springs

[get_up_mark]

im going to order springs for my stock shocks for the time being i cant afford coils. i want my car to illiminate all or mostly all wheel gap and handle much better. i dont mind sacrificing alittle comfort but i dont want the ride to be to harsh. the springs are only going to be used for moderate drifting with an s14. let me know what u guys are using and your opinion on them thanks.

[chmercer]

if you put springs on your stock shocks you will have blown stock shocks very quickly. if you want to eliminate all of the wheel gap and have your car handle much better save up and buy some coilovers. putting drop springs on stock shocks is just going to cause more problems.

[Q45tech]

Aftermarket cheap non adjustable shocks [Tokico Blues, AGX, etc] are just 10-15% stiffer than oem when new[designed to make up for oem bushing wearout] ...........they really cannot handle the 15 x 2 ~~30% increase is inch pounds a stiffer minor lowering spring [stiffer over shorter travel] creates for long.

Springs by themselves cannot do much for handling in the sense of increasing G forces before tires wash out [oem size load index are always undersized to create front understeer].

Tires are 85-90% of handling ---------suspension is the rest, assuming it is decent to begin with.

Lowering 1" at best proves a 2.5% increase due to lower center of gravity....less weight transfer to tire but that is about all any lowering can accomplish because the bump steer changes so radically making handling worse!

A soft fast wearing performance tire can improve things 5-7 even 9%.

[skydragoness]

Aftermarket cheap non adjustable shocks [Tokico Blues, AGX, etc] are just 10-15% stiffer than oem when new[designed to make up for oem bushing wearout] ...........they really cannot handle the 15 x 2 ~~30% increase is inch pounds a stiffer minor lowering spring [stiffer over shorter travel] creates for long.

Springs by themselves cannot do much for handling in the sense of increasing G forces before tires wash out [oem size load index are always undersized to create front understeer].

Tires are 85-90% of handling ---------suspension is the rest, assuming it is decent to begin with.

Lowering 1" at best proves a 2.5% increase due to lower center of gravity....less weight transfer to tire but that is about all any lowering can accomplish because the bump steer changes so radically making handling worse!

A soft fast wearing performance tire can improve things 5-7 even 9%.

Q45Tech is exactly right

If your'e running a tire that's not up to the task, i.e. like an a/s tire, or something crappy in general. You will break traction much easier than you would on stock springs. It's better to save up for the coilovers (if that's what you really want) than to compromise your suspension by throwing lowering springs on tired OE shocks. The first step you can make in better handling/braking is better tires. There's a nice list Exar has in the Tire sticky.

[slydin'240]

They are correct but since you said you can not afford coils then you can go with Tein or Eibach springs. But like mentioned above expect to have blown struts soon. You can go with the KYB GR2's with either of these springs. Oh not the sportlines tho, you will blow struts like crazy with those unless you go with KYB AGX'x but with the money you would spend on AGX's aand Eibach sportline you might as well buy coilovers.

Bottom Line - KYB GR'2 and Eibach prokit or Tein S Techs will give you the results you are looking for.