mike2016

just got my hands on a set of Buddyclub Racing Spec Damper, after a few prototypes and testings back and forth, they finally came out with the final version. I decided to give them a try, replacing my Cusco Zero2. due to the good feedback I had on my S13 with these dampers.

-Some of you might think BuddyClub is a taiwan based company, YOU ARE WRONG. They are based in Japan and all of their suspension are made in house in Japan, they also make private lable coilovers for KG/MM. They are very well known for their suspension, engine parts(mainly for Honda) and exhaust systems.


Note the 1st one from the left, rear spring is loaded on the shock, instead of seperated like factory setup. there's no spring needed in the factory location.


Full Pillowball upper mounts for Front and Rear


bracket for the brake line.

Product Highlights-

Rear Springs are loaded on the shocks, instead of seperated like stock setup.

Spring Rate is 10K Front / 8K Rear (can be ordered with + - 2K without revalving the shock)

15 Way Dampening Adjustable

BuddyClub USA promises full 1 year warranty on any defective part
after warranty, replacement shock is about $250 each or so.
All warranty are done in-house in BuddyClub USA headquarter, Ontario CA.


Install -

Installation was very straight foward, the Z is simply easy to work with. experienced mechanic can probably do full coilover install within half an hour.

the only thing I could complaint about is, it does not have the brackets for the ABS sensor wires. had to zip tie the wires on the shock.

Install pics will be followed, as i forgot to upload the pics to the server before I got off work today..


First Impression -

Front Dampers set to 7 clicks back from Hardest
Rear Dampers set to 9 click back from Hardest

OMG Soooooo Smooth!! Zero Noise (even it has full front/rear pillowball upper mounts, the Cusco Zero2 Rear is polyurethere/hard rubber).

my favorite part, driving on rough roads is like stock ride, very smooth and does not have the "omg my car is falling apart" feeling. especially there's NO NOISE!! (this is very important for guys with picky GF, girls hate bouncy and noisy cars)

going over rail roads(there's a lot of rail roads in Socal), the car does not bounce like the Cusco does. very smooth, just like stock. no noise either.

I have not set it to the hardest setting yet, but the car responses so quick and I am much more confident driving the car now. it handles very natural now, while the stock suspension and Cusco zero2 was more understeer.

Overall, it's a very good setup for the price.


What else am I missing here? I jus got back from friend's wedding and I drank too much wine... why am I writing a product review at 2am...

daytona350z

iTrader: (19)

that sounds great. i thought from their site, they were still using the stock spring location in addition to a spring on the rear coilover. now that you tell me that they got rid of it, im all excited about it again could you please pm me a price , im in so cal as well.

Gsedan35

iTrader: (10)

Thank you for your post, I had been waiting for their product to hit the U.S. market well before then made a official announcement, only to be bitterly disappointed with the spring rates(which are still listed on their U.S. web site). Only thing I'll point out with the new specs is that it still has a very large transfer of roll stiffness to the rear of the car, IMO running the rear at 6KG would be a very good idea. Kind of ironic to me that you went from the Cusco's which have the smallest rear rollstiffness increase on the market to a setup that went totally the other way. You might not have the traction you once had comming off corners.



Before (all "stiffer then oem" specs are vs 03/04 Z33's

Buddy Club Racing spec coilovers (this setup uses 4 springs on the rear of the car)
(Monotube construction, full length height adjustment separate from preload, adjustable dampners)
Spring rates in LBS Front 748 Rear progressive 336 to 672 + 280 linear on dampner
Stiffer then oem springs by F+238% R+233% to 331%
$1555

Now

Buddy Club Racing spec coilovers (rear springs on dampners ONLY)
(Monotube construction, full length height adjustment separate from preload, adjustable dampners)
Spring rates in LBS Front 560 Rear 448*
Stiffer then oem by F +78% R +113%*
With 336lbs rear springs R +64%*

Cusco Zero 1&2 Full-length adjustment and height adjustment for separate setting of the height and spring preload
Zero 1 has non adjustable dampning
Zero 2 has adjustable dampning
Spring rates 560/392
Stiffer then oem by F+78% R+15%


*Ok, springs run in the rear oem location leverage 36% of their force to the wheels. Springs run on the oem dampner bodies leverage a much greater amount of force to the wheels 59%.

dklau33

iTrader: (17)

Gsedan, what are the advantages/disadvantages of running the rear spring only on the damper body vs the oem location?

arizzee

iTrader: (28)

Curious about how much rear wheel/tire clearance is lost with the spring on the shock.

twenzel

iTrader: (27)

Mine are sitting at UPS right now ready for pickup. I cant wait to go get them now! Thank you for the review.

