Bryty-22 said:

I'm posting this here as it is my first official question and I'm not entirely certain what forum it is best suited for.

With that said, I am wanting to buy a set of coilovers for my 97 GST. The car is completely stock and will be used for street use only.

Does anyone know anything about Yellow Speed Racing coilovers? (Link below)
https://yellowspeedracingusa.com/pr...-sport-coilovers-1995-1999-mitsubishi-eclipse

I personally love the look of these (I know they can't really be seen once installed, but still). However I have been unsuccessful finding any information or reviews for this particular set searching in the forms and scouring google.

Future plans:
I will most likely be following the stage 1 & 2 upgrade path provided in the resources tab.

Thanks in advance!

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First of all for future references, the Handling Tech would be the forum you would want to post in, but it isn't an issue. I also own a 97 GS-T and plan on using it for street use. I have never heard of the specific coilovers you listed, but they seem like good quality components. I also hear Megan Racing is good, but I, personally, will be going with a set of bc racing. Also I think it is important to state that DSM's have alot of body flex so I would recommend some strut braces and other items to stiffen the chassis before adding coilovers.

Hope that helps!!

You should try coilovers that have spherical bearings; you can custom order spherical bearings for bc coilovers on RTM website. Otherwise Feal, custom DG built coilovers or pressing a spherical into other coilovers such as kw.

Personally I run Koni, the ones your looking into will probably work really well, especially if you are just cruizing the streets and not doing autocross.

Most coilovers for our 2G DSM's are junk. My best recommendation is to get Feal 441's.

Mello said:

Most coilovers for our 2G DSM's are junk. My best recommendation is to get Feal 441's.

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What are the spring rates on those? I don't see them listed on the website.

ErikTande said:

What are the spring rates on those? I don't see them listed on the website.

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From what I can find 10k Front and 6k rear. May be worth a call to Feal to verify. They changed the springs on the standard 441's back in June of 2018

https://www.springrates.com/feal-441-coilovers-1995-1999-mitsubishi-eclipse-awd-fwd-2g/

ErikTande said:

What are the spring rates on those? I don't see them listed on the website.

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It's been a while since I looked closely at Feal's site but you're correct & the spring rates don't show. If I remember in the past they showed spring rates with the drop down for the Swift upgrade as 12Kg front & 6kg rear standard with custom rate options. This may only apply with the 441+'s (& up) now but contact them. I've noticed 12Kg front & 6kg rear is fairly typical these days for 2G coilovers since most are now all sourced Chinese parts. Swift is Japan therefore metric as well.

Most all of the coilovers you'll find on the market these days are copies of copies of other cheap kits - replicated designs with no real R&D tied to them. There isn't enough business in this platform to justify the R&D. Most of the companies test for fitment, but that's it.

If you're looking for a cheap set of coilovers for a 2g, you'll want to at least strongly consider the kits that have a true coaxial upper spherical bearing for the front assemblies, which most of the cheaper kits do not. It's a major design aspect that addresses binding and twisting as the steering pivots. As others have stated, Feal kits have them, and I believe you can get them for BC Racing kits. The custom made DG kits, built from Koni shocks, will have them, but I'm not sure if those kits are easy to get these days. And the Feal kits can be rebuilt later, which can't be said for most of the other kits out there. If you're not looking to spend Ohlins money, the only other kits I'd be considering are Feal and the DG custom kit... but that's just me.

Feel free to read what Dennis Grant wrote about the 2g coilover design here many years ago:
http://farnorthracing.com/autocross/konis.html

FYI, that's where the "DG" designed kits get their name. He's no longer offering those coilover kits described on that page. We worked with a shop to make a couple batches based on that design some years ago, with Dennis' blessing, but I don't know that you can still get them made. That's why I typically just point people to Feal these days. It's probably the best of all the cheap options available now.

John Miller said:

First of all for future references, the Handling Tech would be the forum you would want to post in, but it isn't an issue. I also own a 97 GS-T and plan on using it for street use. I have never heard of the specific coilovers you listed, but they seem like good quality components. I also hear Megan Racing is good, but I, personally, will be going with a set of bc racing. Also I think it is important to state that DSM's have alot of body flex so I would recommend some strut braces and other items to stiffen the chassis before adding coilovers.

Hope that helps!!

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Thank you for the tip! I'll definitely be adding strut bars to my list when I decide what coilovers to get!

