H&R Coilovers Installed and Reviewed
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H&R Coilovers Installed and Reviewed
edit: I am updating my review of these coilovers as my initial review was inaccurate. I had the coilovers installed incorrectly which affected the ride quality. Here is a more accurate review of the H&R coilovers:
The only other coilover setup I've driven is BC racing.
The H&R coilovers are progressive springs and there is no dampener control on the shocks (comes preset from H&R). H&R does not disclose their spring rates, which sucks, but I think they are comparable to BC, if not a bit stiffer. There is a big range of height adjustment. H&R states a 1.0" to 2.25" drop range. The coilovers are 1 way height adjustable.
Ride quality is comparable to BC, perhaps slightly stiffer. My initial review said the ride was very stiff, but this was due to me dropping the car only .75". I have other threads in the suspension section asking about preloading springs. There is too much load on these springs if you drop less than 1.0". This is why H&R recommends at least 1.0" drop. After adjusting the drop to about 1.2", the ride quality significantly increased and this setup was very easy for daily driving.
On the daily roads the suspension held comfortably through the bumps and dips. There is noticable difference than stock of course. I wasn't able to autox in these yet but steep on ramp turns felt more in control and the car was well balanced. There was almost zero body roll.
The thing to note is that these coilovers require at least a 1.0" drop. Thats kind of the drawback of using 1-way adjustable coilovers (you put load on the springs to raise the car). But then again, I suppose if you want less than a 1" drop, you shouldn't be looking at coilovers anyways.
Some installation tips: The rear spring perch sits on the bottom, not top, like BC racing. This makes it difficult to adjust while the spring is loaded. Luckily, its very easy to access our rear springs on the 350z. Also, during install the rear rubber mount (lower) should be removed to give a metal-to-metal contact between the spring perch and spring bucket. I didn't like this so I kept the rubber mount in. This didn't cause a problem and avoided any noises.
Generally, the cost of H&R coilovers seems comparable to BC racing. But for some reason, these coilovers can occassionally go on sale for a very low price. I think the MSRP is like $1300 or so but I was able to find sets for under $900.
The only other coilover setup I've driven is BC racing.
The H&R coilovers are progressive springs and there is no dampener control on the shocks (comes preset from H&R). H&R does not disclose their spring rates, which sucks, but I think they are comparable to BC, if not a bit stiffer. There is a big range of height adjustment. H&R states a 1.0" to 2.25" drop range. The coilovers are 1 way height adjustable.
Ride quality is comparable to BC, perhaps slightly stiffer. My initial review said the ride was very stiff, but this was due to me dropping the car only .75". I have other threads in the suspension section asking about preloading springs. There is too much load on these springs if you drop less than 1.0". This is why H&R recommends at least 1.0" drop. After adjusting the drop to about 1.2", the ride quality significantly increased and this setup was very easy for daily driving.
On the daily roads the suspension held comfortably through the bumps and dips. There is noticable difference than stock of course. I wasn't able to autox in these yet but steep on ramp turns felt more in control and the car was well balanced. There was almost zero body roll.
The thing to note is that these coilovers require at least a 1.0" drop. Thats kind of the drawback of using 1-way adjustable coilovers (you put load on the springs to raise the car). But then again, I suppose if you want less than a 1" drop, you shouldn't be looking at coilovers anyways.
Some installation tips: The rear spring perch sits on the bottom, not top, like BC racing. This makes it difficult to adjust while the spring is loaded. Luckily, its very easy to access our rear springs on the 350z. Also, during install the rear rubber mount (lower) should be removed to give a metal-to-metal contact between the spring perch and spring bucket. I didn't like this so I kept the rubber mount in. This didn't cause a problem and avoided any noises.
Generally, the cost of H&R coilovers seems comparable to BC racing. But for some reason, these coilovers can occassionally go on sale for a very low price. I think the MSRP is like $1300 or so but I was able to find sets for under $900.
Last edited by solidfish; 10-19-2009 at 02:34 PM.
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I have these and thought they were way too stiff....I took of the rear bump stop completely and the car transformed! Comfort went up big time because the car was always riding on the rear bump stops. Now I have to find a way to make a smaller bump stop but I've been using it for a few weeks without the bump stop and it has yet to bottom out ( and I live on the moon ).
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I purchased my 350Z and it came with the 1-way adjustable H&R Coilovers installed.
I have used this thread for referencing information and I finally am sitting down to add to this thread.
