I plan to buy rims as soon as spring comes, and I have always felt that you should never buy rims before you buy suspension if u plan on changing the stock suspension. I was set on Tien coilovers, but i feel the car handles very well in stock form and wonder if they are really necessary. I am not going to auto x the car, but i do want a little drop. SO what do you think? Are the tien coilovers worth it? Or would i be ok getting a set of tien springs? Also would tien springs with the stock suspension cause the stock shocks to wear out quicker? Thanks.

 

In general, if you get stiffer springs you should always get stiffer shocks to match them. In my opinion, coilovers are a waste of money unless you are going to track the car and are willing to spend the money to have them corner balanced. (Most folks don't.) If you find a set of basic springs that have the drop you want, just stick with those. If they are significantly stiffer than stock, get some shocks, too.

That being said, one of the nice things about coilover sets is that the shocks are matched to the springs. Don't have to worry about finding shocks that match up to the springs you're getting.

However, you might consider the RSR or Hotchkis springs. They have the mildest drops (about .6" or so), and have very similar spring rates to stock, so new shocks shouldn't be necessary.

 

Thanks for the reply...60 views and one reply? jeez. Any links to a good site to purchase RSR or Hotchkis springs at a good price?

 

Jreiter pretty much did all the answers.
I got KW Variant 3 coilovers with independent rebound/compression and height ajustability, but other then height (dropped 1.5" front and rear) I didn't touch any other settings on coilovers. And I only drive this car on the street.
Yeah, it's an overkill (Especially for $1800 coilovers) but I just couldn't resisit my own vanity.
Want to track my car sometime, but didn't have chances to do yet.

 

How are the Eibachs? I have seen a lot of people buying them for their Zs, but I remember that I bought some for my M3 and when I put they killed my stock ride, and I ended up going with some Bilstein struts to go with them. I believe they have a 1" drop all around.

Im looking for something that will give me a good drop, but also not destroy my ride. Im mainly worried that when I throw 19s on my car in the spring I will have some huge gaps in between the tire and fender, like I have seen on some pics of cars on this website.

 

I have not ridden in a Z with the Eibachs, so I can't comment on the ride. However, they have a serious drop. At least an 1", if I recall. From the pics I've seen around here, the Eibach springs are a serious lowering spring.

On that note, going to a bigger rim does *not* result in more wheel gap. You just need to be sure to select the correct tire size that ends up being the same outer diameter as stock. Bigger rims do often exaggerate the gap, but don't actually make it bigger.

 

I have the Eibachs on 19 Volks. The ride is stiff and you will feel the bumps. I have the stock shocks and will try some Koni's next year to see if it helps soften the ride a bit.

 

hey seanrulz...what offset are your wheels? THey seem to have a nice lip and i wuld like to get them in black. Do they rub? Is your rear camber affected to fit them?

Btw. thanks for the comments, i think i'm going to go with tien springs and stock shocks for now. I"m not purchasing anything till spring so i'm trying to do some research to kill time.

 

i wouldn't get anything else but coilovers.