Best Track Coilovers Sub $2000

[whataboutbob]

Originally Posted by DAEMANO

Paging SCCA/CCSC Nationals competitor @whataboutbob for input.

RS-R Sports-i Club Racers ($2199).
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=25212

I've found the RS-R CRs to be a great option. You get a damper that is single adjustable, has ride height independent of spring positioning, and is very good quality for the price point. The range of damping on these is such that you can back off the dampers for daily driving for a nice smooth ride, but if you want to run Hoosier A7s in autocross at the national level they have enough range of adjustment to allow for high grip, high G loads, and agility in the quick transitions. I've put 40K+ miles on this set both daily drivng and racing, on some pretty rough surfaces and have had ZERO issues.

[whataboutbob]

If you intend to get serious about Autocrossing, be sure to read the rules about allowed modifications for each class before you go out and buy anything. Some modifications will put you into a class were you'll need to boost the car if you decide to be competitive. I'd suggest you focus on STX legal parts which is where the current sweet spot is for the twins.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by neroman98

I recently purchased a 2014 FRS
I bought this car for one purpose: to learn. I want to learn how to work on cars/install parts, drive faster and better, and have a good time doing it.

So it's time for my first mod:

Noooo it is not!

If your goal really is to learn then I would NOT recommend coilovers as your first mod. Don't even think about coilovers yet! Suspension can be the most difficult thing to improve on your car, and coilovers can be a complicated area.

You just got a used FRS and want to learn how to work on cars and drive faster/better. That is awesome! But...if you start throwing parts on the car now it will take longer to be a better driver and engineer IMO.

Spend the rest of this year getting the car "right". Take care of all maintenance needs. Get some decent street tires. Get camber bolts and a good alignment (super important). Make sure your brakes are in good shape. Get good track pads and might as well get an oil cooler for peace of mind.

Go to the track and go to autocrosses as much as you can. Listen to your instructors.

Right now, your suspension is NOT going to be what's holding you back on the track. If your stock stuff is busted, then replace with something basic for now. Not cheap crap coilovers.

Figure out what you are trying to improve before trying to make improvements. This will make you better at building cars. Many people take steps backwards by throwing parts on because they think they should.

In the meantime, come to the suspension forum and read up! I have some links I can PM if you'd like to do some studying.

By this coming winter, you'll have a much better handle on what your car needs. You'll have focused on track time AND keeping your car reliable and track worthy. In the spring, you'll know what to do to make improvements to the car.

- Andrew

(Just my opinion as someone who's been in this sports car world for almost 14 years (holy crap I'm getting old) and spent that time reading, learning, taking classes, talking to engineers in the motorsports and high end suspension world, and then helping build awesome cars and parts with very smart people. Still learning all the time.)

[jamal]

Being fast despite the suspension is not the same as being fast because of the suspension.

A big part of setup is getting the spring rates, bars, alignment, and tire pressures right. You give a good driver all of that, he's probably going to put down some fast times even on bc/megan/whatever.

But same guy on some good race shocks that are set up properly...

[jmimac351]

Originally Posted by neroman98

I recently purchased a 2014 FRS
I bought this car for one purpose: to learn. I want to learn how to work on cars/install parts, drive faster and better, and have a good time doing it.
So it's time for my first mod:
The first mod I want to do is coilovers. I want to spend $2000 or less (preferably less) but I completely understand that you get what you pay for, so if necessary, I will save for expensive coils. I only want to do each part once- meaning I don't want to buy cheap coils only to then replace them with nicer ones down the road.
This car is a track car, not my daily. I plan on driving this car in the canyons, to the track, and on the track, so comfort doesn't matter. What coilovers should I get?

P.S. I know nothing about adjusting suspension BUT I want to learn, so adjustable coilovers are not a bad thing despite my lack of knowledge.

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showp...6&postcount=37

[LavaLife]

Originally Posted by Tokay444

Any data to support this, "performance", or can we chalk it up to placebo effect?

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLZTUKI_iUQ&t=95s"]Calabogie GT Challenge 2016 Race 1 - GT86 - YouTube[/ame]

I have a few other videos, car is definitely stiffer and tighter since installed. In terms of "data" I have nothing concrete unfortunately. But see for yourself, car is "stock ish" with basic bolt ons.

This is their website,
http://scalesuspension.com/innovative-series/

This is the equivalent to what I'm currently running. With custom spring rates, 12k front and 10k rear.

[Frisco]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Noooo it is not!

If your goal really is to learn then I would NOT recommend coilovers as your first mod. Don't even think about coilovers yet! Suspension can be the most difficult thing to improve on your car, and coilovers can be a complicated area.......
- Andrew

I'm in a similar situation to the OP - I'm an avid motorcyclist new to sports car driving with my new BRZ. I'm learning tons on this site and especially appreciate posts like Andrew's that will really help me develop my skills (and save my a lot of $$!)

CJ

[jwisjw]

I've been developing a package for this specific reason. We've taken the Megan Racing Track Series and have been tweaking on the shocks trying to make them competitive for street and autocross cars that will offer a good range of adjust-ability. So far, I've been very impressed with how they have worked on our STX (autocross) car and the results have been good for the value that these offer.

