D2 for daily driver/autocrosss (salt)

[JrCRXHF]

I have been doing lots of reading about the coilovers I can get a set for 940 i am going to put a rear bar on the car in spring time. what i really want to know is how are they going to hold up in michingan winters. Does anyone who has a set or have good feed back if the salt is going to kill these coilovers.

 

[Maglin]

Salt kills steel. Period. Their isn't to much you can do about that. You can paint or even coat them but eventually they will scratch and then rust away into nothingness. Although that can take a very long time like many many years. So it doesn't really matter what coil overs you go with salt will sill eat away at them. I've seen mixed reviews about the D2's. I would go with Koni/GC combo. Very good and the same price. I personally have been a hugh Koni fan for years. They make some of the best drag shocks for street/strip cars. The D2's are new. Get them and let us know what you think of them.

 

[Rx3]

DO NOT USE D2 COILOVERS IN THE WINTER.


The manufacturer specifically warns multiple times in the install instructions against using the D2s in extreme cold. The coilovers will fail, and you will void your warranty.


Besides that, nothing can withstand the rusting power of road salt. So don't even go there


EDIT: Found the Limited Warranty card. It states: "Temperature Range: -5 degrees C to + 60 degrees C"

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

the D2 coilovers are made of Aluminum not steel. We have yet to see a single one rust or have a complaint of rust.

 

[Rx3]

the D2 coilovers are made of Aluminum not steel. We have yet to see a single one rust or have a complaint of rust.

Rust isn't the main problem that will develop. The dampners start to degrade and fail (i.e. lose the ability to retain stiffness) with multiple use in the cold. You probably haven't seen any complaints becuase you just started carrying them early this year. Winter doesn't start until around October, so it's obvious why you haven't seen any complaints yet. You might want to talk to some of the shops up north, especially in my area (Western NY/ Ontario, CA) who have been carrying D2 coilovers for a few years now. There have been multiple failures with these coilovers in cold weather up here. Michigan will have very similar consequences, since they are also on the Great Lakes and have the "lake effect" snow (high winds, sub zero temps).

 

[JrCRXHF]

well that really sucks i was all set on getting a set i was going to run koni's on my CRX for autoX. But the problem is the koni you can not really adjust that well in the car. but it looks like it is the shock of choice for the daily driven winter/summer car.

ok i want a firm ride closer to the hard side of things. can someone help with spring rates and for koni yellow shocks and which sway bar.

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

RX3, I know there were some issues with that before and i did have to deal with a few before we even started selling the D2 line. That is how i found them to begin with. The issue was that the manufacturer had put the wrong oil in which caused for a loud shock in cold weather. They did indeed send out replacements once the issue was identified and so far everything has been great.

 

[Rx3]

RX3, I know there were some issues with that before and i did have to deal with a few before we even started selling the D2 line. That is how i found them to begin with. The issue was that the manufacturer had put the wrong oil in which caused for a loud shock in cold weather. They did indeed send out replacements once the issue was identified and so far everything has been great.

That's interesting, I didn't know that they actually replaced the shock oil with a different grade. Did they (D2) change the warnings on the coilovers or do they still mandate not using them in sub zero temps? I guess this winter we will find out whether the change in shock oil will handle the cold. That is, assuming anybody wants to try

 

[JrCRXHF]

is there anyone on the boards that work for them or should i just call D2 tomorrow and see what they say.

How about this someone who works for them look in the box and see if it still says low temp not recommended or not.

 

[Rx3]

How about this someone who works for them look in the box and see if it still says low temp not recommended or not.

Already did that. In case you didn't see it the first time:

EDIT: Found the Limited Warranty card. It states: "Temperature Range: -5 degrees C to + 60 degrees C"

 

[JrCRXHF]

I just tried to call D2 this morning no one is there yet i will try again later. I really don't know what i want to do for shocks now because i liked being able to replace the whole shock system not using any of the old parts off the car (200,000) miles does stuff to old parts.

but i guess i will call them

Rx3: did the wart. card come out of a new set or was that the old style of oil that the card came out of.

 

[JrCRXHF]

I just callied D2 and talkied to them. They said it was just a noise issue due to oil that was selected for the shock. The Oil that is in the current shocks due not have this problem in the cold. The old problem did not hurt the shock at all just made noise. So i think i am going to order a set with 8 spring in the back and 10 spring in the front. which is one size harder in both the front and back then stock.

 

[Rx3]

I just tried to call D2 this morning no one is there yet i will try again later. I really don't know what i want to do for shocks now because i liked being able to replace the whole shock system not using any of the old parts off the car (200,000) miles does stuff to old parts.

but i guess i will call them

Rx3: did the wart. card come out of a new set or was that the old style of oil that the card came out of.

