These look pretty decent and seemed to have good reviews a few years ago, but don't hear much about them these days.
They claim to be super durable and have a lifetime warranty. I need those attributes for a daily driven car. Don't want to be rebuilding all the time.
What do you guys think about these?

https://amrengineering.com/product/2...ing-coilovers/

The other question is: stick with Hyperco or upgrade to Swift?
Company owner says the only real benefit to Swift is a little weight savings. Also, for my particular daily driven car he said forget the camber plate upgrade and he recommends 550/550 spring rates.
Does all this info sound legit?
I don't know a whole lot about coilover setups, so that's why I'm asking you guys for input.
Thanks!

 

What is your budget and intended use?

If the car is primarily street driven just get a set of Ohlins R&T (~$2400 shipped from vendors on here). Put the 10K spring on the front and pick up some 10-11K springs for the rear (11K is really about the limit for the stock R&T valving, you can go higher if you have them revalved).

If you don't mind spending a little more, and need something a more track focussed, MCS 1 ways, w/vorshlag camber plates and hyperco springs are amazing. http://www.vorshlag.com/product_info...roducts_id=801

 

I know Ohlins and MCS are amazing track coilovers. The only problem is that the car is mostly street / daily driver and although the Ohlins are superior for track they tend to need to be rebuilt often which is exactly what I'm trying to avoid. I'd rather get a set that may not be as good for track and have less maintenance involved.
Good quality, longevity and little maintenance is the goal here.

 

All coilovers periodically need to be rebuilt. Budget coilovers are not going to save you any $ there, unless the rebuild cost itself is less. If your car is primarily street driven, just get a set of OEM Bilsteins with some good springs.

 

I understand that coils may need rebuilt, but how often is the factor. I don't want to drop $2400 on a set of Ohlins and have to remove them from the car and send out for rebuild a year later because the seals are blown and leaking which is something I've seen people post about on here. That's just unacceptable. They may be one of the best for handling but that just doesn't seem to be of good quality/longevity/reliability/durability to me. For a dedicated race car that's perfect. Performance is #1 priority. For a daily driver not so much.

 

Since you seem not to have much faith in Ohlins, maybe check out KW Variant 3's. They are a well reviewed streetable coilover. The downside is its pretty much impossible to get them revalved these days https://robrobinette.com/S2000KWV3.htm

 

I have tons of faith in Ohlins PERFORMING on the track, but not DURABILITY for years of daily driving on the streets. Do you know what I'm saying here?
Thanks for the KW suggestion but if it's impossible to get serviced if ever needed then that does me no good. What coilovers perform decent (better than springs on stock shocks) and will not start leaking after a year on the streets? That's what I'm looking for.

 

You missunderstand. The KW V3 can be serviced, they just no longer revalve them (like if you wanted to run high spring rates). KW is happy to service them, they just don't "alter" the valving at customers requests. They reserve this service for their motorsport ranges.

While Ohlins, and most other good coilovers, and be revalved specifically for desired springs rates.

 

Got it. Thanks!

 

I've had a couple issues with KW in the past. Had one bad strut in the front but they wouldn't warranty it unless I sent all 4 corners back in.

The return shipment from KW after service was in horrible packaging and resulted in a damaged strut.

They replaced that strut without hassle but I never even put them back on the car after that experience.

This was about 4 years ago on a VW application but it's what I went through then.


I'm about to send my FA500s in for rebuild after 40,000mi. Car just suddenly got a bit bouncy on the highway and both of the front struts show some signs of leaking.

 

I've been running KW V3's for about 5 years now and I drive my car hard. No issues with noise or leaking. I have had to send out my passenger side front strut for a rebuild thanks to someone mistreating it while it was off the car(long story). It was a relativly painless process and they had it back to me within a month with new a new boot and bump stop, seals, everything included in the rebuild.

These coilsovers are honestly one of the best I've owned, especially because I used to daily drive my evo. They have a forgiving ride quality, not too stiff, not to soft, but still give you great tire to tarmac feedback. They allowed me to read my car very well.

It's too bad that Ohlins R/T are about the same price now. I would have bought those instead. Ohlins you can daily drive for years and not need a rebuild as well. They are even more comfortable on the street than the KW V3's and offer superior track performance. All in the hands of the right driver of course

-pal215

 

I believe the recommended service interval for Ohlins R&T is 30k km (~18K miles) for street driving. Obviously the condition of the streets you drive on can have a big impact on that interval.

 

How much would that service run assuming normal wear?

 

I get it, but it's a shock for crying out loud. Many factory shocks can last 200k+ miles before needing to be replaced and that's driven daily on **** roads and potholes and through years of harsh salty winter roads and they are nothing special. You mean to tell me that a set of shock that are (supposedly) 100x better, built out of superior materials and cost so much more money are gonna crap out after 15k miles? Really?
That's what they are designed for. Lower stance and track abuse. They should last 200k miles if that's the environment they're designed for or shame on them. $600-$1000 per corner and they don't even last as long as a mass produced piece of crap factory shock? Am I the crazy person here? I mean come on, wouldn't you guys demand better quality for what you're paying? No disrespect to anyone on this forum. I look up to most of you. I'm just saying this is crazy.
I've literally beat the **** out of my Honda Pilot for the past 10 years. Off-road washboard roads, potholes, snow, salt, etc.. And the shocks on that haven't started leaking and needed to be replaced yet. This is a stock nothing special mass produced Honda shock. Doing what it was designed to do for 200k miles and hasn't failed yet.

 

You are missing the point completely here. Like everything in life it's a compromise. Just because something is built better with finer materials does not mean it'll outlast the inferior product. The reality is that when you opt to go to a fully adjustable coilover and something of quality like Ohlins for example you are paying for the performance but that performance comes at a substantial upfront cost as well as operating costs to keep them running in tip top shape.

Im not sure where you read about Ohlins not lasting very long and blowing seals prematurely and leaking oil but the reality is that shock oil degrades over time with the repeated heat cycles and dirt getting past the seals. Its not that they will typically fail but rather that they need to be freshened up with new oil seals bearing etc.

Take an exotic car for example like a Ferrari made out of high grade composites and expensive metals and compare it to something like a civic. The service intervals of the Ferrari are going to be far more frequent relative to the civic. Does that make the Ferrari crap? No of course it doesn't. But OTOH the civic isn't crap either its just different.

From the sounds of it I dont think coilovers are a good fit for you and you would be better suited with some MR Bilsteins and a good set of springs.