ttr fast road or track suspension.. sprint

[andyj007]

hi again.. more questions sorry .... im just about to order new front and rear springs and dampers.. my sprint when finished should have approx 140bhp, i intend to take it on the track hence ensuring drive train is a1 condition, and maybe a sprint or hill climb .. all for fun, a have a westfield i use on the track which i can push hard to get my thrills , id say the elan will be 75% road sunday blast / cruise 25% track or hill climb for fun.. wondering if the track suspension will be too hard for the road and ruin what i hope will be a great ride..
im leaning toward the fast road/track set up with stiffer springs if the valving will take it..
has any one driven both? or can anyone share their experience or advice.. it will be an expensive mistake to get wrong.

ta
Aj

[661]

I have Kelvedon's 'fast road' set up on the S4, and TTR race set up on the GTS.
If you are using it on the road I would advise the lightest fast road set up.
Enjoy the car it was meant to be set up.
You have the Westfield for the silly stuff.
Ask Eddie exactly what his dad has on their road Elan. That is what I will refresh my S4 to.

[andyj007]

thank you, my thoughts too over how its ment to handle i will look at kelvedons set up.. ho w do i contact eddie?

I have Kelvedon's 'fast road' set up on the S4, and TTR race set up on the GTS.
If you are using it on the road I would advise the lightest fast road set up.
Enjoy the car it was meant to be set up.
You have the Westfield for the silly stuff.
Ask Eddie exactly what his dad has on their road Elan. That is what I will refresh my S4 to.

[1owner69Elan]

I find that the TTR "fast road" springs/shocks are just about as far I would want to go for primarily a road car.

My setup:

1. Have 125/100 f/r TTR fast road springs. Adjustable front/rear spring perches. Narrow rear springs. TTR valved front shocks, Koni Sports rear (from TTR). Height is adjusted to about .5 inch lower than stock (primarily from tires). Some rear neg camber.
2. Progressive rear bumpstops (cut down from Kelvedon ones), same approximate length as stock rubber Aeon's. Added an additional "strut packer" (1/8") to decrease bump travel before engagement.
3. 185/60 VR 13 Toyo R888R, DOT competition tires on 5" 26r wheels, no flares
4. Poly bushes used throughout the suspension
5. Solid rack mounts
6. Kelvedon 1" tubular ARB

For a road car, subjected to varying road roughness, I don't think I would want a stiffer setup than I currently have. The ride now is reasonable but certainly much stiffer than stock. Anything more I think I would find potentially "jarring" without a smooth track surface. Body lean has been virtually eliminated. Very neutral and controllable handling.

how do i contact eddie?

No affiliation with TTR but received a lot of advice from Tony Thompson as I was rebuilding my car.
There is also a page "Modifying your Elan" on the TTR website that may be instructive. If you have questions, probably answered by Eddie, use the contact info on the TTR website.

[andyj007]

thank you , some very interesting info.. i will call ttr this morning.. to discuss options
im interested in your oversized wheels & tyres.. do you have a picture you could share..
im guessing the narrow springs allow this as currently there is hardly any clearance between the tyre and spring body..
if i can alleviate body roll whilst keeping a supple ride i will be super happy.
R

Aj

[661]

Eddie Thompson runs TTR now.
Tony is in Spain, but happy to take calls.
Stu in the shop is also a fountain of knowledge.
Agreed with the rear spring width. No point in the wide springs unless entering some concours events.

[andyj007]

Thank you, i have just spoken to Eddie, some serious knowledge there! i think im going to be in safe hands with those guys!!

will be putting an order together later with him..

[baileyman]

I find that the TTR "fast road" springs/shocks are just about as far I would want to go for primarily a road car.

My setup:

1. Have 125/100 f/r TTR fast road springs. Adjustable front/rear spring perches. Narrow rear springs. TTR valved front shocks, Koni Sports rear (from TTR). Height is adjusted to about .5 inch lower than stock (primarily from tires). Some rear neg camber.
2. Progressive rear bumpstops (cut down from Kelvedon ones), same approximate length as stock rubber Aeon's. Added an additional "strut packer" (1/8") to decrease bump travel before engagement.
3. 185/60 VR 13 Toyo R888R, DOT competition tires on 5" 26r wheels, no flares
4. Poly bushes used throughout the suspension
5. Solid rack mounts
6. Kelvedon 1" tubular ARB

For a road car, subjected to varying road roughness, I don't think I would want a stiffer setup than I currently have. The ride now is reasonable but certainly much stiffer than stock. Anything more I think I would find potentially "jarring" without a smooth track surface. Body lean has been virtually eliminated. Very neutral and controllable handling.

I used Eddie to supply most all these same bits, a very satisfactory transaction. And I would echo the thoughts on road setup. From these spring rates I softened a bit further. Ken dug up an 80 lb spring pair, so I put those on the rear and moved the 100s to the front. Now it just feels tight and I notice no slop, using CRZZs.

