Can you tell me if your L handles and corners much better then stock with the Belltech drop kit? I've narrowed my decision down to Hotchkis and Belltech, so far I know almost everyones opinion on the Hotchkis. But for the Belltech I don't know everyone likes theirs, if they're satisfied, etc? The Hotchkis seems like better handlling, and the Belltech seems more like a complete kit.

Spike if you read this, your right we need to get a bunch of Lightnings together w/ different kits and go to a road track and test out and compare all the different kits.

 

I've already got an event planned in August. But it will difficult to compare. For instance, one of the guys will run the stock suspension, street tires, modified engine, and has upgraded brakes. But, he is an excellent road course driver.

Another is a good driver and has a custom suspension, plus all the braking and engine goodies. I don't know yet if he is going to do a gear swap prior to the event. It's a faster course than Buttonwillow, and he held back there because of the high engine RPM's (engine pully, 4:10's, and road race tires). BTW, even though he held back at Buttonwillow, he still ran fast laps.

Hopefully we'll swap rides with each other, not only to get a feel of the other's L's but also to see their lines and share tips on driving.

Regarding the Belltech vs Hotchkis vs the others, it's a good question that would be a great comparison if there were only several equally matched L's driven by only one or two drivers.

It'll even be difficult for me to give a "fair" evaluation for the Hotchkis setup because I hope to have Stan's Panhard bar (scheduled delivery date is July 18th!!) and front disks installed prior to the race day. Furthermore, I'll be running on race tires, not streets. I just hope the Hotchkis setup plus the panhard bar will make the cornering neutral and predictable.

Also if possible, I hope to get a track program made, which if anything will hold back on the performance (WOT shift at 5000 RPM). Although I'm not surprised, getting the tuners interested in developing a road course program has been somewhat difficult. Mike at Superchips and Danny Swanson have been helpful, but the others appear to be more interested in 1/4 mile programs. Hopefully, they'll try creating one more program for the road racing crowd. If they don't, I understand - it's a very small market.

Cap, where are you located? Maybe an event could be planned for the Fall or Winter?

spike

 

I've got the belltech 2/2 kit. I love the looks, and it handles better than stock IMHO. I also replaced the shocks, though. I'm putting on the hotchkis leaf's in the back now, alnog with the sway bars. I'll tell you how that goes once I'm done

 

Spike - I'm on the other side of the country in Jersey. If it's around here or remotely close I would definately come, but CA is a little to far to drive. It would also be somewhat interesting because when it comes to track driving I'm horrible, so we'd be able to find out which kit is the 'most forgiving'.

Thats why I'm considering the Belltech kit, from everything you've told me and stated about the Hotchkis kit is that it is excelent and great to improve handling, especially when Hotchkis releases the sway bars and tuned shocks (unless they did already). But it also seems that the downside is you could get in trouble easier with it.

As far as the chips I will be going to JDM to get my chip from him in about a month or two, so I coud bring up the idea to him. JDM is only 20 min from my house.


rscoleman - thanks for the info

 

Spike, just FYI, I've done some road course chips already, and I can taylor one to any preferences you may want.

 

Cap:
IMO, any setup that has oversteer will get you into trouble on the street. The rear springs on the Hotchkis kit have softened up slightly and the truck isn't as loose as it was the first few days. I could add pressure to the front to make it neutral again, but have a bit of understeer for daily driving is fine with me. Overall, I'm very happy with it and will be more so when I get tuned shocks.

Sal:
You've got mail.

Spike

 

Hello folks..I'm new here but have done laps with my lightning at Pocono Raceway....did well enough to have some corvette drives come up to my truck and scrutinized it intensely....I'm a fan of breaks and would like to know if anyone is running any system that does not include the name BREMBO

 

Spike if you want to see which cars are the fastest[and trucks].and get the hp and brakes out of the equation,measure just the cornering speed.That will get the motor and brakes out of the pic and just have the driver and vehicle.After all hp does not help you in a turn nor do the brakes all of that stuff should be done either before the turn or after.Just time vehicles as they are entering the turn and click them off as they exit it.Should give you their handling charastics then.
There are other systems[brakes] out there,but you need to know how they work they all seem to get shorter distances by getting them on sooner but are not a BALANCED apply.I am in the process of remeding that.Should have something on the truck in a month or so.Stan

 

But Stan, someone's line thru the corner will impact their times... not just their handling/suspension setup ???

 

That is true but in all reality there is only 1 line through the corner.The rite one and the wrong one.But if you change drivers then that will balance some of that out,too.Stan