Best coilovers in the 1500-2k range

[wantmymoneyincash]

Originally Posted by tsk94

You have a KW damper, in a slightly less fancy body. So you get the performance and reliability of KW in a cheaper option. It comes single rebound adjustable, with linear springs and a camber plate - all for ~1400$. Nothing comes close to the bang for the buck of these.

Any thoughts on ST XTA vs YCW Aeris ? Both are very similar in price.

[Motorradist]

I'm thinking about refreshing the suspension on a 128i @ 70k miles and going with coilovers, should I also budget for bushings and other wear parts? I will be paying a shop, so I am not experienced with what to expect.

[asbrr]

Originally Posted by Motorradist

I'm thinking about refreshing the suspension on a 128i @ 70k miles and going with coilovers, should I also budget for bushings and other wear parts? I will be paying a shop, so I am not experienced with what to expect.

Not to thread hijack - but yes, you should refresh parts. What parts depends on the coilovers and what they come with. On the rear, things like shock mounts (upper/lower), spring pads, etc should all be replaced they are relatively cheap. On the front, depends if the unit will use the stock strut mount, if so yes buy new ones.

As far as control arm bushings etc, that's a whole other matter and depends on what you are doing and what you want. It's a slippery slope.

[PcarDefector]

Originally Posted by wantmymoneyincash

Any thoughts on ST XTA vs YCW Aeris ? Both are very similar in price.

My thoughts are that the YCW is a better choice for a variety of reasons including:
- customizable spring rates for ycw vs unknown rates for st.
- customizable valve rates for ycw
- mono tube design for ycw vs twin tube for st
- and I think st comes with helper springs vs linear rate springs for ycw

I'll never figure out why people buy springs and coilovers based on drop and unknown spring rates from H&r, ST, Ebach and others.

[Driven5]

Originally Posted by PcarDefector

I didn't see what options were available for body length. I would prefer more of a drop than you, maybe 1.25-1.5" in total over stock.

Teaser update: There appears to be the possibility of making a variation to my setup that would allow for an additional 20mm of lowering from whatever mine ends up at, but with the same travel and springs. This too will get spelled out in my detailed review.

[PcarDefector]

Originally Posted by Driven5

Teaser update: There appears to be the possibility of making a variation to my setup that would allow for an additional 20mm of lowering from whatever mine ends up at, but with the same travel and springs. This too will get spelled out in my detailed review.

Thanks for the update. YCW is recommending off the shelf dimensions for my setup 1.5" drop, 6/15k springs and mostly dd duties.

Which top mount did you get? Does the standard mount op option come with the pillow ball and adjustable camber plates?

[Driven5]

Originally Posted by PcarDefector

Thanks for the update. YCW is recommending off the shelf dimensions for my setup 1.5" drop, 6/15k springs and mostly dd duties.

Which top mount did you get? Does the standard mount op option come with the pillow ball and adjustable camber plates?

Yes, if you stick with the standard 6k front springs, their standard setup should be fine. What I have gone for is equivalent functionality with 5k front springs.

The reason I'm doing this is that the 6k front springs are going to be ~1.95 Hz, while the 5k springs are going to be in the ~1.8 Hz. The 6/12 spring rates that seem common on many/most coilovers for these cars are running roughly 1.95/1.8 f/r natural frequency balance, while I'm going against the grain by flipping those to run roughly 1.8/1.95 f/r (flat ride) natural frequency balance... Knowing that there are other considerations I may need to account for as well.

The only potential concern I would have with a 6/15 setup on an E82 would be that I think that puts you at roughly equal 1.95/1.95 f/r natural frequency balance, which could have a greater of a tendency to accentuate the pitching (seesaw) motion over bumps... Especially if you're near the harmonic speed. Although admittedly, I don't have enough first hand experience with that specific condition to be able to say anything definitive about it.

[PcarDefector]

Originally Posted by Driven5

Yes, if you stick with the standard 6k front springs, their standard setup should be fine. What I have gone for is equivalent functionality with 5k front springs.

The reason I'm doing this is that the 6k front springs are going to be ~1.95 Hz, while the 5k springs are going to be in the ~1.8 Hz. The 6/12 spring rates that seem common on many/most coilovers for these cars are running roughly 1.95/1.8 f/r natural frequency balance, while I'm going against the grain by flipping those to run roughly 1.8/1.95 f/r (flat ride) natural frequency balance... Knowing that there are other considerations I may need to account for as well.

