If money is no object, keep your street car comfortable and buy a race car for the track. Similar to brake pads, what works on the track does not work well on the street. There are no coil-overs that allow you to adjust the spring rate with the flick of a switch or twist of a ****, which is what you'd need to have a single unit that works well for both street and track.

-Max

 

you didn't feel a difference? there's like an 8kg difference in spring rate....

the fastest fd's in japan run higher rear spring rates, im not exactly sure why but it seems to work. maybe it has something to do with running a lot of downforce? i was thinking of giving it a try

i would go with amemiya coilovers if you dont know how to adjust 3 way dampers, motons if you do. imo the quality of the damper makes a bigger difference in ride quality. i have 14/12 kg springs (thinking about going stiffer) and when i soften the dampers the ride is fine for the street. i've never had anyone complain

though with the amemiya coilovers you'd definetly want to run r-comps and wing might be a good idea otherwise you might have too much oversteer.

another option are dg-5 coilovers, its keiichi tsuchiyas company. i have kei office type xr (from his old company) and they are great. good for both the street and the track, i highly recommend them. i think their spring rates are better for those who dont want to run a wing.

 

azn akia, i think u should try the Quantum or Ohlin.. coilover.. they are one of the great brand for coilover ( even GTR 35 use them too )

 

Doing some research on the DG-5's, it seems they are designed for drifting but will also perform well as a grip coil-over. This is what I could make out from the DG-5 site (http://www.dg-5.co.jp). They're spring rates though definetely seem to be more favourable over the Quantum's though.

Also, are the Quantum RS spec the same as the RE Spec on rhdjapan? Or is it possibly just a typo and they are the same?

I also thought about the downforce for the RE-Amemiya QUANTUM's since the RE car has plenty of it but wasn't sure that was the reasoning.

I do have someone to set up the moton's but I would rather be able to do it myself. Are the Moton's that much more complex?


So many choices... I'm leaning toward the Quantums and have read good things about them. Anyone have anything else to pitch in?

"Im not sure what spring rates etc they are but the ride is amazing! So responsive and plush with not being too stiff."
"They don't ride as harsh as you may think due to the way the damper is built. Very very good kit"

thewird

 

Nitto Nt01,s front 255/55 f and 275/40 r.
wrong thread owns me!

 

I would call TriPoint engineering or TrueChoice Racing services and get a set of Koni competitionon double adjustable shocks valved for SM2 autox, matched to springs of their recommendation. These are coilovers BTW.

Then I would ditch the ST swaybars and put in a TriPoint front adjustable bar and Racing Beat rear adjustable bar.

About $4k for all the parts.

Quite a bit less then Penske's or Motons, probably just as good.

 

Already have the new Racing Beat sway bars front and rear, as well as the front mount reinforcement strut.

Forgot to mention, thanks to everyone that has participated in this thread. It's going much better then I thought it would. Very usefull info.

thewird

 

please read my post carefully next time

re-amemiya greddy suspension spring rates:
-Front : 10kg

-Rear : 8kg

Greddy suspension type S
1993-96 front 10K-L200mm/ rear 8K-L200mm FD3S

Spring rates sourced from greddy.com and rhdjapan

 

I think he understood you talking about the Quantums.

thewird

 

Maybe i should have done this from the first place.. dont mean to be mean or an ***..just emphasizing.

 

IMO, getting race dampers for a car that is not 100% pure race/competition is just a waste of money especially when you consider the amount of maintenance they require. The reason of "I can" is not always a good one. i.e. you "can" drive a car with your feet; however, that doesn't mean you should.

+1 on jkstill's suggestions. For a dual purpose car, which is what you have, you aren't going to get any better than re-valved double adjustable Koni's. The RB sways aren't much better than stock which is why jkstill recommend Tripoint's which is adjustable. Most of the serious guys are running the Tripoint front sway with something like the Tanabe rear sway.

 

why is ohlin's coil's over looked. they are 3 way adjustable, and fully aluminum. Plus ohlins'a have good serviceablilty, from what I have heard.

 

Well, I have always upgraded things as the need arises. Below is roughly my upgrade path. A lot of little things are missing but that is what I could remember on the fly...

Getting engine ready for abuse (not for this thread)....
Brakes were fading like no tomorrow... Got Hawk HP+ all around and new slotted rotors... That helped but wasn't good enough...
Changed brake fluid to Motul 5.1... better but still not good...
Got Stoptech BBK with matching rear rotors... mmm so much better but balance was a little off...
Got Hawk DTC-70 pads for the front... ah yes perfect ...
Then wanted more stable car in the corners... Koni yellow shocks + H&R springs... mmm, new shocks and springs vs 15 year old shocks are like night and day, success ... Now car leans too much in the corners...
Get racing beat front/rear sway bars + reinforcement strut... Ah good but now I need more grip....
Start using Hoosier R6's... omg bbq, lap times start dropping like a rock ...
Water temps go up to fast (10-15 minutes 106C)... order FDNewbie/Intransigent Dual Oil Cooler Kit... ah great, i can stay on for 20+ minutes and water temps only 96-98C...
Want to go faster... increase boost to 17 pounds and one day try 18 pounds and blow the motor (yes it was tuned for it but i was running lean on purpose 12 afr)... Build new motor with ceramic apex seals and port the intake manifold and order FEED throttle body... also order 500R-SP turbo (still hasn't arrived)...
Notice my suspension doesn't work as well as race car's I run with, open this thread which seems to be pointing to RE-Amemiya QUANTUM's...

edit: ah yes, also got 24 piece superpro bushings because some were worn and decided to do a complete overhaul to something better.

