Well Im just about ready to get some coilovers, but I'm wanting to stay under the 1k mark. I do not need stiff spring rates nor do I need the damper adjustment. I just want to be able to raise and lower the car at will whenever.
I've come down to a few choices

TEIN Basics
Tanabe Sustec Type 2
Tanabe Sustec O zero's

So are there any choices and what does everyone recommend? I've heard great thing so far on the TEIN's but I always like to try to do something different usually.

Thanks
Jeff

 

I would go with the Tein Basic's.

 

Jeff - call me Monday, I can walk through the instock options and features

 

Ok Adam, sounds good!

 

any other replies?

 

Yes

Not to long ago on of the car mags (Motor Trend I believe) sampled a group of tuner 350Z's. One of the car's had one of the Tanabe coilovers on your list. They did not pay a very pretty picture of them. I don't have the issue before me but I specially recall "soft and floatly and hitting the bumpstops" as their comments. Not enough I'd say.

On the Basic's the only thing I'll say is to make you aware of how they alter the front to rear spring rate balance. I don't know if you will push the car hard handling wise for this to matter, but your asking for replies so. These deal with known tuning laws, that can be viewed here http://www.wtrscca.org/tech.htm and here http://rogerkrausracing.com/overundr.html

Tein Basic Coilovers
350Z/G35 Coupe & Sedan
F/R spring rates Linear springs
504/504
Front to rear spring rate balance change VS OEM on
350Z +45% stiffer front and +20% rear (25% transfer to front)

As we know, stiffer front springs will increase understeer, furthermore sway bars are not ment do overcome disobeying the tuning laws, but to fine tune


If 448lbs springs are run in front balance VS OEM
changes to: +29% front +20% rear (9% transfer to front)
Tein offer the springs all you they cost you is $165 and can be purchased from any factory authorized Tein dealer. They don't subsitute the original stiffer springs you still get those.

I see the Nismo suspension as a option, but you have to be ok with them being non ride height adjustable, setup wise their spot on however.

Nismo S-Tune suspension 350Z and G35 coupe
448lbs linear* front and 504lbs rear progressive
$1200 from this forum advertiser http://www.gruppe-s.com/350z/zsus.htm

(*slightly debateable, but under load I'll argue they act linear
and any possible progressiveness would be very slight at best)

I could name other options, but I believe you've list is a short one because of price point. And those other options might go stiffer than you would want, I dunno. My biggest worry concern's these entry level coilovers not having the ability to adjust dampning. But given the cost savings over one's that do, I'll admit it might be worth that risk.

 

Basically, from what you said Gsedan35, the numbers show that the basics would increase understeer over the stock setup cause of the increased spring rate of the front springs. The basic setup has the front and the rear springs at the same rate, same as the much more expensive flex setup that everyone loves.

So what is being said here is that the systems with same rates, F/R, such as Tein and HKS are worse for understeer than the systems with lesser spring rates in the front, such as JIC and Nismo.

I don't have much track experience, but I know that understeer is much safer for the average driver than the rear end coming around on them. I know you aren't supposed to try to compensate for understeer by getting some sway bars and setting them soft to medium in the front, and stiff in the rear, but it could be solve this problem just a little.

To a novice, it would seem that stiffer springs in the front would increase roll stiffness in the front, and make the car actually handle better. Oh well, novices are usually wrong anyway, lol.

 

1. Yes. We'll have to say their's a fuzzy line where we have to ask at what point percentage wise will a behavior change occur. I wouldn't think less than a +10% transfer of spring rate would be readily obvicious to the average driver . But +25% and up will be noticeable. One reoccuring theme I try and put on the table as I said in my post is, "I don't know if you will push the car hard handling wise for this to matter". The 350Z is setup to understeer from the factory, if you drive you Z (or G) in a way that you are not getting the most out of the car because of that behavior and you DO NOT want MORE of it, that's who I'm talking too. On the flip side, if you don't push hard enough to reach the limits very offten, I doubt the fact's I bring to the table are speaking to you. It depends on how you drive and what you want out of your setup change. I am not calling for a shift of roll stiffness to the rear, just warning against shifting too much MORE to the front than the current OEM setup does. Getting your spring setup right is the foundation to the chassis setup, again speaking to those that will be pushing the car offten enough to have a reason to care, don't push it much, I don't except you to care and that's totally cool, not everyone does.

