origionally posted by ma71supraturbo:
All Prices are estimates
*JIC Lowered the Spring rates recently. Rates in parenthesis are the older rate. Note: The JIC FLT-2 appears to be the same as the FLT-A2 except with higher spring rates. I suspect the "A" denotes "American-spec."
**HKS springs are progressive. Rate listed is the MAXIMUM rate.
***Requires a special actuator
****ZEAL spring rates can be either "Street" (14/10) or "Hard" (16/10). The B6 is a Steel body with an aluminum lower bracket, while the S6 and SuperFunction are all aluminum and use "swift" springs (which have 1-less coil per spring to prevent coilbind). Lead time is 6-weeks
*****Zeal Superfunction (custom-order only) has independent rebound and compression adjustments. Lead time is 8-weeks
HKS makes solid pillowball mounts for $240/pair ($480 total). TEIN makes them for $160/pair
See http://dgtrials.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=2070 for more info on the Silkroad (it is the only listing I found for that brand).
For more information on ZEAL coilovers, contact Rishie Garg at Automotive Research & Development (408) 635-0000
----------------------------------------------------------------
So what does all that Jargon mean? Here is a brief explanation:
Ride Height Range: This is the range you can adjust the height of the car compared to the stock height. For example, you can actually raise the ride height .4" on the front of the TEIN flex, or you can lower it 3.7"
Spring Rate: This is how stiff the spring is in units of pounds per inch, or kilograms per millimeter. For comparison purposes, the stock MK3 has around a 460 lb/in spring in the front, and around 215 lb/in spring in the rear -- or ~ 8kg/mm front, 4kg/mm rear (Toyota did make some changes between the years so "your mileage may vary")
Number of Damper Adjustments: This is quite simply how many adjustment points the damper has (if any). A higher number of adjustments means you can do a better job fine-tuning the damper to mean your particular conditions and driving style. However, this spec does not reflect how large a difference each setting makes. Cusco's Zero-2 coilovers have only 5 adjustments, but I've been told 1/5 is really soft, while 5/5 is really firm...
Nitrogen Gas Damper: Nitrogen gas dampers function the same despite changes in ambient temperature. Conventional gas dampers tend to get stiffer when cold, and softer when warm.
Upper Pillow-ball: This piece replaces a stock rubber mount and can help firm up the suspension response at the sacrifice of some ride comfort. There really is no reason not to have this, but some of the bargain coilovers do not come standard with it.
Electronic Adjustment: TEIN is the only company offering electronic adjustment of the dampers with its EDFC. This is like the stock TEMS, but it offers much more flexibility in adjustments. While most view this as a luxury, few dispute how nice it would be to be able to change damper settings on the fly.
Height Adjustment Independent of Spring Preload: Most of the coilovers have you alter the ride height by changing the lower spring perch -- thereby changing the preload on the spring. This is not ideal because if you want to adjust the preload, you have to change the ride height. Additionally, for the hard-core users who wish to corner-balance their car, you would end up with slightly uneven spring rates at each corner. If the lower bracket has a threaded adjustment, you can change the ride height without messing with preload -- by far the ideal situation.
Aluminum Body: These coilovers are the lightest versions available. While the weight change is relatively low compared to other parts, coilovers are "unsprung weight" and have a greater impact on suspension performance. Steel-bodied HKS coilovers are about 3 lbs lighter than stock per corner. Silkroad coilovers are about 6 lbs lighter than stock per corner...
All Prices are estimates
*JIC Lowered the Spring rates recently. Rates in parenthesis are the older rate. Note: The JIC FLT-2 appears to be the same as the FLT-A2 except with higher spring rates. I suspect the "A" denotes "American-spec."
**HKS springs are progressive. Rate listed is the MAXIMUM rate.
***Requires a special actuator
****ZEAL spring rates can be either "Street" (14/10) or "Hard" (16/10). The B6 is a Steel body with an aluminum lower bracket, while the S6 and SuperFunction are all aluminum and use "swift" springs (which have 1-less coil per spring to prevent coilbind). Lead time is 6-weeks
*****Zeal Superfunction (custom-order only) has independent rebound and compression adjustments. Lead time is 8-weeks
HKS makes solid pillowball mounts for $240/pair ($480 total). TEIN makes them for $160/pair
See http://dgtrials.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?t=2070 for more info on the Silkroad (it is the only listing I found for that brand).
For more information on ZEAL coilovers, contact Rishie Garg at Automotive Research & Development (408) 635-0000
----------------------------------------------------------------
So what does all that Jargon mean? Here is a brief explanation:
Ride Height Range: This is the range you can adjust the height of the car compared to the stock height. For example, you can actually raise the ride height .4" on the front of the TEIN flex, or you can lower it 3.7"
Spring Rate: This is how stiff the spring is in units of pounds per inch, or kilograms per millimeter. For comparison purposes, the stock MK3 has around a 460 lb/in spring in the front, and around 215 lb/in spring in the rear -- or ~ 8kg/mm front, 4kg/mm rear (Toyota did make some changes between the years so "your mileage may vary")
Number of Damper Adjustments: This is quite simply how many adjustment points the damper has (if any). A higher number of adjustments means you can do a better job fine-tuning the damper to mean your particular conditions and driving style. However, this spec does not reflect how large a difference each setting makes. Cusco's Zero-2 coilovers have only 5 adjustments, but I've been told 1/5 is really soft, while 5/5 is really firm...
Nitrogen Gas Damper: Nitrogen gas dampers function the same despite changes in ambient temperature. Conventional gas dampers tend to get stiffer when cold, and softer when warm.
Upper Pillow-ball: This piece replaces a stock rubber mount and can help firm up the suspension response at the sacrifice of some ride comfort. There really is no reason not to have this, but some of the bargain coilovers do not come standard with it.
Electronic Adjustment: TEIN is the only company offering electronic adjustment of the dampers with its EDFC. This is like the stock TEMS, but it offers much more flexibility in adjustments. While most view this as a luxury, few dispute how nice it would be to be able to change damper settings on the fly.
Height Adjustment Independent of Spring Preload: Most of the coilovers have you alter the ride height by changing the lower spring perch -- thereby changing the preload on the spring. This is not ideal because if you want to adjust the preload, you have to change the ride height. Additionally, for the hard-core users who wish to corner-balance their car, you would end up with slightly uneven spring rates at each corner. If the lower bracket has a threaded adjustment, you can change the ride height without messing with preload -- by far the ideal situation.
Aluminum Body: These coilovers are the lightest versions available. While the weight change is relatively low compared to other parts, coilovers are "unsprung weight" and have a greater impact on suspension performance. Steel-bodied HKS coilovers are about 3 lbs lighter than stock per corner. Silkroad coilovers are about 6 lbs lighter than stock per corner...
