Suspension Modifications
Installing the right suspension parts and having a basic knowledge of of they affect a vehicle's performance is essential. In the case of the SRT-4 things like tires, struts, and springs are a must in order to build a well balanced street & strip car that is safe and fun to drive.Mopar Strut Bars - Front & Rear
I've never abused the car much around turns, but I do like some confidence when accelerating around wide turns. The Mopar Strut Bars on the front and rear seem to be a good addition to the adjustable struts and lowering springs. I can't say the results are overwhelming, but it's a nice noticeable difference.
They have also eliminated some of the torque steer under heavy acceleration during 3rd gear. Prior to these the car would spin the tires in third gear and suddenly catch traction causing some torque steer. Now the tires still spin, but it's a smoother transition into traction territory. Definitely worth looking and a step in the right direction when trying to eliminate some under-steet and body-roll.
Motegi Ro_JA LT5 Forged Wheels - 17x7 +42mm
A nice set of wheels is usually the most cost effective way to make your car stand out from the rest. I went with a set of 17" Motegi wheels coming in at just over 14lbs and 7" inches wide, allowing me a great selection of tires. They are a simple 5 split-spoke design that originally came in white, but I had powdercoated black. They do not come with any center caps, but painting the hubs makes them more pleasant to the eye.
I'm not a physicist so I won't bore you with the advantages of a light wheel, although it should be common sense. Combined with some light and sticky tires they can offers a competitive edge. I noticed a significant amount of handling feedback in quick turns right after installing these, the car hardly sees any twisty roads but it's addition that makes the car feel more responsive. Straight line acceleration has also improved. I got a chance to mess around with another SRT-4 with identical modifications with the exception of wheels and I was able to pull from a roll. I'm very happy with these wheels, they didn't break the bank and have no problems withstanding the hard Vegas roads.
"Do you know of any companies that still sell the Motegi LT Series wheels like yours?"
I wish I knew! I would like to buy a couple more for spares but cannot find them since they are discontinued. I've tried searching auction sites like eBay without any luck.
07/05/2007 update: I was able to locate a set Motegi RO_JA wheels online! They are damn near impossible to find, but a search in your local newspaper or online ads can sometimes return a nice surprise. I was able to score a used set (white color) from a cragslist seller in Arizona. They should be here Friday and ready for powdercoat by next week!
Kumho Ecsta MX Tires - 225/45/17 91Y
Even in stock form, the SRT-4 faces traction challenges. Add a couple of horses here and there along with a nice torque increase and the traction problems can only magnify. I believe that it's important to build a well balanced car that can handle the power it puts to the ground. This will have a positive impact on the performance and safety aspects of the car. It is necessary to understand that the SRT-4 is a FWD vehicle capable of high horsepower on a small budget, so pick the tires that best suit your needs and stay safe.
After months of research I seem to have found a tire that fulfills most of my requirements. I'm running 225/45/17 Kumho MX tires, a very popular and affordable size amongst the SRT-4 crowd. These Kumho's offer minimal hop in first gear; I can actually feel the car being pulled forward rather than spinning out of control. Second gear spins for a fraction of a second, about 500 RPM just after shifting into 3000RPM while the boost spikes, then they grab and take off. Once they are warmed up they will grab the road in just about any gear, with the obvious exception of some spinning in first gear, these tires love the heat.
"What size wheels & tires do you have? How's traction? I just ordered some Falken RT615 225/45/17 & I'm trying to compare." - bird man
I'm running 225/45/17 Kumho MX tires on 17x7 Motegi 13lb wheels. First gear has minimal hop and I can actually feel the car moving forward rather than spinning. Second gear spins for about 500 RPM while the boost spikes, then they grab and take off. Once they are warmed up they will grab the road in any gear. I couldn't be happier for how much they cost and I sure your traction should be the same or even better than mine... enjoy 'em!
Tokico Illumina Adjustable Shocks & Tein S-Tech Springs
The stock SRT-4 ride height looks very similar to that of a lifted truck, so when the time came to do something about this problem I knew exactly what I wanted; the stance had to be low and aggressive. This gave me a few options, slam a set of short springs on the stock struts and wait for the shocks to blow while I bounced my way around town or get a nice set of coilover springs. Then I happened to run across my third and most cost effective option. I found a local guy selling an entire set of Tokico Illumina Struts & Tein S-Tech Springs with low miles and for a price I couldn't afford to pass up.
These Tokico's offer the durability & ride height I want for less than the price of Coilovers. I just couldn't see myself adjusting the ride of my car often enough to justify the extra cash for coilovers. The Tokico Shocks include a piston and five-position shutter-valve that allows rebound and compression damping adjustment. The ride is definitely that of a lowered car, but adjusting the settings to either 2 or 3 is a good compromise. The car doesn't bounce all over the road and feels sporty enough around the turns and under heavy acceleration. These two components have also eliminated some of the wheel hop once combined with the Kumho MX and motor mount inserts.
"Hey man, I see you have the Tokico 5-Way Adjustable & Tein-S Tech Springs. I was looking into getting something like this setup. Could you tell me about it? I drag race a lot, would you recommend this setup? Thanks!" - Justin L
I believe it's a well balanced setup, a bit on the rough side even when set to 1 (softest), but it's no big deal to me... some passengers might have a different opinion. I usually set the struts to either 2 or 3. This offers a good balance between a comfortable ride and performance handling. This setup was a great improvement over stock when I hit the drag strip. The front just feels more solid and a lot of the wheelhop was eliminated.