Jump to content
SAU Community

Coilovers, what to choose?

Stepho1337
 Share

Recommended Posts

Stepho1337 Rookie

Stepho1337

Posted
Posted

I’m looking to get a new pair of coilovers for my r33 gtst, and I’m not sure what to get. I’m looking for the more budget friendly ones, and mainly for street use, but would be nice if they were able to do some amateur drifting/track aswell. Currently had my eyes on the Blitz ZZR’s, but also the Cusco Street Zero A’s and Tein Flex Z’s. Any recommendations? Maybe anyone got any experience with some of these? 

I’m currently on the Maxspeedingrods coilovers, so I don’t have a lot to compare with. Other than that, the car is properly built. The car is mainly used for fun when I feel like it, and is not my daily.

IMG_2303.jpeg

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/485593-coilovers-what-to-choose/
Share on other sites
Murray_Calavera Mentor

Murray_Calavera

Posted
Posted

If there is nothing wrong with your current coilovers, I would not roll the dice on a upgrade to one of the coilovers you've listed above. I strongly expect that you would not be able to tell the difference between the two. 

I'd suggest that you keep saving up the pennies and pick up something from MCA or Shockworks. 

  • Like 2
Kinkstaah Grand Master

Kinkstaah

Posted
Posted

Yep, I agree with the above. I was about to suggest BC's as they are absolutely the most tried and true budget option, but you already have....something, so unless that something fails, save up and follow the above advice when the time is right.

MBS206 Grand Master

MBS206

Posted
Posted

After having a look at dyno testing ShockWorks did, going to the Cusco, there would be an epic amounts of difference, especially daily driving a car vs the MaxSpeedingRods coil overs.

From a bunch tested in the below video, ShockWorks found that even a 20 year old Cusco coilover still outperformed all the others tested, and also showed how epically shit the MaxSpeedingRods coil overs are!

 

https://youtu.be/smNWdkv2i7U?feature=shared

  • Like 1
Kinkstaah Grand Master

Kinkstaah

Posted
Posted
17 hours ago, MBS206 said:

After having a look at dyno testing ShockWorks did, going to the Cusco, there would be an epic amounts of difference, especially daily driving a car vs the MaxSpeedingRods coil overs.

From a bunch tested in the below video, ShockWorks found that even a 20 year old Cusco coilover still outperformed all the others tested, and also showed how epically shit the MaxSpeedingRods coil overs are!

 

https://youtu.be/smNWdkv2i7U?feature=shared

This was super interesting! I wish it was a little 'better' a video as I spent a lot of time pausing to compare the dyno graphs with my own printouts which I previously had no reference to...

Happy with my Bilsteins now very much and their handling characteristics which were previously a bit weird to me now make a lot more sense.

Stepho1337 Rookie

Stepho1337

Posted
  • Author
Posted
On 23/6/2024 at 2:43 AM, Murray_Calavera said:

If there is nothing wrong with your current coilovers, I would not roll the dice on a upgrade to one of the coilovers you've listed above. I strongly expect that you would not be able to tell the difference between the two. 

I'd suggest that you keep saving up the pennies and pick up something from MCA or Shockworks. 

Thanks for your opinion on this. I’m just so sceptical to the Maxspeedingrods, and don’t really want them on my car. Was thinking that maybe some quality brand would be an upgrade anyways. 

Stepho1337 Rookie

Stepho1337

Posted
  • Author
Posted

About the Cusco’s from that youtube video, I guess those are some more expensive ones from back in the day. The cheaper ones noe do have twin tube dampers, at least as far as I can read, and I’d like to avoid that. I see that the Blitz ZZR are monotube like the more expensive ones, I was thinking that those might be a great deal, at least from reading the specs. At least compared to the Maxspeedingrods. I do live in Norway, and we have shitty roads here, so I probably don’t want the car to be to stiff.

Kinkstaah Grand Master

Kinkstaah

Posted
Posted

It's not that it's stiff. If you think about it, the shocks with stiffer dampening will unsuprisingly.. be stiffer.

