vote : help me pick my suspension

[blcknspo0ln]

okay so i'm about 2 weeks away from ordering my suspensions and have been reading furiously over all the threads here in the suspensions section. thing is, i dont know what to do!!!i have a 2gb talon FWD. so please vote

1. eibach prokit / gr2 front / agx rear
2. eibach prokit / agx all around
3. tein type basic
4. tokico illumina kit w. springs
5. eibach sportline / agx all around
6. GC coilover / agx all around

help me. i'm leaning towards #1 because of the way the gr2/agx setup will help me with weight transfer.

 

[tsiawdspeed]

I voted for the prokit/agx setup because it is what I have in my car and I love it. Don't worry about what everyone is saying about the shock length with the front AGX. It is either the stock length or shorter but no one seems to know the length of the stock shock. It will be fine if you get the new part # which is 741042. This combination handles really well for me, but I don't autoX or anything like that. With the prokits, I did not need a camber kit. The alignment shop was able to get the camber to .5* away from spec.

 

[Gary 420A RS]

i voted tein basic i have that on mine now. and its perfect couldnt ask for more. but later on iam planing on getting the better tein kit.. well worth the money.. ive had mine for 2 years so far..

 

[my95tsi]

I love my H&R sport springs. Perfect for my ride!

 

[blcknspo0ln]

aren't HR springs really low? like 2.0" drop low?

 

[PaulPDX]

Koni Sport with H&R Sport springs.

Koni shocks blow the ones you listed right out of the water.

 

[PaulPDX]

aren't HR springs really low? like 2.0" drop low?

No. Lowers 1.7" front and 1.4" rear.

 

[my95tsi]

H&R race springs are lower

 

[blcknspo0ln]

i know koni's are the best out there [yellows] but i'm not that much of a suspension guy. nor do i care for the ride quality. although some passengers do :laugh: . keep 'em coming guys, but i think i'm deciding on the prokit/agx setup, nice and simple

 

[PaulPDX]

i know koni's are the best out there [yellows] but i'm not that much of a suspension guy. nor do i care for the ride quality. although some passengers do :laugh: . keep 'em coming guys, but i think i'm deciding on the prokit/agx setup, nice and simple

Umm... ok, so you'd rather have the car bouncing around and possibly upset the car's balance which can lead to a lot of unfortunate things aside from lost time?

On the track it probably doesn't matter much since it is a controlled environment. However, on the streets, there are a lot more variables and some are not predictable.

Golden rule of thumb, when it comes to suspensions, the dampers are the single most important element of any suspension system.

Read all recent threads on suspension. Differences between the shocks have been discussed. Koni sports are pretty much the only ones that have short shock bodies that would accommodate lowering springs properly. The are also better valved to control the motion of compression and rebound... its that kind of control that limits the car's up and down motion. A good suspension transfers little to the chassis. A good suspension soaks up the bumps and uneveness of the road, allowing the tires to maintain good contact with the road. A bad suspension is one that soaks up little and sends most of the forces back to the chassis sending it bouncing upward and unweighing the tires = less traction.

In the context I just described, good ride = good handling.

Going cheap and not doing it right is a total waste of money.

Look at your poll. Majority of the votes go for "other". That should tell you something. If you insist on going cheap and not doing it right... why bother asking?

 

[bmw m3 redwing]

I don't know is H&R makes systems for DSM's, but my BMW is riding on and H&R cup kit (race springs + race shocks) and i LOVE them

 

[PaulPDX]

H&R does not make full kits for DSMs. I wish they did and they damn well should. *hint* *hint*

All they have available for the DSMs are 3 trims of springs: OE, Sport, and Race.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

paulpdx... i've been bouncing back and forth between the eibachprokit/agx combo and the tein basics. MANY users have either setup and love them, i'm just trying for the tried and true methods with DSM suspension, since i have no experience with suspension. thanks for the commentary and i'll keep that in my decisions

 

[PaulPDX]

I guess you haven't been around online car forums much. Majority of butt dyno reviews are just that... something pulled out of the ass. Lots of people say great things about product X only because they own it and have spent money on it. Not because they've objectively tested and compared the qualities of two competiting products.

Take everything you read and hear with a grain of salt. Negative reviews or reviews that point out both the positive and negative aspects of product X tend to be more honest and reliable.

Analyze all information you gather and use them as tools to help you form your own conclusion; don't take anything at face value... your weren't born without a brain... put it to good use.

I do not consider Eibach to be the best manufacturer of springs. They spent far more in marketing than R&D and quality control. I would choose H&R before giving Eibach any consideration.