The only potential concern I would have with a 6/15 setup on an E82 would be that I think that puts you at roughly equal 1.95/1.95 f/r natural frequency balance, which could have a greater of a tendency to accentuate the pitching (seesaw) motion over bumps... Especially if you're near the harmonic speed. Although admittedly, I don't have enough first hand experience with that specific condition to be able to say anything definitive about it.

Thanks for the comments and advise. maybe I'll go with 6/16.5 to minimize the pitching..

I had the pitching problem with a trackcar when I was too lazy to trailer it. The pitching as unbearable with the stiff suspension and NVH from the solid bushings and motor mounts.Every ripple on the road caused the car to pitch and wander.

[mfindigital]

Thanks for the input everyone.

I spoke to a bunch of shops and experts, ultimately settled on the ST XTA on recommendation from SpeedLogic. We had a good talk and he thought that best suited my needs (these are non-anodized KW V3's). Car is currently at his shop waiting on the coilovers to come in (and also to figure out why my car goes into limp mode as soon as I hit boost lol). Hopefully I like these. I rarely drive the car now (working from home for Covid), so hopefully these are fun. I'll write a detailed driving impressions review in a few weeks.

I live at the base of Angeles Crest Highway, so I have a great testing ground. Thanks for you input everyone. Might regret these if the ride sucks.

[mfindigital]

Picked up my car with the XTA's last night. I paid $1,500 installed (they retail around 13-1400 I think).

My goodness, I have a new car again. These coils are unbelievable, every remaining handling issue I had with my car is now resolved. The car is absolutely flat through all turns, the drop was VERY minimal (really can't even tell it dropped, of course I can slam it if I want since they are adjustable).

I'm no track rat, so maybe these stink on track (though I find that hard to imagine). These coilovers are soul changing, I've been fighting the urge to sell my car for an M2c or Supra or C8 for about 6 months. I'll probably never sell her now. Went from the sloppiest handling of all the "fun" cars I've had (tough competition to be fair, s2000, 240sx, rx-7, Mazdaspeed 3). The handling is now flat, direct, competent and composed. Bumps don't upset the car at all, I don't know if it rides "smoother" than stock, but it absorbs bumps WAY better, rattles and shakes less.

If I were to rebuild my car, these would go on before the tune, down pipe, turbo, etc. This is a sports car now. I'm taking her up to Angeles Crest this weekend, pics will be posted, smiles will be had, and apex's will be clipped. Thanks to all those that recommended these, you nailed it.

[wantmymoneyincash]

Originally Posted by mfindigital

Picked up my car with the XTA's last night. I paid $1,500 installed (they retail around 13-1400 I think).

My goodness, I have a new car again. These coils are unbelievable, every remaining handling issue I had with my car is now resolved. The car is absolutely flat through all turns, the drop was VERY minimal (really can't even tell it dropped, of course I can slam it if I want since they are adjustable).

I'm no track rat, so maybe these stink on track (though I find that hard to imagine). These coilovers are soul changing, I've been fighting the urge to sell my car for an M2c or Supra or C8 for about 6 months. I'll probably never sell her now. Went from the sloppiest handling of all the "fun" cars I've had (tough competition to be fair, s2000, 240sx, rx-7, Mazdaspeed 3). The handling is now flat, direct, competent and composed. Bumps don't upset the car at all, I don't know if it rides "smoother" than stock, but it absorbs bumps WAY better, rattles and shakes less.

If I were to rebuild my car, these would go on before the tune, down pipe, turbo, etc. This is a sports car now. I'm taking her up to Angeles Crest this weekend, pics will be posted, smiles will be had, and apex's will be clipped. Thanks to all those that recommended these, you nailed it.

Good review, thanks. Still deciding xta vs ycw

[aphael]

Originally Posted by wantmymoneyincash

Good review, thanks. Still deciding xta vs ycw

As someone who has owned both products from both companies, my vote goes to YCW

I have kw v3 and I really am contemplating on going towards YCW when these go. KW customer service is completely ass, their rebuilds are 200$ + parts and takes a month. I have purchased custom YCW double digressive shocks on another platform and they provide dynos on everything they do. Great customer service and they can be rebuilt for cheap. They really don't hide anything, and their goal is to reveal the truth behind suspension bs

If you ask me, the kw is more of a street setup more than anything. They will not take high speed compression well even with progressive springs. If you want a revalve, say goodbye, KW will never do anything like that nor will they provide dynos for any work they do. While KWs are pretty damn good and are much better than anything coming out of China/Taiwan, the coilovers are extremely delicate and the adjusters break very easily. I know some people claim that solowerks are also made by KW and are extremely cheap, like around 500. I have no idea if its the same as the ST coilovers but if it is, thats a great deal too.

