[roknrolr]

I'm having a hard time coming to a final decision. I'd like an unbiased list of pros and cons for both springs and coilovers from anyone who has had experience with either. What I want is to have my Koup lowered but have no issue in the winter.

 

[cxjon]

from what i seen most people here are opting for spring due to cost. I have had full coilovers on 2 cars now and will never lower any car with out them.

 

[stockey]

On the koup,an inch drop does not cause any problem, but visually makes a big difference,so i say for the koup ,coilovers are not worthed for the huge price difference.

 

[corytate]

pros for coilovers: everything over just lowering springs
cons: they cost about 3x as much
thats it.

 

[D113]

silly question since i know nothign about suspension, but can coilovers allow you to re-raise the car for the winter?

 

[gripphard]

D113 wrote:can coilovers allow you to re-raise the car for the winter?

D: Yes, most coilover manufactures will list in the specs how much you can raise & how much you can lower it. Some will also offer custom spring rates, mono tube or twin tube, some are gas, some allow for adjusting rebound & compression. Some pillow balls are included.

 

[displacement4me]

I'll be lowering my Koup on coilovers, hopefully for Spring '11. The cost of coilovers is worth the stance I'll love during the summer, since I NEED to return it to stock height for winter.

 

[[email protected]]

Coilovers are adjustable, springs are not. However some say that a wheel alignment is recommended if you adjust your coilovers [to make sure your wheels/suspension is ready for the adjusted height]

 

[roknrolr]

But with getting coilovers you risk having them seize up over time. I'd rather not pay the extra if that's going to happen. Is it a common occurrence? If it is, how long do coilovers typically last before seizing up?

 

[@[email protected]]

But with getting coilovers you risk having them seize up over time. I'd rather not pay the extra if that's going to happen. Is it a common occurrence? If it is, how long do coilovers typically last before seizing up?

It depends mostly on the type of weather/driving conditions in your area.

I see you're in Ontario.. If you use your car during winter, I'd suggest cleaning your coilovers really good before the first snow fall and then give then a very generous coat of all-purpose automotive grease.

I'd also inspect them like once every two weeks and re-apply grease if needed.

This should keep salt and all the sh1t they put on the roads from making your coilovers corode.

BTW, coilovers are so much better than springs! A set of spring can make your ride look better, maybe handle a bit better if the shocks work good with the new ride height. However, very often, the ride becomes bouncy. If it doesnt happen on the spot, it will happen a few months/years later, when the shocks decide they have enough. Coilovers are height-adjustable, and the good ones let you adjust compression/rebound/camber, so you can fine-tune your suspension.

 

[SubtleStyle]

Coilovers seem like they're worth it if you're racing and need to tune your suspension to specific tracks. Other than that I don't see the point to justify the cost. I also like to be low maintenence and they seem like a lot more work vs. springs.

With the wheels I'm running right now I wouldn't be able to go any lower than my Eibach springs without having to modify the fenders. If you want to go lower mainly for aesthetic purposes and a slight increase in performance you should just do springs. If you're worried about fitting chains for the winter you should check out the AutoSock.

 

[roknrolr]

Chains are illegal here along with studded tires. I'll be using my stock 17" rims with snow tires for the winter.

 

[stockey]

Coilovers,you have to realign you car every time you reajust them.

 

[cxjon]

here is a pic of my old vr6 jetta, i daily drove it slammed to the ground in the winter in minnesota

 

[Gringo]

If your gonna 'track' your car (Autocross or car club or whatever...) then coil overs are an absolute must.

If you're only gonna do 'street', then springs are more than good enough.

True, lowered springs will somewhat accelerate the OEM shock's deterioration over time. I'm betting that upgraded, adjustable (compression/rebound) aftermarket shocks will be shortly (6 months...?) available at a reasonable price for the Forte/Koup. Upgraded, aftermarket shocks won't cost any more than the OEM shocks at the dealer and will last 3 times as long...

The 1.3 inch drop of Eibach/H&R's is inconsequential for winter driving in most metro areas; if you can't get thru with lowered springs, odds are you wouldn't have gotten thru with the stock suspension...

So, whatcha gonna do with your ride RCKNROLR? Track or street? You decide. But IMHO, if you stick to street, springs are your best bet for the money.

But then again, that' just my most humble opinion...

Cheers,

******

 

[D1FR3NT]

i agree unless you are going to be track racing coilovers may be over kill... but they are also nice to b able to adjust the height for summer and winter and can get alot lower stance.... but the springs look nice and dont lower the car to much so winter wont be a problem but i have also heard of people with springs going thru tires faster because they tend to wear unevenly

 

[SubtleStyle]

Chains are illegal here along with studded tires. I'll be using my stock 17" rims with snow tires for the winter.

The AutoSock isn't a chain. It's made of a cloth (there's a lot more engineering to it than just your standard t-shirt) that supposedly works just as well as chains and similar traction devices. I haven't got a chance to use mine yet but everything that I've read on the internet is pretty convincing. They're also really easy to put on which is a plus. Can get one on a tire in less than 60 seconds, can't say that for regular chains.

 

[QuickSilverSS]

if you get springs with a different spring rate than stock chances are your shocks/struts wont last very long. might want to look into replacing struts/shocks also if you go the spring route. a good strut/shock/spring combo will do just as good if not out perform a coilover setup. Springs also do not require as much attention as coilovers do.
coilovers on the other hand require some maintenance and need to be set up properly. they do allow you to go lower than most spring setups so if you just want to sit low then coilovers or bags is your best bet. coilovers will also give you improved handling just make sure you research the coilovers before you buy em. if you go the coilover route and do so for handling purposes i suggest you not cheap out on them.
hope this helps

 

[SubNRG]

I've just upgraded the wheels/tires on my Forte EX, and I see now I need to drop this thing about an inch. It seems most of these spring kits are designed for the SX with a slightly heavier engine, so the car rides a bit higher in the front. This is one reason I was considering the coilovers over springs. But I don't think I will spend the day at the track dialing in all of the settings, so probably a waste of money. I see B&G has a 1.2"/1" kit that may work better... any one have any experience on the EX drop?

 

[punksmurph]

I've just upgraded the wheels/tires on my Forte EX, and I see now I need to drop this thing about an inch. It seems most of these spring kits are designed for the SX with a slightly heavier engine, so the car rides a bit higher in the front. This is one reason I was considering the coilovers over springs. But I don't think I will spend the day at the track dialing in all of the settings, so probably a waste of money. I see B&G has a 1.2"/1" kit that may work better... any one have any experience on the EX drop?

You would not have to go to a track to dial the car in, besides you would want the car set for street unless you were going to track it. I had Tein suspension and had a local shop do the adjustment to make it aggressive but not super harsh on the street.