Gsedan35

iTrader: (10)

The ability to adjust spring preload. Though ironically most of what I've been able to read recommends to set preload at a minimum, enough to keep the spring in place when the suspension is uncompressed, which ironically is almost exactly the amount of pretension that the oem rear spring location provides. But of course you can't add more with the oem setup if you wanted to, that's the point.

twenzel

iTrader: (27)

I just got mine and opened them up. Confirmed they are a true coil-over in the rear. I can't wait for the install this weekend.

More updates once I finish the install.

dklau33

iTrader: (17)

Are you having a professional suspension tuner tune your coilovers?

neur0sis

iTrader: (3)

How do you adjust the rear suspension? Looks like the adjustment dial is on top... which would put it in the middle of the rear strut bar, and unreachable unless you actually remove the shock.

Am I wrong? If not, this would be a very bad design, don'tcha think?

mike2016

yes unfortunely you have to adjust from the top of the shock. everyone makes their adjustment on top, including Tein, Cusco, Zeal.... except the HKS LS+ adjusts from the side.

anotheraznguy

iTrader: (14)

actually...
mike...
on the zeals
the front shock adjustment i on the top
and on the rear zeals is on the bottom.

the zeals are one well designed coilovers..
inverted in the rear for better side loading.

konspec

iTrader: (4)

my jics have the adj. at the top of the rear strut. All i did was drill a hole about 1 in. toward the outside of the factory hole where the strut peices clip into. Now i just have to unclip the top plastic peices and put a alen wrench through the hole i drilled to adj it. easy

jinsei888

iTrader: (14)

does anyone happen to know how low these coilovers allow you to drop your car? I am looking for something MUCH lower than the Tein Flex drop in the rear. HKS RS are the only ones that I have confirmed can do over 2.5" drop in the rear. Can the Buddy Club Coilovers do the same or more?

Nano

iTrader: (1)

Just for curisoity, where you on the stock swaybars in the review?

mike2016

Here is a pic of my car on buddyclub coilovers



Front can be dropped another 1inch lower, Rear is at lowest setting now.

yes my car has stock sway bars.

herbGT350808

Looks good. My buddyclubs are on the way, got any installation hints/tips? Thanks

fairladyZ in Japan

I have heard Buddy Club is good ... but I haven't seen any feedback regarding impressions to other suspension setups.

Also .. the feedback on this post is whether there are squeeeeaks .. or how they perform compared to stock.

What is needed .. how does this suspension do for pure performance .. on the twisties .. to other setups ... etc.

By the way .. mike2016 .. nice color combo and wheel choice. Love PPW with the bronze TE37.

herbGT350808

I just got my set today, I can't read the japanese manual. The rear oem springs stays as leverage, not to be removed? Thanks

Gsedan35

iTrader: (10)

Soooooo, in the specs that read 10Kg/8Kg, is that rear 8Kg figure as follow's? 6.1Kg oem + 1.9Kg on the rear dampner? I highly doubt that.

With the oem spring still in place and assuming that you do not have the revised suspension on your Z, that oem spring is leveraging 123lbs to the wheel, plus the 8Kg spring on the dampner body is leveraging 264lbs to wheel. That creates a total combined wheel rate that is way too high, your best move is to not install the oem spring unless you can prove the buddy club rear spring is a lot softer then 8Kg, which I doubt. Really, even with the rear spring being alone, your still leveraging more rear roll stiffness in the rear vs how much the coilover system has increased the front. F +78% R +113%

With the revised suspension, the rear spring leverages 154lbs to the wheel.