Coilover suspension vs. Replacement suspension parts
 

Coilover suspension versus Replacement suspension parts

After running on 35mm low king springs for the last 18 months, i have come to realise the complete waste of money that this was.

Recently I installed a set of JIC SA-1s and found that the are far superior to the other springs. In all fairness I do have to say that the original shocks were still in and very well worn out.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ilovers004.jpg

After installing the coilovers i found a: -
20% increase in mid corner speed,
30% increase in braking in speed,
50% increase in corner out speed, (this really was a surprise!!!)

I have had no problems that other people have suggested about regards ride quality/harseness. I also have 18 inch rims woth 35mm profile tyres fitted. So i know about ride quality/harseness. No tyre scrubbing at lowered settings, (currently 55mm lowered.) I had massive tyre scrubbing in the rears on the kings 35mm. Turn in/toe in is awesome. Adjustable top ball mount give great flexability to the suspension and can adjust for the positive camber during cornering/turn in.

Adjustable Top Mount, a must have!!!
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ilovers002.jpg

Turn in very good!!!
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ilovers009.jpg

All suspension parts move freely and safely!!!
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ilovers010.jpg

Even at this height, there is no scrubing on the rears, even with 18 inch rims!!!
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ilovers011.jpg

Now to the point of this whole thread. Coilovers are a massive increase in brake/cornering/acceleration. Why speed big dollars on new shocks, springs, camber kits when for 20% extra to get a product 200% better.

D2 RS coilovers $1750rrp, Tein SS coilovers $2400rrp, JIC SA-1s coilovers $2200.

Personally i would buy the D2 coilovers for my car as the have a excellent front spring rate over the Teins and are priced to sell over the JICs.

Edit/
I should also point out that they are not other suspension mods on my car so this is a direct comparison with each suspension types. So it is a controlled test between the both suspensions. And the increase in speeds was versus kings/struts and not the standard suspension. As I have no other suspesion mods, I believe when all these are added, those speed increases will jump up again. eg:- rear sway bar, front and rear strut braces (both a must on hatches with coilovers,) and poly brushes. This thing will rocket out of corners and give the current passenger very brown pants.

Drive safely,
Ryan

p.s. Thanks to The Bat for lending me his coilovers. You are the bomb and a great friend to have!

p.p.s. Hi Catwoman, I didn't forget you. Thanks for puting up with me all day!

i would love coil-overs but i dont think they make em for the BG:(

D2 make them for the BG and they cost $1750, dunno about the other brands. I'm toying with the idea of a group buy as many peps would like a set.

Check out readers rides for more pics of how the car sits on the road.

Drive Safely,
Ryan

i sould of followed you down that really nice twisty bits at the start yesterday, even tho you think you have pussed the coilovers to the limit you can still go harder, find a better line in to the corner, a LSD would help the out corner speed greatly 2

I haven't reached the limits yet, look at this crazy negative camber at full lock!!! I still haven't adjusted the top inwards for and extra 2 degrees positive camber, that'll give me alot more front grip also.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e1...ilovers012.jpg

it's good for another 6 degrees postive camber i think. but i only need 2 on the fronts and 1 on the rears.

/edit/ 4 or 8 degrees i think, dunno with the JICs, pete or you can tell me by looking at the top mount pics???

Ryan

I am interested.
Suspension needs doing in my car (needs lowering and the shocks are just about gone).

I am interested too, depending on the time frame.
It's on my to do list (yes, I've seen the huge arguments on coil-overs) but I do plan to do other mods as I go. How ever I might as well do coil overs first rather than buy new shocks and springs when I lower the car.

good boy, i'll keep you posted, in the mean time, get the front and rear strut braces and 20mm rear sway bar...

to be honest, the group buy will not be any time soon, maybe 2 or 3 months away so it'll give peps plenty of time to save $$$.

Ryan

Cant tell you what the camber settings are by the pics, unless you measure from the bottom bolt on the strut and then measure the distance between the marks for me.
As they were used when I got them (prior to rebuild) I have no information for you there. Add to that I actually had them ste to zero then used my camber bolts to get my camber.
But Ryan just you wait till you start to upgrade the rest of your suspension system then they REALLY come into their own. You could almost add another 25% of your current improvements
You will be amazed from what you are already
As I have said before. When I addedall the mods to my suspension (including poly bushes) and very good tyres. It was virtually impossible for me to lose the car at any corner and/or any speeds. And believe me I really tried. And after all that I really never found their limit after 12 months of flogging.
They are by far the best handling upgrade you could possibly ever do.
And Thats a Bat

that's what i was thinking, i feel cheated buying king springs and wasting time on them.

i know they have a long way to go, initial testing was done on softess shock setting, camber needs to be set and 2 degrees for fronts and 1 degree for rear, other goodies to be fitted and then it'll be more of a track groover, until then i say!!!

Ryan

I know this sounds like a pretty silly question to ask...

Can someone please explain exactly what the coilovers replace.. Is it the shocks/springs or just the springs? Or shocks?

Like I said, silly question. But I am sick of not knowing exactly.

strut tops(teins excluded), strut+shocks and adjustable height springs - look in the wheel arch pic, thats all that you get

ryan

just saw your setup with your 18"s and the coilovers in the readers ride section deejayryry. I was curious about your ground clearance. Is that a legal height? How do you go about getting up driveways? I think I'll get mine a little higher than that. Looks awesome tho dude.

looking tops ryan ... you are my envy :p ... this is really what hte club is all about, abusing the **** out of other peoples stuff ... i mean sharing hte love ... i mean helping out everyone else!

savvyx - ride hwight not a problem. driveways and speedbumps are all good, bigger diameter wheels also help this problem!!!

nate - WTF?

no, there probably aren't omg fully sik look at at my shock bro avaliable off the shelf... do you think you can walk into your local [insert fav shop here] and buy remote canister coilovers for a '76 civic or 89 Lada!

Just like Brisbane race clutches dont have a shelf, anything which is custom [now there's a fully sik word! :p], will be better anyways...

Speak to DMS, proflex etc about coilovers... failing that, buy the best insert you can afford (sachs, *import* KYB, ohlins, hell even the top end bilstein stuff is good), and make your own coilovers using sleeves... then get a set of adjustable strut tops from say noltec and you're laughing! ;)

hey ryan, had your sway link pin been rubbing on the your mult-link... just looks like it in the second last pic....

That's what i had to do - as four years ago BA coilovers weren't as commonly available as they are today.

Nah thats just from our grubby hands as we couldn't get the other end of the lionk off the strut so we swapped them with mine for the time being also.
Which are again a better looking part. Chunkier top of the balljoint. His exhaust does sit just off the lateral link though and does vibrate on it at times. Hehe dramas with sitting so phat

Nope, as pete said, that's our grubby hand marks, nothing rubs or anything at this height, just that's a lucky design of the BA suspension. Everything sits all good.

Ryan