Ludachris said:

Most all of the coilovers you'll find on the market these days are copies of copies of other cheap kits - replicated designs with no real R&D tied to them. There isn't enough business in this platform to justify the R&D. Most of the companies test for fitment, but that's it.

If you're looking for a cheap set of coilovers for a 2g, you'll want to at least strongly consider the kits that have a true coaxial upper spherical bearing for the front assemblies, which most of the cheaper kits do not. It's a major design aspect that addresses binding and twisting as the steering pivots. As others have stated, Feal kits have them, and I believe you can get them for BC Racing kits. The custom made DG kits, built from Koni shocks, will have them, but I'm not sure if those kits are easy to get these days. And the Feal kits can be rebuilt later, which can't be said for most of the other kits out there. If you're not looking to spend Ohlins money, the only other kits I'd be considering are Feal and the DG custom kit... but that's just me.

Feel free to read what Dennis Grant wrote about the 2g coilover design here many years ago:
http://farnorthracing.com/autocross/konis.html

FYI, that's where the "DG" designed kits get their name. He's no longer offering those coilover kits described on that page. We worked with a shop to make a couple batches based on that design some years ago, with Dennis' blessing, but I don't know that you can still get them made. That's why I typically just point people to Feal these days. It's probably the best of all the cheap options available now.

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Thank all of you for replies and input! I definitely appreciate the helpful information.

I've had countless questions in my ownership so far and thankfully knowing how to use the search feature I have been able to find answers to everything I have encountered.

Ludachris, I appreciate you of all people taking the time to respond and providing such valid information. I'm going to head over and read the link you posted as well. If nothing else, I will be going with the feal kit over all others.

Again thank all of you!

Ludachris said:

Strongly consider the kits that have a true coaxial upper spherical bearing for the front assemblies, which most of the cheaper kits do not. It's a major design aspect that addresses binding and twisting as the steering pivots. As others have stated, Feal kits have them, and I believe you can get them for BC Racing kits. The custom made DG kits, built from Koni shocks, will have them, but I'm not sure if those kits are easy to get these days.

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I found that piecing a kit together makes a successful option. Using the DG as design basis, try this. I have and can't recommend it highly enough.

1. Standard Ground Control sleeves and lower spring perch. This was a very common coil over upgrade years ago and there must be a lot of these parts still floating around;

2. Eibach springs, or similar. For street a 400# rate is just about perfect in front*, with 250# in the back. This ratio tracks with the AWD 2G's weight distribution so feel free to adjust somewhat to accommodate the FWD.

3. Koni Sport shocks. Great shock, better than most, inexpensive to boot;

4. Coleman Racing aluminum shock tops (upper spring hats). Plain old circle track parts, cheap. Size them to your Eibach's diameter;

5. FEAL spherical upper shock rod mounts. Whether you upgrade the spherical bearings to some heavier-duty part is up to you; I did. You must allow the shock rod to pivot in the mount to avoid bending it;

6. Torrington bearings are available on Amazon, complete with upper and lower races. They allow your springs to rotate slightly to avoid torsional bind.

The whole thing goes together easily using the DG plan. I did not use helper springs. I added bronze upper spacers about 3/4" tall to allow for the drop in the tubular lower arms I'm using.

*Here's the thing: The adjustable Sports really like about a 400# front spring. Adjust them to halfway and you'll find that even with the hard spherical rod mount (and here, the hard lower control arm joints) that the car rides very well. There is a heightened sense of small stuff - concrete aggregate, cracks, joints - but a better ride and lower noise once you've taken all the play out and have the Konis adjusted for perfect damping.

Go to rixracing.com. They have a good pair of used coilovers for sale right now.

I highly recommend the Tein Street Basis Z coilovers. Check out the link for my thread about them.

I went with the basic Feal coilovers for my GSX. They seem to be the best option for as far as one piece coilover already put together with the spherical mounts and not having to put one together and sourcing different parts. I am not a skilled driver and my experience with them has just been normal street driving but the thing I noticed the most was steering response felt a lot sharper. Hope that helps you if you haven't made a decision yet.

Feals are good but prices jumped a while back and you got less for your money but they are still rated as good units.

BC are also good and can have the spherical upper mounts if you wish to add them after and swap them out. Or ask the US dealer to install them for you while they being made. The US was more helpful then the UK side of things when calling.

Another brand that seems to be making a good product seems to be yellow speed racing i believe they are called. Unsure if they have spherical upper mounts though of it can be added.

