simronrx7

iTrader: (8)

So I'm about ready to bite the bullet for some coilovers. I already have tokico shocks and eibach springs and loves the performance but the rears are shot so might as well upgrade to something I can also go lower in the rear with to match the front.

Right now my biggest issue is I don't exactly know which brand I want to go with. #1 thing I'm looking for is ride quality. I've had bcs and stance coilovers before and the ride is a bit jarring. I want something that can handle the bad streets I'm surrounded with.

The 2 main contenders are Ohlins dfv and hks hipermax IV Gt coilovers.
Ohlins have 11k/11k spring rates. Hks has 8k/8k spring rates. But Ive heard valving makes a big difference on ride quality as well.
I'm also getting a really good deal on fortune autos(with swift springs) which a lot of people are swearing by saying they love them but to me they seem like it'd just be buying bcs all over again?

Please post your thoughts and opinions on what you think is best for a street driven fd with these 3 coils.

Natey

iTrader: (19)

I'd hit up Rishie (ARDT2 on this site, AutoRnD on google) for a set of Zeals if you drive your FD on the street a lot. If you ever come down to Santa Cruz, I'll take you for a ride in my car which has Zeal B6s witch came with 10k/8k springs.
That said, the Ohlins are probably the better choice out of your two options.

eage8

iTrader: (9)

The only coilovers I would touch out of those choices are the ohlins.

The HKS might be ok, I haven't seen any dyno graphs from them though and they're not a suspension company, so who knows who's actually building them / valving them for them.

Fortune auto is meh, I haven't been impressed by the dyno graphs, they seem to have way too much damping in most cases. they're a lot of hype.

Ohlins has a great reputation for being an amazing street suspension and has very good damping. It's easily the best choice.

You can't take most people's advice on suspension, they're all going to think what they have is the best. most of them don't know what a good suspension is even supposed to feel like.

Natey

iTrader: (19)

If you're referring to me and the Zeals, do some research. I did before I spent my money.

evo_koa

iTrader: (2)

i recently installed a set of k sport coilovers that pettit racing reworks. they are 12k frt 10k rear, they re-valve them and change out the dampening. I have been very pleased with them. i autocross and they performed great

IRPerformance

iTrader: (41)

I've put together cars with both Ohlins and HKS Hipermax and the Ohlins ride better hands down.

Banzai-Racing

iTrader: (11)

I run the HKS Hypermax IV GT on my 20B, they are a great coilover. Even on the insanely bumpy Indiana roads the ride is still smooth. They do not have the stiffness of other coilovers, that feel like your car is going to break in half at any second.

I also ran the Apexi coilovers on my 20B which have 12K/12K spring rate, the valving provided a smooth ride even with the stiffer springs.

HKS also recently released the HKS Hipermax Max IV SP with 16K/16K springs, they are on backorder until Sept., we have a set coming in for a customers autocross car.

Most coilovers can be setup to run fairly smooth, many people have a tendency to slam the car as low as they can go, then run the shocks on full stiff, which will always provide a less then comfortable ride on any type of cracked street.

eage8

iTrader: (9)

I wasn't... but this thread is essentially proving my point. a lot of people with maybe 1 or 2 data points and no knowledge of damper dyno graphs or damper construction making recommendations to go with what they have.

unless you can find non-averaged dynos of the HKSs with full sweeps of the adjusters I wouldn't go near them.

Banzai-Racing

iTrader: (11)

I am not making any recommendations, simply stating what I have run and currently run on my street driven car on crappy roads.

Reality is that the Tokicos have a lifetime warranty, if you like your current setup, just replace the shocks for free and call it a day.

When my Tokicos died I replaced them with Koni Yellow Sports which were far superior. The Koni/Eibach setup now resides on our other FD.

I try not to get involved in these opinion based threads for this very reason.

IRPerformance

iTrader: (41)

I figured I'd add that the HKS aren't bad at all and ride quite well. I just don't think they compare to Ohlins.

Banzai-Racing

iTrader: (11)

Funny that you have any experience at all with the new Hypermax IV GT since they just came out a month ago and we got one of the 2 sets that were in stock in the US.

IRPerformance

iTrader: (41)

Seriously bro? What's your point? If you have a rare part great. Honestly I can get just about anything if I want. Just have to know where to look. Nice suspension either way. I just prefer Ohlins being that I've driven on both back to back.

ZDan

I was driving on Tein SS 9k/7k, and honestly I couldn't stand it anymore on the potholed streets I drive on. I got 11k/11k Ohlins and the difference is PROFOUND. I went from practically stopping for every minor road imperfection, or driving a crazed circuitous path to avoid anything, to blissfully gliding over the worst bumps/potholes/etc. Despite the stiffer spring rates, it's like riding on a fricking cloud now

Valving makes a MUCH more profound difference in ride quality than spring rate. Soft springs with crap damping will suck. Even very firm springs with good digressive damping will give MUCH better ride quality.

I think the Ohlins were worth it when they were $3k when I got mine. Now at $2400, they're a bargain.

I would go ahead and get different spring rates for either the front or rear to give more even wheel rates. The stock 11k/11k spring rates results in rear wheel rates +20% stiffer than the fronts, which isn't ideal. I tried it and after a couple of track events decided to go to 13k fronts, which works great for me. For a street car, I would get 8k or 9k springs for the rear to go with the stock 11k fronts.

MattGold

iTrader: (103)

I don't think they are rare - just new. I think he was making the point that the new Hipermax IVs rode great on bumpy roads.

Perhaps you were thinking of the Hipermax IIIs or other HKS coilovers - and perhaps you didn't drive on the Ohlins and the Hipermax IVs back to back but another set of HKSs.

The question wasn't about any 'ol Hipermax's but specifically the IV's.

I don't think anyone was comparing ***** size.