KW V1 Vs H&R Sport Springs

[ssabripo]

anyone know the drop numbers on the 135i between the H&R sport, and the Eiback Pro-kit?

too bad eibach doesn't have the sportsline for the 135i

[I-One-Da?]

Originally Posted by mikeo

I can pretty much state with confidence that any OE shock at 65K miles is toast, after market springs or not. Put new shocks on, even OE, and you to will be a believer.

I also have to disagree with this statement as a blanket statement. Sure, shocks go bad. Even if you do not lower and keep stock springs. And if you run stock springs/shocks your shocks might go out faster then your buddies with the same car and setup.

That being said, I have run just springs on every car I have ever owned and the only car that had issues was my 97' Acura CL but I dropped that thing about 2.5 inches. Still the OEM shocks lasted 14,000 miles after the springs were installed.

My S2000 has been on Espelir springs for 30,000+ miles on the stock shocks. I thought that they might be going bad as I have heard your statement before. i put in brand new OEM shocks and I can tell no difference.

Bottom line is shocks go bad no matter what after some period of time. There is no way to pinpoint shocks going bad faster when you lower a car unless you are dumping it. If you look at the cost of springs and putting in new shocks every 30,000 miles vs. coilovers you will see that springs are still cheaper. That is if you are going for looks and not track work.

I have seen the rumor that putting just springs on a car is bad on the car and blah blah on other forums. this statement is not true and is only speculation. I am not saying that springs only is a better way to go then coilovers but springs are a great way to improve the look of the car and in most cases give better performance as well.:w00t:

[320Devil]

Originally Posted by mikeo

I would go with Koni Sport (yellow) Single Adjustable struts/shocks (BTW, for the rears get the top adjustable version if possible, otherwise you must remove the rears to change adjustment). Another choice could be the Koni FSD "self-adjusting" units.

Then the H&R OE Sport springs because the 1" drop is just right to my way of thinking.

This looks like the road I'm about to go down. I'm leaning towards the Koni FSD shocks. There is a Koni FSD pro kit that comes with Eibach springs which looks good, but I kind of prefer the H&R Sport Springs. Are the Eibachs better suited to the Koni FSD, or does it not really matter?

Thanks.

[mikeo]

Originally Posted by 350zpilot

This looks like the road I'm about to go down. I'm leaning towards the Koni FSD shocks. There is a Koni FSD pro kit that comes with Eibach springs which looks good, but I kind of prefer the H&R Sport Springs. Are the Eibachs better suited to the Koni FSD, or does it not really matter?

Thanks.

The H&R OE Sport springs will work just fine (except they aren't available until November), maybe better, as they have slightly less drop and the FSD Konis are for stock or near stock ride heights.

[320Devil]

Originally Posted by mikeo

The H&R OE Sport springs will work just fine (except they aren't available until November), maybe better, as they have slightly less drop and the FSD Konis are for stock or near stock ride heights.

Thanks for the reccomendation and the quick reply. Not too sure if I can wait that long, so I think I'll go with the Koni FSD pro kit matched with the Eibach Springs. I've searched, but haven't been able to see how much of a drop the Eibachs provide. Anyone have an idea?

Thanks again.

[mikeo]

About 1.2" front and rear according to TireRack. The H&R OE Sport are ~1" front and rear, H&R Sport are 1.8" front and 1.4 rear. I believe I read somewhere that the spring rates of the H&R are a little more that the Eibachs, but don't quote me.

[320Devil]

Originally Posted by mikeo

About 1.2" front and rear according to TireRack. The H&R OE Sport are ~1" front and rear, H&R Sport are 1.8" front and 1.4 rear. I believe I read somewhere that the spring rates of the H&R are a little more that the Eibachs, but don't quote me.

Mikeo,

Thanks again. 1.2" on the Eibach sounds pretty good to me. Now I just a matter of finding the best price on the kit.

