I sent in my Mazda 323 hatch on Monday afternoon, at lunchtime to Titan and got it back today (Tuesday) after work. I was shocked (pun not intended) by how fast they could custom manufacture a set for my car.
My old suspension setup had been thoroughly condemned. The springs had sagged so much the car was riding on the bumpstops with practically no travel in the fronts. Indeed, the bumpstops had taken so much abuse that they had disintegrated. The dampers at all 4 corners were deader than John Doe.
Richard had given me his recommended setup:
3kgmm front and rear (!) with different damper settings for front and rear.
Yes, I'm still sceptical about this spring setup and more testing will prove right or wrong. Either way, I forsee more visits to have my Titans re-tuned.
Bearing in mind that my shocks are barely a day old, here is my initial impression:
1. Ride height was set about 1 inch higher in front and half an inch higher at the back. This is by eyeball measurement only, and should allow for the springs to settle over the next week or so.
2. Comfort levels over small irregularities (manhole covers, etc) at low speed remains more or less the same. This could be because the old setup had just enough travel to absorb these.
3. Comfort level over speed bumps at low speed is now very good. I attribute this to the fact that my front shocks now have travel as opposed to practically zero movement when riding on the bumpstops.
4. The ride on the notoriously irregular KESAS highway was not impressive at all. I felt that the suspension was not absorbing these irregularities travelling at high speed. The car felt like a boat: only slightly better than the previous setup.
5. Mock slalom test... the car stuck to the road like a leech. I didn't want to push too hard, but I think the grip is definitely there.
6. Turn-in is kind of numb. This may be due to a problem with my car and not the Titans. In any case, I will get this checked.
That's all for now
11:59 pm Tuesday May 25
My old suspension setup had been thoroughly condemned. The springs had sagged so much the car was riding on the bumpstops with practically no travel in the fronts. Indeed, the bumpstops had taken so much abuse that they had disintegrated. The dampers at all 4 corners were deader than John Doe.
Richard had given me his recommended setup:
3kgmm front and rear (!) with different damper settings for front and rear.
Yes, I'm still sceptical about this spring setup and more testing will prove right or wrong. Either way, I forsee more visits to have my Titans re-tuned.
Bearing in mind that my shocks are barely a day old, here is my initial impression:
1. Ride height was set about 1 inch higher in front and half an inch higher at the back. This is by eyeball measurement only, and should allow for the springs to settle over the next week or so.
2. Comfort levels over small irregularities (manhole covers, etc) at low speed remains more or less the same. This could be because the old setup had just enough travel to absorb these.
3. Comfort level over speed bumps at low speed is now very good. I attribute this to the fact that my front shocks now have travel as opposed to practically zero movement when riding on the bumpstops.
4. The ride on the notoriously irregular KESAS highway was not impressive at all. I felt that the suspension was not absorbing these irregularities travelling at high speed. The car felt like a boat: only slightly better than the previous setup.
5. Mock slalom test... the car stuck to the road like a leech. I didn't want to push too hard, but I think the grip is definitely there.
6. Turn-in is kind of numb. This may be due to a problem with my car and not the Titans. In any case, I will get this checked.
That's all for now
11:59 pm Tuesday May 25
