Coilover decision...input please

[bates91]

Ok, so had the car 6 weeks now, loving it but always knew i'd need to upgrade coilovers soon after

as far as my needs go...not a track car or anything serious like that, i'll probably go maybe twice a year wakefield/EC but i'm not looking for a full-on setup with 30-way dual rebound/dampening adjustment and whatnot, that's way over my level. I'd get it set up and leave it.
What i want is just something super comfortable for the street that can provide the best of both worlds. at the moment the main thing I've noticed is that the rear end is bouncy as f**k over uneven/changing surfaces at speed, i just want it all smoothed out and flatter.
Not after a handling monster, I wouldn't be going near control arms or any similar upgrades for the next year at least..
oh and I want the ability to fine tune ride height...don't want it slammed, just has to be perfect

soo....budget I'm now of the opinion to do it once do it right, so 2/2.5, pushing 3k i can justify to myself...

KW V2
BC ER
Ohlins...
Bilsteins PSS9/10?

anything I'm missing? and what would you choose?

bear in mind i'm coming from subaru ownership where 90% went with entry level BC's for $1100 and the other 10% had high end cusco/tein/hks gear

so any input you have would be appreciated

Cheers, Ed

[Drawn05]

BC ER. You would not be pushing the car hard enough to tell the difference with the pricey stuff.

[Kiwi Peter]

BC ER and fix the rear sub frame bushes, do the sway bar while your there

[Simonnn]

I've heard good things about ST coilovers/KW V1s. Cheap and don't have damper adjustment but I'm thinking this might be a good solution for a daily driver (thinking about getting a set for myself later down the track).

[Nugget]

Originally Posted by skycat

BC ER and fix the rear sub frame bushes, do the sway bar while your there

This

[Stuart@BMRAutowerkes]

mid spec BCs (forgot what they are called).

[flinchy]

Can only agree with above - BC ER and bushings (subframe and upper shock mount)

If you wanted to spend $3k for sure on the coils themselves, i wouldn't go past ohlins though

Even the br's fixed the bounce for me with upper shock bushings (powerflex in my case)

[drjekl]

As the guys have stated you can buy BC's and with the change left remaining from your budget buy sways and subframe bushes.

Something to consider also is BC's have a 12 month warranty whereas the bilsteins have a lifetime warranty. From what I have heard BC's rarely fail, and have good customer support though.

Also if you went the BC route you could possibly scrape in with an lsd also within your budget as there are a few cracking deals out there atm with guys selling their quaifes/wavetracs (I have a brand new wavetrac for sale and a set of used eibach sways that I would sell for $1250 combined) which would definitely be noticeable on those track days or when pushing the car hard through the twisties coming out of a tight corner.

Also how much do you prioritise ride comfort over handling? My mates STI with BC's imo had poor damper control but I havent driven a 335i/135i with BC's fitted yet, the KW street coilovers or ohlins would be much less crashy over bumps compared to the BC's with pillow ball mounts.

[Nugget]

Ohlins ride nicer than stock despite having twice the spring rate. But if your total budget is $3k I'd make sure you do the subframe bushing then get the best coilovers you can with the money left.

[yawn]

Don't want to take this too off topic but may help the op too:
Is it recommended to upgrade the upper rear shock mounts at the same time as installing new coilovers? Any failures with the oem ones?

[drjekl]

Originally Posted by sharkatron

Don't want to take this too off topic but may help the op too:
Is it recommended to upgrade the upper rear shock mounts at the same time as installing new coilovers? Any failures with the oem ones?

Obviously if you go with BC's you wont need to as they come with pillowball mounts.

If you go with kw's (I believe the only KW's with uppermounts are their CS coilovers) or bilsteins (B14 B16's) i would install new mounts for a peace of mind as it wont take any extra time and it could save you in the long run in labour costs if you start getting knocking/rattling noises from worn mounts. Having said that my car isnt <2 years old and has done more then 50k kays.

