Coilover reviews? Hks, Tein, Tanabe?

[Trmx2]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Of the 4 you listed my first thought is that the HKS GT would be a decent match for you. They're street oriented and come with everything you want. Soft though and I'm not a huge fan of the spring rates.

Something worth considering is whether or not they can be serviced in the USA. I know TEIN can be rebulit stateside and although they generally aren't my first choice, that's a pretty big plus.

Hope that helps.

- Andy

So I've heard conflicting things here, some say the HKS GT would be the best for me, others say the SP since they are more aggressive. I'm also worried about the understeer that the 6k/4k would create on the HKS GT...

Can you help explain that?

What would the major difference in the HKS SP vs. HKS GT be? Watching the Japanese videos has even given me some confusion.

According to the Japanese technical test videos on both setups, the SPs dampening settings are good for multiple styles of aggressive driving. They can be tweaked easily to allow the best performance to match the conditions of the road. They also still have a great level of comfort on the road (remember, this is from HKS tech videos....which are in Japanese, so they will naturally "Sell" the product to the audience.

The HKS GT, which were tested on mountain roads in the video, seemed to point the the GT were incredibly comfortable and still allowed the driver to feel the road which translated to an "increased driver experience" in their words. They said that on the winding mountain roads the GT performed well and they could see that they would be capable for an occasional track day, but not something that a serious track goer would want.

My interest with TEIN is that is can use the EDFC Active Pro system, which would be something to consider down the road. The new Monosport is a complete overhaul/redesign of the Monoflex...what worried me is that it's cheaper in price....so they either cut corners somewhere......or the Yen/Dollar exchange rate allowed them to offer it cheaper. Not sure.

Originally Posted by CSG David

HKS SP and TEIN Mono Sport are a bit more unrefined. Their price point sacrifices a bit on the standard street comfort for more aggressive valving that will manifest itself on track. Both setups are not the best track setups, but they will take care of certain track sections better than the more street oriented setups.

TEIN has certainly done their best to revamp their suspension lineups with higher quality of manufacturing and valving. They have a bad rep from the 90s, but their current stuff is good. HKS was successful in the S2000 realm but ride quality sucked. It was considered the fast cheap setup.

No comment on Tanabe. I sat in their early model stuff on previous cars and it's not exactly great. While KYB is a great company, it doesn't mean the valving is good. It just means the build quality might be good.

KW and RCE are good entry level 2-way setups. They will be vastly better than the current offerings listed above. With proper rebound and compression settings, they will be much better than your standard 1-way setups. As noted, you'll get dedicated support from RCE if you have any problems.

What about you David?

What do you think between the HKS GT vs. SP? I know the GT is softer, is this necessarily a bad thing? I am unsure also, why the GT is priced higher than the SP.

As far as entry level 2-way goes, I don't want to go that route. I don't like the idea of having to build the coilover, whether you can get natural camber or not is not the issue, I want a good quality, virutually hassle free system. Without having to build it with top hats/camber plates.

However, I need to consider price range, I really can't justify spending more than about 2100 (shipped) on a system. I'd like to pay a bit less than that.

I have found some deals out there with a few systems that would allow me to get a 1700-1900 system for substantially less....

So that's what brought me to the HKS, Tein, and Tanabe.

I looked at the Blitz ZZR and feel like it's a pretty basic budget coilover and the price increase on that is due to it being JDM. I am assuming it's no better than BC.

Stance, BC, K-sport and all those other budget brands are definitely not at all what I want out of a coilover.

It's been very, very, very difficult to get unbiased reviews and recommendations anywhere on the net. Here included.

Since the car is a reasonably new platform, it seems a lot of people have followed one another in terms of the parts that they put on the car (not everyone, but a lot) so it's difficult...when everyone puts on KW V3 because someone says "Hey this is the best system" then everyone else just follows.

I want to be different, and I understand that there is a risk involved, but I want to ride on something different, and then provide the community with a REALLY in-depth review so that others can learn from it and also consider another option.

That being said, you both have been EXCELLENT at explaining things to me, and I commend you both for your guidance.

[Trmx2]

Originally Posted by 10Stars

I too am looking at either the HKS Hipermax IV GT/SP and the Tein Mono Sport. Mainly I am looking for comfort but also occasional spirited driving, and maaaaybe some track days.

What would you choose between the two for me? BTW any other suggestions and I'm all ears

Based off of that, and based off of watching countless Japanese videos, I would recommend the HKS GT. Although I can't 100% guarantee that's what you want, but based on what I've learned from the HKS promo/tech videos. The GT were designed for exactly that. They are supposedly incredibly comfortable (vast improvement over stock) and are still capable if you want to drive more spirited and do an occasional track day. They also lower a bit more than the SP do (but not by much)

The con is not being able to revalve in the states, but I doubt that will be a concern for many many many miles. I'm sure by that time you'll either move on to another system, or have the money and time to send them over to Japan.

The Tein Street Flex might be another option for you. There are two people in my car club who ride on them and they love them. They both did track days with it and they definitely held their own on the track here at PBIR.

The Street Flex is also EDFC compatible should you ever want to go down that road. It's a Twin Tube also, from what I've read, Twin Tube's are usually much more comfortable than Monotube on the street, and many of the twin tube designs were designed with US roads in mind. So there is that.

Just my two cents from my 8 months of considering coilovers lol. I've read a lot and I am still confused lol

[CSG David]

Originally Posted by 10Stars

I too am looking at either the HKS Hipermax IV GT/SP and the Tein Mono Sport. Mainly I am looking for comfort but also occasional spirited driving, and maaaaybe some track days.

