Help me pick coilovers for NASA time trials

[Slow*Jim]

Hey guys, I need some help choosing what coilovers I am going to go with. I am planning on competing in NASA TTC by the end of the summer and running in the National championships next season (currently in HPDE3). Budget is around $1700 for just the coilovers, and I plan on doing camber arms and toe correction front and rear. *Not going to be running slicks* unless I decide to make the move up to TTB, which is doubtful. The car is daily driven now but will probably only see roads once or twice a week in the future, so I would like to maintain some semblance of driveability. Not looking for super high spring rates with questionable dampening - I want a high quality coilover with easy adjustability that will allow me to be competitive in my class. And I would rather not do a true coilover conversion in the rear.

So here is what I'm thinking: HKS RS, Hipermax III, or KW v2

Thoughts?

[dmoffitt]

Aren't there some TC single-adjustable Konis on closeout right now for like 1k? I'm super happy with my DA / Phase4 setup (planning on doing TTB and mainly PTB end of this / beginning of next year)

[Slow*Jim]

Link?

[dmoffitt]

Originally Posted by Slow*Jim

Link?

saw it in Grassroots Motorsports or another mag, sale / advert. Try (614) 771-7744 ?

[AznSky]

are you going to the NASA event at Mid-Ohio in August? A couple buddies of mine are going. Just wonderin

[Slow*Jim]

I'm at every NASA event at mid ohio.

[SinCity350Z]

Stance GR+ coilovers run about $1300. I think they are probably the best bang for the buck coilovers I have tried on the 350Z.

[Axelerate]

The RS's are a great street coil-over but, are not suited for competition. Maybe if you got stiffer springs.

I think a decent set of R compound's would make you faster than a set of coil-overs.

[Slow*Jim]

I may end up running R-compounds, but they would be useless without coilovers. Our cars have too much body roll and not enough negative camber to utilize R-comps.

I wouldn't have a problem going a little higher on the spring rates, but I still need the car to be usable on the street. Our roads in Ohio aren't very friendly to lowered cars.

[3m wol8]

Originally Posted by Slow*Jim

I may end up running R-compounds, but they would be useless without coilovers. Our cars have too much body roll and not enough negative camber to utilize R-comps.

I wouldn't have a problem going a little higher on the spring rates, but I still need the car to be usable on the street. Our roads in Ohio aren't very friendly to lowered cars.

just get the stiffer spring rates but don't drop it as much

[betamotorsports]

I may end up running R-compounds, but they would be useless without coilovers. Our cars have too much body roll and not enough negative camber to utilize R-comps.

You're joking right?

[stuntman]

So you can't run KW V3s?

If not, then i'd choose V2s or Hypermax III.

Originally Posted by Slow*Jim

I may end up running R-compounds, but they would be useless without coilovers. Our cars have too much body roll and not enough negative camber to utilize R-comps.

useless without coilovers? I disagree. First off, the Z has a crazy amount of camber gain in the rear, lower the car atall and you have too much rear camber. In all the Z's ive driven, wearing the outer edge of the tire is hard to do especially in a lowered car due to the camber gain. If you fix that with camber arms, the tire tends to wear more evenly and even if you have almost zero camber, your car will handle better if you're working the outer edge of the tire more than just the inner.

Even without coilovers and a lot of body roll, R-comps will still be a few seconds faster. I'd take R-comps over coilovers any day as tires makes all the difference (so no you don't need coilovers before you get R-comps).

Originally Posted by Slow*Jim

I wouldn't have a problem going a little higher on the spring rates, but I still need the car to be usable on the street. Our roads in Ohio aren't very friendly to lowered cars.

Then get KW V3 and larger swaybars. The ride quality of the V3s are phenominal as the damping is very well matched to the spring rates compared to most everything else on the market.

0.02

[Slow*Jim]

Originally Posted by betamotorsports

You're joking right?

I just want to make sure I am utilizing the entire contact patch before I start sinking too much cash into r-comps.

Are the v3's really that much better than the v2's?

[stuntman]

Originally Posted by Slow*Jim

I just want to make sure I am utilizing the entire contact patch before I start sinking too much cash into r-comps.

Are the v3's really that much better than the v2's?

Yes the V3s are, they are also double adjustable vs. single adjustable.

Again, tires make the biggest difference. You could put $10,000 race dampers on your car, but if you have the same crappy street tires, you won't get that much of an improvement. Tires are one of the biggest aspects of your cars performance (and are its limitation). R-comps on stock suspension would probably be faster than 4-way adjustable race dampers with street tires.

[Fluid1]

Originally Posted by Slow*Jim

I may end up running R-compounds, but they would be useless without coilovers. Our cars have too much body roll and not enough negative camber to utilize R-comps.

I couldn't disagree with this any more!!

I say Koni yellows that are matched to Swift springs. the drop will give you more negative camber and you'll have damping adjustment.

[mojojojo]

I have a set of TC Kline Koni single adj. I'll sell for $500.00
They worked fine in T2.

[Slow*Jim]

Originally Posted by Fluid1

I couldn't disagree with this any more!!

I say Koni yellows that are matched to Swift springs. the drop will give you more negative camber and you'll have damping adjustment.

I'm liking this idea... and shopping around the vendor classifieds gets me both for $935 shipped

[stuntman]

Originally Posted by Fluid1

I couldn't disagree with this any more!!

I say Koni yellows that are matched to Swift springs. the drop will give you more negative camber and you'll have damping adjustment.

Are you referring to off-the-shelf swift lowering springs?

...Because swift makes tons of different spring rates.

[Fluid1]

Originally Posted by stuntman

Are you referring to off-the-shelf swift lowering springs?

...Because swift makes tons of different spring rates.

Of course they do.

And yes, I'm referring to the Swift springs that have rates of:
336 front
364 rear

Having a spring of ANY rate matched to a shock that is valved for that exact spring is always going to be better than a set of name brand coilovers that, when shock dyno'd, may not even be a matched set. Put it to the test if you don't believe me.

To the OP, I'd get these springs, and maybe even the $500 TC kline single adjustables from the gentleman on this thread selling them, and send them off to have them valve matched to the Swift springs.

The Swifts' are going to be the lightest spring available for the Z as well, make sure you send either the springs or a complete list of their specs to TC.

[Slow*Jim]

Just FYI guys, I sent an email to Truechoice inquiring about revalving the Yellows and gave the rates on the Swift springs. They said it would not be necessary to revalve for the off-the shelf rates.

The standard Koni yellow valving will work fine with these spring rates.