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Old Aug 20, 2008 | 06:51 PM
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Powered By Max coilovers

I just got my set in the mail today. I will post up a review with some drive time. Does anyone else have a set of these?
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Old Aug 26, 2008 | 03:23 PM
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please post

i only heard reviews on the 240sx forums
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Old Aug 27, 2008 | 12:27 PM
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I got them. First one with a set stateside. Im good friends with Dan at PSM. love em
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Old Aug 27, 2008 | 02:15 PM
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Key Features:

COMPETITION SUSPENSION coilover key features:

* Full tap independent adjustments
* Aggressive damping range with fast adjust:
* Allows you to do 32 clicks of damping change in just 10 clicks!
* Pillow ball upper mount on front AND REAR!
* Replaceable shock & customizable spring
* Super low ride height ability
* Billet T6061 lightweight aluminum Lower mount with urethane bushing.
* All aluminum components are hard anodized
* High rigidity/High precision piston rod design exceeds racing standards
* Adjustable to super low ride height
* Full thread tap piston and locking collar allows vehicle height to be adjusted independent of the spring preload.
* 2 collar wrenches are included.
* Light weight T6061 aluminum spring perch and locking collar designed to bear the weight of vehicle
* Spring upper perch provides independance between the spring and the pillowball.
* Racing spring available to special order in custom Kg (even numbers only) .



Initial Impressions:

I payed for these on Thursday, got a confirmation email on Friday and they arrived at my house on Wednesday. I tore open the box like I used to when I was a little kid opening Christmas presents. The coilovers where individually wrapped in bubble wrap. I could tell right away that they where beefy. They looked and felt strong. I lined them up next to my stock struts and shocks (sorry no pics...) and they where noticabley lower without any adjustment.

Installation:

My friends recommended that I lower them all the way and then intsall them because its easier to raise coilovers then it is to lower them once they are on the car. I ignored the advice and put them on my car as they where. The installation was very straight forward and easy. I did the front ones first followed by the rears. Loosen the strut bolts but dont remove them. Remove the bottom bolts (dont know the technical name, they where rusted in and took a while to get loose). Secure the front breaks so they dont damage the break lines. Remove the top strut bolts and remove the stock suspension. Install the coilovers (I dont know if I mounted them right...the camber plates on these run diagonally instead of horizontally). The rears where even easier. I used a jack lift to lift the coilovers into the strut towers and then tightened them from there.





Driving on stock settings:

It was pouring outside (typicall Washington weather) so I didnt get to push the right away. I noticed that everything felt more built, stiffer. The steering felt more precise and crisp. I could feel every imperfection in the road. When accelerating and shifting at redline, the car didnt jerk anymore, the back tires just broke loose. I had no traction from first to third gear (lost traction in first, shifted, no traction in second, shifted, regained traction in third). After it dried up I got to drive around with my friends SC300. He has the same coilovers. I was following him and we where entering a spiral on ramp. He took off. I followed. I was in third gear and the shift buzzer came on. My body was being pulled to the side and the car was stable. No loss of traction it gripped the road.

Driving on the softest settings:


One of my friends (drives a silvia, works at a VW dealership as a mechanic) told me I should run them all the way stock for around 100 miles to properly break them in. I listened to him. They felt slightly more comfortable (who cares I bought these for performance not comfort) but still really stiff. Ive been sliding around on them lately. I can power over in second when its raining out. I actually feel like im in controll with these coilovers (stock chopped suspension felt sloppy, rushed and panicked). It is easier to countersteer and correct the car after a slide and it doesnt jerk after I correct it anymore.

Driving on the stiffest settings:


Coming soon...

Slight problem:

They pop at low/parking lot speeds. Ive been told by my friends that I need to tighten the top nut with an impact wrench and others that my pillowball mounts are binding...I emailed PBM and il keep you updated.

Overall: I am very pleased with these coilovers! They are exactly what I wanted and you cant go wrong for $1065 shipped!

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Old Aug 27, 2008 | 03:05 PM
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whats up with the front camber plates??
more camber = less caster? thats odd.
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Old Aug 27, 2008 | 03:35 PM
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Did I mount them backwards?
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Old Aug 27, 2008 | 07:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Josh18_2k
whats up with the front camber plates??
more camber = less caster? thats odd.
That's not odd, that's stupid design being marketed to ignorant people as a "feature". If you can't adjust camber and caster independantly, it's best to leave the caster alone and adjust camber only.