Turner reccomend changing them (whilst this example is for the m3 & their aim of the game is to sell more parts but to me it makes sense):

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-11...m3-e93-m3.aspx

[drjekl]

Originally Posted by Nugget

Ohlins ride nicer than stock despite having twice the spring rate. But if your total budget is $3k I'd make sure you do the subframe bushing then get the best coilovers you can with the money left.

Thats exactly why you pay the big $ for them as you can essentially have a setup which is great for the track with excellent damper control and firm spring rates, yet the proprietary DFV shock design provides a smooth oem like ride.

[yawn]

Originally Posted by drjekl

Obviously if you go with BC's you wont need to as they come with pillowball mounts.

If you go with kw's (I believe the only KW's with uppermounts are their CS coilovers) or bilsteins (B14 B16's) i would install new mounts for a peace of mind as it wont take any extra time and it could save you in the long run in labour costs if you start getting knocking/rattling noises from worn mounts. Having said that my car isnt <2 years old and has done more then 50k kays.

Turner reccomend changing them (whilst this example is for the m3 & their aim of the game is to sell more parts but to me it makes sense):

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-11...m3-e93-m3.aspx

Just referring to flinchy's reply above - looks like he's using BC with powerflex upper rear shock mounts

[drjekl]

Originally Posted by sharkatron

Just referring to flinchy's reply above - looks like he's using BC with powerflex upper rear shock mounts

It's cool dude

[Justin@ADVAN Performance]

Originally Posted by Simonnn

I've heard good things about ST coilovers/KW V1s. Cheap and don't have damper adjustment but I'm thinking this might be a good solution for a daily driver (thinking about getting a set for myself later down the track).

IMHO the BC Racing BR Type RA Series are far better value with good street manners for a "daily driver" when the damper rate is at full soft. I had KW Version 2s in my 135i for a period of time and I was somewhat underwhelmed by the valving adjustment they offered, the difference in dampening rate from full soft to full hard, was not super significant. At least that is what I felt in comparison to the BC RAs that I installed immediately after the KWs.

Originally Posted by Drawn05

BC ER. You would not be pushing the car hard enough to tell the difference with the pricey stuff.

Yes, I would agree. Plus the BC ERs are supplied with camber adjustable top mounts, which many coilover systems (even the pricey stuff) are lacking in so the cost of Vorshlag camber plates has to be also factored in, if you wish to set the car up for a proper track day alignment.

Originally Posted by skycat

BC ER and fix the rear sub frame bushes, do the sway bar while your there

If you are making 300 rwkW or thereabouts I would also consider swapping out the OEM toe control arm for the considerably stiffer and adjustable, steel-alloy arm from Megan Racing.

The M3 rear sub frame bushes certainly improve straight line tracking under hard acceleration, but my car was still crab walking quite badly as we pushed closer to 350 rwkW, even with the stiffer M3 rubber bushes that would deflect less than the OEM compound.

[Justin@ADVAN Performance]

Originally Posted by Stuart@BMRAutowerkes

mid spec BCs (forgot what they are called).

Hey Stu, they are the BR Type RA Series, that feature a singular adjustment for both compression & rebound.

I believe I was the first 135i owner to ever install these in Aus. Contrary to popular belief they do NOT "knock" or "crash" over bumps and dips in the road. The pillowball/spherical bearings used in the front upper mounts are Japanese made and of a very high quality.

Stu I think you have even come to accept that the BC Racing RA & ER coilovers are a very nicely made shock absorber, that perform far better both on and off the street, than their modest price tag would otherwise suggest.

Now if I can only get a few more people to open their arms to our Taiwanese made Nashin BBKs, I might be able to actually make a dollar or two on the sale of the component.

[Justin@ADVAN Performance]

Originally Posted by drjekl

Obviously if you go with BC's you wont need to as they come with pillowball mounts.

If you go with kw's (I believe the only KW's with uppermounts are their CS coilovers) or bilsteins (B14 B16's) i would install new mounts for a peace of mind as it wont take any extra time and it could save you in the long run in labour costs if you start getting knocking/rattling noises from worn mounts. Having said that my car isnt <2 years old and has done more then 50k kays.

