Looking to lower...
 

Considering coilovers. Dropping the car a little bit and going with some larger 18" rims (probably when summer comes around.)

But I'm looking to do the drop now. Is @DarrenDriven 's garage open anytime soon? I would love to meet some of the PDX 86'ers I've talked to. Also thinking slightly larger sway bars. Would love help.

Thinking BC Coilovers? I saw this picture and nearly lost myself...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.n...20943876_n.jpg

What a beauty. I think a few questions would help narrow it down:

1) Is your car a DD?
2) Is your car going to see any track days?
3) What is your overall budget?
4) What are mandatory features you require with coilovers and what are "nice to have"?

Once you're able to answer these questions, you'll be able to narrow down your choices to 2-4 coilovers and from there, you can research or better yet see if anybody locally has a similar setup to get a ride with. Personally, I've been eyeing a set of KW V3's for the spring :bow:

It's a pain in the ass to lower the car on coils. I'm lowered on stance coils and thought I would have been happy w/ it. turns out, I want to close the fender gap some more. If darren does happen to have a garage day anytime soon, I would also like to get my car lowered as well!

To OP: Sway bars, it all depends on what your looking to do w/ the car, I have 19mm in the rear and 22mm in the front and I over steer like crazy. Which is what I wanted.

The car is a DD. The car will see track days. Budget is not really a concern, I was thinking about doing axles at the same time. (Something I spaced in the OP)

As for sway bars, I want to stick when I want, and oversteer when I want. Drifting a little bit here and there. I was thinking 19mm and 19mm front and rear.

Darren is really busy with his house these days. But his shop space is open if you need access to a work space. However I can be wrong. Perhaps he can chime in himself. :D

I've just never done something like this before. I would love help from people who share the same kind of love for these cars.

Coilovers and Swaybars are a pretty straight forward install. Few nuts and bolts in the front, few nuts and bolts in the rear...

I'm pretty busy right now, but shop time can still be arranged.

If you want to do it yourself with my tools then just shoot me a text and we can figure out when the best time is. My beer fridge requires a 12-pack microbrew mixpack in exchange for sharing space with your car. :)

My assistant, Tyler @hefeweisen, installs springs for $40 and coilovers for $60. It takes about 1.5-2.5 hours depending on which components you are installing. He's 16 and saving towards his first car... and has installed suspension on a dozen 86s, so you are in good hands and the money is going to a worthwhile cause.

I think Tyler should be officially named your Hand. Tyler, Hand of Darren.

I'd look at Bilstein b14, FA500, or ST coils for quality. if only making a show car, BCs will do. if budget is not an issue, id go for 2k ~ 4k range coils

I like the idea of the FA500's. What would 2k coils look like? If i was gonna go that hard I might consider Ohlins. (I have them on a ATV)

I really want to be able to soften the car up for road trips though. I think a softer spring rate world be better? That way the ride could be soft when you want and then you can harden up the compression and rebound for a track day or whatever?

I think in your situation, where DDability and track is both important, KW V3 will be great. Its not so much spring rates that only dictates the ride, but dampening as well. Proper adjustment, alignment, spring rates, dampening, shock travel, all is relevant.

I'm no suspension guru, compared to some guys on here, there was a lengthy thread about "what coils should i buy?" Q&A thread made by CSG_Mike, he is very knowledgeable with suspension mechanics for our cars, and has ridden in many different setups for first hand experience. Suspension feed back can be so tricky since there is so much Placebo effect that "stiff" = improved handling. At the end of the day, trusting a strong company that has been in the game for a while, with pro racing parts for race cars, etc. KW, Bilstein, Ohlins, Koni, HKS, Higher end Tein's, you know you can't go wrong. Next tier of famous "street" guys like Cusco, Fortune Auto, Tein, etc should be decent as well. I would stay away from the Taiwanese ones, just to slam the car. BC, K-sport, Megan, they are all made in the same factory with different colored springs. They are a down grade from OEM for performance.

