Lt_Ballzacki

I have been searching the suspension threads for the past few days and have found a ton on information. The problem is much of it is out of date/not specific enough for my intended.

What it has come down to is that I am looking for a coilover that will work well for track/drift (preferably comfortable because this is my daily but this is not super important) but has the ability to completely stance my car or just go with a moderate drop (for track days). I am just looking for something with options because I can't make up my mind lol.

I do not claim to be an expert on suspension so if I need some schooling let me know.

As for what I have been looking at:

Price range $2000 (+/- a little but not looking to buy $8000 coilovers)

- I have heard great things about KW's but they are a bit pricey/cannot lower enough and have progressive springs
- I have heard HKS are good for both drop and track/drift and supposedly they can be serviced in the US now (I haven't looked into this so correct me if I'm wrong). I have seen reviews here for the hipermax II's but the up to date model are these . If anyone has them let me know what you think.
- I have heard poor things about Megan's and Stance's but these might me closer to my price range. Of course I am looking for something better for the money.
- I already plan on getting the SPL camber UCA's and rear camber links so I don't need info on that. I am solely looking for suggestions for the best coilovers for my application.

Let me know your suggestions! If this information already exists can someone point me to the thread? Thanks.

nizmo_0385

iTrader: (5)

Stance ss true type.

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

Well, before coilovers got trendy people bought them for adjustability. This means the ease of swapping springs. People seem to not know this anymore, nor do people understand the other options like helper springs that are available to tweak the ride.

Well at least you have figured out what is good and what is junk. The perfect coilover will probably not be straight off the shelf. Track ability and daily will both focus around a quality damper , being part of the hella crowd you just need spring rates for being slammed and the ability to screw up all adjustments.m

MicVelo

Mmmmmmffffffff... ssssssssssss...... mmmfff.....

BUWAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAAA.....

Was trying to stifle my laughter but....

Oooops, sorry OP, can't add anything to this. I know a little about a lot of things and coilovers, well, I understand them and how to tune them but...which brands? Dunno..... I'd likely stick with the German brands.... Bilstein, KW but only because I know them.

dboyzalter

iTrader: (3)

Im no expert but have you looked into just getting koni adjustable shocks with some springs? I dont really know why coilovers are so popular they seem like a pain in the *** unless you love adjusting your ride height for special occasions, into mailing your car parts for occasional rebuilding, bouncing down the road, or you want to slam your car so you can scrape speedbumps.

Or it's a track rig

Flame suited up.

Go

Lt_Ballzacki

Lol I intend to track it I was just saying I would like them to have the ability to get low if I want them to. Low and slow for daily, in spec for track/drift. Point being KW's can't get low enough to slam it, haven't looked into Bilsteins yet but if I can get the best of both worlds, that's the coilover I'm looking for. Idc what brand as long as its decent quality.

Edit: Bilsteins may work but can only drop about 2" which may be enough. Anybody have a number as to how much (inches) drop you need to stance a z with the following wheel specs?

Wheels: Varrstoen ES1
18 x 10.5 +22 (All 4 - Square Setup)
Tire: 275/35/18

Lt_Ballzacki

So I have been looking into stance as none of the more established brands seem to go low enough and honestly I have only read good things about them. For their price range them seem to offer a decent product with good ride quality at low height while maintaining decent handling. I have heard that their customer service is good and that if something breaks "They stand behind their product, and if you have an issue, they get it fixed. If the issue turns out to be reoccurring, they revise their design to attempt to fix the problem."

This article swayed me a bit check it out. All I have heard from the established members on here is that they are bad, but can someone explain to me why?

If anyone knows a way to get kw's, bilsteins to go low, then let me know and I will gladly go with them.

Lt_Ballzacki

Also looked into koni shocks+springs and I like the drop in price and adjust-ability. Can these go pretty low without riding on the bump stops, or would I be better off with some coilovers.

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

I guess you didn't read my post about the ability to change springs to suite your needs.

Best bet, Feal Coilovers from Odie. Tell him your goals and get something custom for your needs.

driftsucky

This'll probably end up being long, so strap in...

Do you want coils that will slam you but can still handle occasional track days or do you want coils that are performance oriented that can get you low? Those are two different things and the latter doesn't exist to my knowledge...at least not off the shelf.

So, because I was a former (or maybe still am depending on who you ask) one of those stance/hellaflush/jdmtyte/uruinedasportscar/ziptiegang/hoonigan/slideallthethings guys that you hear so much about, I can give you first hand accounts of some of these other brands and even some history as to why "old timers" don't like them.

