Thomas Chagrin

iTrader: (5)

I finally installed my Racecomp Engineering/GT Worx springs on my '06 Evo earlier last week (did the fronts on Monday 9/10 and the rears on Tuesday 9/11) and had the car aligned on Thursday 9/13.

Car background: My car currently has 12,500miles on it, so I know the shocks are still good. Also, there were Skunk2 lowering springs on the car when I bought it with 10,000 miles on it. As far as I know, the Skunk2's were on the car for a very short period of time before I bought it. The ride was never "bad", but I felt that it was a bit choppy/bouncy and I didn't really like how raked the stance was. The front was very low while the rear was not low enough (both in my opinion, obviously). I had a hard time getting into some driveways and that was unacceptable. Also, I may need to drive this car in the winter. I really don't need my Evo doubling as a snow plow. I started researching springs to replace the Skunk2's and I had looked at Hotchkiss, Swift, and Work springs, but ultimately decided on the RCE/GT Worx units. My criteria in order of importance were these: #1 - handling, #2 - ride comfort, & #3 - height

My background: Saying something rides great or handles well means different things to different people. I needed the car to maintain it's Evo-ness, but it also needed to ride decently. I have a decent idea about what a "good" suspension is. I've owned and modified a '90 CRX Si, a '01 Audi S4, and a '00 VW GTi 1.8T with APR Stage 3 turbo upgrade. I've had "good" and "bad" experiences with suspension on all of them. I didn't want to have any bad experiences with my recently-purchased Evo.

Ok, sorry for blabbing. Here's how the springs are! Please keep in mind that I have zero experience with stock Evo suspension. My opinions and comparisons are based on me coming from a car with Skunk2 springs.

Ride height: I really feel that the car sits great on these springs. The subtle drop is more functional and less showy, that's for sure. I'm really liking how it looks. Compared to the Skunk2 springs, the car is a bit higher in the front and lower in the rear. The silly rake is gone. The stance is aggressive but not stupid-low. Excuse how dirty my car is in these pics:




Ride/comfort: Much improved ride! The choppiness and bounciness of the Skunk2's is gone. The car deals with large and small bumps so much better now. Yes, the car is stiff, but it's not as harsh as other cars that I have had. It's perfectly fine for a daily-driven car. The ride is honestly MUCH MUCH better than I had even hoped for. It exceeded my expectations. I'll admit, I was afraid of the high spring rates (nearly 300F/350R, it appears) but I went out on a limb and trusted everything that Andrew explained. I'm glad that I did! I expected it to be quite stiff and it doesn't feel that way at all. It just shows how well they are matched to the dampers.

Handling: Improved! There is less roll and a more direct feel in the steering and handling. I have no track experience with this car, so that's all I can really say. It certainly seems better than with the Skunk2 springs.

Fitment: Perfect. They looked really nice, too. OMG, I had no idea that the Evo suspension was so easy to work on! That made my install a pleasure, too. MkIV VW suspensions are such a PITA.....

Support: I PM'd Andrew about alignment settings and he hit me right back with suggestions. I really appreciate that. He helped me a lot with deciding on these springs, too. Having some guidance and people that are willing to talk to you means a lot to me. Racecomp/GT Worx will be seeing more of my business for sure.

Overall, I am more than pleased. My car is a joy to drive and it actually rides well! What a concept!!!!! I am a believer in these springs. You can't go wrong with 'em!

Thanks for reading and thank you for everything, Andrew.

~Steve

I-Dom-In-8

iTrader: (47)

Nice write up man and the car look great..RCE FTW

GTWORX.com

iTrader: (35)

AWESOME.....it feels great to read stuff like this. I'm very proud of these springs.


I still don't know what to refer to them as though....RCE Springs or GTWorx springs.


- Andrew

blackflag

Any track or auto-x on these?

Thomas Chagrin

iTrader: (5)

No track or autocross time from me, but I drove on some great mountain roads over this past weekend in West Virginia. Great control, turn-in, and traction. The Advans are part of that equation, though. I had some all-season Nexen tires on the car when I got it and they SUCKED. The car was really neutered with the all-season tires and Skunk2 springs..... :-( I'm so happy to have it in its current state of tune! The springs have been a joy. :-)

~Steve

I-Dom-In-8

iTrader: (47)

lol , I always say i got RCEs springs that i got from GTWORXs