cams or coilovers?

[numbnuts240]

see that makes sense...s***, i almost asked why it's done so much on street cars, but it's just bragging rights after that.

[flohtingPoint]

Buying coilovers you'll never cornerweight or tune in any other way IS a "Honda" thing. Save your money, buy lowering springs instead.

Dead on. Coilovers are for serious track folk, not for your run of the mill project car for driving on the street.

see that makes sense...s***, i almost asked why it's done so much on street cars, but it's just bragging rights after that.

99% of stuff done to street cars is done for bragging rights. Nobody needs a bigger turbo to get to work or a test pipe to drive to Safeway. It's basically all done so that they can put stuff in their message board signature block or talk about it when they're hard parking.
Modified by flohtingPoint at 9:01 PM 2/9/2010

[Red coupe]

That's what I was thinking. Coilovers are certainly not the only suspension option. If all you're after is a drop, springs and shocks are fine. Spend the money you save on some poly bushings and your car will feel like a whole new machine.

well they are nice because they give you a shock that is designed for the spring rate & height of spring they are being used for, and most often camber plates and solid upper mounts with height adjustabilit, and you don't have to thing or match compatible parts...

But for a similar price, or maybe a LITTLE bit more you could likely put together a better set up overall if you took the time to figure out what you were doing, and call some suppliers for help.

That said, coilovers (or equivalent) isn't really only for track cars. Sure, preload adjustment is likely to be ignored by just about everyone... but adjustable shocks are very nice and even if you aren't using them to get every last 10th of a second they really help to make the car fit you and drive the way you want. It doesn't take 10/10ths driving to enjoy a decent suspension set up.

[Urabus GodofTraction]

well they are nice because they give you a shock that is designed for the spring rate & height of spring they are being used for, and most often camber plates and solid upper mounts with height adjustabilit, and you don't have to thing or match compatible parts...

But for a similar price, or maybe a LITTLE bit more you could likely put together a better set up overall if you took the time to figure out what you were doing, and call some suppliers for help.

That said, coilovers (or equivalent) isn't really only for track cars. Sure, preload adjustment is likely to be ignored by just about everyone... but adjustable shocks are very nice and even if you aren't using them to get every last 10th of a second they really help to make the car fit you and drive the way you want. It doesn't take 10/10ths driving to enjoy a decent suspension set up.

Most cheap coilover sets are the same inserts packaged into different hardware and spring rates. Rarely are they correctly matched to spring rate or length.

[Red coupe]

Most cheap coilover sets are the same inserts packaged into different hardware and spring rates. Rarely are they correctly matched to spring rate or length.

Buy cheap s***, get cheap parts.

By the way, where are you getting this from? Anything to back it up or just trust in the internet?

edit: Most cheap coilovers will also use the same spring rate and spring length too, so even with parts bin shocks it will still match.

Not saying that every cheap coilover does a good job of matching it. Ask a 4 year old to machine you a shock mount for you and you will get crap. Ask a korean company to make as many as possible for the cheapest price and you will only get slightly better... Ask a good company and you will get quality. That s*** should go without saying.

My point is that you did pretty much whip that fact out of your a**, or at the very least based it off assumptions and message boards. How many 240 coilover kits have you held in your hand, and how many do you know the suppliers of each part for?
Modified by Red coupe at 2:02 PM 2/9/2010

[Urabus GodofTraction]

Buy cheap s***, get cheap parts.

By the way, where are you getting this from? Anything to back it up or just trust in the internet?

edit: Most cheap coilovers will also use the same spring rate and spring length too, so even with parts bin shocks it will still match.

Not saying that every cheap coilover does a good job of matching it. Ask a 4 year old to machine you a shock mount for you and you will get crap. Ask a korean company to make as many as possible for the cheapest price and you will only get slightly better... Ask a good company and you will get quality. That s*** should go without saying.

My point is that you did pretty much whip that fact out of your a**, or at the very least based it off assumptions and message boards. How many 240 coilover kits have you held in your hand, and how many do you know the suppliers of each part for?

Modified by Red coupe at 2:02 PM 2/9/2010

Hi. You know I was big into RX-7s, right? They're like 240SX's, but faster and sexier and less tolerant of idiots. Back when RX7Club.com was good and not owned by some soulless corporation, Good-win Racing had a big writeup on coilovers, the product of their quest for good budget coilovers to sell. Everyone of them was junk. The valving was so far off for most of them it was clear how the companies mix and match inserts and springs. You know what they settled on? Koni Yellows and Ground Control spring perches. They've since gotten out of the FC business because nobody wanted to pay the extra money for quality when Megan made ZOMG $600 coilovers!

