Let's look at this from what I consider the most important to the least.
Remember the overall goal here: More tire contact patch on the ground equals higher speeds, means quicker lap times.
#1: TIRES. . .even if you could afford the most trick set up out there today you'd still get your butt handed to you if you are on 225 15" TigerPaws.
Get the widest you can fit.
Stock frame can fit a 275 up front (I would of course suggest our TruTurn, as it gives you a tall spindle for improved camber gain, almost zero bumpsteer, allows you to use any brake kit for a 1st Gen OE spindle, and allows up to a 10" wheel in the front.)
I would personally not go smaller than 17" on a street tire. And I personally like the Falken RT615K as they have great grip for a 200TW street tire (pretty good cold, so they work well for autocross) and they wear like iron. We used to eat tires every weekend, but that has stopped with the Falkens.
#2: SHOCKS/SPRINGS. . .some think shocks should be the last thing you touch. I, however, disagree. The shock is simply a timing device. It controls how quickly or slowly the vehicle transitions weight. Again, the goal is to keep tires on the ground. A good shock allows you to get and keep weight on the tires that need grip, then release that weight as the grip requirements move (going into and through a turn you need weight on the front tires as they are turning. As you reach apex the car should be neutral, as you begin to roll on the throttle. You then need weight to transfer to the rear so you have forward bite. Make sense?)
Springs hold the car up, shocks control timing.
#3: GEOMETRY. . .again the goal is to keep the tires on the ground. Geometry makes this happen for your set up. If you have a high roll set up you need camber gain that matches so you keep the tires flat. If you have a low roll set up you need camber gains that match that.
Typically you want as much caster as you can get, little to no bumpsteer, camber gain matching your set up (I'll leave the roll center migration and more sophisticated stuff for a later post, which Ron Sutton will likely school me on like always).
Notice I left brakes off this list. I consider brakes more of a safety device. You can only go as fast as you can stop. If you cannot get that thing slowed down going into a corner after a long straight, I bet you don't drive in so fast or far the next time. Brakes should be treated like a helmet or a driver suit. . . . get the best you can afford. If you have too much and don't use them, no problem. But if you don't have enough and need them, you are in deep trouble.
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