Originally Posted by Andrew350

Installing this set up today!

Would you guys recommend getting an alignment immediately or waiting a week or two? Springs tend to 'settle' yes?

Originally Posted by Andrew350

Thanks, I'll see if I can get it in tomorrow.

But of course, now I got a nice new little 'thump' from the rear. Its muffled, but very consistent over any bump. Thinking sway bar end links? Is there room for the springs to shift?

Originally Posted by zswickliffe

Hey everyone! I finally had the time to sit down and start this write-up, I'll be adding things I notice here and there but for now I'll get the installation notes and first impressions down.

First of all, what did I buy and where?

The shocks are Bilstein's Heavy Duty Dampers and they are a rebuild-able/revalve-able monotube style shock. In case you don't already know, Bilstein is arguably the best name in damping and they are proven over many different race series and repeatedly used in OEM performance upgrades.



The springs I bought are Swift Springs' Spec-R model and they claim a 1.2" drop in the front with a 1.0" drop in the rear. Their spring rates are 7.5 kg/mm (420 lbs/in) front and 8.2kg/mm (460lbs/in) rear while OEM spring rates are 314lbs/in front and 427lbs/in rear. Swift Springs has actually developed their own alloy (mixture of metals) for their springs and they are the only spring company that uses it. It has superior material properties than pretty much any other company's and it becomes instantaneously obvious when you first drive on them.



The place I bought these is an online shop called ProParts USA. They set up a package deal with the shocks and the springs all together shipped to my door for $1,155.00. They were at my door within a week and everything was well packaged and just how I ordered it.

Now, I know that a few of you are thinking to yourself "Why not buy coilovers for $1000? BC coilovers are great and everyone says good things about them!".

You're right, I'm sure most people who buy BC, Megan, MDU, etc coilovers are satisfied. However, these people are looking for a different end result than I was. So on that note, if you're looking for form>function, look elsewhere. If you're looking for function>form, keep reading. This setup was intended to provide an OEM-like ride whilst eliminating a good bit of the body roll/dive/squat that the 350Z is known to have and it does just that, and it does it damn well.

Now, onward to the installation. Everything is very straight-forward and there are plenty of youtube walkthroughs as well as write-ups on here that show you how it's done so I'm going to skip that part. The entire installation took about 5 or 6 hours including dinner but give yourself a weekend just in case you run into any troubles or don't want to rush through things. Here's what the front looked like once I had the shock/spring mostly in place:



Here are a few before pictures of my car:
When I first bought her



After new wheels were installed:



At ZDayZ



And the beach (X2)




And now for a couple of after photos (a photoshoot is in order, of course):




Now for my review:

This setup is absolutely amazing. I'm going to separate it into a few different categories:

1. Performance -- 8/10 -> This is easily the best shock/spring setup for under $2k, possibly more. The shocks are almost perfectly valved for the spring rates and the springs are utterly incredible. The combination provides the driver with great feedback without jarring.
2. Comfort ----- 10/10 -> Extremely comfortable. Identical to OEM if not better in terms of comfort and that, my friends, earns a 10.
3. Appearance -- 7/10 -> The drop is relatively mild and I know people are going to say "you can barely tell" and things of the like which is why I give it a 7. The final drop for me was 1.3" front and 1.1" rear. So about 1/10 of an inch lower than they claimed and this was more than good enough. If I were rating it based on my desires, this category wouldn't exist because, as previously stated, I'm a function>form person.
4. Driveability -- 10/10 -> Very driveable in every way! From comfort being top-notch to ride-height allowing me to make it over the most brutal speed bumps, I can't think of a reason these wouldn't have a 10!
5. Quality ------ 10/10 -> These, ladies and gentlemen, are the best made products in the business. No questioning that. I foresee this setup lasting at least 100k miles, if not more. And they're rebuild-able for when they do wear out when you can choose whatever valving and spring rates your heart desires.

For those of you who weren't keeping track, that's 45/50. That's damn good in my book and I would definitely recommend this setup to anyone and everyone looking to get the most out of their setup for a reasonable price and willing to sacrifice adjustable damping (which just allows the end user to incorrectly match damping to their springrate).

Originally Posted by flavalava

I’m sorry to revive an old thread but the one that OP is using here is Bilstein B6 or B8 ?

Originally Posted by Heel Til I Die

OP is likely long gone, but the B6's are recommended for stock height and B8 is the recommended if you're lowering it at all. Since the Swift springs drop it a little more than an inch, B8 would be the way to go.