It depends on what you are looking for as well. I do a mixture of autocross/HPDE so I find the kws lacking a bit especially since for 2500 they don't even include camber plates, the YCWs do. Swift Springs are included with the YCW package as well.

https://ibb.co/2hJXKKP

[wantmymoneyincash]

Originally Posted by aphael

As someone who has owned both products from both companies, my vote goes to YCW

I have kw v3 and I really am contemplating on going towards YCW when these go. KW customer service is completely ass, their rebuilds are 200$ + parts and takes a month. I have purchased custom YCW double digressive shocks on another platform and they provide dynos on everything they do. Great customer service and they can be rebuilt for cheap. They really don't hide anything, and their goal is to reveal the truth behind suspension bs

If you ask me, the kw is more of a street setup more than anything. They will not take high speed compression well even with progressive springs. If you want a revalve, say goodbye, KW will never do anything like that nor will they provide dynos for any work they do. While KWs are pretty damn good and are much better than anything coming out of China/Taiwan, the coilovers are extremely delicate and the adjusters break very easily. I know some people claim that solowerks are also made by KW and are extremely cheap, like around 500. I have no idea if its the same as the ST coilovers but if it is, thats a great deal too.

It depends on what you are looking for as well. I do a mixture of autocross/HPDE so I find the kws lacking a bit especially since for 2500 they don't even include camber plates, the YCWs do. Swift Springs are included with the YCW package as well.

https://ibb.co/2hJXKKP

Thats a sick chart. I ended up with YCW in the Aeries valving. I like them so far. The bump stops are a bit harsh so I will probably swap them out with some e36 m3 or something. Also considering oem top mount with dinan plates. Having a bit of a ride height issue in the rear however. The perch is as far up as I'm comfortable with or else it will be too loose but want to go maybe 3/4inch lower. Also wish there were more threads for the rear top mount, the bolt doesn't even stick through the upper mount nut. Got my alignment on Friday.

[aphael]

Originally Posted by wantmymoneyincash

Thats a sick chart. I ended up with YCW in the Aeries valving. I like them so far. The bump stops are a bit harsh so I will probably swap them out with some e36 m3 or something. Also considering oem top mount with dinan plates. Having a bit of a ride height issue in the rear however. The perch is as far up as I'm comfortable with or else it will be too loose but want to go maybe 3/4inch lower. Also wish there were more threads for the rear top mount, the bolt doesn't even stick through the upper mount nut. Got my alignment on Friday.

If you have any problems with them, make sure to contact YCW. Did you get street valving or did you get a road-racing orientated valving?

"The lower spring perch is primarily used to change your bump:droop ratio, not your ride height."

If you are unsure make sure to contact YCW, from my experience they have always been easy to work with.

[Driven5]

Originally Posted by wantmymoneyincash

Thats a sick chart. I ended up with YCW in the Aeries valving. I like them so far. The bump stops are a bit harsh so I will probably swap them out with some e36 m3 or something. Also considering oem top mount with dinan plates. Having a bit of a ride height issue in the rear however. The perch is as far up as I'm comfortable with or else it will be too loose but want to go maybe 3/4inch lower. Also wish there were more threads for the rear top mount, the bolt doesn't even stick through the upper mount nut. Got my alignment on Friday.

Are your top mounts the 'rubber', cushioned spherical, or solid spherical? To the best of my knowledge, OEM top mounts won't work with these springs, and I doubt that OEM bumpstops would work well in this application even if they fit. Consider working with YCW to switch to the next more 'comfortable' type strut mount, if that is indeed part of your discomfort. I do wonder if it *might* be possible though for the Dinan plates to work with the YCW rubber upper mounts, but that would be something you'd have to consult with them on... However, let's look at the rest of your setup first to make sure that what you think you're experiencing is what you're actually experiencing. While it very well might be the fast-ramping short bumpstops, the main culprit could actually be something more fundamental like be improper setting of the ride height, or it could be something else entirely like coil bind.

Did you install and set these up, or did you have somebody else install and set these up? Let's trouble shoot your setup to make sure that what you think you're experiencing is what you're actually experiencing. Are your front struts the standard length/travel E8X/E9X units? Standard 6k front spring rate? 65mm or 60mm OD? What length are your front springs? How much preload are the springs installed with? How often do you find yourself hitting the 'bump stops' and on what type of bumps?

For the rear, it sounds like you need to thread the rear shock body further into the rear upper shock mounts. If it's already bottomed out, you'll probably want to work with YCW to see if they can get you a shorter-body rear shock.

