I will try to not take personally anything in the prior post that might be read to suggest that I favor pillowballs mounts just because I think they are cool and racy, or that my happiness with my set up is a self delusion because I cannot admit I wasted money on a mod.
Really, you don't know me. Because if you did you would know how much money I waste on trying something, not being happy, and then replacing it with something that does the job. As I have said in other posts, that comes with the territory in performance modification, despite the best due dligence.
So when I responded to Kelu's post, I gave it to him straight up as I see it. I think I accurately described the upsides and downs of spherical bearings, and that the choice depended on what he was after. Also, when I didn't know something, I said so.
But I totally disagree that that solid bearings on the front coilovers are of absolutely no benefit in driving on the street, if you expect to push the car to its potential in that application.
I would note that the standard BC package Circuit MS and the other vendors of these units offers come with pillowball fronts (but not rears). Most other makes of high end coilover packages for sports cars and sedans also offer them with solid front mounts. I'm guessing there is a reason why.
It is true that I was actively campaigning the Sol autoxing when I got the Ultraleggeras, the Dunlops, the Pro Beam, the Backbone, etc., and I am not anymore. We installed the BCs just as my dedicated competition car was completed, so I could have not gone through with the coilover swap. But I did.
Some folks, myself included, make a perfectly conscious and deliberate decision to modify suspensions on sports cars that are driven primarily on the street, to be more precise and responsive, and less compliant and mooshy, not because they want everyone to think they are cool.
In addition to pillowball fronts on the BCs, I also have different spring rates biased to the front, and nearly double the stock rates. They will rattle your teeth going over railroad tracks, but I love them.
These choices have produced more than just wishful thinking. I got the results I expect and I am happy with them. I want to maximize performance and handling on my suspension, even on my street car.
My view is this: If you are going to have a classic roadster with a double wishbone coilover suspension making nearly 300 ft lbs of torque at the rear wheels, its a friggin sports car, not a platform for "ride comfort." The car's true potential lies in the other direction. It should be stiff, crisp, and able to handle high lateral Gs with minimal deflection introduced by squishy suspension parts. I run into plenty of ocassions to use those fine qualities in my daily driving, so its a personal choice.
Bottom line: I do not campaign the Sol anymore, I have the pillowball fronts, and I am glad I do. The car handles precisely with no deflection in quick and hard turns, without being twitchy. They are a good match for the polyurethane bushings that came on the lower shock mounts. They do not make any detectable noise.
I check them every time the car is off the suspension, and they are wearing fine after about 5,000 miles. If the Daytona is down, I have a backup car I can autocross that if not equal, is a more than credible performer. If a friend needs a car to run, I can offer the Sol.
There is a price to pay --
First, many people (those used to Detroit's idea of what a suspension should be) would hate how firm and "harsh" my ride is, especially on rough roads and long trips. I do not find it bad at all. The tradeoff is well worth it to me.
Second, as I said before, you have to watch the wear on rod end and spherical bearings. So what? But maintenance is part of the joy of owning a sports car. The voyage of discovery as to how things work is part of what makes ownign a car like this fun.
Finally, see the thread we posted; you do not need the extended length rears to access the adjusters on the rear through holes in the trunk floor, and no weather gets in the holes either; look at the pictures.
