Springs vs Coilovers in Canada
 

Hello,

I have a brz that i am using as a daily driver(year round) and was looking to upgrade the springs when the weather warms up. What do you guys think would be best for daily driving all year round only in Canada? I don't plan on going to the track or drag racing.

I was deciding between the eibach prokit/sports line w/ stock struts or the ST Coilovers. I know its double the price but is it really worth the extra money to get coilovers for daily driving or are coil overs a bit too over kill for dd?

Unless you spend big bucks on coilovers like Ohlins, they will be a downgrade from stock. The coilovers from the factory are actually pretty good.

If you DD the car and aren't planning to track it, honestly you should just leave the springs and dampers stock.

I plan on getting 18 inch rims soon and don't really like how 18 inches look with the stock height. Looking to lower it an inch or so.

I've heard that springs + struts wear out faster than coilovers?

The lower you go on stock struts, the higher the chance is that they will wear out sooner. How soon, I don't think we have a definitive answer, people seem to be doing quite a bit of miles on stock struts and springs.

This isn't 100% true, KW v1's are hardly a step down from stock and they're 1/3rd of the price of Ohlins.

Sure if you really cheap out you'll get crap, but you don't have to spend $4000 to get a quality set of coilovers.

That said, based on what the OP is looking for I would suggest a set of mild lowering springs and leave the rest alone. The more adjustments you have the more you can make a mess my playing with them.

I was leaning towards springs but a buddy of mine told me to get coil overs so I can adjust the ride height for the winter months when the snow is high. Apparently coil overs last longer than springs + struts so in the long run, it would be more cost effective to get coil overs(specifically st coil overs)???? True statement?

If you plan to run in the snow and salt with coilovers get a boot or something to go over the strut shaft to keep it from pitting. I'm running just coils on mine but I haven't driven it in the winter with them

The Frozen North

I would need to see supporting data before believing that. As long as the springs aren't too much of a drop, and the spring rate isn't too high for the shocks the difference in lifespan should be minimal.

Are you actually going to adjust the ride height every fall and spring? You'll want coilovers that are corrosion proof (not just resistant), and you'll want to be sure to keep the threads clean/lubed (and covered if possible) through the winter months or you'll be in for some pain when you go to adjust them again.

Having driven a car much lower than the FRS with a 1" drop, I don't see any reason to lift the car back up every winter. My old jetta had much less clearance and I never got stuck in it.

Edit: building upon what wparsons said.

I have Swift springs (1 inch drop) on stock struts and daily drove the car all winter in Markham, including the couple of storms, no issues. Roads are plowed timely and we don't get much snow compared to the rest of Canada. Also, I'm fairly sure the most you can raise a coilover is still lower than stock height, plus adjusting them every season can be a bitch as wparsons said.
Coilovers will most likely last longer, but I'm sure the stock shocks will last plenty long with depending on your driving, roads and mileage. I only clock about 15,000Km a year, and am careful to avoid potholes and poor roads, so I don't expect to be replacing my shocks for as long as I own the car.
The benefits to coil overs is potentially better performance and adjustability, that is what you pay for.

To be honest with you, I ran a Mazda3 (lolwut that's not a performance car) dropped on the lowest springs I could find (Eibach Sportlines) without going coils and I didn't enjoy it. The look was definately there but our roads are so harsh and stuff, I think that even with a coilover I would have kept it higher. What I plan to do with my BRZ is either get STI Pink springs (gosh they're sexy but pricy) that drop 0.5'' or get the Prokits that drop 3/4-1''... Unless getting either a complete air suspension or a car driven only in the summer, IMHO coilovers massive drops aren't a viable option in a car where the clearance is already minimal (thinking about you fucking speedbumps !)

Didn't read the entire thread yet but some coilovers like Ohlins and Bilsteins can have the cartridge / internals rebuilt from the factory (similar to high end mountain bike shocks). Maybe that's what they mean by coilovers lasting longer because they can be rebuilt. If you never rebuild them, they might not last as long as stock shocks actually.

KW V1 in the German car world come with Koni Red shocks for the rear, and V2 comes with Koni Yellow rear shocks rebound adjustable, only V3 and Clubsport come with KW's own shocks with inox coated casing at all 4 corners (3-way adjustable last time I checked).

Also there is monotube vs. twintube shocks. OEM shocks are usually twintube, where if you damage the other casing, it will still work. Monotube shocks like Bilstein while last the life of the car, a damaged casing will affect the inner workings and they tend to ride more harsh if you ask me from personal experience with Bilstein Sport shocks.

Me personally I have a daily driver and the stock Showa shocks are pretty impressive, so I run STI pink springs (linear front and progressive rear, 15mm lower from stock as that is optimal ride height for daily driving according to what I've read about the car during development, me don't want CV joint problems).

I had German version of Eibach Pro Kit springs from VW/Votex on my old Golf GTI, and the stock Sachs shocks were too slow in rebound control for my taste (tho not as bad as Koni FSD). I replaced them with Eibach Pro Kit shocks (same outer casing by Sachs, but with upgraded Audi A4 OEM cartridge re-valved by Eibach to work with the GTI) and the car rode very similar to a Bimmer 3 Series with sports package. But I feel with the BRZ it's already way more responsive even stock than my Golf with aftermarket setup. I've never tracked a car so my experience is limited.

I almost forgot to mention on how cheap coilovers have height adjustments based on setting the pre-load of the springs, while the proper high-end coilovers have height adjustment with the shock travel. There are only a handful of manufacturers in the world for springs, but shock quality can vary greatly imo.

Personally I would not recommend coilovers if you don't really know what you are doing or on a tight budget, as it can adversely affect the handling of the car and ruin it. But if it's just for looks then all the power to you. I bought this car to drive and I'm lazy. :D

BTW check out these bad ass $3000+ Advox coilovers from Tom's, nitrogen refillable.

http://www.tomsracing.co.jp/products....php?mprID=312

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e690NRMoZ0"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e690NRMoZ0[/ame]

Where'd you buy your pinks ?

Would the drive or car feel weird with 18x9 with 45 offset with no drop?

I really hate the stance look and my team is shoving coils and springs down my throat.

I am hoping with the slight lift, my car would feel the same. If not a little better.

It will look raised, that's all. With the stock tires and wheels the car looks fine. But once you change to wheels that add offset, width and poke out more, it looks like a raised truck. Funny how it works like that, but it does.