NASIOC also has very good coilover tech, the intelligent guys are vehemently opposed to really low rides, thanks to the wonderful McPherson strut suspension.

First - if you have to ask, you probably don't need coilovers. This is the Rule of Biggly (tm).

Plus I mean a quick googling will reveal ride problems with cheap coilovers of all sorts. Struts that are correctly valved for a spring rate won't pogo like the budget aesthetic coilovers are prone too.

[asoomal]

Cams.

How gives a crap how low your car is.

[slipknot555_666_69]

Cams.

How gives a crap how low your car is.

the coils wouldnt be to just make it lower but to handle better too

if i did do anything to make it look good it would be suspension parts not just omg look at my huge wing and chopped springs to just make it sit low

i just cant decide weather to upgrade motor or suspension first

[asoomal]

I doubt GodSpeed coils will make it handle better.

I'd rather do all of my bushings, including the subframe ones and adjust the alignment. Also, get some beefy sways.

[Red coupe]

Hi. You know I was big into RX-7s, right? They're like 240SX's, but faster and sexier and less tolerant of idiots. Back when RX7Club.com was good and not owned by some soulless corporation, Good-win Racing had a big writeup on coilovers, the product of their quest for good budget coilovers to sell. Everyone of them was junk. The valving was so far off for most of them it was clear how the companies mix and match inserts and springs. You know what they settled on? Koni Yellows and Ground Control spring perches. They've since gotten out of the FC business because nobody wanted to pay the extra money for quality when Megan made ZOMG $600 coilovers!

Lol, so basically

you did pretty much whip that fact out of your a**, or at the very least based it off assumptions and message boards.

This. And carefully dancing around Quote »How many 240 coilover kits have you held in your hand, and how many do you know the suppliers of each part for?[/quote] the fact that the answer here is 0 by acting condescending.

Yes, I know you used to have an RX7. No, I did not know you were "big into them"... I though you just owned one, and read s*** off forums to recite on other forums.

[Urabus GodofTraction]

Lol, so basically

This. And carefully dancing around the fact that the answer here is 0 by acting condescending.

Yes, I know you used to have an RX7. No, I did not know you were "big into them"... I though you just owned one, and read s*** off forums to recite on other forums.

Oh yeah sure. The Chinese put extra care into the 240SX coilovers because they know you own one!

I've gotten my paws on probably a dozen makes and models of coilovers between RX-7s, Miatas, and WRXs. I've also tossed 944s, BMWs, Honda, and a Golf around the cones. I can tell you, from my butt-compression dyno, that cheap coilovers are almost to the set underdamped for their spring rates, no matter the car or the brand.

Also, I spent several hours drunkenly observing Koni techs rebuild shocks and struts at 3 Rolex 24s... does that count?

How about YOU prove that companies give a f*** about matching springs to struts, ehh?

[Red coupe]

Also, I spent several hours drunkenly observing Koni techs rebuild shocks and struts at 3 Rolex 24s... does that count?

Do you seriously think that it would?

If so... I am kinda worried about you man.

[Urabus GodofTraction]

Do you seriously think that it would?

If so... I am kinda worried about you man.

Well what with state dependent learning and all...

Don't be a 'tard.

[slipknot555_666_69]

I doubt GodSpeed coils will make it handle better.

I'd rather do all of my bushings, including the subframe ones and adjust the alignment. Also, get some beefy sways.

already got upper and better lower sway bars, all bushing r good they dont look all dry rotted or busted up (thought about getting stiffer ones but would like it to sit lower and lose some of the rollover effect)

[Veriest1]

So what do you plan on using the car for anyway?

[slipknot555_666_69]

pretty much just a dd

[Urabus GodofTraction]

Yup. You need springs and shocks. You'll be wasting coilovers.

[Dattebayo]

For what it's worth, KYBs hold up pretty good for what they are. Your kind of driving won't kill those things... as long as you don't go super low on the drop, that is. I think 2 inches is the most?

[flohtingPoint]

For what it's worth, KYBs hold up pretty good for what they are. Your kind of driving won't kill those things... as long as you don't go super low on the drop, that is. I think 2 inches is the most?

I second this. Tok Illum's aren't bad either for a drive-around performance shock.