gogydog Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 Setup : GT Ltd Wagon. Stock, except for Accessport Stage 1, and upgraded tires (Eagle F1 GS-D3 225/45/17, stock size) on stock wheels. Cusco sways are on the way. Zeals were installed by Works in San Francisco (Zeal dealer, well regarded EVO tuners). Ride heights are stock in rear, and only 5MM lower in front. Zeals set at full soft in rear and one click from full soft in front. Alignment is negative .7 degrees front and rear, very slight toe in. Zeals have provided exacly what I was looking for, and taken this wagon to a whole new level. Biggest improvement is in steering, which is sooo much tighter and responsive, with much improved feel on and off center. Most of the stock body roll is gone, even with the stock sways still on. Car is now totally dialed in on transitions in corners, either at speeds or under braking. Turn in is now nearly as responsive as my S2000 but speeds exiting turns are quicker with power to the front wheels. Have timed myself on the same roads driving both cars as hard as my skills allow - with the LGT I'm both quicker and more confident, even on the tightest of roads (though the S2000 is still more engaging and fun to drive). Biggest surprise is that the quality of the ride still remains very good. On smoother roads the Zeals are moderately firmer than stock - I can now feel smaller road imperfections that the stock just floated over - but never harsh. Surprisingly, I prefer the Zeals on bumpier roads - they seem much quicker/effective in compression and rebound, and able to soak up bumps without transmitting vertical or sideways motion to the chassis. Have not experimented with lowering the car further, nor do I plan to. Initially I was pleased with everything about the GT except its handling. With the Zeals, handling is now its strong point. This is exactly the vehicle I was hoping for - great performance, hauls a ton of stuff, four wheel drive, great safety features. Purchased at RaceCompEngineering.com. Thanks Myles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Val Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 How do you like the F1 GS-D3 tires? Should be one of the top choices. And it should be 215/45-17, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogydog Posted January 1, 2005 Author Share Posted January 1, 2005 Amazing dry and pretty good wet. Very smooth and quiet. Yes, went with 225 size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axis008 Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 Nice review! Where are you located? I might have to check your car out some time . Which springs did you choose for your setup? I believe they have three different kinds? I don't remember. I talked to Rishie from Endless/Zeal at JGTC and the support they provide makes me want to get their products in the future. -ben Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtguy Posted January 1, 2005 Share Posted January 1, 2005 Contribute a report once things get all settled in. And congrats for choosing a stock-like ride height. It's nice to remind folks that coilovers aren't just for lowering the car. But, given that one of the most engaging attributes of the car is its smooth, luxurious feel, statements such as "moderately firmer...but never harsh" don't help much. As a percentage, what is the difference in ultimate ride quality and smoothness from stock to the Zeal setup? Kevin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogydog Posted January 2, 2005 Author Share Posted January 2, 2005 On a scale of 1-10 for ride quality, I would give the stock suspension an 8, and my Zeal setup maybe somewhere around a 6. I would say the Zeals are comparable with the S2000 in ride quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RaceComp Engineering Posted January 4, 2005 Share Posted January 4, 2005 Setup : GT Ltd Wagon. Stock, except for Accessport Stage 1, and upgraded tires (Eagle F1 GS-D3 225/45/17, stock size) on stock wheels. Cusco sways are on the way. Zeals were installed by Works in San Francisco (Zeal dealer, well regarded EVO tuners). Ride heights are stock in rear, and only 5MM lower in front. Zeals set at full soft in rear and one click from full soft in front. Alignment is negative .7 degrees front and rear, very slight toe in. Zeals have provided exacly what I was looking for, and taken this wagon to a whole new level. Biggest improvement is in steering, which is sooo much tighter and responsive, with much improved feel on and off center. Most of the stock body roll is gone, even with the stock sways still on. Car is now totally dialed in on transitions in corners, either at speeds or under braking. Turn in is now nearly as responsive as my S2000 but speeds exiting turns are quicker with power to the front wheels. Have timed myself on the same roads driving both cars as hard as my skills allow - with the LGT I'm both quicker and more confident, even on the tightest of roads (though the S2000 is still more engaging and fun to drive). Biggest surprise is that the quality of the ride still remains very good. On smoother roads the Zeals are moderately firmer than stock - I can now feel smaller road imperfections that the stock just floated over - but never harsh. Surprisingly, I prefer the Zeals on bumpier roads - they seem much quicker/effective in compression and rebound, and able to soak up bumps without transmitting vertical or sideways motion to the chassis. Have not experimented with lowering the car further, nor do I plan to. Initially I was pleased with everything about the GT except its handling. With the Zeals, handling is now its strong point. This is exactly the vehicle I was hoping for - great performance, hauls a ton of stuff, four wheel drive, great safety features. Purchased at RaceCompEngineering.com. Thanks Myles! Glad to hear you like them! You should post up some pictures for us 944 turbo guy Myles Williams http://www.racecompengineering.com sales@racecompengineering.com Racecomp Engineering LLC. 9123 Old Annapolis Rd. Suite 103w Columbia, Maryland 21045 410-730-RACE 410-730-5503 FAX 410-707-0108 mobile. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.