Raceworks suspension?

[fatoni]

Anyone ever heard of them? Just came across this if anyone is interested https://172suspension.com/pages/pics

[eastendraceshop]

Never heard of them until now.

If you decide to take them up on their offer, I would definitely be interested in hearing your feedback!

-Sam

[strat61caster]

looks like another rebranded Bor Chuann kit such as BC/Megan/Fortune Auto/Feal/RS-R/HKS/Godspeed/Raceland/Advan Racing/Truhart/Skunk2/Ksport/D2/Stance/Function and Form/Pedders/Revel/Yonaka/JDM Sport/Zeal/Manzo/Emotion/etc/etc.

Not to say it's not going to be good or that any of the kits are bad (I have revalved Megans on my car right now), but don't expect to have found the next hidden gem of a damper manufacturer.

[redlined600]

They have self professed to provide "the best" coilovers, I'd take them at their word.

[maslin]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

looks like another rebranded Bor Chuann kit such as BC/Megan/Fortune Auto/Feal/RS-R/HKS/Godspeed/Raceland/Advan Racing/Truhart/Skunk2/Ksport/D2/Stance/Function and Form/Pedders/Revel/Yonaka/JDM Sport/Zeal/Manzo/Emotion/etc/etc.

Not to say it's not going to be good or that any of the kits are bad (I have revalved Megans on my car right now), but don't expect to have found the next hidden gem of a damper manufacturer.

I had some ksports 13 or so years ago on a 240sx, perfectly serviceable. Don’t think I paid more than $600 brand new though. Even at $850 there's plenty of name brand competition.

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by redlined600

They have self professed to provide "the best" coilovers, I'd take them at their word.

Their tagline is "Best coilovers under $2000" not "the best".

[redlined600]

Originally Posted by Captain Snooze

Their tagline is "Best coilovers under $2000" not "the best".

Fair enough, though putting a price on it doesn't make it less of a ridiculous statement.

[fatoni]

Figured as much but thought I'd put it out there for anyone who is up for that sort of thing. Currently sitting on flex z in the xida waiting room myself.

[Icecreamtruk]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

looks like another rebranded Bor Chuann kit such as BC/Megan/Fortune Auto/Feal/RS-R/HKS/Godspeed/Raceland/Advan Racing/Truhart/Skunk2/Ksport/D2/Stance/Function and Form/Pedders/Revel/Yonaka/JDM Sport/Zeal/Manzo/Emotion/etc/etc.

Not to say it's not going to be good or that any of the kits are bad (I have revalved Megans on my car right now), but don't expect to have found the next hidden gem of a damper manufacturer.

Whoa, I didnt know so many different brands used the same base products. There is a big variance in quality in that list, so I guess its not the part themselfs but how you put them together that matters most? (see BC to Fortune Auto for example).

[Captain Snooze]

Originally Posted by redlined600

Fair enough, though putting a price on it doesn't make it less of a ridiculous statement.

Agreed .

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by Icecreamtruk

Whoa, I didnt know so many different brands used the same base products. There is a big variance in quality in that list, so I guess its not the part themselfs but how you put them together that matters most? (see BC to Fortune Auto for example).

Is there a big variance in quality?

I'd posit that a lot of the horror stories for stuff like Godspeed and Megan and even other brands like Tein (oh I think I forgot Partshop by Max, I didn't even scratch the surface of the companies that rebrand these parts, I just flipped through the first 2 pages of results on ebay for 'brz coilover', like I think I also forgot MeisterR) come from 10-20 years ago and the engineering and manufacturing quality of the source companies has improved substantially as the profits rolled in and they re-invested in their product line. Not to mention with a little effort anybody can make any coilover look like trash, usually that effort is in the form of negligence.

Maybe there's still a level of quality one can opt-in/out of in their products (anodized vs painted, machined vs cast, 12 vs 32 clicks, etc.) along with a dizzying array of specs and then there's the companies who assemble (re-assemble?) and QC check elsewhere so ymmv. Good quality control is expensive and I think that's where the price differences come into play for different brands and models (as well as certain complexities based around features).

Lots of brand reps will argue wholeheartedly that their products are different from 'the crap that came before' just take everything with a grain of salt and there's no need to be cruel to people doing their jobs.

IMHO an adjustable monotube is an adjustable monotube, if it gives you the performance you want at the price you're happy with then great success.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Maybe there's still a level of quality one can opt-in/out of in their products .

BINGO!


Just because parts come from the same place it does not mean they are made the same. The differences can be startling. The quality of ordered parts is set by the buyer not the manufacturer. The buyer can order whatever they want and the price will depend on their contracted requirements.


You want parts with a 2 micron size tolerance, a tensile strength within a range from a to d that are 100% checked and gauged at the end of the line sure we can make those for $20 each. You want ones with a size tolerance of 1/8th of an inch, a tensile strength of A to W and we need to gauge 1 out of every 1,000 we can make those as well and they will only cost you $1.86 each. You want something in between we will just sell you the ones that failed the gauge and inspection or are out of the required specs from the best parts for only $10 each.


All these parts can often be made at the same time on the same lines and just sorted at the end (although this is how screw ups can occur and companies end up with faulty valve springs or such).

Volume also plays a big part in it. If you want a shit load of the good parts they may come down to $15 each but if you want a handful of the bad ones they may go up considerably and be $5 each. This is how there can sometimes be a strangely small price gap between really good parts and really bad ones since the bigger the player the better pricing they can get.


Quality costs money so when something is way cheaper than everything else you have to ask yourself just how they managed to get it for that price.


These basic rules apply no matter where the parts are built be it in China or the USA. The old saying of "you get what you pay for" isn't really accurate in parts manufacturing and should be "You pay for the quality you ask for" to more accurately reflect the business.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Tolerances and build quality is only a part of it...you can have a coilover with high quality components that still isn't very good and you can pay a lot of money for it as well. The highest tolerance shims you can get aren't going to help you if the valving profile the manufacturer designed sucks and/or doesn't suit your build. There are very high quality but basic linear flow pistons that serve certain purposes well, and with the right shim stack can be great. Do it wrong, and it's not great. Same with digressive pistons.

Start with crap, and you're most likely going to end up with something not very good.

Start with good but have no idea what you're doing, well...that's not going to turn out well either.

- Andrew

[Icecreamtruk]

@strat61caster I have no doubt of what you are saying. I just find it interesting in particular that its the same supplier for such a big discrepency on the final products. It probably is something along the lines of what @Tcoat mentioned. Like I have ridden (on track, I dont randomly ask people to take me to a mcdonnals...) several modded twins and the only thing that was on the same level as the Fortune Autos 510 were RCE double adjustables (Tarmac 2 I think? The ones based on the KW clubsports). Even the KW v3 were "ok" at best on track. BC, Megan, Teins (only tried flex Z, which of course isnt a track coilover), ST, they were all crap. So to think all of those use the same parts, its somewhat surprinsing to me (I knew the FA are made in taiwan but assemble in the US).