oops sorry for double post..

 

since I am local to Gruppe-s, that was the out of door price for me. IIRC, shipping is about $100 or so.. Call max if you are interested. I think they also have a set of JIC FLTs in stock as well. Tell him that Calvin send ya.

The stiffest setting is definitely stiffer compare to stock, and IMHO, it is great for track events and also tolerable for street use. at the last track event, I dialed in +10 in the front, and +14 in rear. I was very happy the way it performed. I also have the cusco adjustable rearsway bar to go with it. The combo made the car a lil tail happy at turns but very predictable. drifting thru corners are a lot of fun! hahaha

and to quote on other guy's comment "all of these suck".

I don't understand why you bash on these intermediate level coilovers. granted, these are not the top of line coilover systems on the market, but if you are only gonna track your car once or twice a month, and on a limited budget. these intermediate level COs are more than enough.

In reality, its not really about how much a system cost. its about how it meets your needs, how you drive w/ it and knowing how to handle an AWD drive car. I have been driving AWD vehicles since 1995, (owned a 92 GVR4, and 2000 2.5RS w/ 2002 EJ20 conversion.) both of these cars were occassion-track prepped w/ the intermediate level coilovers (both tein HAs) and I was able to take on a lot of cars w/ more expensive setups at the track.

 

I got the flex for $1428. I have thew rear sway bar too. What setting is yours at. Did you go on the track with the setting on the stiffest?

 

Where do you live, I can get JIC for people local to So Cal.
$1400 out the door.

 

i live in so cal. I already ordered them. thnx though

 

I am currently running +6 front and +8 rear for street. at the track, I have ran at the stiffest setting for one lap then adjusted according to the road condition. +10f/+12r, +11/+13, +10/+14.. best way to get the most out of the coilovers is have the car corner weighed and balanced at a suspension tuner shop.

 

Anybody know of any good suspension tuner shops in south cali?

 

I hear that road race engineering has a wicked understanding of the JIC's and the tuning. If you plan on going with JIC you should check them out. Yeah, I know the comments came out a bit harsh...I was having a bad day hehehe. i should have taken into consideration the fact that he is looking for something that is #1 within his price range and #2 not so advanced and is a little more versatile (read street/track). The ohlins comment was thrown out there, just because that's what I'm waiting for. Emphasis on the waiting because they are double the price, and I have nooooo money left for any mods with track fees and tire prices. The funny thing about the ohlins though, this is from experience, they can be used by the beginner and the most advanced...kinda cool. I still say go with the cusco's over the rest though. Not trying to offend anyone who owns them, but I'm not the biggest fan of the FLT's and I can't stand the Flex's. All are an "improvement" over stock, but I think many people would really be surprised what a HUGE difference a BIG rear sway and some decent endlinks (like the perrin's) will do for handling. I say stiffen up the front end (lower arm brace & strut bar), stiffen up the rear end (sway, links, strut bar &maybe trunk reinforcement bar), and save your money for a better set. Just my .02...good luck though, and whatever you do make sure you get whatever setup you choose dialed in to do EXACTLY what you want it to!

 

I'm curious why the DMSs are often left out of such discussions. High price? Shortage of previous owners to recommend them?

I was very impressed with the handling of my ST-165 on DMS 40s. They're not cheap (or expecially easy to install), but the handling was amazing, even with stock sized 205/60-14 tires.

 

Previous quality control issues and lack of rebuilding in teh US kept alot of people away in the past, though hopefully now they have their act together a bit more (we dropped them like 4 years ago due to the amount of returns we had)

 

Anyone consider the FLTA2-RS?
Seems to have a shorter stroke and it is said to be custom tuned to the customers' needs.



Anyone have experience with these? Pricing?

 

From the list, Iam with Ricard, Go with the cusco's if you cant afford DMS or Ohlins. Your driving an EVO, not some civic. Honestly i like the JIC but somehow if u do a bit of research, these guys specialise in S15s etc... I dont know how much testing and development they have done on the EVO. Someone once told me that Tein in Japan is like what we used to call in Australia - Home brand shocks. Ask any Jap tuner what they think of tein. Dont get me wrong. I had Tein HA's and RA's on my ITR and i thought they were pretty good. And i have also driven an EVO on flexes with the stupid EDFC which come on, you gotta admit is having a gadget for the sake of having a gadget. Come on guys... If your gonna change the shocks on an EVO, dun change something marginally better(might turn out worse!), like mediocre shocks or just lowered springs. It totally upsets the balance of the car. I know guys with HKS and TEIN springs who run slower around the track than guys with stock suspension. They spit on it and buy proper shocks later. If you bought an EVO, means comfort is secondary to performance. A harsher ride is way compromise for improved handling. Iam using HKS Hipermax PRO coilovers now. They got front/rear camber plates, 36 adjustable settings on each shock and though a bit bumpy, I kick *** on the track, sweeping corners, 90 degree corners, handbrake turns(yes Iam lovin it).2 degree negative camber, well sorted suspension and racing slicks, nothing short of a GT3 can keep pace with my speeds through the corners. I got them for around USD1700, but i think it will be more expensive over there. For a few extra hundred, get the pro coilovers and not the hipermax II.

 

,

I have used Tein and Cusco on my WRX. Cusco is very very nice but Tein are great to. Cusco seam to be built better and very high end race caliber stuff. I will say this when I it's time for me to replace my shocks and springs Cusco is getting my cash.

Eric

 

I'm using JIC FLT-A2 coilovers primarily for street and race use. Got them for $1500 shipped and install was $150 (I had no tools). At default settings, the JICs handling was blah. However, once tuned by someone who knows what they're doing, the JICs really work. A lot of previous Tein owners that I've talked to go for JICs just because the Teins weren't "stiff" enough. The JIC FLT-A2 RS coilovers are special order because they are custom rated to the driver's needs. They go for around $1800 or more.

 

Cusco has a product (I forgot the model number...excuse the ignorance) that is similar to the FLT-A2 RS, that is built to customer specifications. The reason I feel so strongly about suspension is because it's one of those deals that one might not ever get right. Suspension is probably the most critical piece of performance (along with tires) in my opinion, and I can't see spending 2K on equipment that will actually decrease performance at the race track. I spoke with a couple of road test editors from Motor Trend this week at SEMA, and they ALL shared the same opinion. Want a better handling EVO? Go simple first, sway bars, braces, bushings, endlinks etc... You want a coilover system that REALLY works, go BIG or waste your money. It sucks, I know, it's tough coming up with 4K+ for a set of super quality coilovers, which is why I don't have them yet. I guess it depends a lot on how fast you want to be, and how much of a priority it is to you. My .02