The issue with the Maxspeedingrods in the video is that they were progressive. So under small bumps they would be VERY compliant, then the bigger the bump is the harder the 'wall' you would hit. The shocksworks and the other digressive brands have different characteristics going by the shape of their shock curve.

MBS206 Grand Master

MBS206

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Kinkstaah said:

It's not that it's stiff. If you think about it, the shocks with stiffer dampening will unsuprisingly.. be stiffer.

The issue with the Maxspeedingrods in the video is that they were progressive. So under small bumps they would be VERY compliant, then the bigger the bump is the harder the 'wall' you would hit. The shocksworks and the other digressive brands have different characteristics going by the shape of their shock curve.

ShockWorks actually explain it really really well.

It had f**k all body handling capability.

And they took like 100mm of travel to build up the dampening you need on a fast action.

 

So it means hitting a huge bump in the road like a pot hole, the shock is doing basically until you've already fallen in. So basically, on a big hard bump, it does absolutely f**k all for a few inches, and then slaps you in the back with a sledge hammer.

 

Whereas for good control, and to absorb the bumps rather than being stupidly bumpy / bouncy, you want the really quick acting shocks so that they're able to control the spring immediately.

 

Basically, MaxSpeeding, terrible for track work, and useless on the road, especially if you have lots of bumpy roads!!!

  • Like 1
Kinkstaah Grand Master

Kinkstaah

Posted
Posted

Sorry yeah, by 'VERY COMPLIANT' I could also be referring to 'too compliant'. I wonder if all the springs were similar rates. Surely that'd have something to do with how appropriately damped they truly are.

GTSBoy Grand Master

GTSBoy

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Kinkstaah said:

I wonder if all the springs were similar rates.

The dampers with the higher rates would have to be coupled to springs with higher rates. Otherwise you just get massively overdamped suspension, which is no damn good either.

When I was a kid one of my coworkers had a 116 Alfetta GTV. He had Koni Ds in it wound to max. The Konis only adjust rebound. It had standard torsion bars. As he drove it would absorb bumps and get lower and lower and lower until it was essentially as compressed as it could be because the dampers were too much for the poor little bars to push back up against. Was funny as f**k to watch happen - no damn good to drive. I had the same dampers on mine, with stock bars, and only adjusted about 25%. They were great. Would compress and rebound exactly as you'd expect.

TurboTapin Proficient

TurboTapin

Posted
Posted

I have HSD Dualtechs and would not recommend them. I always planned on replacing them and I've been more so bothered by their excessive stiffness recently. Their time is limited. On another note, I will have a fantastic set of HSD Dualtechs for sale soon 😂

  • Haha 1
  • 2 months later...
niZmO_Man Grand Master

niZmO_Man

Posted
Posted

I think... in the US, Silvermax is the equivalent of BC Racing, i.e. cheap Taiwanese built suspension that gets turned for "local" conditions.

Back in the day in Australia, you could get MCA street for about $1300 and they were awesome. Don't know about now...

In saying that, my real world TEIN experience: I got some street basis z for my old Liberty (BR9), and they were awesome ($800-odd delivered from demon-tweeks in the UK). so Don't discount TEIN

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • GTSBoy
      After market rear camber arm adjustment

      By GTSBoy · Posted

      Wheel alignment immediately. Not "when I get around to it". And further to what Duncan said - you cannot just put camber arms on and shorten them. You will introduce bump steer far in excess of what the car had with stock arms. You need adjustable tension arms and they need to be shortened also. The simplest approach is to shorten them the same % as the stock ones. This will not be correct or optimal, but it will be better than any other guess. The correct way to set the lengths of both arms is to use a properly built/set up bump steer gauge and trial and error the adjustments until you hit the camber you need and want and have minimum bump steer in the range of motion that the wheel is expected to travel. And what Duncan said about toe is also very true. And you cannot change the camber arm without also affecting toe. So when you have adjustable arms on the back of a Skyline, the car either needs to go to a talented wheel aligner (not your local tyre shop dropout), or you need to be able to do this stuff yourself at home. Guess which approach I have taken? I have built my own gear for camber, toe and bump steer measurement and I do all this on the flattest bit of concrete I have, with some shims under the tyres on one side to level the car.
    • Jarsky
      R33 Fuel Pump & Brakes after alarm swap

