Longevity of coilovers?
#1
Longevity of coilovers?
Im looking at buying a set of JIC FLT-A2 Coilovers for my FC. My only concern is that my car is mainly street-driven. I dont want to be blowing out the struts in a few months. Is expecting them to last a few years unreasonable? I dont drive it everyday, mainly a weekend/track day car, but I still would like to get some life out of them. Ive never owned a set of coilovers before, so Im not really sure what should be expected of them. If someone could clue me in, Id appreciate it
#6
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I dunno, I'm curious too. I am getting FLT-A2's next year.
I'm just keeping my current suspension so I can put it on if I ever need to send the coilovers off to JIC for a rebuild.
FWIW a friend of mine blew half a set of Cusco Zero2R's driving on bumpy roads..
john
I'm just keeping my current suspension so I can put it on if I ever need to send the coilovers off to JIC for a rebuild.
FWIW a friend of mine blew half a set of Cusco Zero2R's driving on bumpy roads..
john
#7
Originally Posted by alberto_mg
Why do you want coil overs on a street driven car? You won't blow out the shocks in a few months, but you might blow out some fillings on your teeth.
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#8
Mechanical Engineering
i think JIC is really expensive, i would just go with some adjustable shocks and some decent springs, because my friend has illumina adjustable springs and eibach springs on his Mr2 and feels plenty confident and manuverable
#9
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I would say a little more than 30,000 miles . . . depending on the road conditions in your area and what you drive on . . I know a lot of people who are running "off-road use only" coilovers and have been running them for a while with no problems . . . TEIN HE and TEIN FLEX . . .
#10
Racing Rotary Since 1983
iTrader: (6)
properly engineered coil overs should last as long as the oem units they replace. i have 40,000 miles on mine. i own a shock dyno and they have exactly the same rate they had as new.
your FC has a strut front so go with a properly rated Eibach spring and a ground control adjustable ride height collar and whatever they recommend as a suitable shock. they would also have both a spring and shock rec for the rear. rates as a guess should be around 450/500 fr and 250 rear if you are going to drive it on the street.
i run RS*R coil overs on my fd which are rebadged Tein HAs. i recommend Tein as they are very well built and ( under $1000 for the FD) inexpensive. they do not use 2.5 inch race springs, which offer different rates, but do use a smaller diameter than oem spring and ratewise are in the ballpark.
good luck,
howard coleman
your FC has a strut front so go with a properly rated Eibach spring and a ground control adjustable ride height collar and whatever they recommend as a suitable shock. they would also have both a spring and shock rec for the rear. rates as a guess should be around 450/500 fr and 250 rear if you are going to drive it on the street.
i run RS*R coil overs on my fd which are rebadged Tein HAs. i recommend Tein as they are very well built and ( under $1000 for the FD) inexpensive. they do not use 2.5 inch race springs, which offer different rates, but do use a smaller diameter than oem spring and ratewise are in the ballpark.
good luck,
howard coleman
#11
Originally Posted by FC3Sideways
I would say a little more than 30,000 miles . . . depending on the road conditions in your area and what you drive on . . I know a lot of people who are running "off-road use only" coilovers and have been running them for a while with no problems . . . TEIN HE and TEIN FLEX . . .
I would think they can last much longer than that. I had a set of APEXi WS's for almost 40k with no signs of wearing down. I suppose it would depend on usage, specific spring rates, etc. Of course, I don't have experience with race or "off-road" type coilovers.
#12
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Guys, I have a set of kei office XT that I'm gonna sell becuase I've realized the need for a triple adjustable shock especially when you visit different tracks often AND something that's a bit more "dual duty than most japanese coilover systems... haha I also found out that they're not cheap... If anyone's interested, they're called JRZ (ya'll probably already know of them) and the website for them is www.eldaengineering.com ...4.5k for a set of newley assembed one's for your FD (eek) BUT they are the best quality i've ever seen and as Mr. Coleman suggested they will probably outlast your OEM units.. They have adjustability for low and high speed compression as well as rebound (hence "triple adjustable") and come with eibach race springs with rates that are tailored to your FD (or FC).. The last coilovers you'll ever need. Dual duty and yet the caliber and adjustability of a GT class race car. (haha, ok so I like 'em all right?!) ...think about saving for those instead of a pair of jic's with loose tolerances around the pillowball for that good 'ol mind-numbing clunking over every bump, less adjustability, and frequent visits to the dentist to replace teeth that have fallen out. hehe, just a thought ^_^
#13
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Im using the FLTA2 setup on my FC in conjunction with hardened bushings.
I can't say enough good about them. Quality and build is tremendous. The ride is excellent. I've had my set for almost a year now with no problems. If you're going to SS let me know for a closer inspection.
I can't say enough good about them. Quality and build is tremendous. The ride is excellent. I've had my set for almost a year now with no problems. If you're going to SS let me know for a closer inspection.
#14
kill it with BOOMSTICK!
Okay, now I have another question (sorry to bring this thread back from the dead, but I rather search and do this then make a new thread on the same topic), what would you reccomend for an FC, the JIC FLTA2 or the SF1's. Pretty much the only difference is the fact that the FLTA2's have adjustable shock dampening, whereas the SF-1's are fixed rate. Same adjustable spring height and all, just the lack of adjustabe rate shocks.
I want to do some tuning, but being that the car is street driven mostly, I don't know if I need to spend the extra money for a feature that I won't use much, if at all. Just looking for some feedback, being that I have found a site that has the SF-1's for ~$1200, which is the cheapest I have seen so far.
And another question, do I want to use JIC or maybe another manufacturer. Just looking for some help on this topic. Right now I am also planning on putting in all poly suspension bushings when I do this, just so you know, as well as maybe some aftermarket sway bars, which I need some reccomendation on as well.
I want to do some tuning, but being that the car is street driven mostly, I don't know if I need to spend the extra money for a feature that I won't use much, if at all. Just looking for some feedback, being that I have found a site that has the SF-1's for ~$1200, which is the cheapest I have seen so far.
And another question, do I want to use JIC or maybe another manufacturer. Just looking for some help on this topic. Right now I am also planning on putting in all poly suspension bushings when I do this, just so you know, as well as maybe some aftermarket sway bars, which I need some reccomendation on as well.
#15
Rotary Freak
iTrader: (19)
I would recommend Silk Roads, Kei Office and Zeals, in that order as well (mainly for price, th eSilk Roads are the best you can get for the money hands down, jst does not have a Name of HKS or Apexi). I have heard more bad than good about the JIC's and Teins. I know quite a few people with 40K+ miles (one has about 65-70K) on Silk Roads who live in NYC/Northen Jersey/PA were the roads are **** and they still are like brand new.