Coilover shopping....oh what fun. So, I'm sure some of you are aware of how difficult it can be to find that perfect suspension setup for your TI. With that in mind I figured I might summarize my shopping experience here to possibly help others and see if I might also get some feedback to help me make my final decision. The brands that first come to mind for me are always Koni, Bilstein, KW, H&R, Weitec, and Suspension Techniques. But, there's also brands like B&G, Tracer, Megan, K-Sport, and BC Racing to consider. So, lets start with some of the lower priced options: BC Racing, K-Sport, and Megan: http://www.ksportusa.com/grfx/produc...d01/splash.jpg All of these systems use a pillowball mount / camber plate setup which some may consider to be a plus. I think this has definite advantages for a track car, but being a street car I am worried about the resulting road noise and going deaf on long trips. Suspension Techniques / Weitec: https://www.sonicms.net/image/data/s...techcont03.jpg I don't think this is a secret, but Weitec is made by KW, as is Suspension Techniques. My past experience with Weitec has been good with no real issues. The only time I ever had a problem was when the set screw was too caked with dirt it made adjusting them difficult. However, that was up north. With the composite perches and spring caps I am certainly worried that they could dry out and crack/break out here in the desert. Perhaps I am more worried about that than I should be, but it is a concern nonetheless. Bilstein, H&R: http://proamauto.com/psspc.jpg My decision was initially to go with the Bilstein PSS coilovers as they're right about $1000 and come with a lifetime warranty. Though, apparently Bilstein is not offering these anymore. The PSS9's seem to be basically the same but with dampening adjustments, but the price shoots up to around $16-1800. That sounds kind of pricey and not really necessary for a street car. I think the H&R coilovers look quite similar and from what I've been told and can see it seems they use Bilstein shocks anyway. So, they probably just put their own twist on the spring and dampening rates. My concern is that I have H&R coilovers on my Rabbit and I think they're a bit too soft. I don't live in a place with a lot of pot holes or anything so I'd rather have it a bit more firm. KW: http://cdn.nexternal.com/vacmotors/i...e36-m3-V32.jpg They have relatively inexpensive kits, but they're not dampening adjustable. The V2's will set you back about as much as the Bilstein PSS9's though. A friend of mine has had a set of these on his Jetta for something like 10 years though and hasn't had any issues. I don't doubt the quality, but the price is definitely a detractor. FK: http://www.dtmpower.net/forum/attach...-coilovers.jpg I've never bought anything from FK before, but this is the direction that I'm leaning at the moment. For $1200 shipped you can get a fully stainless steel set with Koni adjustable inserts. Koni: http://www.eurosportdesign.com/image...edium/3924.jpg I like the Koni's, but the rears on the TI kit aren't height adjustable. So, this is kind of only half a coilover kit. :frown: B&G unfortunately doesn't seem to make coilovers for the 318TI which is too bad. The set that I have on my Golf is nice. So, What do you guys think? |
I have a set of PSS9's bought them used from a local friend. He was going back to stock to sell his car. So the 400 I paid for them I was very happy. Shop around on BFc in the classifieds. |
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Don't forget TCK and Ground Control. I will be going with one of those on my S50 ti. They allow for custom spring rates and support their kits with camber/caster plates, bushings, etc... for the money you cannot beat a GC or TCK kit. |
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Koni is currently having their spring sale with tire rack offering 20% off. The wholesale discounts are quite good as well which is surprising. So, I might have to overlook the lack of rear adjustment. |
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Give me a call tomorrow and I can help you with the plates and mounts. 772.215.4069 |
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In case anyone was thinking of buying the Koni coilovers then too bad. It appears that they decided they're no longer available. :mad: |
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All you have to do is make sure the height adjuster fits our car, TcKline, H&R, GC height adjusters all fit our trailing arms, and that the adjuster has the correct width for the ID of the spring you are using. Since the rear of our car is not a true coilover anyway, anybody can add rear height adjustability by buying height adjusters and then buying a spring that is .5" to 1" shorter. Only becomes an issue if you need that extra spring travel. I'm sure these companies can even spec you the right springs and a height adjuster if you really want it. GC and TCKline definitely can add or take away height adjusters from their kits. I originally purchased my kit without height adjusters. Also keep in mind that GC and TCkline change the dampening of the koni inserts, so not all koni/bilstein inserts are the same. |
I just ordered up the H&R coilovers. They're supposed to be here in 4 days and it seemed like everything else was on backorder until late June, early July. I'm not waiting that long. After what I've tried to order has been discontinued twice while wasting weeks worth of time, I'm just not in the mood to be patient any longer. The H&R's should have the rear height adjusters though so I ought to be set there. |
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Anyone know much about the gaz coilover kits. |
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