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I've been looking around for a set of coilovers. Aside from spring rates and dampening adjustment, the items I see that are advertised most are monotube/twintube shock bodies and rubber/pillow ball upper mounts. Can someone please kindly elaborate on the differences between these items, and the effects it will have on the dynamics of the car, as well as ride quality, noise, etc?
Also, if anyone has any opinions on what to get, that would be welcomed. I am looking for a set that will be comfortable to drive on daily but good enough for some occasional track duty. The two sets I've been most interested in are the HKS Hipermax IIIs (for features) and the BC Racing coilovers (for value). Thanks in advance!
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"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit.' As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - A. Senna
You can go a LONG way on a set of lowering coils and good struts. They'll be cheaper than coilovers and likely give you a more comfortable ride around town.
Coilovers simply introduce one more thing to fiddle with (and get wrong).
(coming from a guy with coilovers!)
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"Racing makes heroin addiction look like a vague wish for something salty" - Peter Egan
Can any vendor chime in on this and offer some info?
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"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit.' As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - A. Senna
You can go a LONG way on a set of lowering coils and good struts. They'll be cheaper than coilovers and likely give you a more comfortable ride around town.
Coilovers simply introduce one more thing to fiddle with (and get wrong).
coil overs disadvatige , if they dont set up right you might be better with the stock suspension.
Thats about it.
Of course i'm talking about at least a good quality coilovers.
I cant really recall other disadvantage vs the factory ones. They are just simply better.
Maybe another one ... they cost more
If you are not racing then they are over kill, period.
If you go for looks then the good choice of springs are better for you.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by razorlab
This guy isn't racing, he is doing track events. This guy isn't racing in championships or anything like that, nor is he a "big race team", nor is it a "hard core race car":
There's a long thread somewhere in here with a long debate. What it really boils down to FOR ME is this:
Coilovers are overkill for a lot of people. They can be set-up wrong, or they can just plain be crappy coilovers with a pretty anodized finish and too many "features" that don't actually do anything. They can be fantastic as well, and ride better then stock, handle amazing at the track or auto-x, and last a long time. You need to pay a little more for those coilovers though and it helps to buy them from a trusted suspension shop that can help you set them up or do it for you. Robi is a great example of this and there are a few other places around that do this.
With a good strut + spring set-up, you can go pretty far too. Good ride quality, good handling, and they're cheap and easy to set-up. The CRUCIAL elements are that you do not lower the car too much. Handling and ride quality go out the door fast when this happens. Suspension travel is king.
So a good coilover is a bit better then a good strut + spring set-up IMO with these cars....but those start at $2k. On the lesser expensive side of things, I'd rather a good set of springs and struts (maybe add swaybars) then settling on a coilover based on price. That's just me. I'd urge you to go for rides with people near you to get an idea....so many people throw out terms on the net like "rides great," "handles like it's on rails," or "best suspension ever!" when they haven't really been on anything else. All this stuff is so subjective.
From looking at spring rates and drops, the Swifts appear to be the best springs out there for the X (but i wish Works would release there's so we could compare).
I tend to agree with GTWORX's advice - I would go further to reiterate that rarely (by simply purchasing a set of coilovers 'over the counter') would you be able to find a better balanced setup for street and track use than the stock setup for a car like the Evo X. This is coming from someone who has owned and extensively driven on 12 sets of coilovers (all reputable brands) in recent years on both street and track and found that 4 sets (through adjustments) proved to be genuine improvements.
My advice would be that you should define a clear objective as to why you dislike the stock suspension and then figure out the best solution and understand the respective trade offs. If there is a specific handling trait you dislike (e.g. lack of braking stability, low speed understeer at corner entry, high speed power oversteer at corner exit etc.) then it would make sense to invest in a set of quality coilovers with suitable adjustability. Prepare to spend upwards of $4K.
If it's mainly for looks, then it wouldn't really matter...
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jona31
I tend to agree with GTWORX's advice - I would go further to reiterate that rarely (by simply purchasing a set of coilovers 'over the counter') would you be able to find a better balanced setup for street and track use than the stock setup for a car like the Evo X. This is coming from someone who has owned and extensively driven on 12 sets of coilovers (all reputable brands) in recent years on both street and track and found that 4 sets (through adjustments) proved to be genuine improvements.
My advice would be that you should define a clear objective as to why you dislike the stock suspension and then figure out the best solution and understand the respective trade offs. If there is a specific handling trait you dislike (e.g. lack of braking stability, low speed understeer at corner entry, high speed power oversteer at corner exit etc.) then it would make sense to invest in a set of quality coilovers with suitable adjustability. Prepare to spend upwards of $4K.
If it's mainly for looks, then it wouldn't really matter...
Best of luck,
J
I too agree with this wise gentleman as well as GTWorx.
I tend to agree with GTWORX's advice - I would go further to reiterate that rarely (by simply purchasing a set of coilovers 'over the counter') would you be able to find a better balanced setup for street and track use than the stock setup for a car like the Evo X. This is coming from someone who has owned and extensively driven on 12 sets of coilovers (all reputable brands) in recent years on both street and track and found that 4 sets (through adjustments) proved to be genuine improvements.
My advice would be that you should define a clear objective as to why you dislike the stock suspension and then figure out the best solution and understand the respective trade offs. If there is a specific handling trait you dislike (e.g. lack of braking stability, low speed understeer at corner entry, high speed power oversteer at corner exit etc.) then it would make sense to invest in a set of quality coilovers with suitable adjustability. Prepare to spend upwards of $4K.
If it's mainly for looks, then it wouldn't really matter...
Best of luck,
J
i dont know who are you but this is awesome!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by razorlab
This guy isn't racing, he is doing track events. This guy isn't racing in championships or anything like that, nor is he a "big race team", nor is it a "hard core race car":
I do appreciate the advice I've been getting, but my original post asked something very specific pertaining to design in different coilovers. Here is what I wanted to know more about:
1. Advantages/disadvantages of Monotube vs Twintube shock body
2. Advantages/disadvantages of Rubber upper mount vs pillowball upper mount
I've done some research and I have the general idea (in theory) what differences they make, but I would like to hear some feedback from people who might've had personal experience with a wide range of coilovers. Thanks in advance!
__________________
"On a given day, a given circumstance, you think you have a limit. And you then go for this limit and you touch this limit, and you think, 'Okay, this is the limit.' As soon as you touch this limit, something happens and you suddenly can go a little bit further. With your mind power, your determination, your instinct, and the experience as well, you can fly very high." - A. Senna
Generally a twin tube will have better ride quality. Partially because of the stiction/friction inherent in a monotube and the lower gas pressures in the twin tube.
Monotubes generally are better for performance due to more fluid capacity and larger piston area (more damping control).
All this is of course debateable and you can exceptions to the "rules" if the valving is good enough....or if the valving sucks. Valving is key.
- Andrew
As for rubber mounts vs. pillowballs....rubber = quieter, smoother, but with really stiff spring rates the rubber can contribute to some bounce and the rubber flexes a bit (some sloppiness can be felt). This isn't really an issue with newer rubber mounts and spring rates up to about 8k or 9k.
Pillowballs are a more direct connection, better feedback, less deflection....but can make some noise or add to harshness. Especially with low quality bearings. They can also wear out after time. Camber plates have a ton of advantages if you want the extra camber obviously.
