Bilsteins vs. oem
FWIW, I've had both the KYBs and the Bilsteins on my car, all with factory springs. In this setup, the Bilsteins are definitely more compliant, which does translate into ride comfort. My car on the factory Bilstein setup and Hankook Evos (stock size) rides like a big Jaguar, if that's what the OP is asking about. Can't comment on the Swifts.
Last edited by FJF; Dec 27, 2010 at 08:12 AM. Reason: typo
I for one really preferred the ride of the OEM KYB's, I've had both on my car and didn't like the Bilsteins's at all. This could have a great deal to do with the swift springs that were on the Bilsteins versus oem springs on the KYB's. Stock for stock, I think I prefer the Bilsteins but try to get a ride with someone if you plan on pairing them with aftermarket springs. Good luck
OEM KYB's are pretty harsh in my opinion. I put some Bilstein's on and the ride quality was dramatically better. It's more of a softer ride when you're just crusing around. When you hit a bump, you don't feel that jolt like the OEM KYB's. When you're going fast, it holds its own very well. So overall much better. You will have to get a new set of Swift Spec R's or Sports since the ride height actually goes up in the front compared to OEM KYB's. If you plan on doing minor lapping days for fun, I would consider a set of Swift Spec R's for the Bilsteins. Going to Bilsteins definitely was one of the cheaper mods that made my RS better. You can go a step beyond and have the Bilsteins revalved to bring out the full potential of the Spec R springs, but now you may be spending more than you wanted to in the first place.
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I for one really preferred the ride of the OEM KYB's, I've had both on my car and didn't like the Bilsteins's at all. This could have a great deal to do with the swift springs that were on the Bilsteins versus oem springs on the KYB's. Stock for stock, I think I prefer the Bilsteins but try to get a ride with someone if you plan on pairing them with aftermarket springs. Good luck
Bilstiens + SpecR's are all win vs the Stock KYB setup. Not only will the car handle better, it also does a much better job absorbing small stuff and results in a much smoother ride.
I was thinking of getting robispec springs with the Mr bilstein struts. Good idea or no? I don't track my car but do drag race on occasion. Just looking for better ride and handling but not hurt my 60fts at the same time.
what do you guys consider "handling better"? i know over dampened isnt good and we can all agree that the hd's are "softer" than the stock kyb's but im pretty sure the stock kyb's controlled body motion a bit better and it felt flatter to me. sure the hd's ride better. but it felt like the kyb's "handled better".
what do you guys consider "handling better"? i know over dampened isnt good and we can all agree that the hd's are "softer" than the stock kyb's but im pretty sure the stock kyb's controlled body motion a bit better and it felt flatter to me. sure the hd's ride better. but it felt like the kyb's "handled better".
I've autocrossed with both Sports and Spec Rs on Bilsteins. They are both great springs. I ended up liking the Spec Rs more because they were slightly stiffer. The Sports rode better for everyday use. My perception might be slightly skewed as I put camber plates and pillow ball mounts on the Spec R at the same time. They maybe slight more compliant without them.
Secondly, the function of the strut/shock section is not to 'stiffen' the ride. It is to work in conjunction with the springs to control the motion of the suspension and maintain as steady a contact patch as possible on the given wheel. A good example would be a corner on a track where you deliberately hit a rumble strip aggresively. A poorly dampened suspension setup will become 'upset', in an Evo this can also result in the outside tires loosing traction as the inside suspension transmits a lot of the rumble strip impact to the chassis.
There are people on here a lot smarter about this stuff than I am that can chime in. Suffice it to say the misconception that 'stiffer' feeling always translates into better handling is an absolute myth.
First hand, I drove NSS on stock KYB/Springs and less than a month later I drove it on Bilstiens/SpecR's. Absolutely no comparison. Clipping the rumble strips exiting onto the back stretch with the stock setup usually resulted in the car entering a 4-wheel slide briefly. On the new setup, the outer wheels just held traction as the inside wheels took the rumble strip.
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From: somewhere testing various tires, brakes, and suspensions.
1 (kg / mm) = 55.9974146 pounds / in
Swift Spec R's: front: 157-358 lb/in (6.4k final), rear: 196-380 lb/in (6.8k final) (153-380 for MR). -1.4 in, -0.8 in drop.
Swift Spec R's: front: 157-358 lb/in (6.4k final), rear: 196-380 lb/in (6.8k final) (153-380 for MR). -1.4 in, -0.8 in drop.
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First hand, I drove NSS on stock KYB/Springs and less than a month later I drove it on Bilstiens/SpecR's. Absolutely no comparison. Clipping the rumble strips exiting onto the back stretch with the stock setup usually resulted in the car entering a 4-wheel slide briefly. On the new setup, the outer wheels just held traction as the inside wheels took the rumble strip.
First hand, I drove NSS on stock KYB/Springs and less than a month later I drove it on Bilstiens/SpecR's. Absolutely no comparison. Clipping the rumble strips exiting onto the back stretch with the stock setup usually resulted in the car entering a 4-wheel slide briefly. On the new setup, the outer wheels just held traction as the inside wheels took the rumble strip.
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