The card came from a new set of coilovers. I received them in June. I have no idea when the "official" recall for the shock oil was being done, and there are no serial numbers or anything, so I can't verify for certain.

I do know that the spring rates that I ordered were custom, so D2 had to drop ship them from Taiwan because no supplier in the states had the spring rates I required. So *maybe* I have a set with the new oil. Not 100% sure though.

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

as far as i know there weren't any DSM coilovers affected. The 240sx and Maxima parts were the ones that were most affected.

 

[jtmcinder]

the D2 coilovers are made of Aluminum not steel.

Including the shaft???

- Jtoby

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

oh and the temps that they rate is the oil temps not the ambient temps. So that doesn't mean they don't work in cold weather. I beleive the shaft is made of Stainless Steel.

-Marti

 

[Rx3]

oh and the temps that they rate is the oil temps not the ambient temps. So that doesn't mean they don't work in cold weather. I beleive the shaft is made of Stainless Steel.

-Marti

Now that makes no sense. There is no way for a consumer to monitor or maintain oil shock temperatures. So why would they put something out of the consumer's ability to control in the Limited warranty card of "things you should not do"?

Why would they SPECIFICALLY state in the install instructions NOT to use the coilovers in adverse cold weather conditions?




As for the coilover materials, the springs themselves aren't aluminum, and I doubt they are stainless steel. They are just steel coated with whatever. And that "whatever" will come off with enough cold, dirt, and road salt. If the coating can be stripped from Eibachs, KWs, stock springs, Teins, and every other manufacturer's springs in about one or two solid winters, D2s will be no different.

 

[4wd-Eclipse]

Martin, I need to know if the spring rate for 1G AWD D2 (9kg front and 7kg rear) that mentioned in you site is the best combo for a daily driven

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

the outer components of the D2 are made of Aluminum which is why they are so much lighter than a lot of the others out there.

I spoke to the importer of the D2 and mike told me that the temprature warnings are indeed for the oil components.

 

[Rx3]

I spoke to the importer of the D2 and mike told me that the temprature warnings are indeed for the oil components.

Ok, but the oil will still get cold because aluminum transfers temps very well. So even if the temp warning is for oil, if you drive the car in extreme temps (i.e. winter) if the outdoor temperature dips enough, the metal will cool the oil. So you are STILL risking coilover failure by driving the car in the winter.

All the Great Lake cities can get down way past freezing easily due to wind chill. The metal will transfer all of that. So you figure your average windy winter day up here is around -15 to -25 when the wind is up, that will still cool the oil past the recommended temperature range.


So drive the D2s in the winter at your own risk. Aluminum is not an insulator. The oil will cool past the recommended oil temp range if you drive it in the winter.

 

[JrCRXHF]

Rx3 is right about the temps and there is no way for consumers to know what the oil temps are.

I callied D2 today about this and they said that the oil has been changed in the shocks and there is no issue in the cold anymore. As far as salt. the springs are coated most likely powder coated. the adjustable sleeving is a Teflon coating to help against rust too.


i did order 10 in the front and 8 in the back 1kg/mm more then stock from d2

 

[prostreetdsmx1]

Martin, I need to know if the spring rate for 1G AWD D2 (9kg front and 7kg rear) that mentioned in you site is the best combo for a daily driven

we did try a couple of variations on the 1g and the 9/7 was my personal favorite.

 

[4wd-Eclipse]

we did try a couple of variations on the 1g and the 9/7 was my personal favorite.

Sound good

Thanx

 

[jtmcinder]

My point was that whether the shock bodies become ugly etc due to salt is not really a big deal. Even a little rust on the springs is nothing to freak out about. However, if the shaft becomes pitted from erosion, then you're toast and you'll be toast very quickly if you damage the wiper.

One of the ways that companies can save money when producing a shock is to skimp on the shaft. (Ask anyone who had ShockTeks from a few years ago.) If the shaft can't take exposure to salt, then you really should think twice about running these in the winter. Of course, we'll need a guinea pig to find out.

- Jtoby

 

[JrCRXHF]

My point was that whether the shock bodies become ugly etc due to salt is not really a big deal. Even a little rust on the springs is nothing to freak out about. However, if the shaft becomes pitted from erosion, then you're toast and you'll be toast very quickly if you damage the wiper.

One of the ways that companies can save money when producing a shock is to skimp on the shaft. (Ask anyone who had ShockTeks from a few years ago.) If the shaft can't take exposure to salt, then you really should think twice about running these in the winter. Of course, we'll need a guinea pig to find out.

- Jtoby

well i guess i am the guinea pig. if they don't work out then i guess everyone else will know and i will know not to get them again. the car will see one more winter then after that i might keep the car and buy a EVO for winter driven. we will see how wild i get with the car.