Coilover shopping....oh what fun.

[vwmikel]

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:



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:



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:



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:



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:



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:



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.

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?

[M-technik-3]

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.

[vwmikel]

Originally Posted by M-technik-3

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.

It sounds like you got lucky. I haven't seen anything complete come up over there that would work though.

[BimmerBum]

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.

[vwmikel]

Originally Posted by BimmerBum

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.

I suppose that wouldn't be a bad way to go, but this is just a street car so I'm really not so worried about being able to switch out spring rates frequently.

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.

[BimmerBum]

Originally Posted by vwmikel

I suppose that wouldn't be a bad way to go, but this is just a street car so I'm really not so worried about being able to switch out spring rates frequently.

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.

Agreed... swapping spring rates is not important for a street car but being able to choose your spring rate is very nice and something not offered elsewhere. All the kits you listed leave you holding the bag when it comes to upper strut mounts and rear shock mounts so that needs to be added to the cost. Also, having camber adjustment is something a lot of folks with lowered cars appreciate. I have sold more than one camber kit to owners that bought coil overs that did not come with camber plates.

[vwmikel]

Originally Posted by BimmerBum

Agreed... swapping spring rates is not important for a street car but being able to choose your spring rate is very nice and something not offered elsewhere. All the kits you listed leave you holding the bag when it comes to upper strut mounts and rear shock mounts so that needs to be added to the cost. Also, having camber adjustment is something a lot of folks with lowered cars appreciate. I have sold more than one camber kit to owners that bought coil overs that did not come with camber plates.

I realize that I'll need RSM's. The front of the car already has all of the M3 suspension so I'm not sure if I really need to mess with the strut mounts at all. I do plan on getting the strut tower reinforcements. Is there any chance that you stock both of those? I don't really plan on lowering the car much more than it is now with the blown shocks/struts. Do you anticipate some sort of adverse camber issues?

[BimmerBum]

Originally Posted by vwmikel

I realize that I'll need RSM's. The front of the car already has all of the M3 suspension so I'm not sure if I really need to mess with the strut mounts at all. I do plan on getting the strut tower reinforcements. Is there any chance that you stock both of those? I don't really plan on lowering the car much more than it is now with the blown shocks/struts. Do you anticipate some sort of adverse camber issues?

I stock 3 flavors of rear shock mount and the front reinforcement plates. If you do not plan on lowering anymore than you are currently and you have no wear issues then you will not have any after the coil over install.

Give me a call tomorrow and I can help you with the plates and mounts.

772.215.4069

[vwmikel]

Originally Posted by BimmerBum

I stock 3 flavors of rear shock mount and the front reinforcement plates. If you do not plan on lowering anymore than you are currently and you have no wear issues then you will not have any after the coil over install.

Give me a call tomorrow and I can help you with the plates and mounts.

772.215.4069

Let me get the coils in my hands and then I will give you a ring for my odds and ends.

[vwmikel]

In case anyone was thinking of buying the Koni coilovers then too bad. It appears that they decided they're no longer available.

[mohaughn]

Originally Posted by vwmikel

I suppose that wouldn't be a bad way to go, but this is just a street car so I'm really not so worried about being able to switch out spring rates frequently.

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.

The lack of a rear adjuster in the kit should not keep you from buying that kit if you really like it. Just factor in another 100-150$ for a set of new rear height adjusters. If you are ok with used parts, you can get them much cheaper. I just bought a set of Tc Kline rear heigh adjusters for 55$.

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.

[vwmikel]

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.

[Ragnorak]

Originally Posted by vwmikel

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.

Bumping this thread to see what your thoughts are on the H&R coilovers. I'll be installing my Bilstein PSS setup soon and I'll give my review for the community as well.

[vwmikel]

Originally Posted by Ragnorak

Bumping this thread to see what your thoughts are on the H&R coilovers. I'll be installing my Bilstein PSS setup soon and I'll give my review for the community as well.

They ride really well and definitely aren't harsh, but they do feel a little soft. If it's just a daily I would recommend them. If my car were a track car I'd probably be looking for something stiffer.

[POCti]

Anyone know much about the gaz coilover kits.