Hello. This question is for the serious suspension gurus. What are your thoughts on the JIC FLT-TAR Coilovers? I have searched and didn't come up with much on this site about them.

My Evo is a DD but sees occasional track time(road racing) along with spirited mountain driving. I don't mind the stiff ride at all. I'm looking at the 10k/14k hard version with helper springs. Does anybody know what rebuild support there is for these in the states?

I'm a former dyno tuner, so i know very little about suspension. I'm currently using the Tein S-Techs and stock GSR struts. I HATE this combination and have to do something about it. I know a lot of people have complained that the Tein S-techs have blown out their stock struts. I don't have this problem, but i can tell my struts are close to the end.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

~Cary

 

they are a good mid-range coilover with good quality and performance along with decent adjustability.

 

I'm running JIC's - but they've had the Muellerized treatments. I can tell you he uses different spring rates for them than what you listed - but I can't say what. I've had really good results on the track with them. The car is predictable, near neutral and the rebound adjustments really make a difference even with 1 click. If you want specifics/results look in my sig for links.

I'm not sure what the JIC's run if you buy them direct, but Mueller will do his treatment to them and I believe they sell for $2k which is a helluva bargain imo.

10/14 is pretty stiff. I had a previous set of coilovers with those rates and I did DD it some. It was firm to be sure - but I always thought the Evo was firm!

 

Cool, thanks for the replies. Yeah, i prefer a firm ride anyway. To me, the Evo should be firm, even on the street. It's the price you must pay for insane handling.

Does anybody know how easy it is to have the JIC's re-valved/rebuilt here in the states? I want to make sure, when the time comes, that i'll be able to have them serviced. Any idea on how many miles before typical rebuild?

Thanks again!

 

Not necessarily....the best handling EVO's i've driven were not that harsh.

If you're sure you want JIC's, I would only do the Muellerized ones as I'm not crazy about standard JIC valving. Plus you get a little more support and help from someone who specializes in EVOs. Call and talk to him.

- Andrew

 

^^ Yeah I forget to mention that. Mueller's JIC's are a step above anything else (JIC wise) you'll find.

That being said, there's a lot of other options out there too to look at. GTWorx there really knows their stuff!

 

as far as rebuilding the jic/s there is a JIC USA located in california or arizona i believe. so shipping them back to them wouldnt be that big of problem. but i sounds like the aftermarket option sounds good too. mueller's deal. good luck.

 

for 2k I;d get the Bilstein PSS9's. If my wife buys Evo next year I'm going to give her my BC Racing coilover set up and these are what I'm going with next.

 

Andrew,

Thanks for chiming in. Forgive my ignorance, but what get's changed when you speak of different valving? I am looking at a new set of JIC FLT TAR's from a private seller. So, the price is well under 2k.

This set comes with helper springs already installed. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of using these?

Thanks a ton!

 

What does Mueller do to the coilovers? I'm a suspension newbie. Former dyno tuner, so this is a new world for me. I never had to deal with suspension, other than somebody else's setup. Some of you that frequent the Engine and ECUFlash threads may know me. I'm new on the suspension side though. So, go easy on me...haha.

 

John mueller revalves thim with his own valving and custom spring rates.

 

mueller sets the spring rates and valving to ur specific driving needs based on driving style whp tires etc

 

Yep.

robi does the same to his KW's and JRZ does the same with their product. Think of it like dyno-tuning a car per the specific mods and needs (street/drag/strip).

 

Word. Makes sense, thanks for your help guys. One last thing, can anybody please better explain to me if i should use the helper springs or not?

 

Helper springs are....ummm....helpful.

They help add droop travel (extension) and keep the main spring from being preloaded and keep the main spring from getting unseated from the perch when the damper is fully extended.

Not as necessary on dual height adjustable coilovers, but still nice.

- Andrew