2. The Basic's use the same rates as the "OLD" tein flex setup, thing is you cannot buy that setup anymore. The current setup has this front to rear balance Tein Flex coilovers
F/R spring rates Linear springs
672*/672*
*original kits were 560/560, most product reviews are based
on the 560/560 rates, buyer beware if your using these
review's to make a purchase decision.
Front to rear spring rate balance change VS OEM
350Z/G35 Coupe +94% front +60% rear (34% transfer to front)

Most all reviews that exist on this board and on other forums on the flex coilovers is based on the older spec'd setup and yes those review's paint a very bright picture to the flex setup. But to those that find the handling limits offten, they just might better served if that setup didn't transfer 25% roll stiffness to the front for less understeer and being able to rotate the car in a manner that is more akin to a sports car.

3. Yes. Take a look at who runs the Jic's on the Z, more people that track or push their car really hard run them and for a reason. One being,
560lbs front 672lbs rear
front to rear balance:
350Z +65% front +60% rear (transfers 5% to front)
Proper tuning rules applied, only a +5% increase in front roll stiffness (Jic did not bless the G35coupe setup in like fashion, it uses the same front to rear rate. Jic's reason, it's what the customer want's, things are really bad for the sedan setup 560lbs front and 392lbs). Also their is a difference between the flex twin tube design and the Jic's mono tube design. "A twin-tube design, when compared to a monotube, has a longer stroke capability and greater oil volume in a similarly-sized unit. Therefore, the twin-tube will tend to give a smoother or more forgiving ride characteristic and still supply the firmness for proper handling control in vehicles that see average or long suspension stroke length. The larger piston area of the monotube will give more control over much shorter stroke lengths or at the lowest piston speeds, but also tends to ride more harshly for exactly the same reasons. In racing applications where heat generation is more likely to be a factor, a monotube can cool itself more quickly because the shock body is the wall of the working cylinder."* the key being the short stroke performance of the mono-tube, the harshness issue (as reported by Jic user's here) is a concern of mine and give me pause given I drive 100% street.

*Source http://www.grmotorsports.com/shocks.html
Go down half page and look for "dampner design" Excellent resource given who contributed the info as listed at the bottom of the web page.

4. My point is to simply advise the buyer of any system to ask themselves how they feel about the current balance and if they want more understeer or if they would NOT want more. Again, I'm not saying to increase the rear rates, unless it is to bring back the oem front to rear rate balance.

5. Roll stiffness change = changing where you want work to be done, if very simple terms. Stiffening the front means you want more work to happen up front to handle more weight, meaning a already understeering car, will do it more. Novice, I dunno I think it takes a pretty smart cookie choose the Z or G

Ya know all this has me thinking about the rear wheel rate factor.

Wheel Rate : is the effective spring rate of the spring at the center of the wheel. The spring rate is always softer when considered at the wheel because the spring always is located at some distance from the wheel. The further the spring from the wheel, the softer the wheel rate. Given that this platform places is rear springs inboard, they have to use a higher rate spring to leverage the same force vs if they were located closer to the wheel. Hmm, I have thread to go find

 

Wow, Gsedan35 your a boatfull of information!

Im leaning towards the TEINs right now, we'll see I'll decide in a week or two

 

Well, I am more experienced than I admit, but in asking questions, you can usually find out more about the subject. Thanks Gsedan35. Ultimateone, make SURE you post your thoughts on the tein basics if you put them on your car.

Well, I do drive my car hard on a regular basis. I know I would feel the difference, just trying to balance that with my preference to not spend an arm and a leg on suspension. Really, I like hanging corners more than I do straightaways, but for this car, you have to put a significant amount of money in it to improve acceleration, while I don't think you have to put as much money in the suspension, other than getting rid of the bounce.

Reading what you said, Gsedan35, it almost makes me look again at the Nismos. If they were not so dang expensive, I might actually buy them. I just can't see myself paying that much for non-adjustable suspension, athough they might not need the adjustment, I still don't want to spend the extra money on them. It is always interesting to me that most people mention that you can't adjust damping on the basics, but that is the last thing they say about the nismos.

I am still undecided on this, as I am on other things for my car, lol. But I do know that the nismos are the top I will consider moneywise. I know they are solid, and will feel good on the daily drive and on the track. Don't know if that security is worth over $400 to me though, especially when we are talking about a reputable company in Tein.