After a quick perusal of the Feal website, I would be super dubious about those shocks.

Red flags:

1. Some sort of off-brand spring, almost certainly not up to the quality level of an Eibach, never mind a Hypercoil - and Hypercoils are dirt cheap. If you are scrimping that hard to push prices down or raise profit margins, what else have you scrimped on?

2. Their adjuster seems to be a bleed with no one-way check valve, meaning no separate adjusting of compression and rebound. It's isn't 1995 any more... and I bet the QA on that bleed valve isn't great;

3. No mention of dyno plots coming with shocks - not even "typical" as opposed to "this shock's exact plot", which is the gold standard. What is he hiding? and

4. The owner is a drifter, which is a "sport" that relies on the suspension *not working* so the tires break loose easier.

Man, I literally posted all the drawings and part numbers you need to make a decent 2G DSM coilover suspension for as cheap as can be had... Yeah, the upper mounts are a bit of a pain to source, but Magnus Motorsports can make them. The rest is easy!

Or maybe everyone can sign up to my Pateron so I can afford to CNC covert the 25 series bench mill I've had my eyes on, and I can start making them again...

DG-FNR said:

After a quick perusal of the Feal website, I would be super dubious about those shocks.

Red flags:

1. Some sort of off-brand spring, almost certainly not up to the quality level of an Eibach, never mind a Hypercoil - and Hypercoils are dirt cheap. If you are scrimping that hard to push prices down or raise profit margins, what else have you scrimped on?

2. Their adjuster seems to be a bleed with no one-way check valve, meaning no separate adjusting of compression and rebound. It's isn't 1995 any more... and I bet the QA on that bleed valve isn't great;

3. No mention of dyno plots coming with shocks - not even "typical" as opposed to "this shock's exact plot", which is the gold standard. What is he hiding? and

4. The owner is a drifter, which is a "sport" that relies on the suspension *not working* so the tires break loose easier.

Man, I literally posted all the drawings and part numbers you need to make a decent 2G DSM coilover suspension for as cheap as can be had... Yeah, the upper mounts are a bit of a pain to source, but Magnus Motorsports can make them. The rest is easy!

Or maybe everyone can sign up to my Pateron so I can afford to CNC covert the 25 series bench mill I've had my eyes on, and I can start making them again...

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Welcome back Dennis! It's been a while.

You bring up some valid points about the Feals, but I will say this - from what I've observed over the years, they're delivering what most DSMers want in a coilover, a good handling kit with a coaxial upper front mount for the 2g at a lower price point that they'll stand behind and rebuild. They aren't shooting for gold standard, as all but a very small handful of DSMers who will buy coilovers would pay gold standard prices. They do have what they call a "road race" shock option for those who want it. I've observed people (in other platforms) competing with Feals in Time Attack events with pretty good results.

And let's be honest, if we avoided all products based on what we thought the manufacturer might be skimping on in the DSM world, we would never buy anything for these cars. Almost everything available for this platform is made with a low price point in mind - DSMers are notoriously cheap. If you don't skimp somewhere, you won't sell anything in any type of volume in this market.

The 2g owners who are serious about handling, want superior performance from a set of coilovers (not just "good" handling and the ability to set ride height) and want to see shock dyno plots will likely opt to build their own using your drawings. The rest either don't want to go through that hassle, or pay the higher prices of a "premium" coilover brand, not for this application - hell, there aren't any premium options outside the Ohlins 1g kit from Muellerized these days anyway. With that in mind, Feals aren't a bad option, better than most of the other cheap options out there for this group of "mostly" drag racers (where the bar for "good" handling tends to be set pretty low).

Glad to see you posting again Dennis, hope all is well.

> Welcome back Dennis! It's been a while.

It has.

Once and a while I surface to see if it is safe to participate without my personal SuperFan showing up to shit in the punchbowl.

> You bring up some valid points about the Feals,

Sees Feal in the banners in the bottom of the page.

Ah.

> hope all is well.

Ditto.

DG-FNR said:

> Sees Feal in the banners in the bottom of the page.

Ah.

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I wouldn't put too much weight in that, as you can probably tell by my comments above on their kit. We've never discouraged honest feedback or criticism on parts from anyone here, even parts made by supporting vendors. And yes, I can tell you that has resulted in us losing a few vendors over the years. The only thing we haven't allowed is customer service and transaction disputes.