spring rates

[dsm9]

i want new suspension for my car, right now i have kyb gr2's and megan lowerin springs, i really want coilovers and ive narrowed my choices down to Ksport, D2 and megan racing. i know megan spring rates are like 14 and 6 ksport is 12/7 and d2 is 7.5/7. what i really need to know is which of those will give me the smoothest ride? VA Beach roads absolutely suck and when i hit a bump my car sounds like its falling apart by how stiff it is. i dont take my car to the track so i dont really care about that aspect, i just want a comfortable ride. any suggestions/feedback is greatly appreciated.

thanks
BM

 

[Flash]

Generally, the lower the spring rate the softer the ride.
I might suggest that you should get some regular lowering springs such as the Eibach Pro Kit. It will give you the ride you are looking for and it won't be so low.

 

[Dallas J]

For a standard 2g, Id say to go with about a 2:1 spring rate ratio. Because of our motion ratio and front weight bias this works pretty good. Maybe go a bit higher in the rear on street tires to get more rotation, but not more than 15-20% IMO.

Edit: Just noticed youre FWD. I dont know what the rear M.R. and weight distribution is for a FWD N/T so they might be different.

 

[dsm9]

thanks for the input guys, i just need to get a new suspension i got a new job and the drive is longer and the roads are terrible. i know some people on here have to have ksport megan or d2 coilovers, i just need to know what the ride is like. also i'd most likely be on the "softest" setting and i dont want to get springs again.

thanks

 

[Flash]

Why don't you want to get springs again?

 

[dsm9]

well i want the car to be pretty low ad the only spring that drops it low enough is the megans and this ride is awful

 

[Dallas J]

Most coilovers get rid of the spring isolator which is one of the biggest increases in noise and harshness. Switching to a regular lowering spring like the eibach or H&R will keep the insulator, give you the drop you want (the H&R drops pretty low), and maintain the isolator.

Also with just some springs like the eibach pro-kit with koni yellows, sway bars, and most importantly good tires youll have a pretty good handling car for a street car.

 

[dsm9]

while i do want to have a good handling car (i plan on adding bigger sway bars soon, i already added the rear) thats not the most important thing to me. i just want to have a low car with nice ride quality. i really dont want to do springs again. which of the above mentioned spring rates would be the least harsh?

 

[daren_p]

while i do want to have a good handling car (i plan on adding bigger sway bars soon, i already added the rear) thats not the most important thing to me. i just want to have a low car with nice ride quality. i really dont want to do springs again. which of the above mentioned spring rates would be the least harsh?

Normally you can't have both unless you get a coil over that doesn't limit the shock travel. If you want a smooth ride, you want a lower spring rate but if you want the car "really" low, if the springs are too soft you will bottom out the shocks all the time (not good), to stop this you need a nice high spring rate, which won't give you that soft comfy ride.

Not sure on the specifics of the setups your looking at (if they can be adjusted to keep suspenion travel, need to have an adjustable lower mount) but if they can that will help with the limited suspension travel thing & then the next issue is to get a shock thats dampening is matched well with the spring (again can't help much with the setups your looking at). If you have a proper matched shock (able to handle higher spring rates) you can actually run a higher rate spring & the shock will control it properly, giving you a half descent ride.

 

[KiNg MaRtY]

IF you mush have coilovers then I would suggest a Koni yellow setup with Ground Controls. They are much better in quality aswell

 

[dsm9]

Normally you can't have both unless you get a coil over that doesn't limit the shock travel. If you want a smooth ride, you want a lower spring rate but if you want the car "really" low, if the springs are too soft you will bottom out the shocks all the time (not good), to stop this you need a nice high spring rate, which won't give you that soft comfy ride.

Not sure on the specifics of the setups your looking at (if they can be adjusted to keep suspenion travel, need to have an adjustable lower mount) but if they can that will help with the limited suspension travel thing & then the next issue is to get a shock thats dampening is matched well with the spring (again can't help much with the setups your looking at). If you have a proper matched shock (able to handle higher spring rates) you can actually run a higher rate spring & the shock will control it properly, giving you a half descent ride.

thanks man so the lower the spring rate the smoother the ride, but i could have an issue with bottoming out?

 

[Flash]

Yes. With a soft spring that you desire and the super lower ride height you seem to want, there is a strong possibility that it would bottom out.

 

[dsm9]

but it would be a smooth ride? my car is around 2 inches lower now which is plenty and i hardly ever bottom out. i wouldnt go no lower than it is now, i just need a better ride i cant take more of this slammin.

thanks fellas

 

[dsm9]

i have finally saved enough money to buy some coilovers and i would like to get them this week. does anyone who has had either Megan Racing or D2 Coilovers have any input on how they ride during normal street use?