Powertrix Ultralites Coilovers (Long term review)

[articdragon192]

Wasn't sure where to post a review on coilovers, so I figured the tech sections would be best. If not, mods please move to proper section, thanks!


So I've been running my Powertrix Ultralites for about a year now, and I figured it was time for a review, a long term review showing how well these coilovers have held up over time and abuse. I know most of you guys haven't heard much about Powertrix and probably consider them ebay status, but those who know me know I don't run crap parts, even if it were to be give to me. I actually swapped out my worn out Stances and replaced them with these, instead of buying new Stances all over again, to give them a chance. And the gamble paid off. It helps when Powertrix is also one of the biggest Z32 vendors out there, so it adds a lot of credibility, and I hope my testimonial helps add even more credibility to their products here. This is a review on Powertrix's higher end coilover, the Ultralites, which have aluminum bodied shocks, pillowball upper mounts, and more aggressive valving than their street oriented SuperStreet coilovers.
Coilovers, Springs, & Struts

Initial Reactions
The coilovers are really well built. Few things here and there, such as the top collar above the springs for ease of turning, show how well thought out these coilovers are built and designed. Install was a breeze. I opted for the 8k/8k spring rates instead of the regular 8k/6k rates in order to make the car more neutral, especially with my non staggered tire set up.
I swapped out my old coilovers, set up the new Powertrix coilovers, and installed them. A few tweaks here and there and I got them to the height I wanted. Not happy with how much spring sag I was running to get the height I wanted, I opted to modify my coilovers as shown in this thread:
300zxClub.com (Nissan 300ZX Forums)
(Sorry for linking to another forum, but I never posted the modification thread in Zilvia)
These coilovers do go decently low. I was able to get them to just above the tire without having to sag the spring, but that wasn't the height I was aiming for, so I modded them and done deal.

Initial driving impressions (street)
On the drive home, I was really impressed by how smooth the coilovers rode. Even with the stiffer spring rates in the rear, they rode amazing. Not bumpy or bouncy at all. Granted, you could feel the expension joints and the drops in the highways more due to the pillowball mounts and the stiffer rates, but it doesn't feel like you're kidney's about to bleed out. Over smaller bumps and dips, the suspension works really well, absorbing any unpleasantness

Initial driving impressions (track)
So the day after, I had a track event and really tested the coilovers out. I was amazed at how even 1-2 clicks in dampening would make such a noticeable change in how the car reacted. I was having initial oversteer issues, so 2 clicks back on the rear dampers and bam, enough squat to give me the traction I needed to keep the tail end from whipping out to excessively. Great stuff. Even my passengers were amazed at how such small changes in the dampening changed how the car responded.

Long term impressions
As I've said, it's been about a year since I've been running these coilovers. I've added about 30k miles of daily usage and monthly track use, and they still ride like new. Took them out for inspection about 1 month ago, just to make sure no seals were going out, cleaning up all the components, checking for any sort of play, and there were no problems at all. Reset my suspension after completely disassembling and cleaning all the components, and reinstalled them. No issues after 1 year of heavy abuse, which is very promising.
I have yet to get tired of the suspension because it rides really smooth. Not jarring at all. I've had passengers fall asleep in my car because of how well the car rides. Definitely a big surprised as to how comfortable it rides considering it's a race oriented set up. I love it.

Footage of suspension in actions
Here are a couple of videos of my car at the track, both drifting and road racing to show how the car reacts with the suspension installed. Enjoy!

Drifting at the NOS Center:
YouTube - Z32 Drifting at NOS Center
YouTube - Z32 Drifting at NOS Center

Drifting at the Balcony at Willow Springs
YouTube - 300zx Drifting on Powertrix Ultralites
YouTube - MVI_0346.AVI

Road racing at Buttonwillow (video courtesy of CanyonCarver)
YouTube - 300zx Buttonwillow 022110 #1.wmv

[MADE]

Although I haven't brought anything from Powertrix I've met the owner, super cool dude and he serious about Z's. I expect a good product from powertrix.

[articdragon192]

Most definitely. And his service is top notch. always willing to answer your question or help you in any manner.

[babyjesus]

sounds like you really liked them, as far as i remember you were on gr+ pros before right? those from what i hear are pretty good, how do these compare? ima get another z soon and wanna wieght out my options, thanks!

[PoorMans180SX]

We can't see the coilover mod because you have to be a member.

[articdragon192]

Originally Posted by babyjesus

sounds like you really liked them, as far as i remember you were on gr+ pros before right? those from what i hear are pretty good, how do these compare? ima get another z soon and wanna wieght out my options, thanks!

I was on the Gr+. They didn't have Gr+ Pros when I was shopping.
My Powertrixes feel very similar to the, but have slight changes that I believe make them better. For one, that upper collar (which I removed) is pretty handy if left installed. Allows for easier rotation of the shock without affecting the preload. Also, I have aluminum shock bodies, which are 2-3 lbs lighter than the Stance set up. Not to mention I can always hit up Charles if there's a problem of any sort. his customer service alone persuades many buyers.

Originally Posted by PoorMans180SX

We can't see the coilover mod because you have to be a member.

I'll post the pics here then.

Amount of droop before mod to attain my ride height:


Collar/ spacer that needs removal:


After removal:


The top nut actually runs out of threads before it can sit snugly against the top hat:


The fix? A spacer. I used a nylon one here as that was all I could find at the moment, but it currently has a metal spacer on now.



And now, practically zero droop:


Installed and me happy

[slideways2004]

I'm not sure if im missing something and not really sure on the design of the z32 coilovers, but couldn't you have just raised the lower bracket to make coilover shorter in order to lower the car?

[!Zar!]

Maybe the bottom bracket was as high as it could go; quite common with most coilovers when going low with s-chassis.

Another reason would be to lower the car while maintaining desired preload, while not affecting suspension droop.

[slideways2004]

Originally Posted by !Zar!

Maybe the bottom bracket was as high as it could go; quite common with most coilovers when going low with s-chassis.

Another reason would be to lower the car while maintaining desired preload, while not affecting suspension droop.

Yeah if he had a picture of the bottom of the coilover while mounted, we could see this

OP: How much did Powertrix pay you to post this on here. hahahah j/k

[articdragon192]

Originally Posted by slideways2004

I'm not sure if im missing something and not really sure on the design of the z32 coilovers, but couldn't you have just raised the lower bracket to make coilover shorter in order to lower the car?

The shock was bottomed out into the lower bracket already. Unlike S-chassis front shocks that can thread through the lower mount, my lower mounts are limited since the shock bolts into the spindle on the bottom, so there's a definitive limit in how much you can screw the shock body into the lower mount.

Originally Posted by !Zar!

Maybe the bottom bracket was as high as it could go; quite common with most coilovers when going low with s-chassis.

Another reason would be to lower the car while maintaining desired preload, while not affecting suspension droop.

Yes, this is mainly the reason I did this modification. I didn't like drooping the spring, especially without helper springs, since they would make all sorts of noise whenever the suspension would fully extend. Luckily, I still have a pretty good amount of down travel at my height, so 3 wheeling is not that common.

Originally Posted by slideways2004

Yeah if he had a picture of the bottom of the coilover while mounted, we could see this

OP: How much did Powertrix pay you to post this on here. hahahah j/k

Here's a picture of the whole shock:


And that information if for me to know, and you never to find out, hahaha jk.