Hey Guys
About a month ago, I bought HKS coilovers and SPC front & rear camber kits from a vendor here called ART (Advanced Race Technology). I've looked into coilover installations instructions here and it seems straight forward but I don't have access to tools or places to do in so I had Jotech (a shop in Dallas) install them.

Anyways, I thought I'd share my thoughts and pictures about the product for my 1st thread.

Impression
Like I said, it's been about a month since the install so I'm sure they've set in by now. I never take my car to a track nor do I plan on doing so (at least for now) because my Z is a daily driver and the only car I have. Anyways, driving around town, all I can say is W-O-W. I love the drop and I'm able to carve up turns a lot more aggressively. It's so comfortable that it feels like I haven't made any compromise to my car. I mean it feels so close to the stock setting. The only time I can really tell the difference is when I hit a pothole or when I'm getting into a really bumpy/bouncy highway. They tend to get really really stiff to prevent my car from bottoming out.
The dampening is set on middle (the "default" HKS setting). I definitely don't plan on going anywhere close to the softest setting considering what they feel right now. Yes, I do plan on setting it to the stiffest setting in the future but for now, I'm happy where I am.

I really can't compare Hipermax IIIs to another coilovers because the only other set I've ever experienced are Tein Basics (on my RSX) and well... their great considering the price you pay for but there is also a reason why they call it "Basic" but thats another story.
If your car is built for street especially being a daily driver, I'd highly recommend these.

Edit: attached coilover pics and how the car sat when 1st installed.

Update: 11/17/11
Went through some stuff on my profile and stumbled upon this. Looks like I sort of left it open ended so I figured I should update it for others to read for future reference. Not much has changed since this thread was made as far as suspensions are concerned. Other than my switch to front cambers to SPLs, I'm still rocking the same coilovers and the car is still being used daily. Going back to some questions others had back then...
Adjustments - Yes, I have changed the dampening to both soft and stiff settings in past. As many would imagine when set to super soft/semi-soft it is very comfortable. But I have noticed that I tend to bottom out just a tad bit when going over a speed bump from having too much rebound or going through very uneven roads on highway. When closer to stiffer setting it was just too jarring for my taste but I think if you were to use the car on street, then tracking on weekends I think this setting would be perfect. Currently I have the fronts set just a bit on a stiffer side from "neutral" and rears on "HKS default neutral" setting. Also, I have lowered the system as much as possible without compromising rebound capabilities.
Quality - It's still doing very well. No blown shocks, noise or rattle of any kind has yet to occur. Only thing I have noticed is that the black rubber boots on rear shocks has been ripped from regular wear and tear. And frankly, that's pretty much for aesthetic purposes so I can care less about that.
Comparison - Someone here long time ago asked how they compared with KWs. Well, a buddy of mine installed KW3 on his 370z and I got to ride in it and I have to say I was very impressed with that as well. Felt very OEM IMO. I'd definitely recommend that as well.
As I've mentioned I haven't changed out the system because I still enjoy it without any regrets. I think it's very suitable for street as advertised and I find it very practical for daily use or maybe even for "weekend warriors". If you're looking to make your car look "hellaflush" or use for dedicated race car I would look elsewhere.

 

Drop more bro,

 

When you do hit a pothole, is the suspension jarring or does it handle the hole/bump well? I used to have a stiffer set of Tien's on my wrx and it felt like getting punched in the kidney's if I hit a large pothole but they were great on the smooth streets.

I'm looking for something more wife friendly on this car but still increasing performace. Let me know if you have any complaints or if you would make the same decision again. Thnx.

 

Nice writre-up. I have been debating coilovers since I
lowered on springs. Sounds like you found a nice
setup. Total costs shipped... ? If you don't mind.

L

 

It handles really well on potholes.
I'm considering to drop a little more & set it to stiffest setting just to see what that feels like but no complaints really.

Thanks, I was worried that I rambled on instead of being informative. PM on the price.

 

needs rims..... sick though..

 

Nice writeup.

ART probably didnt send the coilovers out like that. They may have had them dropped shipped to your door. Thats an HKS box, so Im assuming it was already packaged.

 

Nice review. Hypermax III's aren't true coils in the rear? Didn't know that!

 

For the benefit of the doubt I hope that was the case.

Nope, they're not. I don't think HKS Hipermax III Sport are true either. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

hey joe, nice setup man, it seems pretty good not to mention it still rides comy like the stock setup... how long did jotech take to intall that thing? and how much did it cost (expensive i pressume )

 

PM sent Kyle

 

When all the vendors did their product announcments, they were given some bad info that said they were a truecoilover in the rear. I posted how that didn't make any sense back then and as you can see they are oem style in the rear. Thankfully HKS USA now shows the correct spring rate info now, matching HKS Japan.

 

So your review is for the HKS III CLX or non sport, correct?

Thank you for taking the time to do the review btw.

 

Non sport. Sorry, I should have been more specific.

 

No problem, only really matters to me since I kind of file reviews like yours into memory so I can point people to them at a latter date, your the first non sport reviewer that I know of.

 

Correct. ART doesn't package. This box is from the factory. My apologies for the condition of the box but we have no control over what happens while the box is in transit.

Im glad you are enjoying your coil overs. If you have a question about your purchase make sure to contact let us know.

 

^

 

sport here.. exactly like yours.. different colors and I guess way stiffer

 

What do you guys mean that they are not a true coilover set becasue of the rear?

 

What do you guys mean that they are not a true coilover set becasue of the rear?