What more after this? Guess we'll find out after suspension and new turbo is on

thewird

 

Even with all that, IMO my last post is still the path you should take. Custom springs (Swift or Eibach), re-valved double adjustable Koni's, adjustable Tripoint front sway bar, Tanabe rear sway bar, Widefoot Swaybar mounts.

 

What is the reasoning behind "Custom springs (Swift or Eibach), re-valved double adjustable Koni's" vs the quantum's for example?

If the sway bars need to be upgraded, i'll get to that but I only upgrade one thing at a time so I can feel the difference each modification makes.

thewird

 

Most important, you can get Koni's easily and quickly serviced here in the US from multiple locations. Next, you'll be guaranteed that the shocks have been dyno'd for the requested valving. Lastly, there are a lot of shock dyno's around showing that Koni are about the most predictable dampers around until you get to the race equipment like Moton or Penske.

Just because RE runs Quantums doesn't mean they are running them "as is" straight off the shelf. i.e. don't think that just because you by the same thing, you'll have the exact same performance.

Also, you can do just custom springs or you can use the Ground Control coilover sleeves if you want the additional height adjustability.

Do as you wish, but IMO I think you are making a mistake going for a pure race damper.

 

Good old Marco, always wanting the most expensive stuff.. You're one crazy young man

 

^^^ I completely agree 100%. Very well put Mahjik.

I know thewird's car; he's pulled some lightening quick times at our local track called Dunnville. But I still advise against high-end race coilovers unless you want to make your FD a dedicated track car. Even so, as Mahjik had pointed out, maintenance will be difficult.

Also, I'd strongly recommend Delrin bushings. They provide an absolutely linearity in the handling of the car.

Howi

 

Agreed with Mahjik.

Servicability is everything if track is this important to you. Get something that can be serviced and turned around within 2 weeks. PENSKE would be nice.

By custom spring rates he simply means you can get 2.5" ID coilover springs at the rate of your choice and have your Dampers valved accordingly.

If you worked with a company like Tripoint or Ground Control and specified corner balance values, track topography, etc... however detailed you could be, they can set you up with a custom suspension.

Same goes for Moton, Ohlins, JRZ also. the money will be spent in the custom build and service you desire. The name you choose is up to you.

Now Tein also makes a Super Racing Damper which is Double Adjustable, independent, and possibly a better value. They have all the tools to valve and design this however you want.

Rishie

 

The right way to go about this is to read up on dampers, springs, bars, everything suspension related and understand how they all work together, then calling up a race shock company like the ones already mentioned here and getting them to build you a shock for your purposes. It is absolutely crucial that you understand a shock dyno, otherwise you are purely getting fleeced by marketing bullshit. Data do not lie.

If you're hardcore you can get racer revalvable shocks - you can put in your own shims, jets, plates and adjust valving in as little as 10 minutes. The more exotic way is to get adjustable shocks. Be sure that the rebound and compression spectrum is what you're looking for though.

The lazy way to do it is to go with pre-determined rates, i.e., Teins, DG-5's, Quantums. These are marketed for the average week-end racer who has no interest in hardcore suspension engineering. How hard do you want to work? Btw, low-end Konis are crap. The hysteresis is terrible.

Here's an example of a PROPER shock dyno.

 

Any opinions on the Zeal Function X coil-overs.

Spring rates F11k / R10K (custom spring rates re-valved also available)

I still haven't made up my mind on coil-overs. This is turning out to be the most difficult decision in my car...

thewird

 

Quoted for the truth, for those who are not local to thewird should know that he doesn't listen to what people say. Just goes on his own and buys things... ie. his.. I can attitude..

I say listen to what Mahjik says. I think the name brand is fooling this young man.

 

I've been running ZEAL B6 coilovers for a couple of years now with no complaints at all. They are tuned more for "spirited" street driving than the track (f10k r10k which means you won't **** blood if you hit a Bot-dot), but definitely more confidence inspiring on the track than the Koni yellow/RSR Down combo I was running before. With the ZEALs and a set of swaybars, I'm playing with Caymans and 'vettes all day long.

My FD's not really a daily driver. I take it up to the hills for some fun a couple times a month, but it's mostly a toy for Laguna Seca. The ZEALS, IMO, are a great set up for someone like me, who doesn't street-drive the car TOO much, but also want's a 1/2way decent ride on the way to the track.


If money were no object, I'd be looking into a set of Penskes and a trailer.

 

More like I try to make my own decision. If I wasn't listening I would have already bought the quantum's and be done with it.

thewird

 

the more you dig into it the more confused you ll be.
write down all the brands/models, close your eyes, point ur finger at one and open your eyes ! and buy that one ! lol
all the suspension that were mentioned in this thread are good !!!!!!!!!