[hotz]

Hi all,
Excuse my lack of knowledge on this subject. I am trying to work out whether i should be putting in springs, or coilovers into my Zed to improve handling. What are the major differences when looking at these two? I have obviously seen the price difference.

I do plan to put in sway bars to reduce body roll, particularly understeer (correct?)

thanks

oh yeah, what brands do you think are good?

 

[jetpilot718]

Springs offer a non-adjustable ride height change, as well as a non-adjustable bound and rebound.

Coilovers can offer adjustable ride height change, and in some cases adjustable bound and rebound settings (different rate "helper" springs, etc).

Your best bet, IMO, is to spend the money on springs and adjustable shocks. That way, they shocks afford you control over the rebound to match the bound of the springs.

 

[hotz]

[/quote]
thanks for that, What Spring /Shock combos do you like?. I have been reading a lot on the Eibach springs - they sound good.
I have read that you can use them with the OEM shocks as well - but does this compromise the ability of the OEM shocks as the height is obviously decreased?

 

[socalsean]

Yes, you can use the eibach springs on your stock struts/shocks....but a stiffer set of shocks and struts will be a wise choice to control the dampening. The stock set up will most likely not be perfectly matched to the new spring rate of the lowering springs. There could be a chance you will bottom out your stock struts using the shorter springs. Since you're installing the lowering springs then it's a perfect time to go ahead and replace the shocks/struts since everything is being taken apart. Why do the extra work later when you realize stiffer dampening is what you need.

sean

 

[hotz]

[/quote]
thanks sean. Will most likely go for both at once based on what i am hearing.

 

[Nis350ZTT]

Since it doesn't sound like you plan on Auto-X'ing or road course driving very much, why not just get a set of coilovers? Tein Basics? ~$800 and handle well. Also, you should note that coilovers (from what I understand), are springs and shocks. I have yet to find springs and shocks that are ~$800 total.

 

[socalsean]

Let me help to clear up a few things.....

-Lowering springs will lower your car a certain amount of inches and that's it. They have NO ride height adjustability. You may be able to have a certain lowering spring give different ride heights all depending on how stiff the struts/shocks are, but once they're installed on the car, the ride height will always be the same. You can install adjustable shocks/struts with lowering springs, but the adjustments usually only allow the "compression" to be set...in other words how much resistance the strut/shock has when being compressed.

-Sleeved struts (commonly known as coil overs) consist of a strut body with a threaded sleeve that allows the spring perch (the part that the bottom of the spring rests on) to be adjusted up or down by spinning it on the threaded sleeve. The lower spring perch is now adjustable along the the sleeve and thus the ride height can be adjusted. You must jack the car up off the ground to do any adjusting. The draw back to this type of coil over set up is that the spring is getting compressed (as well as the strut/shock) when ever the car is lowered below the stock setting. This isn't necessarily bad, but lowering the car will take away some of the travel of the strut/shock and also cause the spring to be compressed more than usual when the car is not under any load. (I hope I'm making sense...it's still early!) $800 for the Tein set up sounds like a good deal. They make great stuff.

-Real coil overs, like the FLT-A2 offer all the benefits of a sleeved coil over, but the ride height is independently adjustable from the spring preload. Imagine another adjustable "collar", below the adjustable spring perch collar, which allows the ride height adjustment without changing/compressing the springs and struts/shocks. You must remove the lower mount from the suspension to adjust the ride height. Now you can adjust the ride height without taking any travel away from the suspension.....and you can also adjust the spring height/preload so the car won't bottom out or bounce off the bump stops. This type of system is usually about $1500 or more and might be over kill for what most people want since it takes some time to set up properly. But once set up, it's suppose to be ultra nice.

For the $800 you can't go wrong with the Teins. Eibach makes great stuff too, but factor in about $200-$300 for springs, $500 for Bilsteins or Konis and you're already in coil over territory. Hope this helps more than confuses! Good luck!

sean

 

[jetpilot718]

Sean, you seem to know your ****. Hope ya stick around here, we need more members like you!

 

[illz33]

If you need to make adjustments to ride height or dampening; then go with a coilover setup.

If you just want a little drop and a more firm ride; go with springs.


FWIW, I didn't like the Eibach. Too bouncy in the rear on the track.

The Hotchkis TVS setup is a wonderful start! Try that and see if you really want/ need anything more.


Nice post, sean!

 

[socalsean]

[/quote]

Oh I'll be around!

sean

 

[socalsean]

[/quote]

thanks! I'm glad to be of some help.

sean

 

[2003z]

I got used eibachs for $125 and tokico d-specs on sale for 400 (stillen), so it was much less than $800 on coilovers. even on new pricing they would be $200 and $499 (ebay)

 

[Nis350ZTT]

[/quote]
I wouldn't buy on Ebay, but, point taken.

 

[Domino]

yeah the hotchkis look like a great buy, and the lowering (slightly more at the rear than the front) is perfect for the Z, as i feel the front sits good stock but the rear needs some work, and theyre pretty affordable

but i read somewhere they are linear springs? whats the difference bw linear and progressive?

does anyone know if the Tein CS will work with the EDFC?

 

[illz33]

A progressive spring can be defined simply as one that does NOT have a linear rate. This means that it's rate changes depending on the amount of deflection in a way that can not be plotted via a linear relationship.

To summarize:
(http://www.tuninglinx.com/html/loweringsprings.html)

Progressive rate springs are likely all-in one solutions. They are often used on performance aftermarket kits like Eibach or others, and they are good for daily performance street driving. They help you achieve the highest performance when driving hard, while providing a smooth, comfortable drive the rest of the time.

Linear springs are more often used in drag racing, road racing, track and races that require a high spring rate, in which a constant spring rate is more important than a smooth ride. They are still popular because they are:

1. Easier to produce and can be made to lower a car beyond the point of progressive rate springs.
2. Easy to work with, because the spring rate never changes, allowing quick chassis setup
3. Inexpensive, allowing most race teams to use several different sets depending on track conditions

 

[2003z]

[/quote]
I wouldn't buy on Ebay, but, point taken.
<div align="right">[snapback]111437[/snapback]
[/quote]
why not? they are new with the mfg.s warranty.

 

[Nis350ZTT]

I wouldn't buy on Ebay, but, point taken.
<div align="right">[snapback]111437[/snapback]
[/quote]
why not? they are new with the mfg.s warranty.
<div align="right">[snapback]111522[/snapback]
[/quote]
:dunno: Just not an ebay-buying kind of guy I guess. There are exceptions, but for the most part, I wouldn't buy on ebay.

 

[hotz]

thanks all for the info. it has been enlightening. I am mostly after better street drivability, so i think springs and maybe new shocks to match will be best.

thanks sean and illz33