What do you look for in a coilover...

z4k

Super Mod
Driver
What do you look for in coilovers?
-Spring Rate? What rates are good for what?
-Damping? How much is enough?
-What else? I want to to everything...

 
stlthftr1 said:
the right spring rates for your purpose , adujustability and price i'd think .in other words , firm adjustable,cheap

Obviously. But what spring rate is right for what? Why?
 
thats all a matter of personal preferance, some people like really stiff coilovers some people like softer, cause stiffer isnt always better
 
i would say Ohlin's but there EXPENSIVE as ****.....Zeal I would say are probly the next best....then you have the under 2 grand but really nice coilovers, silkroad (my fav), tein (I dont like tien), Kei Office, Cusco....and so on, now on to the cheaper (under a grand) and still nice ones IMO, Megan Racing, and D2's there a couple more I think and if you include ground control as full coilovers?

Now a good set-up for the drifting we do and still drift on the street would be 8-6 and 8-7 for S14s.
I like 6-4 really good for daily and still nice on the track and drift....I HATE coilovers that have like 36way adj....good for track racing but not for the street.

Someone else can take it for the mono tube and blah blah......
 
S13 Grip said:
i would say Ohlin's but there EXPENSIVE as ****.....Zeal I would say are probly the next best....then you have the under 2 grand but really nice coilovers, silkroad (my fav), tein (I dont like tien), Kei Office, Cusco....and so on, now on to the cheaper (under a grand) and still nice ones IMO, Megan Racing, and D2's there a couple more I think and if you include ground control as full coilovers?

Now a good set-up for the drifting we do and still drift on the street would be 8-6 and 8-7 for S14s.
I like 6-4 really good for daily and still nice on the track and drift....I HATE coilovers that have like 36way adj....good for track racing but not for the street.

Someone else can take it for the mono tube and blah blah......

Anthony, zeals are pretty crappy. Their dynos always look like **** and much like tein, adjustments don't do anything. Buddy Club R specs are pretty bad ***. Also, two different lines of Ohlins exist and only one is worth anything. I get confused, but I think its the Euro line that's good and the Jap line that sucks. Actually, most jap coilovers suck. Their dyno's never look that great.

You all should learn how to read a strut dyno before you buy or even think about buying a coilover since that's probably the most important thing to know. Materials used should be next important, you don't want tons of unsprung weight on your coilovers (which is why inverted coilovers don't appeal to me) and you don't want crappy grade aluminum used either. Construction is next. Mono tube would be preferred. Caster adjustment on the camber plate (as well as camber adjustment) would make so much sense its silly why most don't include it. Seperate bound/rebound adjustment is a must for any serious coilover and external resevoirs. 1 million different damper clicks is cumbersome especially when they don't do anything...I like the Cusco and Koni approach personally. Diameter of the piston is important too. Ability to rebuild would be next. I want something I can have customized or rebuilt in a short period of time. If I have to send my crap back to Korea, I'm gonna be pissed.

Basically, I want Ground Control advanced design coilovers with proper camber plates (their camber plates suck even though they have caster adjustment) and external resevoirs (resevoirs are just me getting picky). When it's time to change (which will take place soon), that's what I'm going with. A true tried and tested race coilover.

Uras of the East said:
dampening is all on your preference.

Damping, not dampening. ;)

I love that on the Ground Control Tech page they have this:
What’s the difference between damping and dampening?

Damping is an engineering term for controlling or dissipating energy in a controlled manner. Dampening is what happens when you wet your pants.
 
Do you have any good links, or info on how to read the dyno? And where can you find the results(dyno)?
 
Also keep in mind that a softer suspension helps with bumpy tracks. In a place like the Orlando Speedway you could definetly benefit from this because of the banking.
 
I disagree about needing softer s/r's at OSW. A smaller, slower course like Hialeah on the other hand, softer than the typical 8/6 would be good.
 
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