i need an explanation please

[Slav]

so after saving for some time now i just finally ordered what i thought would be a good full coilover set for not so cheap, to me atleast that kind of money just doesnt fall into the lap. so the coilovers are Tein SS and i got the rear and front camber kit, my question is after reading all these message boards all i pretty much see is how bad the product is, i have never had experience with Tein, but i really can not wait any longer to drop my car and going with just springs really isnt going to happen. i dont know if anyone has ever been in a car with lowering springs and shocks that were shot, because that gets more then annoying. so can someone knowledgeable about this specific case tell me if i should cancel the order and wait for something different, im not using the car for autocross or anything, its just a daily. thank you in advace for your help

[LucasBlack]

if its just a daily....and if you're not planning on trying to pull the most performance out of your car....then i say go ahead and just get the tein's.

for your usage, i'm not sure how much difference you'd be able to tell between the tein coilovers or putting together a more dedicated/specific damper/spring combo that could be better suited...

[Z1 Performance]

if all you are using the car for is street driving, why did you automatically get coilovers? Have you ever owned coilovers? Do you know how to properly adjust them? Do you understand the relationship between droop, preload, cornerbalancing? Without that knowledge behind you, or a shop equipped to do it for you (a rarity on LI), you're frankly wasting your money on any coilover IMHO. The mere prescense of coilovers does not make your car handle better - in fact, if you don't take the time to set them up properly, most times it handles worse than stock.

Lowering springs, if chosen correctly, can give you a great drop AND ride very well - case in point, my own car.

That being said the tein SS work very well....if setup and installed to work properly

[Forklift352]

I got just springs (2 mo. ago.) So far no prob.My car is a D/D and
I dont see any thing bad happen soon.When some good ajustable
shocks come ill be ready with the cash.By the way you need 2 sets of
camber bolts to get -1.5 camber in the front.Their is them blue shocks
that arnt adjustable but that would solve your prob.I think about 500.
for the set and 200. for springs.Much cheeper

[Sirbelch]

Get the HFP kit. If you read the sticky entitled "suspension" a guy has tried both the SS and HFP and says the HFP handles better than the SS. With the SS, as long as you don't go too low (more that 1.5 in) then you won't have to worry about droop travel or pre load (which effects droop travel). As far as corner balancing goes, if you want max performance, take it to a shop that will do that or, buy your own scales for about $1000. If you want to get it close, just make sure the fender to floor gap is even for the fronts and rear side to side and have the rear just a little lower than the front (1/2 in max) (the front wheel well is bigger). I had Tein SS for a year and they made a lot of noise (pops rattles squeaks). Does the drop really matter? or is the performance what you are really after? Maybe try Ground Control springs with koni yellows (when they come out, last word on that was end of the year). Those will cost about the same as the SS and give you better handling and a MUCH higher quality product.

[Slav]

honestly, i did not think there was so much to installing coilovers, and i am a noob in a way, so what i understand here is that springs will be a better decision at this point? the truth is that i have a buddy who put springs on his car but his car has over 100,000 miles on the odo, so im sure the stock shocks were waiting to go, but even the first day he put the springs on his car the ride was terrible(the springs were tein,ironically) it was very bouncy and that is what i really dont want, so if you are saying that i will not feel that crappy ride than can someone help me choose a good set of springs?

btw, what is droop travel and preload?

[dave421]

Think about what a spring is and you'll see that by nature it's a "bouncy" thing. The part that controls that is the damper or shock. The damper basically controls the bounce. With 100k miles, I'd be amazed to find a stock shock that wasn't blown. When you go up in spring rate (factory springs to lowering springs) there will be an immediate, noticeable difference. It isn't due to being too stiff or bad springs, it's just that the shock can't handle it.

As far as choosing something, a good spring/shock combo can outperform A LOT of the coilovers out there. Right now, there's just not a ton out yet. Tokico Blues will handle most springs (at least for a while). Personally, I'm a Koni guy but I'm still waiting on them. So just take a look at the reputable spring companies and find something that looks like it gives a drop you'd like. Eibach, H&R, Tein (personally I dislike Tein but their springs are decent), etc. Pair it with a decent shock and you're set.

[Sirbelch]

Droop travel: When you jack your car up, the distance the wheel drops is droop travel. Droop travel also helps the inside wheels in the corner stay on the ground. Evey seen one of those pics where a car has the inside rear tire in the air when going through a corner? That is a lack of droop travel.

Pre load is really nothing if you have a spring with a liner rate because no matter how much you pre compress the spring (unless its coil bound), it is still going to take the same amount of force to compress the spring that next inch.

Read all the light blue thread at the top of this section and read a this thread as well

Suspension Theory/Chat Thread

[Highrev1]

Man Belch I have been slacking you keep beating me to these...

EDIT: The thread you showed wasn't a sticky although that thread has almost as much good information in it that if probably should be

EDIT EDIT" I see you said it wasn't a sticky my bad

[Sirbelch]

Originally Posted by Highrev1

Man Belch I have been slacking you keep beating me to these...
EDIT: The thread you showed wasn't a sticky although that thread has almost as much good information in it that if probably should be

EDIT EDIT" I see you said it wasn't a sticky my bad

I fogot my homework at home so i have some free time tonight at work.