 

[my95tsi]

Well i don't have any problems with my H&R sport springs. They lower the car in the front a little more than the rear to give better traction on the front wheels plus it gives a more aggressive stance. I would honestly have to say that since i installed the springs, wheel hop has been drastically reduced. I never wheel hop unless it's wet outside. The ride is pretty decent but it rides rougher than stock. I have the gr2's which isn't my best choice but they hold up just fine. My only problem with the gr2's is that they make the springs slightly on the bouncy side but not too noticable. They handle great and it will be even better when i get my rims and tires. The only downside which is true of almost any lowering spring is the inabilitiy to not scrape on steep slops. I can't bring my car to a normal auto shop unless they know how to work with lowered cars b/c it's a bi*** to get on a lift and most lifts won't even work for my car. My front bumper has a 3 inch clearance since i measured it last which is pretty damn low. Otherwise they are a great spring overall.

 

[PaulPDX]

Well i don't have any problems with my H&R sport springs. They lower the car in the front a little more than the rear to give better traction on the front wheels plus it gives a more aggressive stance. I would honestly have to say that since i installed the springs, wheel hop has been drastically reduced. I never wheel hop unless it's wet outside.

Wheel hop and slipping in the wet also has to do with tire compound. My friend bought some high performance all seaon Toyo for the front of his 2G GST and the spin with ease in the rain. "High performance my ass" were his exact words during his first drive in the wet.

My only problem with the gr2's is that they make the springs slightly on the bouncy side but not too noticable.

Improperly vavled for the spring rate. Unable to provide the damping neccessary to control the compression/rebound occillation of the spring and suspension.

They handle great and it will be even better when i get my rims and tires.

Most people upgrade the suspension before they upgrade the tires. Based on my experience with previous cars, believe it or not, tires make the most difference in handling. In a way, it shouldn't be surprising... since the rubber is what's between the road and the car. Once you get your tires, assuming you get the right once... your car's handling will be greatly improved.

 

[Jdmturbo]

If I was a millionaire I would get the- JIC Magic FLTA2- they are by far the best a man can get

 

[PaulPDX]

If I was a millionaire I would get the- JIC Magic FLTA2- they are by far the best a man can get

Jury is still out on that one. A guy on here did some shock dyno test of a set of JICs and he found the performance to be inconsistant. He even posted his findings. Do a search on JICs and look for a member by the name of 3ltrpower or something along those lines.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

okay, so what i'm reading from here and other threads, some shocks and springs weren't made for each other. i.e., ground controls were MADE for kyb , etc.

now i'm leaning towards the tein basics, because of the adjustability and the sole fact that they were made for each other. plus the cheapest prices i've found are very comparable to the tein basics.

these are the cheapest i've found:

hopupracing.com:
eibach prokit - 200
agx - 360

vs.

prostreetonline.com with 10% discount
tein basics - 640 shipped

for the extra 80 bucks i think i'll go with tein.

 

[blcknspo0ln]

oh yea, where do you get camber kits? and how much are they?

 

[jtmcinder]

okay, so what i'm reading from here and other threads, some shocks and springs weren't made for each other. i.e., ground controls were MADE for kyb , etc.

What?

GCs aren't made for any particular shock because you specify whatever springrates you want.

- Jtoby

 

[Attack Eagle]

OT but in my MGB to put it on a lift we would have to pick the car up by hand just to slide the lift pads under it, so I know what you mean!
I think I had about 1.25- 1.5 inches on the down pipe and about 2" on the nose and body.
(raked a little in the front)

handled like a dream but I could not drive over a speed bump or up a regular driveway.
had to "parrallel park" into driveways to get up them!

I was a regualr at the exhaust shop too, alway in there bending the pipe back away from the body and replaceing the down pipe.

To the starter of this thread have you considered calling RRE about the JIC Magics? Or are you looking for looks and weight transfer only?

 

[my95tsi]

I went to the shop to get my tires rotated and they had to get a guy on each side of my fender to lift the car to clear the lift braces. I've never seen them do that before but it was a smart idea.

 

[Jon Lane]

I have AGX's with GC coil-overs (and AEM brakes and RRE sways) and I think the GC's are a FINE product. My Eibach springs are street rates and only about 30% over stock.

The GC's fit the AGX's well, and the entire package is a breeze to install. I have a conservative 1" drop and use the front camber kit from those guys in Colorado who's name I can't remember.

Here's the bad news: The AGX's are not suitable for even 30% over rates. In fact, they're not warranteed with coil-overs. And if you're thinking about a 1.7" drop, DON'T. The AGX fronts are 1" LONGER than stock, meaning if you drop nearly 2" you're out almost 3 full inches of travel. Not wise. (I have my 1" of travel back by way of GC's upper hats but they're another $150 or something.)

But the worst news is that the AGX don't hold up under these conditions. I've lost both rears (posted elsewhere on this forum) and I am not happy about not having warranty. A 1.5" drop is ok with KYB, as are stiffer shocks, but the coil-over perch is taboo and you get to tear up your warranty the second you knock off the factory spring rings. Go figure: It's the higher rate that blew mine out (unless it's KYB's poor design or QC...)

 

[blcknspo0ln]

so keeping in mind what you just said - eibach prokits with kyb agx's should be fine right?

ARG i've been debating for over a month on which supension i wanna go with. and there are so many considerations