swift springs and the stock dampers would be my choice on a budget upgrade. I would never purchase a coilover setup that is less then $1800 to replace a MR factory setup.

 

No coilover will be worth a CRAP unless you set them up properly. If you aren't going to have a pro do the setup, don't waste your money on the hardware.

A properly setup cheap coliover will outperform a poorly setup expensive set every time.

That said, if you aren't prepared to do it right, you will get far better results from your stock Bilsteins with new springs and maybe a swaybar.

 

K Sport Coilovers man. I know a few people that have them on their cars here in Phoenix. Granted non e of them are Evos but I hear nothign but good feedback on their products.

 

Has anyone actually went from espelir/swift springs on mr struts to helix/megan racing coil overs or vice versa that can actually comment which is better?

 

I have the Ksports and like them. The civility seems to go away with the body roll however.

 

Dude, a set of good springs like the Tanabe GF210's are $170 shipped. You will like these a lot and if you want to go on from there you don't have a lot of expense in them anyway. These will lower your evo an inch or so and will have a 25% spring rate increase and will work great on the track. There is a very good article in SportCompact Car (Sept 06) on an evo suspension upgrade for track use. that uses coilovers and makes some practical comparisons.

 

I had Espelir GT Springs (with Works camber plates and rear pillowball mounts) on my Evo that was just totaled and I just installed the Megan Track coilovers on my new Evo. I really liked the Espelir springs: thought the drop was perfect and they handled very well for autox and mountain runs. I did not like their harshness in my everyday driving (the roads are terrible around here), but it was an acceptable compromise for their performance. The Megan coilovers are very nice. I was suprised by their ride when set at 1 for daily driving, they have none of the harshness that the springs exhibited which makes them more tolerable for the daily commute. Did my first autox with them today and cranked them down to around 26 where they are fairly stiff and they worked awesome. So far I am very happy with the coilovers and would not go back to a lowering spring stock strut combo. If I was to replace my GT/Works combo the total price would almost equal what I paid for the coilovers and I think they are better all aound solution even at 12k/10k.

 

Thanks bullfrg, a lot of people are saying cheap coil overs don't work but I've yet to hear any bad reviews about them.

 

The problem is most people who buy the cheap coilovers don't race. They drive the car around on the street and proclaim how awesome they are based off taking a few off-ramps and 90-degree turns at traffic lights. Well, unfortunately, there is nothing they do on the street that can remotely compare to proper track use, so we don't get actual meaningful feedback. We get people who like the lowered look and think their car handles like an F1 car, but in actuality they have handling that in no way compares to a proper coilover setup. However, since they don't race, then does it really matter? Probably not, as long as they THINK they're happy...

 

^Very true indeed.
Additionally, some brands perhaps do offer real improvements and some people perhaps do get some slight but real benefits, but the main qustion is are the gains worth the money in comparison to springs, sway bars and so on (and also in comparison to proper, high quality coilovers properly tuned.).

 

I'd even go as far to say that the cheap coilovers (that we don't really sell) will probably work alright for autox. I mean, just slap huge spring rates on a car and it will rotate. Yes the damping is nowhere near the level it could be to perform ideally, and yes it could do sooo much better with better dampers. But on a smooth parking lot, the cheap taiwanese coilovers will do OK. Not better then a properly set-up Ohlins/Moton/KW/DMS etc...but they will do okay. This coming from a guy who doesn't really even offer the cheap coilovers. Please don't flame me.....i realize spring rates are only one part of the car, but IMO good dampers aren't as necessary for 30-60 second auto-x runs on smooth tarmac. I don't even recommend using them....i'm just being honest.


But on a racetrack....the problems arise with how they can soak up mid-corner bumps, use the kerbs, achieve consistent performance, avoid shock fade over multiple laps, and basically behave as a real damper that doesn't have a vastly different shock dyno plot for each corner . Also, on the street, your back/kidneys may not agree with your purchase. Keep in mind, not everyone's idea of a smooth street ride is the same.


So do they get the job done for auto-x? I say that they basically do unless you're looking to be competitive (that's why we and Dave Heinrich use Moton, and win). You may not like the ride of the cheap stuff, and that's why ride-a-longs are so key. But for track use (and in my personal opinion, any street driving in my part of town), I would look elsewhere. Whether that be a great strut/spring/swaybar combo, or Ohlins/KW etc. depends on your budget.



One more thing....once you go true 2 way adjustable, you don't go back . KW Variant 3's are too much fun.

We really really like the Ohlins, and use them on one of our shop STi's. It's a very good, smooth riding, great handling, easy to set-up and tune street/track coilover. But for a track car, having the double adjustability of the KW's gives you soooo much more tuning ability and allows you to accomplish so much more on the track. When driving or riding in the Ohlins car on the track, you find yourself saying...."If i could just add a hair of bump to the back end of the car and take out a little rebound up front....that would be great." (said in the office space Bill Lumburgh voice). You get real nitpicky, and with KW's you can actually change those things. That's why KW's are going on shop car #2 .


- Andrew

 

Robi would agree with you and Chronohunter would tell you that even with single adjustable Ohlins, if they are built properly, then there is no lack of tunability. Both make very fast setups...

 

Good company, no doubt about it.

That is true with the Ohlins, but quick, at the track adjustments aren't as easy. But yes, they can be very capable given the time, as well as the research that I know they have put into them. A discussion for another time though.....


- Andrew

 

Yes, the key there is that Paul has put tons of time into testing, changing, and calibrating those Ohlins using both the dyno and track to dial it all in. The average person who gets standard Ohlins will not likely reach the same level of performance.

 

For high level autox competition or for actual racing the megan/apexi/helix/ksport coilovers might not be the best choice, but either will lowering springs. For many of us, that use our cars on the weekend for trackdays and local autox's these coilovers offer us a nice alternative to the lowering springs that we might normally buy. I would love to have a really nice set of coilovers on my car but the cost is a factor for me and others. I am very happy with my choice and next to my Progress rear swaybar this is my favorite mod I have done to my car.