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Shoutout to the track day at Summit Point that made me question coilover setups for good | Suspension And Wheels - Rigidtalk

violafox•3mo ago

Shoutout to the track day at Summit Point that made me question coilover setups for good

I spent months dialing in my KW V3s for the street, but after one session at Summit Point last May where a guy in a stock Civic on good tires kept pace with me, I'm wondering if expensive coilovers are even worth it for a daily. Has anyone else had their track experience flip how they think about suspension priorities?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles_perez3mo ago

Honestly, I gotta push back on this a little. That Civic guy probably had way more seat time than you at Summit, and good tires can mask a lot of flaws. Your KWs are still doing work for you every day on bumpy roads and highway ramps where a stock Civic would be bouncing all over the place. Ngl, I think people get too hung up on lap times and forget that a daily driver needs to be livable 364 days a year, not just fast on one track day. Those KWs are worth it if you actually enjoy driving your car to work without hating every pothole.

parkerl333mo ago

That Summit Point back straight has that weird dip before turn 4 that totally unsettles the car if you're not ready for it. A buddy of mine showed me data logs once from two different drivers there and the line differences were huge, totally agree with @miles_perez that seat time matters way more than parts. The real flex is having a setup that doesn't fight you on every bump while still letting you hustle when you want.

david7013mo ago

Good tires can mask a lot of flaws" is the understatement of the year man! That Civic guy probably had RT660s or something while you were running your normal street tires. I fell for the same trap at VIR last fall - spent two grand on fancy dampers then got gapped by a Miata on all-seasons. The real joke is that my wife still points out every time I hit a manhole cover on the way to work and says "your expensive suspension sure is working hard there honey." At least your KW V3s will still be plush when you're stuck in traffic, while that Civic guy is probably hating life on any road that isn't freshly paved. Personally I think we all just need to admit that 90% of our mods are for the parking lot show, not the track.