travlee

iTrader: (8)

i broke ya in right! oh the memories

CK_32

iTrader: (1)

Psh what you talkin bout.

I won all dem arguments back n the day.

No_name

Spend a bit more time researching what may/will meet your needs/wants (coilovers vs static). Nothing wrong with dropping coin on higher end suspension/brake setups if a) you want em' because 'you can' or b) you need em' and you'll truly leverage the spend (e.g track). Your mentioned budget is 'short' (real short) to do both justice, poke around and balance that against what you need daily/track/show, etc.

If your hittin' track days at Road America, let us know. Cruisin' "up North" we can save ya' some money and still set you up...if your learning and driving around the 3rd Ward, Madison, Wausau or Door County...keep digging and asking here.

Setting-up a Z to cruise the North woods (then doing it) would be a good f****** time.

xS3CT0Rx9

It's going to be my daily, but i also want to have fun with it and be able to turn some heads. Eventually I'm going to put a turbo in, so how would i go about building my engine? As for brakes, I want brakes that will be able to slow me down as fast as i can speed up so that's why I'm going with drilled and slotted rotors.

MicVelo

Early on I asked "Why coilovers?" and OP said the key word, "adjustment".

Whether or not that's really what is needed is irrelevant. That's what coilovers buy a person.

There are two types to consider:

Height only adjustment OR Height AND damping.

Height only is obvious, adjusting vehicle level through spring height adjustment.

Height AND Damping coilovers are like black magic.... set 'em right and they're WONDERFUL. Set them wrong and they'll bite you quicker than a viper in a basket.

Consider the needs very carefully before pulling the trigger on a set. Be very honest with yourself about the ultimate needs and be ready to either invest in the gear required and learn how to corner weight and adjust your jounce and rebound for the requirements of a given track. If you're not willing to do that, it's a waste of money.

The other way to go about things is to go with a static setup with perhaps one dimension of adjustability; that is, go with non-adjust springs and being happy with the height adjustment as final but use a set of adjustable shocks to tailor it closer to your requirements. For the easiest in this manner, consider single dial adjust shocks (Koni, Tokico D-Spec) that use one **** to control both jounce and rebound. The fewer adjustments you need to make, the fewer issues you'll have.

Obvious, right? Not for many people who hear that coilovers are the end-all-be-all in suspension components - and they might be, given your application so long as you're willing to do the above mentioned learning and investing - but I'd be willing to bet that as many as 75% of people on coilovers on the street are running them incorrectly adjusted. (And probably don't care because swag > actually working suspension.)

So, with the "ground rules" established, here's a few product specific observations:

- Bilstein PSS10, PSS16..... I've never heard anyone complain about them in height adjustable nor full adjustment models.

- Pretty much same for KW - KW1, KW3 variants

Others mentioned positively fairly often (but have no personal exp): Fortune Auto, Stance (the higher end models.... I had them on my Z31 and hated them but only based on the horrible ride quality.)

Anyhow, hope that helps some. I should probably let you know that I'm usually the first to speak out AGAINST coilovers BUT with good reason: MY needs don't dictate them and my suspension setups are all based on how I use my cars. Also, my needs are met through a setup that includes ALL aspects required for those needs: shocks, springs, roll stiffness adjustment, alignment adjustment in all three dimensions and all for about the cost of one set of coilovers that will still require FUCAs, toe/camber adjusters, bars, end links.

xS3CT0Rx9

Mic, so from your explanation it sounds like i want to go with height only, since thats what im looking for atm cause its going to be a daily and not a track car. How adjustable are the adjustable shocks?

Other question: I really want the adjustability of air bags due to my city roads and then highway being smooth. Is that in the realm? Ik it costs 2k+

CK_32

iTrader: (1)

Let’s put it this way. My coils I won’t say what brand because I don’t want you to just go and buy them because I have them. Put me from basically still stock height. To at a mild low setting not even all the way bottomed out. Made it so I literally would bottom coming out of my VERY modest driveway.

Pic attached is from both my M chassis brace scraping then my exhaust. I literally couldn’t leave my driveway until I raised it back up about half an inch. So just about any coil over will have more than enough adjustability.

And if you want stupid low for the sake of being low just go bags. Not my taste but your car your choice.

xS3CT0Rx9

That second photo made me tear up a little that would be why i want bags though. So that when im parked i can sit stupid low, setting for driving smooth highway, setting for bumpy city streets, and one that raises it up in case i need to go up a driveway like yours

xS3CT0Rx9

Also to take into consideration. Wheel size, how do I know if i have the clearance for bigger wheels if i haven't done that by that point

MicVelo

To answer in the order asked... adjustable shocks typically have less of a range than full adjust coilovers AS FAR AS JOUNCE AND REBOUND (damping rates). However, for the street and at least 80% of all applications short of track needs, a good set of Koni Sports or D-Specs (If you can find a set anymore) offer all the adjustment you'll need.

HOWEVER, if you're talking height, well, no adjustment on a static setup.

Bags are an interesting option if you want adjustments on the fly (as it sounds like you do). I know nothing about them other than what they do and what I watch on TV, sorry.

Wheel and tire sizing should be considered before doing anything. IOW, if you plan to go stance, as an example, with really wide, low offset wheels and too skinny tires, you're likely ONLY going to want bags because low=best and to get up to the judging stand, you're gonna need to be able to get up the driveways without tearing off an air dam or tailpipe.

If, on the other hand, you are going for a nice, FUNCTIONALLY performing car, you can pretty much choose any of the "known" fitments and the least of worries will be whether you need to roll fenders or run spacers to clear brakes, that sort of thing. Point is, there's TONS of configurations to consider in the Tire/Wheel section. All of the science and math has been worked out for you; so much that there is no need to recreate the wheel. (Ar ar, sorry for stupid puns...just can't help myself.)

bealljk

iTrader: (13)

Mic is wayyyy to nice...

MicVelo

Naaahhhhh, nuttin' to do with nice. Fair question, fair answer.

I never forget the "old guys" who helped me out when I was new in the car biz and how they pointed out the folly of some of the "popular" new things to do to a car when tried and true still ruled (rules) the day. Along with us old guys. Hahhahahahahaha...

Not to say I'm not open to new tech, I am, but it's important to always remember fundamentals because PHYSICS HAVEN'T CHANGED..... just the contraptions people use to try and bend laws of physics.