Best coilover for winter
 

Hi,

I live in Canada and I plan to take my car from the storage to go to confront the winter :p.

For sure I will buy a good set or winter tires... But I want to have a good set of coil over too.

What do you suggest?

For winter: I want to have damper adjustment to have a soft ride and also I want to be close to the original height.

For summer: I plan to drop the car for maybe 1 inch, no more, like my current setup with the Mach V springs.

Maybe some track day's during the summer but rarely.

Thank you guys!

In terms of finish and durability in snow/salt it is very difficult to beat the KW coilovers (or our RCE coilovers made by KW).

You can get close to stock ride height, but not exactly there.

- Andy

Hi Andy, a reply from you is always appreciated.

I was just looking for your Tarmac II at the moment.

What is the minimum drop? 1 inch?

Bilstein would be a good choice too. They do the PSS kit and PSS10 kit.

Closer to 10mm actually.

- Andy

Bilstein coilovers also usually have a good finish. :)

- Andy

Ok thanks for the info :) I will look at this.

What is the best coilover to have a good damper adjustable without paying 5000$?

I mean some brand are adjustable for 1000$ or under but doesn't necessary have a good damper.

It's hard to know which coil... Have a good damper for a normal user.

If you have already discuss about this into an another topics juste send me the link I will read... I just don't want to double post...

Thanks!

I have to agree with Andy here.

KW's are Inox Stainless steel, so you can let it sit outside while acid rain pours on it for days on end and they'll still be fine. They're 100% impervious to rust and any corrosion, so they'll last in even the worst of winters. :thumbsup:

Best coilover for winter
 

Yes, am agree, but this is also the most expensive coilover on the market :(

I will not use my car on a track often then it's maybe over rated for me.

But yes, Stainless steel is the best to resist to the winter here...

KW gets my vote as well.

There is always the non-adjustables which will save you $. The KW V1 is out now, and you can also get the RCE Tarmac Zero. Since you are not tracking I would really consider whether you really need adjustability.

Best coilover for winter
 

Haha everyone KW :) me to am for KW.

Maybe I can take a set of V1 what do you think?

Only one problem not adjustable :(

Yes exactly but I just don't want to be too stiffer. This is why am looking to have a damper adjustment.

Roll stiffness is the main factor for winter conditions (or rain).

Selection of roll bar rate is probably more important than spring rate, per se.

Adjustable roll bars where you can increase the lever arm for winter and decrease it for summer might be helpful (roll stiffness depends on bar diameter, hollow or solid and length of the lever arm.)

If you use roll bar rates to compensate for winter the other advantage is the two wheel jounce rate is lower than if you rely on spring rate.

Ideally for winter you want to find coilovers with around the same spring rate as stock, adjustable damper rate in rebound so you can reduce the stiffness of the damper for winter (by a click or two is all, probably, you need a certain rate for any given spring rate) and adjustable spring perches which together with adjustable roll bars to up the spring rates in roll for summer or track use will suit you.

I learned all this from a coilovered Audi S4 (Stasis track sports) which was truly awful in winter but a hoot and a half in summer. The only adjustments were ride height and rebound rates. Adjustable roll bars with lower rate springs would have been more flexible and suitable for winter or wet road use.

Not even close

Just go with KW V1 if you're worried about a stiff ride. KW's are known to be one of the most comfortable coilovers. The RCE's are a little more performance oriented, but still comfortable. I use RCE's on my Subaru Legacy and they are worth every penny.

What??? :(

kW aren't near the most expensive in the market. Kwv3 can be had for sub $2k shipped (US dollars) very easily. In terms of coilovers that is still cheap.


If you bothered browsing a few vendor sites and this section instead of expecting to be spoon fed you'd see.

For example:

http://ft86speedfactory.com/suspensi...ed0a642b30cd16

The search button here works halfway decent

I have already check on some websites... Nothing over 4000$...but 4k for a set of coilover, it's already enough expensive for me ;)

KWs are always a good option.


ALSO**

Look into some of those coilover boots that slip over the assembly and help protect it from the nasty elements.

Like these:
http://www.gearheadsonline.ca/shop/p...&cat=60&page=1

Lol funny!

If only these were the most expensive coil overs! *sigh* They are very well priced compared to the next level up. Don't cheap out on suspension, this is a car made for the twisties, not straight line. It feels wasteful put in coilovers and that are not the best you can afford. Same goes for tires. The KW V3 seem to be great bang for your buck, esp if you get them on sale; bonus they are comfy and inexpensive.

Yes I know :) i Will stay stock compared to buy an cheap coilover, don't worry.

The KW V1 should be comfortable enough. I have the RCE Tarmac Zero, based on the V1 and I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for comfort because they made it stiffer than the V1. It's not bad but I think I would have preferred the standard KW V1.