Turner reccomend changing them (whilst this example is for the m3 & their aim of the game is to sell more parts but to me it makes sense):

http://www.turnermotorsport.com/p-11...m3-e93-m3.aspx

With regards BC Racing coilovers, the front shock assembly does indeed come with the pillow ball upper mounts, however fitment of the rear shock absorber requires re-installation of the OEM upper mounts/bushes.

If they are looking a bit tired or the car has done a considerable amount of kilometres, they should be replaced during installation of the shock assembly for peace of mind. You can simply buy a 1-Series OEM replacement kit similar to the one shown above, or you could opt for mounts that have less deflection such as the Powerflex bushes, flinchy has chosen to run with.

[Harlequin]

Justin,

I'm looking into redoing my suspension and am very interested in the BC coils... Pretty much the same usage as the OP... no track or autox...

Can you PM me a price for a set delivered to Brisbane?

Also, what's the real world difference between the ER/BR/RM Series - if I don't need to adjust them. I'm looking for a set and forget solution so the only reason I'd need adjustment is if the fixed ones are not right to start with...

Thanks.

[Justin@ADVAN Performance]

Originally Posted by Harlequin

Justin,

I'm looking into redoing my suspension and am very interested in the BC coils... Pretty much the same usage as the OP... no track or autox...

Can you PM me a price for a set delivered to Brisbane?

Also, what's the real world difference between the ER/BR/RM Series - if I don't need to adjust them. I'm looking for a set and forget solution so the only reason I'd need adjustment is if the fixed ones are not right to start with...

Thanks.

Hey mate,

if you have no plans to track the car, I would recommend the single adjustable RA Series. With the dampening set to full soft, they will be compliant enough for use in a daily driven vehicle and if you do happen to track the car, they have enough valving adjustment to perform admirably well when the vehicle is pushed hard on the racetrack.

The ER Series are very much worth the extra money if you are looking to build a track day vehicle, as the independent adjustment of both compression and rebound allows you to fine tune the handling characteristics of the vehicle. The use of external oil reservoirs also means more oil is contained within the shock assembly, which reduces the likelihood of the oil substantially increasing in temperature under demanding racetrack conditions, this ensures consistent dampening rates for both front and rear shock absorbers.

The MA Series are purpose built for race use only, I am not too sure of the exact differences as we have never installed a set.

However as I said the RA Series are superb for street use and offer a huge upgrade over the OEM M-Sport shock absorber assemblies, if you choose to track the car on occasion.

I'll PM you a quote on the RA Series today.

Cheers,

JD.

[Harlequin]

Originally Posted by Justin@ADVAN Performance

Hey mate,

if you have no plans to track the car, I would recommend the single adjustable RA Series. With the dampening set to full soft, they will be compliant enough for use in a daily driven vehicle and if you do happen to track the car, they have enough valving adjustment to perform admirably well when the vehicle is pushed hard on the racetrack.

The ER Series are very much worth the extra money if you are looking to build a track day vehicle, as the independent adjustment of both compression and rebound allows you to fine tune the handling characteristics of the vehicle. The use of external oil reservoirs also means more oil is contained within the shock assembly, which reduces the likelihood of the oil substantially increasing in temperature under demanding racetrack conditions, this ensures consistent dampening rates for both front and rear shock absorbers.

The MA Series are purpose built for race use only, I am not too sure of the exact differences as we have never installed a set.

However as I said the RA Series are superb for street use and offer a huge upgrade over the OEM M-Sport shock absorber assemblies, if you choose to track the car on occasion.

I'll PM you a quote on the RA Series today.

Cheers,

JD.

Awesome. Thanks.

[Justin@ADVAN Performance]

Originally Posted by Harlequin

Awesome. Thanks.

PM sent.

[MR RIZK]

Ran PSS10's on my 350z and swapped them out to Ohlins R&T. Between these 2 on my car it was night and day in favor of the Ohlins. The Ohlins just seem to track with the road so much better.

With the PSS10's there has been a few shock tests showing that there was crosstalk when setting the shocks past half way.