      By Jarsky · Posted

      Thought I would get some advice from others on this situation.    Relevant info: R33 GTS25t Link G4x ECU Walbro 255LPH w/ OEM FP Relay (No relay mod) Scenario: I accidentally messed up my old AVS S5 (rev.1) at the start of the year and the cars been immobilised. Also the siren BBU has completely failed; so I decided to upgrade it.  I got a newer AVS S5 (rev.2?) installed on Friday. The guy removed the old one and its immobilisers. Tried to start it; the car cranks but doesnt start.  The new one was installed and all the alarm functions seem to be working as they should; still wouldn't start Went to bed; got up on Friday morning and decided to have a look into the no start problem. Found the car completely dead.  Charged the battery; plugged it back in and found the brake lights were stuck on.  Unplugging the brake pedal switch the lights turn off. Plug it back in and theyre stuck on again. I tested the switch (continuity test and resistance); all looks good (0-1kohm).  On talking to AVS; found its because of the rubber stopper on the brake pedal; sure enough the middle of it is missing so have ordered a new one. One of those wear items; which was confusing what was going on However when I try unplugging the STOP Light fuses (under the dash and under the hood) the brake light still stays on. Should those fuses not cut the brake light circuit?  I then checked the ECU; FP Speed Error.  Testing the pump again; I can hear the relay clicking every time I switch it to ON. I unplugged the pump and put the multimeter across the plug. No continuity; im seeing 0.6V (ECU signal?) and when it switches the relay I think its like 20mA or 200mA). Not seeing 12.4V / 7-9A. As far as I know; the Fuel Pump was wired through one of the immobiliser relays on the old alarm.  He pulled some thick gauged harness out with the old alarm wiring; which looks to me like it was to bridge connections into the immobilisers? Before it got immobilised it was running just fine.  Im at a loss to why the FP is getting no voltage; I thought maybe the FP was faulty (even though I havent even done 50km on the new pump) but no voltage at the harness plug.  Questions: Could it be he didnt reconnect the fuel pump when testing it after the old alarm removal (before installing the new alarm)?  Is this a case of bridging to the brake lights instead of the fuel pump circuit? It's a bit beyond me as I dont do a lot with electrical; so have tried my best to diagnose what I think seems to make sense.  Seeking advice if theres for sure an issue with the alarm install to get him back here; or if I do infact, need an auto electrician to diagnose it. 
    • Duncan
      After market rear camber arm adjustment

      By Duncan · Posted

      Then, shorten them by 1cm, drop the car back down and have a visual look (or even better, use a spirit level across the wheel to see if you have less camber than before. You still want something like 1.5 for road use. Alternatively, if you have adjustable rear ride height (I assume you do if you have extreme camber wear), raise the suspension back to standard height until you can get it all aligned properly. Finally, keep in mind that wear on the inside of the tyre can be for incorrect toe, not just camber
    • V35Newbie
      After market rear camber arm adjustment

      By V35Newbie · Posted

      I know I have to get a wheel alignment but until then I just need to bring the rear tyres in a bit they're wearing to the belt on the inside and brand new on the outside edge. I did shorten the arms a bit but got it wrong now after a few klms the Slip and VDC lights come on. I'd just like to get it to a point where I can drive for another week or two before getting an alignment. I've had to pay a lot of other stuff recently so doing it myself is my only option 
    • Duncan
      After market rear camber arm adjustment

      By Duncan · Posted

      You just need a wheel alignment after, so just set them to the same as current and drive to the shop. As there are 2 upper links it may also be worth adding adjustable upper front links at the same time; these reduce bump steer when you move the camber (note that setting those correctly takes a lot longer as you have to recheck the camber at each length of the toe arm, through a range of movement, so you could just ignore that unless the handling becomes unpredictable)
×
×
  • Create New...