I'm always very sceptical about cheap coilovers, it's not cheaper if they break in a year or two and you have to replace them, or if they turn out to suck and you have to replace them.
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Old Aug 27, 2008 | 10:03 PM
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Top mounting holes in front are notched for an additional camber adjustment
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Old Aug 27, 2008 | 10:14 PM
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RE TurboII's Avatar
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also my camber plates are facing different directions. if you turn them you can add caster and add negative camber. turn yours so they are they are like / rather than yours that are like \

the slashes indicate the top hat. lol get it?. once you change them you can push the coilover back to add negative camber and it will also induce postive caster
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Old Aug 28, 2008 | 03:14 PM
  #10  
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How does caster effect handling?
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Old Aug 28, 2008 | 05:26 PM
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caster gives you more camber as you turn the wheel. the more caster you have, the less camber you need for the same amount of cornering grip.
the downside to too much caster, is that it increases steering effort, and i think something else.. cant remember.
in your case, i'd rotate the plates 90 degrees, and set camber around 1.5 degrees. as a starting point.
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Old Aug 28, 2008 | 06:45 PM
  #12  
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Originally Posted by Josh18_2k
caster gives you more camber as you turn the wheel. the more caster you have, the less camber you need for the same amount of cornering grip.
the downside to too much caster, is that it increases steering effort, and i think something else.. cant remember.
in your case, i'd rotate the plates 90 degrees, and set camber around 1.5 degrees. as a starting point.
I did. This is the car I tried to copy with the settings:

http://www.gtfactory.jp/cms/e107_plu...wtopic.php?233

heres a pic.

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Old Aug 29, 2008 | 12:18 AM
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RE TurboII's Avatar
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yeah thats martins car, i believe hes around negative 1.5-1.75ish front camber, dont remember his caster though. just remember about the notched holes on the mounting. if you wanna reduce negative camber but add caster those come in handy.
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Old Oct 28, 2008 | 02:54 AM
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Man ive had these bad bois for almost a year and they have been through some rough roads!!! man they still feel like the day i got em... more people on here need to try these and stop bashing them, i mean really its a great product that ive had many other drivers drive my car and say WOW what suspension is this, followed by do they make em for my car... so unless you guys have ever ridden in a car with these bad bois just stop bashing them
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Old Oct 29, 2008 | 08:47 PM
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+1 I'm rocking a set, so is my best friend no problems to date.
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Old Feb 23, 2009 | 05:29 AM
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Does anyone here have these on a FD? I am looking at either these coilovers of the Tein Flex coilovers. I am just wondering if they work well on the FD & if they are a quality coilover? A couple of my friends have 240sx's & they love them.
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Old Feb 23, 2009 | 05:42 AM
  #17  
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ive been rocking these for almost a year. no problems and still super stiff like the day i bought them.
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Old Apr 24, 2009 | 12:57 PM
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how uncomfortable is it to use them for daily driving? ive been thinking of purchasing these, the way they deal with damaged coil overs is great!!!
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Old Jun 3, 2009 | 02:32 PM
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i got mine yesterday and cannot seem to remove the passenger side stock suspension! i tried a breaker bar Ive tried soaking it overnight and tried again this morning! i think im gonna have to pay to get it done at a shop because i don't have an impact gun!!!!!
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Old Aug 5, 2009 | 01:12 AM
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Any More news on these? Been intrested in buying a set. Anyone who have had them for a while have any comments?
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Old Sep 6, 2009 | 02:14 PM
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Stiff.
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Old Jun 7, 2010 | 02:09 PM
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Bump for a real man's set of coilovers...
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Old Jul 6, 2010 | 01:05 AM
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mine is coming in tomorrow and will track them this friday. ill let u know how it goes
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Old Jul 6, 2010 | 02:21 AM
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I was referred these buy a s13 buddy (we all have a handfull) but was kinda skeptic on them seeings as they're the only legit coilovers for 1k (I think). But glad to see everyone liking them. Think I'm gunna have to get some!
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Old Jul 7, 2010 | 01:16 AM
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just installed mine with a friend. took us 7 hours LOL. mounted the camber plates wrong i had to take tires off again and turn them. rode them around the block and my alignment is all messed up haha but pretty stiff.... didnt set the coils evenly and all the sides are lowered at different heights... anyone know an easy way to lower them without removing the lower struts to turn them?
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