When I got the car the suspension was slammed and the performance was heavily affected. Driving the car casually around town was fine, except that the stiffness was very sharp and strong, and the suspension travel was limited. Sweeping corners were bouncy and the rear end didn't want to stay planted.
I adjusted the suspension to about a 1 inch drop and the comfort increased significantly, and equally importantly the performance increased. Road holding is excellent and performance stiff, great for a road course track.
The rear does make a clunking sound at low speeds over bumps. This is because it is a metal bucket holding the springs, a metal perch under the spring, and a metal spring. This is how H&R recommends it to be installed, although when I called them they said, "It's your car, you can put rubber," unofficially. They said that they did not get reports of sound coming from the rear of the car, which I was surprised to hear. The noise increased when the car was raised to 1 inch.
The feel of the coilovers is soft over flat and mild bumps and normal driving, and stiff, nearing harsh, over high speed dips and drops in the road. Performance is excellent, although you wish that there was more adjustability. The minor clunking in the rear is a big enough issue because such a high quality suspension shouldn't have this problem.
I have used this thread for referencing information and I finally am sitting down to add to this thread.
When I got the car the suspension was slammed and the performance was heavily affected. Driving the car casually around town was fine, except that the stiffness was very sharp and strong, and the suspension travel was limited. Sweeping corners were bouncy and the rear end didn't want to stay planted.
I adjusted the suspension to about a 1 inch drop and the comfort increased significantly, and equally importantly the performance increased. Road holding is excellent and performance stiff, great for a road course track.
The rear does make a clunking sound at low speeds over bumps. This is because it is a metal bucket holding the springs, a metal perch under the spring, and a metal spring. This is how H&R recommends it to be installed, although when I called them they said, "It's your car, you can put rubber," unofficially. They said that they did not get reports of sound coming from the rear of the car, which I was surprised to hear. The noise increased when the car was raised to 1 inch.
The feel of the coilovers is soft over flat and mild bumps and normal driving, and stiff, nearing harsh, over high speed dips and drops in the road. Performance is excellent, although you wish that there was more adjustability. The minor clunking in the rear is a big enough issue because such a high quality suspension shouldn't have this problem.
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Alby13,
The problem is that H&R has recommendations of how low you can go before warranties are void due to possibly bottoming out. Like you have experienced, you were probably riding on bumpstops which would make the handling very poor. Glad you like it though.
For anyone else interested in the H&R coilovers, we do have a special on these
https://my350z.com/forum/suspension/...-specials.html
The problem is that H&R has recommendations of how low you can go before warranties are void due to possibly bottoming out. Like you have experienced, you were probably riding on bumpstops which would make the handling very poor. Glad you like it though.
For anyone else interested in the H&R coilovers, we do have a special on these
https://my350z.com/forum/suspension/...-specials.html
#13
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Alby13,
The problem is that H&R has recommendations of how low you can go before warranties are void due to possibly bottoming out. Like you have experienced, you were probably riding on bumpstops which would make the handling very poor. Glad you like it though.
For anyone else interested in the H&R coilovers, we do have a special on these
https://my350z.com/forum/suspension/...-specials.html
The problem is that H&R has recommendations of how low you can go before warranties are void due to possibly bottoming out. Like you have experienced, you were probably riding on bumpstops which would make the handling very poor. Glad you like it though.
For anyone else interested in the H&R coilovers, we do have a special on these
https://my350z.com/forum/suspension/...-specials.html
The H&R coil overs are pretty dummy proof, but I do think that a lot of people have the mindset to lower the car just to make it look good. This system works in a realistic ride height, and I would more compare it to a matched spring and strut combination than an adjustable race suspension.
#14
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I just installed my H&R coilovers today. But first, I'd like to thank phenom for taking the time to answer some questions i had on these coilovers through private message. And thanks to bmurray350z for also taking the time to answer some questions and for direct messaging me on instagram pics of his coilover adjustments. That helped out a lot. Anyways, on to the pictures
Before: (stock suspension)
After: (h&r coilovers)
Before: (stock suspension)
After: (h&r coilovers)
Last edited by CJs_Z33; 01-07-2015 at 09:53 PM.
#15
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I just installed my H&R coilovers today. But first, I'd like to thank phenom for taking the time to answer some questions i had on these coilovers through private message. And thanks to bmurray350z for also taking the time to answer some questions and for direct messaging me on instagram pics of his coilover adjustments. That helped out a lot. Anyways, on to the pictures
Looking good with the drop
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