
Not much you can do. The rear sway bar (which I found out in 2016) requires lowering of the rear subframe. Doable but time consuming and expensive. You'd need an alignment after lowering the carrier.
Also your spacers like it or not have given you an effective lower spring rate making your car even mushier.
Truth of the matter is while the 3IS is a great handler for its class, it can't really be inherently or substantially better. Too much weight too high, and too heavy overall. Quite simply its as good as its ever going to get short of drastic weight reduction. The character is largely baked in, short of miniscule improvements you can make with big spending and a ton of downsides.
If you want affordable go cart handling, you're looking at an MX5.
Also your spacers like it or not have given you an effective lower spring rate making your car even mushier.
Truth of the matter is while the 3IS is a great handler for its class, it can't really be inherently or substantially better. Too much weight too high, and too heavy overall. Quite simply its as good as its ever going to get short of drastic weight reduction. The character is largely baked in, short of miniscule improvements you can make with big spending and a ton of downsides.
If you want affordable go cart handling, you're looking at an MX5.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,692
Likes: 382
From: nj
Not much you can do. The rear sway bar (which I found out in 2016) requires lowering of the rear subframe. Doable but time consuming and expensive. You'd need an alignment after lowering the carrier.
Also your spacers like it or not have given you an effective lower spring rate making your car even mushier.
Truth of the matter is while the 3IS is a great handler for its class, it can't really be inherently or substantially better. Too much weight too high, and too heavy overall. Quite simply its as good as its ever going to get short of drastic weight reduction. The character is largely baked in, short of miniscule improvements you can make with big spending and a ton of downsides.
If you want affordable go cart handling, you're looking at an MX5.
Also your spacers like it or not have given you an effective lower spring rate making your car even mushier.
Truth of the matter is while the 3IS is a great handler for its class, it can't really be inherently or substantially better. Too much weight too high, and too heavy overall. Quite simply its as good as its ever going to get short of drastic weight reduction. The character is largely baked in, short of miniscule improvements you can make with big spending and a ton of downsides.
If you want affordable go cart handling, you're looking at an MX5.
Last edited by swaangin; Jul 15, 2020 at 01:57 PM.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 853
Likes: 175
From: Ontario
Not much you can do. The rear sway bar (which I found out in 2016) requires lowering of the rear subframe. Doable but time consuming and expensive. You'd need an alignment after lowering the carrier.
Also your spacers like it or not have given you an effective lower spring rate making your car even mushier.
Truth of the matter is while the 3IS is a great handler for its class, it can't really be inherently or substantially better. Too much weight too high, and too heavy overall. Quite simply its as good as its ever going to get short of drastic weight reduction. The character is largely baked in, short of miniscule improvements you can make with big spending and a ton of downsides.
If you want affordable go cart handling, you're looking at an MX5.
Also your spacers like it or not have given you an effective lower spring rate making your car even mushier.
Truth of the matter is while the 3IS is a great handler for its class, it can't really be inherently or substantially better. Too much weight too high, and too heavy overall. Quite simply its as good as its ever going to get short of drastic weight reduction. The character is largely baked in, short of miniscule improvements you can make with big spending and a ton of downsides.
If you want affordable go cart handling, you're looking at an MX5.
Thicker/stiffer sway bars are the most effective way to reduce body roll. How about adjustable swaybar endlinks to compensate for the lowering springs? With those, you can also try to preload the sway bar to get a slight stiffening effect but you can at least play around with a few options.
Also dont overlook tires, get a stiffer XL sidewall if they have one in your size. If you can run summer tires, Michelin PS4S are your best bet for a wet/dry summer tire.
Also dont overlook tires, get a stiffer XL sidewall if they have one in your size. If you can run summer tires, Michelin PS4S are your best bet for a wet/dry summer tire.
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Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2016
Posts: 9,535
Likes: 2,589
theres been a few posts on here about the rear sway bars, apparently by removing one of the rear suspension components the bar can me put into place and it’s about a 2 hour job, that’s from a guy nigeljdm that use to sell aftermarket ones. He said he put the instructions his social media but i couldn’t locate it. I’m curious how much a difference (if any) the RC350 rear sway will make.
it should make a nice difference.
as far as "what do you mean by mushier," well any time you extend your wheels, they act as a longer lever doing more work on the spring with less work, effectively decreasing your spring rates. (and damping rates for that matter). Imagine trying to undo a really stubborn bolt with a 1 foot bar. Now imagine how much easier it is with a 2 foot bar. There's more acting force. the amounts are exaggerated to make a point.
spacers are a compromise when your suspension is not designed for it. and that's fine so long as you are ok with that compromise. usually it's fine for a street car. but if handling is your ultimate concern, then the spacers are detrimental.
it's small, but a difference nonetheless.
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Instructor
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 853
Likes: 175
From: Ontario
Same. I’m assuming a mechanic looking at the bar and the rear of the car could probably figure it out. I’m going to get a price for the bar next week and see if my mechanic wants to take the job on.
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