John

[661]

I find that the TTR "fast road" springs/shocks are just about as far I would want to go for primarily a road car.

My setup:

1. Have 125/100 f/r TTR fast road springs. Adjustable front/rear spring perches. Narrow rear springs. TTR valved front shocks, Koni Sports rear (from TTR). Height is adjusted to about .5 inch lower than stock (primarily from tires). Some rear neg camber.
2. Progressive rear bumpstops (cut down from Kelvedon ones), same approximate length as stock rubber Aeon's. Added an additional "strut packer" (1/8") to decrease bump travel before engagement.
3. 185/60 VR 13 Toyo R888R, DOT competition tires on 5" 26r wheels, no flares
4. Poly bushes used throughout the suspension
5. Solid rack mounts
6. Kelvedon 1" tubular ARB

For a road car, subjected to varying road roughness, I don't think I would want a stiffer setup than I currently have. The ride now is reasonable but certainly much stiffer than stock. Anything more I think I would find potentially "jarring" without a smooth track surface. Body lean has been virtually eliminated. Very neutral and controllable handling.

I used Eddie to supply most all these same bits, a very satisfactory transaction. And I would echo the thoughts on road setup. From these spring rates I softened a bit further. Ken dug up an 80 lb spring pair, so I put those on the rear and moved the 100s to the front. Now it just feels tight and I notice no slop, using CRZZs.

John

Presumably the 175 CR6ZZs? On a S4 bodyshell? How's the fit? They fit nicely on my 26R bodyshell, but I'm changing the tyres on the S4

[baileyman]

Now it just feels tight and I notice no slop, using CRZZs.

John

Presumably the 175 CR6ZZs? On a S4 bodyshell? How's the fit? They fit nicely on my 26R bodyshell, but I'm changing the tyres on the S4

Eddie supplied medium wt 26R S2 shell and recommended 185/70 CRZZ. I thought those might feel unresponsive, but no complaints yet.

John

[andyj007]

John, that sounds interesting on the wheel size, ive asked TTR to include the narrower shock springs to give more clearance ,, does the wider rubber fit without any further modifications?

do you have a link to a picture off your car..

Thanks

Aj

[661]

Now it just feels tight and I notice no slop, using CRZZs.

John

Presumably the 175 CR6ZZs? On a S4 bodyshell? How's the fit? They fit nicely on my 26R bodyshell, but I'm changing the tyres on the S4

Eddie supplied medium wt 26R S2 shell and recommended 185/70 CRZZ. I thought those might feel unresponsive, but no complaints yet.

John

Yes, the 185 is the size I have on the GTS. Plenty of room and with the 10mm spacer on the rear.
The room on the standard shell is much tighter and the 175 may not fit.
The CR6ZZ is, however, a very good tyre

[1owner69Elan]

im interested in your oversized wheels & tyres.. do you have a picture you could share..

Stock S4 body and flares. 5 inch 26r aluminum (not magnesium) alloy wheels from TTR. As indicated before, 185/60VR13 Toyo R888R tires.

This combination just fits within the stock S4 body with the following considerations:

1. Narrow rear springs
2. 26r hubs used
3. Rack limiters used on the front to avoid fouling the ARB. Clip on spacers used. No need to remove the rack. Limits turning circle somewhat, but only noticed in parking lot maneuvers.
4. Rear tire/body clearance is very tight. Right side on my car needed no modification. Left side, needed to shave a millimeter or two off the inside edge of the arch.

[1owner69Elan]

I find that the TTR "fast road" springs/shocks are just about as far I would want to go for primarily a road car.

A short update comment. I just took out our Porsche 997 911 Carrera S. It has been sitting for over a year because of Covid including a completely dead battery. Having only been recently driving the Elan and a Mercedes SUV the harshness of the Elan is stark compared to the SUV. However, the Porsche, with stock suspension, I found to be just as "stiff" as the Elan TTR modded suspension. Bumps in the road are generally unwelcome, in both cars. I had simply forgotten to what extent a "performance" suspension reacts to ruts/holes in the road. I would say that the modded Elan TTR suspension is just fine, if one agrees that the stock Porsche suspension is also fine. I had been lulled into unconsciousness by my SUV.

Another interesting comparison, the Porsche has a bhp/tonne of 235 while this Elan is at 275. But, the Porsche feels smoother and quicker, probably because more torque is delivered at low revs. Also, shifting the Porsche manual 6-speed is truly superior to the Elan stock 4-speed or Voigt T9 5-speed conversion. You would assume that this might be the case with a many decades newer design. It took Porsche that long to get their shift mechanism for a rear engine car to be that good. Examples from the same period as the Elan were not as good.

[andyj007]

interesting, thanks for posting that..