im looking for good coilovers around $1,000 that can keep me about stock height and not be super stiff. maybe megan racing? i drive an 04 wrx sedan in North Dakota.

If you are not interested in lowering the car much it sounds like you would be happier with a different spring and strut combo. Something like eibach or prodrive springs and some kyb adjustable shocks. This would get you a little lower and a little stiffer.

The main advantage that coilovers will give you is that you can adjust the ride hieght at each corner of the car to properly distribute the weight front to rear and side to side . . .this is called corner balancing and is important if you plan to track the car regularly. Otherwise, coil overs can be a pain to set, adjust and maintain over time and may be overkill for your needs.

would it be hard on coilovers to drive in -0 temps ?
what kind of maitnance do coilovers take?

thanks 4 the help

why do you feel you need coilovers?

this is the tire/wheel section if you hadn't noticed. and there are only a few coilovers for around 1K; megan, d2, and helix.

"why do you feel you need coilovers?"


i want somthing real stiff and i want to be able to pick my ride height (stock to 1 in lower) because i drive to my farm everyday and i would hate to lower it just to drag my 4 in exh.

and i wasnt thinking when i posted my Q here sorry

suban,
don't know if you made any decisions yet but i'll take a stab at this.

ive had the Megan Racing coilovers since august and i absolutely love them. they have their inconveniences like any coilover will; they're engineered for "high performance driving" or racing or however you want to put it. on baby's arse smooth roads they will force an ear to ear grin onto your face, but a little daily driving comfort is something you'll have to sacrifice.

i live in montana so i have my share of dirt/farm roads here i get on. be warned: real stiff springs on even moderately well maintained roads will be excruciating. washboard surfaces, dips and potholes are not fun at all. even some of the paved roads around here are absolute crap. you'll find out the real quality of the pavement when you get very stiff springs.

the spring and damper rates on most coilovers we see 99% of forum members using perform their best for autocross and track days, not daily driving. just about every tarmac coilover you can buy will come from the factory with significantly stiffer spring rates than stock. instead, try a spring that is about 50% stiffer than stock, a rule that some rally drivers start at. some coilover manufacturers will let you switch out springs for those of different rates, or if you go with something like a KYB AGX and Ground Control sleeve setup, you can pick which spring rates you want from the factory.

the maitenance depends on the construction of the coilover. some brands of A construction have maitenance programs of more frequency and complexity than brand B construction. the megans i have are a non inverted monotube design, meaning if it needs replacing, I call MR and say I need a new monotube assembly. The entire unit is replaced as opposed to inverted struts which I've heard are a pain to rebuild. i have the coilovers off the car now for the winter because i have no more asphalt events until spring, so no need for 8/6kg spring rates or any of the other benefits. if once or twice a year you take the coilover off the car, completely disassemble it, and clean out all the road grime and dirt, put it back together and reinstall, you'll make them last a while.

now, whether you should go with a full coilover setup or a height adjustable spring/strut package is a different argument. you didn't mention anything but street use so i'm guessing you aren't doing any autox or track days. they WILL be a pain to adjust the height often. you have to jack the car up, take the wheels off, loosen the seat locks and turn the strut body to get the height you want. some brands are set up to be adjusted differently. most people just tune to a specific height and leave it at that.

anyway, hope that gave you some help. from the info you gave, i'd agree with WillysPU that a full coilover system will be overkill for you. Look more into the KYB AGX and Ground Control spring and sleeve setup, but if you want more info about the Megan coilovers, PM me.

suban,
they WILL be a pain to adjust the height often. you have to jack the car up, take the wheels off, loosen the seat locks and turn the strut body to get the height you want. some brands are set up to be adjusted differently. most people just tune to a specific height and leave it at that.

anyway, hope that gave you some help. from the info you gave, i'd agree with WillysPU that a full coilover system will be overkill for you. Look more into the KYB AGX and Ground Control spring and sleeve setup, but if you want more info about the Megan coilovers, PM me.

Very will said suban,

and if you want feedback on the Ground Control setup I have had mine for two years.

Have you considered Helix DNA coilovers?

I have personally tested two sets of these coilovers on shop cars on both the track and the street and they held up admirably. Again, featurewise, these are equivalent to the Tein Flex but they actually ride BETTER on the street in my opinion.

We honestly believe these coilovers perform as good as other coilovers which cost hundreds more. We even got feedback from instructors regarding the valving and spring rates.

Here's a review:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=874044&highlight=helix+coilovers

Let me know if you have more questions.

thanks,
Preston
www.gruppe-s.com