should i steer clear of ($640 coilovers for WRX on eBay?)

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

06-02-2006, 01:40 AM

#16

dynamicprojeKtz

Registered User

iTrader: (23)

Join Date: May 2004

Location: Livermore, Ca

Posts: 2,370

Car Info: WRB STi Hatch, JSW Diesel

Quote:

Originally Posted by STi-owns-evo

I know my setup rides a thousand times better than the JIC FLT-A2s

if u got some extra moolah, you can get a set of custom swift springs made for your gc's too

06-02-2006, 02:38 AM

#17

Krinkov

Yeah, You've Probably Never Heard Of Me.

iTrader: (21)

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: in a glass case of emotion.

Posts: 17,962

Car Info: 345/30/19s

Megans have worked very well for alot of people with WRXs and on the S14 forum, DNAs and Megans are basically the same pieces from the same factory but I think the Helix sell for less so if you can get the Helix ones for cheaper grab those

http://www.bcec.com.tw/products/subaru.html

06-02-2006, 08:44 AM

#18

evsoul

VIP Member

Thread Starter

iTrader: (1)

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Santa Rosa

Posts: 5,588

Car Info: 2005 Unicorn

yeah i think the helix will be good. people who have them, seem to like them. and its not like my car is gonna be a track monster like adam or kevins..

06-02-2006, 09:30 AM

#19

joltdudeuc

Old School

iTrader: (6)

Join Date: Jan 2001

Location: Union City

Posts: 14,983

Car Info: '99 RBP GM6

Quote:

Originally Posted by STi-owns-evo

IMHO, for $1000 you can get a lot better setup than that and still not lose money later by allowing you to continue moding it further.

Using a Koni Yellow/Ground Control coil sleeve for ~ $1000 is a great combination because Konis not only have a lifetime warranty on their shocks, but they're very good shocks. Also, with the Ground Control coil sleeves, you can get any spring rate you want, which may take more research than just going out and buying a coilover, but is worth it in the end for no extra cost.

The reason why I say you won't lose money later is because you can keep tweaking this setup by revalving your shocks if you want more dampening, adding pillowball top hats, changing spring rates (iirc ground control springs are only $75 a pair) or any other tweaks you may want without having to change the entire system.

I know my setup rides a thousand times better than the JIC FLT-A2s but at the cost of some handling performance. Though, I didn't spend as much time as I should have researching the spring rates so I have more understeer than I wanted. This is probably one of the cheapest ways to have this much adjustability compaired to a coilover system and it allows you to upgrade at your own pace without having to dump over a grand at one time.

I'm sure this setup will outperform any NEX setup that's available and outlast it by far.

I have Koni and GC setup with 380F/440R (7K/8K), and it's perfect. The Konis are 90% stiff front and about 95% stiff back, and it's flat, not bouncy, and great for racing. Totally streetable. When I get myy DMS rebuilt and change the spring rates, i want it to feel much like my Koni/GC setup.

-Gagan

06-02-2006, 09:44 AM

#20

evsoul

VIP Member

Thread Starter

iTrader: (1)

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Santa Rosa

Posts: 5,588

Car Info: 2005 Unicorn

Quote:

Originally Posted by joltdudeuc

wont i need to get camber plates if i do shocks and springs like that if i wanna adjust camber? or are coilovers the sameway. or perhaps they both come with a way to adjust camber.

06-02-2006, 10:26 AM

#21

joltdudeuc

Old School

iTrader: (6)

Join Date: Jan 2001

Location: Union City

Posts: 14,983

Car Info: '99 RBP GM6

Quote:

Originally Posted by evsoul

wont i need to get camber plates if i do shocks and springs like that if i wanna adjust camber? or are coilovers the sameway. or perhaps they both come with a way to adjust camber.

It would be ideal. I have DMS tophats F/R. Any Tophat that works with stock struts will work with the Koni's.

-Gagan

06-02-2006, 11:25 AM

#22

STi-owns-evo

Registered User

iTrader: (4)

Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: East Bay / Pomona

Posts: 3,670

Car Info: '02 PSM WRX

Quote:

Originally Posted by joltdudeuc

Yeah, I have a 325/300 with the Konis at probably around 80%/85%. I think I need to switch the springs though to make it 300/325 since I thought a rear sway would be able to neutralize the understeer, but it didn't. Definately rides better than my brother's TEINS and Nat's FLT-A2s.

Quote:

Originally Posted by evsoul

wont i need to get camber plates if i do shocks and springs like that if i wanna adjust camber? or are coilovers the sameway. or perhaps they both come with a way to adjust camber.

Like I stated in my earlier post, this setup allows you upgrade progressively. If you don't have the money, you can always use your stock tophats until you have the money to get pillowball topmounts (camber adjusting). Since I'm not planning to have a whole lot of track days, I just went with the Subaru Group N hardened mounts, also it's cheaper to align a car with regular top mounts.

This allows me to still have a better top mount without spending a few hundred more, plus pillowball mounts tend to clunk a lot compared to the stock or Group N mounts. If I ever plan to go all out with this car, I can always spend the extra few hundred and swap them out instead of having to upgrade to a full coilover system.

06-02-2006, 11:42 AM

#23

evsoul

VIP Member

Thread Starter

iTrader: (1)

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Santa Rosa

Posts: 5,588

Car Info: 2005 Unicorn

what exactly is this:

Quote:

I have Koni and GC setup with 380F/440R (7K/8K)

I have no clue what that means as I have very little experience actually working with the suspension.

and can i just get some good springs, and Koni shocks install those and be on my way for now until i decide to upgrade more?

thanks for the info guys.

06-02-2006, 12:00 PM

#24

ucbsti

Registered User

iTrader: (9)

Join Date: May 2005

Location: San Jose

Posts: 5,011

Car Info: 2006 evo IX

He said he has koni struts and ground control coilver-springs. The numbers he listed are the spring rates he runs (the stiffness of the spring)

06-02-2006, 12:08 PM

#25

evsoul

VIP Member

Thread Starter

iTrader: (1)

Join Date: Jul 2004

Location: Santa Rosa

Posts: 5,588

Car Info: 2005 Unicorn

yeah i understood the koni and ground control, but the numbers are what i didnt get.

can you adjust the springs stiffness? or do you buy them with a certain stiffness.

and i should be able to buy the struts and springs and install them right? or do i need more parts to make this happen?

06-02-2006, 12:24 PM

#26

ucbsti

Registered User

iTrader: (9)

Join Date: May 2005

Location: San Jose

Posts: 5,011

Car Info: 2006 evo IX

you can swap out the springs to get different rates. I think someone said each set is 75 bucks or something. When you buy coilovers, they usually come with a set spring rate, although you can custom order as well (i know you can get custom rates with the ksport coilovers)

06-02-2006, 12:39 PM

#27

STi-owns-evo

Registered User

iTrader: (4)

Join Date: Mar 2003

Location: East Bay / Pomona

Posts: 3,670

Car Info: '02 PSM WRX

Quote:

Originally Posted by evsoul

380F/440R means he has a spring rate of 380 lbs/in^2 in the front and 440 lbs/in^2 in the rear. (7K/8K) means that it's 7kg/mm^2 in the front and 8kg/mm^2 in the rear, it's the same thing but in differen units.

No, with springs you can't adjust the spring stiffness unless you buy multiple sets of springs. Yes, you can just buy Konis and a spring set (Ground Control Coilsleeves cost ~ $400 with the sleeves that let you adjust the ride height). However, the Konis require you to cut up your old suspension shocks and put the Koni in the strut housing.

Other than that, you don't need anything else to isntall except tools.