[CSG Mike]

Over the past 9 months or so, I've had the opportunity to drive on virtually every damper/coilover system on the market. These are my thoughts. A special thank you goes out to the countless members who have offered me the opportunity to drive in their setups so that I can get an impression of how they function, both on track and on the street.

First, there are a LOT of badly damped systems out there. Frequently, the damper is not properly matched up to the spring, and are often underdamped. The end result is a harsher ride that is frequently perceived to be faster/better because it is "stiffer", but the reality is that these cars had less grip than stock.

Second, there's a strong correlation between underdamped systems and price. This isn't to say that an expensive coilover/shock is always good, but the lower priced systems, so far, have universally been underdamped for hard driving. The underdamped characteristic allows for a "more comfortable" ride under street use with higher spring rates, giving a false sense of increased grip.

Third, the stock dampers are VERY well matched to the springs. While the stock suspension is soft, it is critically damped for performance. Most people will perceive the (somewhat excessive) body roll to be hurting cornering grip, but the reality is that it really only hurts transition time between weight transfer. If you drive according to the car, instead of trying to force the car to do what you want it to do, you can put down some REALLY smoking fast times at the track. To top it off, the stock system uses soft spring rates, so street driving is nice and comfy, albeit a bit on the harsh side given the spring rates (due to the "performance" oriented nature of the damping).

I understand that a lot of you don't like the body roll that is the result of the stock spring rates, but trust me, the stock stuff is GOOD.

As always, do as much research as you can before making a decision as to what's right for you. Some systems offer a different range of ride heights, while others do not. Some systems may not be able to offer the ride you're looking for, and there is no "one product fits all" when it comes to suspension.