I think coil/suspension setup is more difficult than power/engine management imo, and most people think its the other way around. Aerodynamics, suspension, balance, tires, brakes, weight, all comes in to play. Most local shops will help you with gaining more power no problem, but corner balancing and setting up a great suspension/handling mechanics at the track? I rarely see guys do that here.

Don't forget to correct suspension geometry..

Get the ground control adjustable perches

Well, that's what I'm trying to figure out. I've never done something like this before. Do I install everything and then get an alignment done? I think I might YOLO (sorry) and go for the Ohlins and Perrin 19mm front with either the 19mm rear or 22mm rear sway bars. Also going to try to get the camber plates refinished in red....

Probably use the Perrin endlinks? the ones that come with the Ohlins? I'm not sure. @DarrenDriven I'd love help installing these from someone who's done it before, I don't care his age.

Yes.. install everything and then get the alignment last. I recommend that you get an alignment at a tuner shop. Avoid the cookie cutter alignment shops..

Anywhere Specifically?
Probably doing install at Darrens, so somewhere close would be good.

PRE Racing is about 7.5 mi from his house

Perfect. I'll start buying shit then. Anyone using the Perrin Sway's? I know @Chen is, but he said the 19mm/22mm makes his car really tail happy.

I like the perrins cause you can pick which setting you want with how stiff they are. I also have Perrin end links. Works great. But I'm not really sure what they do.

Do you have the machined ones or the adjustable ones?

http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34814
This is what I will be getting with my ST coils if I go that route. Caster and camber adjustment, and it looks badass. They will custom make it for any coils for no additional cost.

I am rocking AMR Engineering Coilovers, local in Vancouver WA. Love them.

Also rocking the Perrin F/R Sway and F/R End Links with the 1 Piece Machined front end link. Car is very stable and planted. If the rear is going to come out its very predictable and controllable.

What's the cost on the AMR's? What are the spring rates? Are they fully adjustable?

Adjustable.

Check out the MSI top hats at rallysport direct. The company makes both front and rear adjustable top hats. I installed the front ones and will eventually install the rears.

http://www.rallysportdirect.com/MSI-...t-Upper-Mounts

http://www.rallysportdirect.com/MSI-...r-Upper-Mounts

Thought this is the proper place to put this question...

I'm having a tough time deciding between the ST coils and KW V1 coils, basically is the mucho extra bucks worth the SS on the KW? or does the PNW (specifically Seattle) not get enough snow --> then salt for the need of stainless steel?

Is this deal still going on? I would like to instal some STI springs.

Well when I get wheels I will also be looking his way

Pretty sure its a non-expiring offer.

Tyler did my springs over a year ago and did a great job. Both of Darren's minions have a lot of passion for cars and they treat all our cars like they're theirs.

Also, I am considering switching out to coilovers to get my car a little lower than it currently is and improve my ride quality. id like to get down to about 2-2.25 inches of overall drop, but a lot of the cars I have ridden in that have coil overs were not exactly what I expected. Probably going to need some advice of where to start looking or just say F it and stay on my eibach sportlines. If I stay on my sportlines, then it gives me more budget to spend elsewhere, so idk.... decisions decisions.

Yup, the offer is still going... $40 for springs and $60 for coilovers. Text or PM me when you want to get the car in here and we will make it happen.

I'd love to lower my car...but I really don't feel like dropping $1500 on a good set of Coilovers. What is the best direction to go without sacrificing ride quality?

if you go with a mild drop on lowering springs your ride won't suffer much...I'm running Eibach Pro kits which is .8-1 inch drop and the ride quality is similar to stock although a little bouncier there is no way to not sacrifice some ride quality and drop on the cheap

Same drop for me but I went with the H&R Sport Springs. I've had them on since November and I really happy with the ride quality, never been a low and slow guy. They feel really close to stock though and once it get the wheels I want my gap will be gone :happyanim:

Check @stockysnail build page. Hes running RCE Yellows/Konis and his car drives great. I rallied it up 101 last summer and the ride quality was much improved over my stiffer than hell sportlines. Mine were bouncy at first, but as they have broken in they have reduced the bounce quite a bit.