No matter what trim or state the car you start with, the process for building an SSC car is largely the same, and it's a project that can easily be completed in an afternoon in your driveway with a basic set of hand tools, less a few specialty items. You will need access to a coil spring compressor and potentially a ball joint separator, both of which can be sourced easily or rented.
In our case, we opted to take advantage of a fully equipped shop when FR Sport graciously offered the use of the bay at its Fountain Valley, Calif., retail outlet. FR Sport also has a state-of-the-art alignment rack, something we knew we would need once the installation was done, as well as tire changing equipment.
With the FR-S on the lift, we made quick work of the front sway bar swap. Dropping the subassembly that secures the sway bar to the chassis makes the process much easier. In DS trim, the car already sported an adjustable sway bar and adjustable end links, but they would give way to the Eibach unit and OE end links. Similarly, the car already carried a set of standard Koni Sports dampers, which gave way to the SSC sealed units shod with Eibach springs.
Of note is that when installing the front dampers, the SPC alignment bolts go in the lower strut mount, while the upper gets filled with a 14mm OE bolt. If you are starting with a completely stock car you may need to source a 14mm strut bolt separately, as the standard part is a 16mm unit; the smaller bolt is authorized for alignment adjustment in the factory shop manual.
The rear toe link installation requires minor manipulation of the parking brake cable, which is easier if you release the parking brake to reduce tension. A ball joint separator may be needed to remove the OE part; in our case, a few blows with a hammer did the job.
New rear lower control arms offer a range of camber adjustment that was lacking in stock trim. Due to the angle of the bushing installed in the rear knuckle, the assembly process is easier if you start with the outer attachment point and work your way toward the rear subframe.
Some users have reported issues when attempting to attach the sway bar end links to the rear Eibach sway bar on its softest setting, but this was easily avoided by waiting to fully tighten down all of the installation hardware until all of the new parts were fitted.
Because the car was previously used in DS competition, it was already fitted with a number of components that could be utilized in SSC. The drop-in replacement air filter, Hawk HP+ brake pads, and a Tanabe exhaust system were retained, saving a good bit of time.
The final piece of the puzzle was the wheel and tire package. The Falken Azenis 615K+ was chosen as the spec tire for the class, sized in at 225/45-17 and priced at a very reasonable $113.22 each at Tire Rack. The 615K+ offers a great balance of performance and value.
We had FR Sport wrap the 615K+ around a set of TR Motor Sports FF10 wheels, which meet class specs, and can be sourced at Tire Rack for $169 a wheel. Our set was one of the last batches offered in the +45mm offset, so we will run 5mm spacers to maximize strut-to-tire clearance for dialing in camber. Future TR Motor Sports FF10 wheels will come with an SSC maximum +40mm offset.
All told, the installation process took about three hours, helped in large part by the well-equipped service bay at FR Sport. With all the parts fitted, the FR-S was rolled across the shop where Mark DeShon, production manager at FR Sport, worked his magic on the alignment rack.
What should have been a quick and easy alignment job for DeShon might have been hindered by some shoddy installation work on our part. This can happen when the two people working on either side of the rear suspension fail to communicate, installing items like eccentric washers that set the camber opposite to one another. This is also when it was discovered the 14mm bolts should have been used in the front struts rather than the 16mm units. Note to self: Read the instructions next time.
Once DeShon addressed those oversights, the setup began to take shape. Thanks to the wide range of adjustment offered by the SPC alignment products included in the SSC kit, ample camber and toe is easily obtained.
The only thing left to do now is get the car on course for a little test and tune, the results of which we'll share soon.