Adjustability is sort of overrated. For a majority of the lower end coilovers, adjustability means you can adjust from soft and crappy to firm and crappy. It's still crap no matter what you adjust it to.

On higher end coilovers the adjustments start being more meaningful and consistent.

I'd say KW V1, RCE Tarmac 0, or the Bilstein PSS are good choices for you.

Our Tarmac 0 are slightly firmer and more performance oriented than KW V1, but still ride really well at a 1 inch drop. I have not yet tried the Bilstein PSS kit.

- Andy

How do ST coilovers hold up to winter? They're essentially KW v1's from what I've searched, no?

Yes, but with a galvanized zinc coated body which does not hold up as well. 5 year warranty instead of lifetime (which is still very good in this industry).

- Andy

Best coilover for winter
 

How do you know the Adjustability is crappy Andy?

For example, I will take my friend who run a 1000$ set ok coilover on a track and the car seems to be performant, I say seems...but he do a good laps time... Maybe it's just because he never try a real set of coilover? and we just don't know what is a real set of coilover... Maybe also he coule be perform the same track time with the stock suspension.

It's difficult for a user, not an expert, to know what is a good damper and how the Véhicules is supposed to run with it.

I know the real question is not about getting a better track time but around what is the best choice to have a good handling and to be resistance to the winter...and keeping or not destroying the already good felling of the car at the beginning.

Sorry am curious and i always want to learn more about suspension, this is why am asking this.

I have Tein Flex, been through two winters now, holding up quite well, after cleaning looks almost brand new. I just spray a can of silicone grease over it when I change my wheels to winter tires, and wash my car through a touchless car wash every other day to get the salt and grime off.

Adjustable rebound rates aren't really. The adjustability is mainly to allow one shock to work with several spring rates, to broaden the applicability of a coilover design.

The adjustability of the rebound force is intended to be varied no more than a click or two or three for most applications. The entire adjustment range isn't intended to be used for one spring rate.

Even if jounce is also adjustable you cannot expect every setting to work. Again, the spring rate pretty much determines the effective or usable adjustment range on your shocks.

Once the sweet spot has been found you don't adjust them ever again.

You may have two or three sweet spots if you track the car at different tracks but most likely you will have a street setting and a track setting, max.

For wet or cold weather you would probably use your street setting, or close to it, even for the track.

Lowering the car is also over rated. Unless you are prepared to adjust the alignment and maybe even fit different adjustable alignment components, you can make your car handle pretty much the same at factory ride height as you might by a one inch drop. Indeed, unless the alignment is also adjusted when you change ride height you are likely going to be slower lower.

"Handling" mod money goes into tires first, then lighter wheels, then higher temperature brake pads and then when all that is optimized add coilovers and try out the suitable range of settings both for ride height and shock rates. The factory boys do a great job with the stock set up. Except for the crapola stock tires of course....

It's just experience...we've tested a lot of coilovers over the years and found adjusters on lower end coilovers don't always do what you want. Sometimes each corner is different, sometimes 1 click does a lot more than it should, or it does nothing.

Like Suberman said, there's a sweet spot, and sometimes that sweet spot on the lower end coilovers still isn't that great.

I'd take better base valving over adjustable valving that isn't great anywhere every time.

- Andy

Best coilover for winter
 

Tires first, then lighter wheels, then higher temperature brake pads then suspension....

I know this is the basis ;)

Thank you everyone and in particular Andy.

If i buy an coilover set, I will stop my choice on KW V1. :D

Which model of pss kit you speaking about?

B14 or B16 or both are good?

Lifetime warranty?

Blistein are made by KW also?

Bilstein are made by Bilstein. :)

Both kits are good. B14 are non-adjustable damping. B16 are more expensive but adjustable.

- Andy

Just a suggestion... is it okay to wrap the shock body's threads during winter seasons? Something durable and ziptie only around the thread body.

Hi Mike,
I live in Quebec and had a set of KW coilovers on my 2k Celica, car was winter driven, yes they dont rust, especially with all the salt they use on our roads!!

The problem i found with KW coilovers, or just coilovers in general, in winter is that the adjustments rings got seized. I was no longer able to adjust the ride hight!!

That's why im debating Bilstein B14 coilovers or Bilstein shock and spring combo..

Ground control has a nifty remedy for this in that they have a set screw in the collar so that you can take the screw out and spread the collar open a tad if it gets seized. I've had this happen too and it takes a lot of cleaning to get them to move again.

I had coilovers and drove during winter with my tein or k sport on my older cars. Ring were always seized but you just have to lubricate them and give them a little bit of love with a hammer and a punch.

I sprayed my kwv3 with boeshield last winter as an extra precaution.

This year the car will be parked.