[CounterSpace Garage]

Originally Posted by neroman98

I recently purchased a 2014 FRS
I bought this car for one purpose: to learn. I want to learn how to work on cars/install parts, drive faster and better, and have a good time doing it.
So it's time for my first mod:
The first mod I want to do is coilovers. I want to spend $2000 or less (preferably less) but I completely understand that you get what you pay for, so if necessary, I will save for expensive coils. I only want to do each part once- meaning I don't want to buy cheap coils only to then replace them with nicer ones down the road.
This car is a track car, not my daily. I plan on driving this car in the canyons, to the track, and on the track, so comfort doesn't matter. What coilovers should I get?

P.S. I know nothing about adjusting suspension BUT I want to learn, so adjustable coilovers are not a bad thing despite my lack of knowledge.

While stock setup is really the best way to start, it may not always be the answer and solution you're looking for. We frequent the track quite often and will be helping out with the 86CUP Round 2 in Buttonwillow this Saturday. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us and come out to checkout a track day at Buttonwillow with some fellow 86 drivers.

[TylerLieberman]

Originally Posted by jwisjw

I've been developing a package for this specific reason. We've taken the Megan Racing Track Series and have been tweaking on the shocks trying to make them competitive for street and autocross cars that will offer a good range of adjust-ability. So far, I've been very impressed with how they have worked on our STX (autocross) car and the results have been good for the value that these offer.

Ehhhhhhh... Idk. If I'm spending ~$1,000 on coilovers, Megan is probably my last pick. A polished turd is still a turd. That being said, those entry level $1,000 systems just can't compare to the higher quality units in the ~$2,000 range.

[jwisjw]

Originally Posted by TylerLieberman

Ehhhhhhh... Idk. If I'm spending ~$1,000 on coilovers, Megan is probably my last pick. A polished turd is still a turd. That being said, those entry level $1,000 systems just can't compare to the higher quality units in the ~$2,000 range.

Dyno graphs of OTS units and revalved units would suggest otherwise. For ~$1600-$1700 that would include front camber plates, hypercoil springs, custom valving, pillow ball mounts in the rear with isolated rear spring perch and adjustable endlinks, you really can't beat the value of that. Rides comfortable on the street (obviously relative based on your spring rates) and offers performance. What more could you ask for in that price range?

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by jwisjw

What more could you ask for in that price range?

Would they come with dynos of the dampers purchased? Not a generic plot but this plot for damper 1, 2, 3 & 4 across adjustment ranges.

That's really the only way you could win over the stodgy people unwilling to trust budget setups, and even then some armchair quarterbacks would want to see the dyno being done first hand and no forum post or video will convince them otherwise.

There are quite a few companies doing exactly the same thing, Fortune Auto, Feal, MeisterR, off the top of my head with products for the 86, same cheap parts from overseas advertised as having Western quality control where it matters for <$2k.

I don't mean to disparage them or you, but as someone who considered that route and decided not to, it's a helluva mountain to climb and prove your stuff is as good as the stuff that's been held in high regard for decades.

[jmimac351]

Notwithstanding the other advice offered to the OP gently nudging him in the direction of how to have fun and avoid being quickly separated from his cash... if I'm ever back in the market for coilovers, I'll be using the stuff from Race Comp Engineering. I wonder if people realize how remarkable Andrew's last post is?

I've watched the tuning of a BRZ running Tarmac 2's by a recent MX-5 Cup Champion driver which resulted in Randy Pobst raving about the handling ("the best handling car EVER"). Am I going to do better than that on my BRZ? It's highly unlikely... And, it's still not the right solution for someone new to the hobby.

When the answer is staring you in the face, be careful of allowing interweb noise to distract you.

[jwisjw]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Would they come with dynos of the dampers purchased? Not a generic plot but this plot for damper 1, 2, 3 & 4 across adjustment ranges.

That's really the only way you could win over the stodgy people unwilling to trust budget setups, and even then some armchair quarterbacks would want to see the dyno being done first hand and no forum post or video will convince them otherwise.

There are quite a few companies doing exactly the same thing, Fortune Auto, Feal, MeisterR, off the top of my head with products for the 86, same cheap parts from overseas advertised as having Western quality control where it matters for <$2k.

I don't mean to disparage them or you, but as someone who considered that route and decided not to, it's a helluva mountain to climb and prove your stuff is as good as the stuff that's been held in high regard for decades.

A few years ago, I decided to put coilovers on my Lexus IS-F and it bothered me not being able to change the compressed length and maintain adequate of compressed travel on certain coilover kits. I was skeptical at first due to all the rumors I saw on the internet and ended up picking up a set of Megan's and dyno tested them myself. Here are the results of a pair of shocks.



Front and rear were similar in regards to matching. Granted they do change compression and rebound when being adjusted on a single but the compression forces aren't overly stiff depending on your application.

Also keep in mind that these are random OTS units that I tested.