[wantmymoneyincash]

Originally Posted by Driven5

Are your top mounts the 'rubber', cushioned spherical, or solid spherical? To the best of my knowledge, OEM top mounts won't work with these springs, and I doubt that OEM bumpstops would work well in this application even if they fit. Consider working with YCW to switch to the next more 'comfortable' type strut mount, if that is indeed part of your discomfort. It *might* be possible though for the Dinan plates to work with the YCW rubber upper mounts, but that would be something you'd have to consult with them on... However, let's look at the rest of your setup first to make sure that what you think you're experiencing is what you're actually experiencing. While it very well might be the fast-ramping short bumpstops, it would be good to make sure that they're adjusted as best possible for your ride height and that you're not actually encountering something else like coil-bind.

Did you install and set these up, or did you have somebody else install and set these up? Let's trouble shoot your setup to make sure that what you think you're experiencing is what you're actually experiencing. Are your front struts the standard length/travel E8X/E9X units? Standard 6k front spring rate? 65mm or 60mm OD? What length are your front springs? How much preload are the springs installed with? How often do you find yourself hitting the 'bump stops' and on what type of bumps?

For the rear, it sounds like you need to thread the rear shock body further into the rear upper shock mounts. If it's already bottomed out, you'll probably want to work with YCW to see if they can get you a shorter-body rear shock.

Thanks for the reply man. The front upper mounts are solid spherical with adjustable camber plates. Just how they came, All set up.

I installed these myself, front struts are standard length I believe. 6k and 18k swift spring rates. I believe 65mm od? not sure about that. I got the rear m3 rear camber links so the rear dampers are the pin-style connection. I'm not sure about the preload, just installed them how they came. Perhaps I should I go back and adjust that.

On smooth roads these things are awesome, but when the road has imperfections, bumps, and uneven rough pavement it gets a bit bouncy and harsh. It will crash into the bump stops on potholes or potholes that were filled but not really smoothed out you know? I obviously try to avoid them too.

For the rear, I threaded the shock body about 40mm into the strut per their recommendation, then just made sure the perch and spring were tight. I would love to lower the read a bit but the spring and perch will get loose. The clunking went away after I tightened the rear upper mount. I got the stiffer Monroe mounts and I really had to crank on the nut to make the mount tight.

I'm working with YCW now and they have been helpful so far so I am sure we'll get this dialed in. I'm having the shop double back over everything on Friday before they do the alignment.

[Driven5]

While I'm not going to count out installation or component selection issues just yet, the 6k front setup appears a bit more dimensionally forgiving than my 5k setup. So let me go back a step... Have you adjusted the damping, both stiffer and softer in 1/2 turn increments, to see how that affects the ride?

Also, 6k is giving you a nearly 2Hz ride rate. How much experience do you have with that firm of a suspension? Nothing with those rates will exactly be floating over road imperfections.

[wantmymoneyincash]

Originally Posted by Driven5

While I'm not going to count out installation or component selection issues just yet, the 6k front setup appears a bit more dimensionally forgiving than my 5k setup. So let me go back a step... Have you adjusted the damping, both stiffer and softer in 1/2 turn increments, to see how that affects the ride?

Not yet, and I believe they are both full stiff right now. Let me make try and change that up.

[Driven5]

That sounds like damping rather than bump stops. For starters, try taking them to about 1/2 and (if necessary) work your way down to what you want from there. I believe that's the setting they target for the 65% critical low speed damping,. So you're probably not often going to need to run much stiffer than that.

[Driven5]

Originally Posted by wantmymoneyincash

For the rear, I threaded the shock body about 40mm into the strut per their recommendation, then just made sure the perch and spring were tight.

For an additional ~3/4" rear drop: Thread the rear shock body into the upper mount another 15mm (10 turns), and re-adjust the upper spring perch the same way as you previously did. If it's not quite what you wanted, continue to refine the height adjustment from there. Just remember that every 1mm of adjustment you make at the rear damper is roughly 1.25mm of adjustment at the rear wheel.

[wantmymoneyincash]

Originally Posted by Driven5

For an additional ~3/4" rear drop: Thread the rear shock body into the upper mount another 15mm (10 turns), and re-adjust the upper spring perch the same way as you previously did. If it's not quite what you wanted, continue to refine the height adjustment from there. Just remember that every 1mm of adjustment you make at the rear damper is roughly 1.25mm of adjustment at the rear wheel.

I gotcha. I went 10 clicks soft and took it for a ride, then went 10 more clicks and it does feel a bit softer (20/32 soft). The rears are still full hard. I will try making an adjustment to the rear shock body like you said and see if the perch can be threaded up

[Driven5]

While you're adjusting the rear height, don't forget to bring the rear damping down about the same amount.