We talk Subaru suspension with Drew and Myles from Racecomp Engineering

For episode #59 of the Flatirons Syndicate Motorsports Podcast, Jon and Ryan sit down to talk about Subaru suspension with Drew and Myles from Racecomp Engineering.

Right up front I'm going to tell you that this was a great conversation, but we got so caught up in it that this ran a good deal longer than our regular Podcasts.

But it is well worth it.

We start off talking about how RCE began, and then we get into a really wide reaching discussion about Subaru suspension, the difference between Japanese and European coilovers, how RCE built a relationship with KW, and what their process was for developing their Tarmac line of coilovers.

At the end, we then started talking about the 2022 BRZ because they just got their first car that they can start driving and testing, and they all ready have some great insight into the differences between the new BRZ, and the previous one.

And how the new BRZ compares to a 944 Turbo in fact.  It is a lot closer than you might think.

Here's a clip from the Podcast:

Thanks for listening and Stay Tuned!

In this episode:

00:00 - Intro to Episode 59
01:23 - What is the origin story of Racecomp Engineering?
12:12 - What does Racecomp Engineering do today?
19:00 - How did the 2008 WRX and STI suspension change effect the aftermarket?
20.46 - Did the aftermarket really understand what we wanted from Subaru suspension?
24:36 - What about the infamous "clunk" from the STI rear struts? What actually caused that?
27:59 - The number of hard-core Subaru track people is growing
29:50 - How did the BRZ change the game when it was released?
31:50 - What are the main things to address in a WRX or STI suspension?
38:00 - You need a solid baseline understanding of the car before you can make effective changes
43:31 - Designing a lowering spring isn't as simple as you might think
46:06 - It is important to know what your suspension will behave like at the limit
51:07 - How did RCE develop their Tarmac 0/1/2/3 coilovers?
56:25 - Isn't a stiffer suspension always faster?
56:57 - What do rebound adjustment and compression adjustment actually do?
1:07:11 - Different regions of the world have different philosophies around suspension tuning
1:16:00 - What is the difference between a cheap coilover and a more expensive one? Testing, development, and more testing
1:21:40 - The BRZ changed the game for Subaru. What about the 2022 BRZ?
1:28:34 - How different is the 2022 BRZ suspension? Turns out very different than the previous model
1:32:49 - How does a 2022 BRZ compare to a Porsche 944 turbo?
1:36:30 - The 2022 BRZ just turns