coilovers or springs/struts?
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2JZ Sellout
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: Renton
coilovers or springs/struts?
I have a 94 FD with the stock suspension. I am planning on up grading but I am curious to know which is better. I am palanning on using the car mostly on the road with a little auto-cross mixed in. So I would like to know what is better for street use. Coilover suspension or I am looking at the racing beat springs with koni struts.
thanks for the help.
-Chris
thanks for the help.
-Chris
Where is Lynnwood? Is that Washington state?
IMO, a lot of it depends on the condition of the roads you drive on, the weather you are exposed to and how comfortable a ride you want.
Most coil overs come with solid metal "pillow ball" upper shock mounts. Stock is rubber which helps isolate the transmission of NVH (noise vibration harshness) so that the ride is more comfortable and quieter. Most coil overs also come with higher rate springs. Higher rate springs mean less comfort and also less traction in the wet (stiffer suspension = less traction).
If you are doing lots of street driving, I don't consider coil overs the best choice. I once tried a set of RSR coil overs that use the stock shock mounts and relatively low spring rates of ~460f and ~360r. These are the ones that howard coleman generally recommends as his favorites. For street driving I thought the spring rates made the car more uncomforable on highways that weren't nice and flat. Expansion joints and pot holes were pretty rough. There was also less traction in the wet - even just slightly damp conditions caused the car to break free much sooner.
Over the course of a couple of months I tried a few different suspenions - full stock, stock shocks with H&R springs, Konis with stock springs, Konis with H&R springs and the previously mentioned coil overs. I found the Konis with the upgraded springs to be a great combination that met my goals - slightly stiffer spring rate (for less body roll and slight slowering) and good ride quality for street driving.
The racing beat springs are considered to be a little too soft and lower a little too much for some people. This becomes a problem in autox situations where the tire sometimes rubs the fender liner and the wiring harness under there. Many people swear by the Eibach springs which is what I would try if I didn't already have the H&Rs. H&Rs have been working well for me as well as others. check the Suspension archives for a few threads about this subject.
IMO, a lot of it depends on the condition of the roads you drive on, the weather you are exposed to and how comfortable a ride you want.
Most coil overs come with solid metal "pillow ball" upper shock mounts. Stock is rubber which helps isolate the transmission of NVH (noise vibration harshness) so that the ride is more comfortable and quieter. Most coil overs also come with higher rate springs. Higher rate springs mean less comfort and also less traction in the wet (stiffer suspension = less traction).
If you are doing lots of street driving, I don't consider coil overs the best choice. I once tried a set of RSR coil overs that use the stock shock mounts and relatively low spring rates of ~460f and ~360r. These are the ones that howard coleman generally recommends as his favorites. For street driving I thought the spring rates made the car more uncomforable on highways that weren't nice and flat. Expansion joints and pot holes were pretty rough. There was also less traction in the wet - even just slightly damp conditions caused the car to break free much sooner.
Over the course of a couple of months I tried a few different suspenions - full stock, stock shocks with H&R springs, Konis with stock springs, Konis with H&R springs and the previously mentioned coil overs. I found the Konis with the upgraded springs to be a great combination that met my goals - slightly stiffer spring rate (for less body roll and slight slowering) and good ride quality for street driving.
The racing beat springs are considered to be a little too soft and lower a little too much for some people. This becomes a problem in autox situations where the tire sometimes rubs the fender liner and the wiring harness under there. Many people swear by the Eibach springs which is what I would try if I didn't already have the H&Rs. H&Rs have been working well for me as well as others. check the Suspension archives for a few threads about this subject.
