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hey,

After taking my car to get the springs change 2day, it looks like it is time to replace my shocks (my right shock is pretty fu cked). So i am in the market to buy some coilover/shocks does anyone requiment a brand, which are the best ect? Im looking to pay $1500 around the max (as my oldman is helping me pay for them).

I was told that the Australian made coilover kits (height adj.) are just as good as the jap spec brands, and it is really just a name (i cant remember the name it started with W)

also is it worth buying second hand or should i just get brand new? also was told that j-spec brands r hard ?

i was looking at greenline motorsports;

HKS Hipermax II ¥137,745

Full Set. Includes pillow ball upper mounts.

r they high adj? are they any good?

thanks mike :D

p.s sorry about all the noob question

;)

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General opinion seems to be that Jap coilovers are too hard for Aus roads.

My opinion ...any coilover setup is too hard for Aus roads.

I have Aus built DMS full adjust. with Whiteline springs....but only for track... and you'd need a lot more than $1500

You can get lower spec Whiteline combinations though, and I can reccomend Whiteline products.

http://www.whiteline.com.au

My opinion ...any coilover setup is too hard for Aus roads.

My Zeal's are good, and fine on aussie roads, but they seems to be the exception. And they're worth about $4k new or something :-s

For cheaper, some whiteline springs and Koni shocks are a common recommendation. Might get a set for $1500 fitted.

Otherwise speak to somebody who buys from japan, and you may be able to get something for $1-$2k which would cost you about $5k new.. brands like HKS, Cusco, Tein, zeal, etc.

i dont wanna buy just shock then get some springs, i want coilover (springs built into the shocks kind of if you know wat i mean)

drifta; told me to go to wilkinson suspension and get some aus built coil-over siad they would be cheaper than j-spec and just as good, so im tring to see wat is my best opinion

i dont wanna buy just shock then get some springs, i want  coilover (springs built into the shocks kind of if you know wat i mean)

drifta; told me to go to wilkinson suspension and get some aus built coil-over siad they would be cheaper than j-spec and just as good, so im tring to see wat is my best opinion

Heh! wakeup! we ARE talking about Coilovers

depending on who you speak to, a separate spring and shock setup will be equally as good as a "coilover". Don't just buy coilovers, because everybody has them and they'll sound cool to your mates. I know plenty of skyline drivers going around with non-coilover setups and they're handling equally as good as the coilover people (if not better in some situations).

* sigh*

Mike , what I said was that all R33 Skyline shocks are coilovers, ie. the coil goes over the shock.

What you want is a height adjustable one which is done by winding the springs up and down using a c spanner.

A lot of the cheaper new Koni's and Bilsteins use a circlip type adjustment which requires the disassembly of the spring/shock to achieve a height change.

Wilkinsons do a Aussie brand style adjustable platform coilover which may be in your price range but will check Monday.

Fialing that will check to see what Whiteline sells ( as we are an agent)

And as I said a quickish height change is good for show/go/sticker removal ;)

Cheers

Ken

i guess its horses for courses. if u want real low and stiff go coilovers, if u just want stiff u could do it without the coilovers (but then if u get low springs that are illegal its hassles)

however now even if the coilovers are wound up, some pits seem not to pass them coz theyre just too hard they say. ;)

my DR30 has KYB insert front shocks (top adjustable) with some jap lowered (not slammed haha) progressive rate springs.

rear has some lowered (sortof :D) springs, and i just bought some new Koni's and firmed them up a bit out of the box.

overall, this as it is is quite high, (say 2 finger gap tyre to wheelarch front and back) but still okay, and it is stiff and bumpy like coilovers i had in my S13, but probably does handle a bit better around bends as it doesnt push understeer coz its too stiff, it still lets the car lean and transfer weight a bit.

so as it is now (tho the Konis might wear softer over time :)) it handles as good if not better than my S13 which had Cusco and JIC coilovers at one time for a few weeks each.

i had the HotBits coilovers that Wilkinsons sell, i bought them brand new, not the normal ones i got the 'harder' street/race with helper springs, and fully adjustable camber tops, and they cost me around $3000 bought and installed. and in my opinion they werent worth it. they were too bouncey and soft feeling, and still caused understeer. i prefered the bumpy JIC coz they felt more sure footed and handled as good if not beter even on poor tyres.

however, as the DR is now, it probably outhandles both of these cars, with 205/60/15 tyres, and misalinged front wheels (need that alignment haha)

so yeh u can get a nice firm feeling car that handles well, but it doesnt look mean and low. then u can get Jap coiloivers, which will be probably slightly harder again, allow u to realy dump ur car, but my actualy handle a bit worse coz it will cause understeer if theyre too low, and may skip or feel uncertain if the road is inevenly surfaced or rippled on high speed turning.

try and go for a spin in some peoples R33's with coilovers and with normal shock absorber combos. i reckon this would be the best way to go and see if the ride/handling tradeoff with the height/adjustment is wat u want!

sorry for long post ;) but suspension seems to have accidentaly become a forte of mine, ive spent probably 5000 or more on different stuff for different cars, still havent realy liked ne of it hugely :cheers: meh haha

most types of jap coilovers are rock hard

drift spec coilovers

but i 'ms ure the main companies do make softer track style ones

which woudl be more aimed for track use or street than for drifting

just gotta shop around i spose

when I was buying my car, I saw it had coilovers and I was delighted cos they're cool etc but when i started driving it, I changed my mind pretty *****ing quickly :freak:, they're fine on the new motorways and all but over here the rest of the roads are junk and i have an average of 2.74 tyres on the road at any given time... rock solid.

Given the choice now, I'd go for standard set up, good shocks and springs....

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