First of all, understand that guys like Terrasmack have been around a while. He's a wealth of knowledge and he started modding cars before all of these trendy fads began. Back when he (and I actually) started modding cars, F&F hadn't hit the big screen, pep boys didn't stock a host of APC parts, and neon lights were all the rage. But, we did things differently. Because there wasn't a host of crappy parts at every convenience store, you either learned to wrench and fabricate, or saved up for the good stuff. You had no choice. So, when all of these new fads and trends started up and a host of fly-by-night companies popped up with the latest "mod for cheap" part, everyone was stand-offish...and for good reason. A lot of it was cheap, poorly built, and really not worth a bag of hot dookey. MOST....not all.

So, how did I get into using cheap Chinese junk? About 2007, I had a 300C that I wanted to modify differently than the norm (no air bags, no sunken heavy chrome wheels, no ebay lights, no stupid grille). My buddy Elvis (from Stancenation) had a Charger that was slammed on BC Coils. Never having used them, I was a bit skeptical. I was used to Pedders, KW (used before), Bilstien (used before), and Tien (had on my 350Z). I picked his brain and did a bunch of research, and after a while, I decided they'd provide the look I wanted...and if they were horrible, it was only 1k so I could replace them fairly easily. After installing them and riding on them, I LOVED them. Keep in mind, this wasn't a performance build. I wanted a slammed cruiser, and that's exactly what I got. Riding less than 3inches from the ground, my car was comfortable enough for my wife, my children, my mother, and my grandmother (real grandma...in her 70's...not one of these new-fangled grannies that are like 36 or something). Also, the 300C was my daily.

Fast forward to 2011 when I purchased my G35, I wanted to drift, but I also wanted something slammed. I went with BC again. After about 4 months, I developed a knocking in the rear that I couldn't figure out. I was trying to make a drift day and didn't have time to do a bunch of research and/or rebuild. I needed something quick and cheap to get me through the weekend, then I figured I could build and flip to grab some stance coils or a set of the stancework brand that my buddy Edafe was working on. IN the interim though, I looked to D2. 3 days later, I was slammed again and the BC's sat in the garage. I had a full day of fun with no issues. I drove home and my wife and I went to movies and ice-cream. Went to about 4 more events that year and then the car sat over the fall/winter. I had all plans on upgrading, but never really had a need. 4 years later, I'm still slammed on D2's and I still hit the track. I'm no longer running super wide wheels and I'm no longer super low, but if someone who's more track-oriented sees it, I'm sure they'll say it's too low lol. Now, the car isn't driven much (summers only) and at some point, I will grab something else (ultimately, I wanna grab 326Power but that's a HUGE build project that will start once I'm done piecing together this LS), but for now, it works.

Understand that MOST people who don't like the less expensive brands aren't because they've had a bad experience with them. It's because they're fundamentally against the idea and against the trendiness involved and surrounding them. That said, don't take what some of these older guys say for granted. There's a LOT of valuable knowledge that they speak. And, they may be able to save you in the long run. The truth is most of these guys running cheap stuff are cheap. They don't know what they're doing and they're simply trying to get instagram scene points. They ruin their cars to be facebook famous and then move on.

Take the wisdom and knowledge of guys like Terra. Ultimately, you gotta make your own decision. But, if you do that, knowing what you're actually doing, you'll be fine.
GL

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

Call and talk to Odie at Feal Suspension. He will custom build a set for your wants, get you the right spring rates and the dampers will be proper for the setup. They are not much more than BC and many others.

ZachBlack Z-33

I think FortuneAuto makes a great product, especially for the price point. Custom built, plenty of upgrades available, and they rebuild here in the US (Virginia specifically.) I believe they are worth a look. I absolutely enjoy mine.

Battleship350z

Hey what damper setting are you running on your fortuna autos? and are they the oem type 500 series? I just got mine and right now went with 15 clicks from full soft in rear but havent touched the front because they arent installed.

jdmfetish

iTrader: (3)

if you just got yours , i would start at the softest setting
and move 1 click at a time until the desired feel is achieved

BrenoSDS

yo so whatsup anyone want have fun drift around or race lets do it txt me 5512026465

terrasmak

iTrader: (8)

BluestreamDE

Smasher

iTrader: (2)

Not been on hear in years.

Smasher

iTrader: (2)

Wrong thread

Peter Kadar

I recently bought a 2007 350z Touring Convertible -- it has 23,000 miles and is Stock head to toe. I do want to make the ride more smooth. Not concerned about driving 120 mph around sharp turns -- I want to have a nice smooth ride from LA to Palm Springs with my wife. I am going to buy Michelins which should help with 25% of the harsh bumpy ride. What can I do for $1000.00 to make the other 75% of the ride more tolerable?