Suspension reccomendations
 

Hi all,

Finally purchased the wheels I've loved ever since I was playing gran turismo as a kid :D I wanted the wide look too and read that many of you are against staggered setups, so i went square.. the specs are 18x9.5 + 40

Now the next step will be suspension.. I have approx 3 months to decide on my suspension setup. I don't think 9.5 will clear on the front so am I restricted to coilovers, or can i purchase a good spring set as well without worrying?

This is my first time modifying suspension. I want something good for DD, won't be tracking - just spirited driving on country roads with twisties. Please recommend something suitable :bonk:

Edit: i want a decent drop too, maybe 1-2 finger gap.But if this is not possible without sacrificing functionality then scrap it

I'm not entirely sure on the width issue and the coilover or spring, but I do know that if you search you will find a LOT of information talking about/reviewing different suspension setups that will do what you want. Seems pointless to start another thread about it.

You will probably want coilovers with that width as I dont think you want to run spacers. Look up ST Coilovers, good for a DD.

What's your budget? And what type of tires are you running?

- Andy

I have a similar questions, subbing to see what people say. :)

No budget in mind.. if coilovers are my only option then I would like to spend under 2g on coils. If those ST coils are good enough then 1,000 is not bad

Springs, hopefully less :iono:

I want to keep the suspension cost minimal, mainly to accomodate the wheels and spend the money on other mods like OFH + tune, but i don't want to compromise the ride of the car

Only to spend it later when you upgrade the suspension? :) I didn't see it asked yet, but what is your intended use? Daily? AutoX? Occasional track days? Show only? Ever need someone in the passenger seat without complaints?

he said it in the beginning- no autox/track but country twisties and dd.

I think you would be fine with springs for your uses but I'm not a fitment guru on really wide wheels so that could be a problem. Our RCE Yellow springs are a great choice if you care about ride and handling. Only a 20mm drop though. You can go lower with just springs, but that's when you start making sacrifices (and I personally wouldn't do it). Eibach Pro-kit are another good choice and you'll get a tiny bit more drop.

For coilovers...

If you live in a salty environment, I would skip the ST coils. KW V1 would be the stainless steel corrosion resistant version of those. No damper adjustment, but they're pretty good out of the box.

We have RCE Tarmac 0 coilovers, which are a custom valved and sprung KW V1. A little more aggressive in handling than the KW V1 and ST coilovers.

KW V3 would work well but are probably beyond your budget. Lots of damper adjustments to work with and good quality. Not super hardcore race stuff, but good ride and handling.

Bilstein PSS10 (B16) are a good option. Great quality and durability, plus some damper adjustment to dial in the ride and handling. Not super hardcore race stuff, but a big step above a lot of the other stuff out there. You might have trouble fitting them due to wider progressive springs.

Bilstein PSS (B14) are an okay option. Non damping adjustable and inexpensive, but IMO they could use some adjustment. Also use progressive springs which could be a problem.


DON'T skimp on suspension...dampers are something you feel 100% of the time in your car, whether you're driving hard or not. If you get crap, it gets old pretty fast.

- Andy

Reading comprehension 101... I think I was scanning for AutoX so missed the "DD, no track" ... Even reread it before I asked! whee. And I actually managed to ditch the migraine earlier so that's not an excuse any more.

One unexpected back injury later and ... yeah. It gets old really fast. And I drove my previous car 13½ years, injured back the last 3 of that. My wife started refusing to ride only a few years in, but with <3000mi/yr on the car it was hard to justify a change.

Im happy with my Fortune Auto 500s

18x9.5 +40 will not fit stock suspension. The suspension will hit the wheel/tire. You will need at least a 3mm spacer to clear if you want to run just springs on stock shocks.

There a various different coilovers for this car, all different price ranges. A budget coilover for DD will be the BC Racing or Fortune Auto coilovers. Add some Swift springs and make them an even better coilover.

Or you can step up to KWV3 or V1 which is great for daily and canyon runs.

Let me know if you have any more questions.

What would you recommend personally?

With the KW V1s/V3s i would have to buy top hats too, from my understanding

I just want no headaches, fit these wheels on my car and have em look good without a harsh ride... obviously will need an alignment but i think I can install myself

Yeah if you do not want to deal with the top hat issue. Than the Fortune Auto 500 with or without Swift springs are a great coilover for the price.

Swift gives you a more comfortable DD ride at the same spring rates. They are a much superior spring than any of the other coilover springs out there. They are also easily rebuildable with great customer service and a five year warranty. Comes with everything needed to install.

You can use your stock top hats with KW's and many other coilovers.

RS*R i-Sport. Pretty much plug and play if you're a coilover newbie, and the ride is more forgiving relative to the many performance oriented setups here.

But, it depends on your application. Will you see the track much?

Why no one recommend Tein Street flex coilovers, I believe they are the best option.

Get some swift spec R springs. They lowered me to about 2 fingers

Thanks for all the replies! this community is amazing

I'm considering KW v1 and Tein Street

The KW v3 are too advanced for me and I don't think I will utilize all the adjust ability features.

ST would be great (same as KW v1 but made out of different material) unfortunately i'm in Canada and the roads are salted here

I won't be tracking the car.. I might go to the track once this season but only for some fun legal cruising, not to set any killer lap times.

Will the KW v1 still allow me to adjust camber? Will I need LCAs?

Also has anyone with either of the aforementioned coilovers run 9.5 wheels squared?

I appreciate both of these point but my view is that while a person might not drive fast on the road your suspension is working all of the time regardless of what speed you are doing. My 2 cents says that you should install the best suspension you can afford.

With all KW and RCE coilovers the front lower mount is slotted so you can get a good amount of camber without plates.

With all coilovers, you'll need rear lower control arms to adjust camber.

- Andy