Coilover v sti suspension - what to do??

mad dad · Post by **mad dad** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:56 am

I have an 03 STI and the rear shocks are on the way out

....i have been quoted just over

duncan · Post by **duncan** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:20 am

Andy - I will take you out for a spin on mine. Coilovers are the way forward if you choose the right ones. Good ones arent cheap but it saves you spending money twice :thumb:

The bad news is that the std shocks will go again sooner or later.

gary@apt · Post by **gary@apt** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:24 am

can do you a nice tein kit

depends on what you planning to do with car as to what id fit

Post by **Ben** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:01 pm

The teins are magic

- I was expecting a harsh ride from coilovers - how wrong could I be, transform the car.

Gerry H · Post by **Gerry H** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:54 pm

Or try Camskill.co.uk if you decide to stay with KYB OE units or adjustable struts.

stockcar · Post by **stockcar** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:31 pm

we normally replace with KYB struts and seem to last far better than the factory ones for some reason..................

or sort can Eibach, Exe-tc, etc...........

Andy916 · Post by **Andy916** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:53 pm

Last weekend I swapped-out the standard suspension on my STi 6 RA Lim, the 3rd scoob I've had, all of which I've fitted aftermarket suspension to. They're Apex inverted coilovers, for the simple reason I had a near-new set in the workshop off my previous scoob. Wonderful first impressions, as always when swapping slightly tired or faulty standard units for coilovers. Secondary impressions are that they kick quite hard over a big pothole, and that's a proper concern for a daily driver. This is because of their limited travel and solid metal front topmounts.

To anyone who tries to sell you Teins, Apexes or whatever, you have to cut through the crap and ask 2 simple questions: 1. spring rate, on which the vendor will have the answer and you should compare against standard (basically the harder you go, the more track-biaised it becomes) and 2. travel, on which the vendor is usually very vague, and on which cheap coilover come unstuck. Coilovers kits up to about 1 grand have much reduced travel compared to standard, high spring rates so that you're not hitting the bumpstops all the time, but handle well on a smoothish surface despite a relatively cheap damper construction.

My scoob isn't (quite) a daily driver so I'm prepared to compromise a bit. But I've been careful in spec'ing the spring rates (5/4 kg/mm fr/rear on a 1280?kg scoob) so that it can just about handle the 2 extremes of bumpy b-roads and slicks on a racetrack.

Duncan's exe-tc's are more like 2 grand but well worth considering, as they have near-standard travel (apparently), spring rates closer to standard than the cheap kits (about 20% softer than mine) and a higher quality damper construction.

If you want to spend a lot less than that, for a daily driver with no track pretentions, forget coilovers and go for new KYB dampers all-round as per Gerry's/Alyn's suggestion.

Whatever you do though, don't buy cheap coilovers for a daily driver!

Andy

gary@apt · Post by **gary@apt** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:44 pm

i find tein shocks to have spring rates matched to damping rates meaning they ride well

even my super race kits thats around 2k still rides bumps very well and doesnt crash down bumps with damping on the softer setting

the reason i changed from a cheap set of shocks was after a ride in kev's scooby fitted with tein super streets ,every time it hit a bump you could here the shock working were as with my cheaper shocks that had to be set on firm or you bounced down road like zebbdy never made any noise but just crashed in to potholes

id take any one out in my car and let them see how it rides bumpy roads so well and they have monster hard springs 14 kgf front and 12 kgf rears

duncan · Post by **duncan** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:51 pm

I have heard that the Tein kits for newage subarus arent as good as the Tein kits for other marques / models. I have been in Gary's evo and it is awesome but it isnt a car I would want to do 800 miles a week in.

I really cant compliment the exe-tc set up enough - softly sprung but well damped and simple adjustments to firm it up enough for serious abuse.

There are 40 clicks of adjustment on them and mostly I run it at 15 clicks from soft all round for the road. This is a little better damped than std but not so firm as standard as the spring rates are remarkable compliant on bumpy stuff. As a result it is a pleasure to drive short or long distances.

Yeah it is a bit more than a cheap set but buy once or dont buy coilovers at all.

gary@apt · Post by **gary@apt** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:01 pm

i dont know why duncan i fitted them to kevs and it was ace.

this is why tein have a range from basic to super race you choose what you want the car to do

im always going to look like im flying flag for tein based on i sell them but i seen many shock kits in years i been going and when companys use the same shock absorber tube in every model is doesnt show they done much investigation in putting a kit together for that car

but that aside if you want a std feel to car then buy std shocks

you cant have your cake and eat it!!!

ps dunc when you went in mine im sure they were on firm but are you making comment based on the shocks or that its unpleasent to drive to shops??