Stage 1 (Fast Road & Mild Track)This level of S14 suspension tuning is designed mainly for fast road driving but is also capable on a track. It’s designed for those S14 owners who want some degree of comfort but stable confidence inspiring handling when it comes to the corners.
Please see my 200SX parts catalogue for the best deals on the parts below.
Tyres Tyres are the most important part of your 200SX tuning and are the one thing that can improve the handling and grip levels of your vehicle by a large amount than any other handling modification. There are so many to choose from but only a handful work well with the S14. Ideally, you are looking for tyres that offer good grip levels which allow the rear to break away gradually instead of just snapping into over steer. This means you can drive the car at the limit more confidently and safely.
I have been using Falken FK452’s and have been happy with the grip level provided by them in the dry and not too bad in the wet. I have also used Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3’s and can say these are the best tyres that offer amazing grip levels in the dry and unrivalled grip levels in the wet. There are plenty more out there such as Toyo T1R’s, Bridgestone Potenza RE070’s and Toyo R888 road legal track tyres.
Always remember, just because you have a tyre fitted that has plenty of tread doesn’t mean it’ll offer high grip levels, it’s the tread pattern & compound that determines how well a tyre performs. Click here for tyres at bargain prices! Strut Braces I have both a strut brace for
the front and rear of my S14. Basically it helps to improve cornering
performance and makes things more predictable, however I did not really
notice that much of a difference to handling after fitting my S14 strut braces.
S14 Anti-Roll Bars (ARB’s) The next thing that should be done on your S14 to improve the handling is to fit a set of ARB’s. I 100% recommend the ones supplied by a company called Whiteline who are well known suspension tuning specialists. These units are fully adjustable to give you the exact type of handling you require whether you intend to use your car for drifting, track use or fast road action. These ARB’s cater for all your
needs and don’t disappoint as it greatly reduces the side to side roll
of the car improving the turn in response and also allows very quick
direction changing without upsetting the cars balance. I have been
running these on my 200SX for over 2 years now and they have been absolutely superb.
Subframe Locking Bushes/Collars Subframe locking bushes/collars also known as 'pineapple rings' lock the rear subframe into position. The original 200SX bushes allow 14mm of movement even when new and this is felt through the S14 as a vague back end as the cars body moves about above the rear wheels. The rings also help combat axle tramp and go some way in eradicating the banging associated with hard starts in 200s.
I would
recommend fitting Whiteline items as they do not transmit any extra
noise unlike other hard bushes. These should be replaced before
undertaking any further suspension modifications.
Shock Absorbers The shock absorber plays a very important part in your 200SX handling characteristics and should be the second suspension tuning part on your shopping list. There are many shock absorbers out there from fixed damping rate units to ones that offer adjustable damping depending on what you intend to use your car for. For the 200SX suspension, I would recommend
going for adjustable shocks to replace the ‘boaty feeling’ offered by
the standard S14 units. The KYB AGX adjustable shocks are a favourite among
S14 enthusiasts and are what I currently run on my own S14 and can honestly
say that these totally transform the 200SX handling and take away the scary feeling
when carrying speed into corners. Just make sure you have adjusted the
damping correctly until you find a good balance that suits your driving style.
Lowering Springs I have noticed 200SX lowering springs don’t really make much difference to handling but the harsh ones can make the car feel more stable, even with standard 200SX shocks as they lower the center of gravity more than others.
I
have gone for 200SX lowering springs that only lower by a small amount and
they are not very hard either which feels great on long journeys and
with the right set of 200SX shocks (eg: KYB AGX adjustables), can make a world
of difference.
WARNING: If you go for lowering springs that give a very low stance, you will most likely need the camber and toe adjusting by buying adjustable items otherwise you will inevitably find that your tyres will start to wear out unevenly and probably faster. |
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