coilover thread to end it all

[Wiisass]

Originally Posted by aznpoopy

this is a good guide as to prices, but doesn't really get into the meat of what makes one coilover better than another (all other options being equal)... the shock.

few here have the technical background (or the money and resources) to make a really objective in-depth evaluation (or dyno) of every shock that comes in every coilover. and most people wouldn't understand it anyway. hell i know i don't. so i would take the list with a pinch of salt.

I would love to do this, but the logistics of it make things pretty impossible. It would require cooperation from the manufacturers or distributors and then the costs of dyno time and fixtures to mount the dampers on a dyno. But it would allow for objective analysis of the many available options on the market. Who knows if the higher priced JDM dampers have the same valving as the lower priced stuff or where the valving is in relation to where it should be.

But there's a good chance it would never happen.

[TheSquidd]

Yeah would never happen, because I guarantee half of those coil overs all come from the same damn factory in Taiwan. Mine included. No company wants to see that kind of information become common knowledge.

My main thing is who the hell is giving the review?

So far, the reviews posted are wholeheartedly trustworthy, but if we could avoid the whole:

"Oh yeah I bought some Megan Racing coil overs, they drift good, stiff, I slammed my car!"

type of review, it'd be great.

Please, only people that know what a coil over does and should do post reviews. People that have tested the coil overs in an environment where their performance MATTERS (drift, time trial, SCCA, auto-x) This excludes me as well since I don't know the first thing about suspension.

Links to other sites, as basis for some of the claims for the reviews, would also be excellent.

[AceInHole]

Originally Posted by Wiisass

I would love to do this, but the logistics of it make things pretty impossible. It would require cooperation from the manufacturers or distributors and then the costs of dyno time and fixtures to mount the dampers on a dyno. But it would allow for objective analysis of the many available options on the market. Who knows if the higher priced JDM dampers have the same valving as the lower priced stuff or where the valving is in relation to where it should be.

But there's a good chance it would never happen.

Dennis Grant claims to have done something similar.

http://farnorthracing.com/autocross_secrets6.html

[Wiisass]

Originally Posted by AceInHole

Dennis Grant claims to have done something similar.

http://farnorthracing.com/autocross_secrets6.html

I'm a fan of what Dennis wrote. It's a good guide based on actual experience and what seems like mostly unbiased reports. I mean if you really want good track coilovers, look at what real race teams and privateers are running. There aren't many using JDM coilovers and if there are, there's a good chance they're either revalved and tested. Or there's a good chance, they could be faster if they were using better shocks.

But I also agree with Squidd, who is giving these reviews. No offense meant, but I don't trust the detailed suspension reviews of many people on this site. It's not that I don't think the people know what they're feeling, it's that I think they don't have a good benchmark to compare their current setup to. Not many people have actually driven and raced on a well setup damper system. That's not saying that people don't know how it should feel, but some people aren't experienced enough to give a good review. Saying coilovers are harsh could mean many different things and may be misconstrued as something else. Which is what I've seen on paper when comparing the MAX plots to people's feedback.

[Aoshi112]

Originally Posted by Wiisass

I'm a fan of what Dennis wrote. It's a good guide based on actual experience and what seems like mostly unbiased reports. I mean if you really want good track coilovers, look at what real race teams and privateers are running. There aren't many using JDM coilovers and if there are, there's a good chance they're either revalved and tested. Or there's a good chance, they could be faster if they were using better shocks.

But I also agree with Squidd, who is giving these reviews. No offense meant, but I don't trust the detailed suspension reviews of many people on this site. It's not that I don't think the people know what they're feeling, it's that I think they don't have a good benchmark to compare their current setup to. Not many people have actually driven and raced on a well setup damper system. That's not saying that people don't know how it should feel, but some people aren't experienced enough to give a good review. Saying coilovers are harsh could mean many different things and may be misconstrued as something else. Which is what I've seen on paper when comparing the MAX plots to people's feedback.

I wholeheartedly agree as well