[mikeo]

TireRack has competitive prices and is a sponsor here at 1Addicts, so a little goes toward supporting this forum if you click the TireRack logo at the top of the page anywhere on 1Addicts and make a purchase.

[320Devil]

Mikeo,

I took your advise and ordered everything through Gill at Tirerack. He was extremely helpful and a pleasure to deal with on the phone. In addition to ordering some Breyton GTS-Rs, I purchased some Koni FSD shocks with the Eibach spring kit. Should be here any day now. Got a quote from a local garage who will replace the shocks and springs for $360. Sounds like it might be worth it. My other option is for me and a buddy to rent a lift at the Auto Hobby Shop on a Saturday and try to do it ourselves. My friend might know what he's doing, but I'm by no means mechanically inclined enough to attempt it myself. Can't find a DIY for shocks and springs on the forum. The last thing I want to do is screw something up, so I'm leaning towards paying some pros to do it. Once I get it all set up I'll post some pics and let you know how she handles.

[mikeo]

The most tricky (and potentially dangerous) part of the install are the front struts/springs. You must have a good spring compressor and some experience using one properly. I'll be looking forward to the pics!

[320Devil]

Ok, here are some pictures of the car and its new parts. Gill from the Tirerack was a huge help on the phone. Ended up purchasing some Sumitomo HTR Z III tires to go along with the Breyton GTS-Rs. I'm glad Gill talked me into getting the Eibach Springs instead of the H&R sports. Not that they aren't good springs, but if I wanted the rear tires to sit just below the fenders then the Eibachs or the H&R OEM springs are the way to go. I first had the new wheels and tires on for a few days before the shock and spring install. I could immediately feel the difference with the lighter weight wheels after driving a few hundred yards down the street. The Sumitomo's grip well and are relatively quite, but the stock Bridgestone run flats were a little quieter. The car feels like it accelerates a little faster and feels lighter on its feet. I then had a local shop install the Koni FSD shocks and Eibach springs for $360. I was going to do the shock and spring install myself, but $360 for a professional install seemed better then me potentially blowing a whole Saturday and screwing something up. The new setup rides nice and has eliminated the high speed bounciness on the stock set up. In a few days once the suspension settles I'll get an alignment. All in all I'm very pleased with the handling, ride, and look.

[arok]

man your car is looking beautiful!

love the drop, can't wait to hear more about your suspension setup.. i'm in limbo right now as well

[320Devil]

Originally Posted by arok

man your car is looking beautiful!

love the drop, can't wait to hear more about your suspension setup.. i'm in limbo right now as well

Thanks!

[mikeo]

Looks great!

Please post the specs for your setup in the database thread -- thanks.

[DRosS]

I am a firm believer in doing things right the first time - you will save yourself time later..go for the coilovers

[ocinek]

Can you please do a small review of the Koni FSD with Eibach springs in terms of handling? How stiff is the ride compared to stock and how is the body roll?

Thanks

[HighQ]

Originally Posted by RoninWheels

skip on the just the H&R. either springs and shocks or coilovers

+1

Their are other coilovers besides the KW V1:
take a look at the Coil-Over Guide

[320Devil]

Originally Posted by ocinek

Can you please do a small review of the Koni FSD with Eibach springs in terms of handling? How stiff is the ride compared to stock and how is the body roll?

Thanks

Sorry for the late reply. It's been a while since I've been on the forums.

If I had to do it all over again I would probably spend the extra money and go with shocks where dampning can be adjusted or coilovers. The Eibach and Koni FSD setup does not ride harsher then stock. On bad roads the FSD shocks do a great job of soaking up and smoothing out road imperfections. It actaully rides better and feels more comfortable then the OEM setup. The body does not roll as much as stock and the car does not understeer as much as it used to when stock. The only complaint, and the primary problem which I wanted solved, is that after I drive over a large dip, the car feels really bouncy and doesn't settle quickly...probably worse then the stock set up. I don't know a whole lot about suspension, but I would have to guess that if the dampning in the shocks could be adjusted, this would maybe solve the problem. Hope that helps.