What would you choose between the two for me? BTW any other suggestions and I'm all ears

HKS isn't a suspension company to begin with. HKS GT has weird spring rates indicating it's solely meant for comfort and lifestyle purposes. HKS SP, in the S2000 world, was pretty rough. While the SP was fast on track, it definitely sacrificed too much on street comfort. Some people may say otherwise, but that's because I've experienced a larger variety of suspension kits available on the market.

TEIN Mono Sport is going to be similar to SP in feel and performance. You're better off with a TEIN Street Flex or RS*R Sport-i. For the budget range, they're pretty hard to beat. Other kits in this range are nothing to brag about. That's just my personal experiences with the suspension kits in this range.

Originally Posted by Trmx2

So I've heard conflicting things here, some say the HKS GT would be the best for me, others say the SP since they are more aggressive. I'm also worried about the understeer that the 6k/4k would create on the HKS GT...

Can you help explain that?

What would the major difference in the HKS SP vs. HKS GT be? Watching the Japanese videos has even given me some confusion.

According to the Japanese technical test videos on both setups, the SPs dampening settings are good for multiple styles of aggressive driving. They can be tweaked easily to allow the best performance to match the conditions of the road. They also still have a great level of comfort on the road (remember, this is from HKS tech videos....which are in Japanese, so they will naturally "Sell" the product to the audience.

The HKS GT, which were tested on mountain roads in the video, seemed to point the the GT were incredibly comfortable and still allowed the driver to feel the road which translated to an "increased driver experience" in their words. They said that on the winding mountain roads the GT performed well and they could see that they would be capable for an occasional track day, but not something that a serious track goer would want.

My interest with TEIN is that is can use the EDFC Active Pro system, which would be something to consider down the road. The new Monosport is a complete overhaul/redesign of the Monoflex...what worried me is that it's cheaper in price....so they either cut corners somewhere......or the Yen/Dollar exchange rate allowed them to offer it cheaper. Not sure.





What about you David?

What do you think between the HKS GT vs. SP? I know the GT is softer, is this necessarily a bad thing? I am unsure also, why the GT is priced higher than the SP.

As far as entry level 2-way goes, I don't want to go that route. I don't like the idea of having to build the coilover, whether you can get natural camber or not is not the issue, I want a good quality, virutually hassle free system. Without having to build it with top hats/camber plates.

However, I need to consider price range, I really can't justify spending more than about 2100 (shipped) on a system. I'd like to pay a bit less than that.

I have found some deals out there with a few systems that would allow me to get a 1700-1900 system for substantially less....

So that's what brought me to the HKS, Tein, and Tanabe.

I looked at the Blitz ZZR and feel like it's a pretty basic budget coilover and the price increase on that is due to it being JDM. I am assuming it's no better than BC.

Stance, BC, K-sport and all those other budget brands are definitely not at all what I want out of a coilover.

It's been very, very, very difficult to get unbiased reviews and recommendations anywhere on the net. Here included.

Since the car is a reasonably new platform, it seems a lot of people have followed one another in terms of the parts that they put on the car (not everyone, but a lot) so it's difficult...when everyone puts on KW V3 because someone says "Hey this is the best system" then everyone else just follows.

I want to be different, and I understand that there is a risk involved, but I want to ride on something different, and then provide the community with a REALLY in-depth review so that others can learn from it and also consider another option.

That being said, you both have been EXCELLENT at explaining things to me, and I commend you both for your guidance.

First of all, don't always believe every single marketing gig from every suspension company. HKS is not a suspension company to begin with so their advertisements should be taken with a grain of salt. HKS SP has proven to be a quick suspension setup in other vehicles, but based on the design, it's essentially similar to other suspension systems in the same category. It sacrifices a lot of comfort for the sake of performance. If this kit was placed in a higher bracket, it may be closer to an Ohlins where comfort is brought back into play while maintaining its relatively higher performance level.

Keep in mind, every suspension kit has a goal and scope to achieve in its budget range. In other words, higher budgets may give you good performance and good ride qualities. Lower budgets, you either get good performance OR good ride quality...never really both.

Out of the bunch as stated, KW and RCE have superior manufacture quality compared to the low end Japanese offerings. The price also reflects this statement. With that said, you don't need to rebuild those dampers as frequently as you think.

If I recall correctly, comfort is your number one goal. If you want to stick to 1-way setups, I believe TEIN Street Flex or RS*R Sport-i are within your scope and budget. Performance and comfort is not going to be on par with the KW and RCE (when properly setup), but it'll get you pretty close to it with proper setup.

[CSG David]

Originally Posted by Trmx2

Based off of that, and based off of watching countless Japanese videos, I would recommend the HKS GT. Although I can't 100% guarantee that's what you want, but based on what I've learned from the HKS promo/tech videos. The GT were designed for exactly that. They are supposedly incredibly comfortable (vast improvement over stock) and are still capable if you want to drive more spirited and do an occasional track day. They also lower a bit more than the SP do (but not by much)

The con is not being able to revalve in the states, but I doubt that will be a concern for many many many miles. I'm sure by that time you'll either move on to another system, or have the money and time to send them over to Japan.

The Tein Street Flex might be another option for you. There are two people in my car club who ride on them and they love them. They both did track days with it and they definitely held their own on the track here at PBIR.

The Street Flex is also EDFC compatible should you ever want to go down that road. It's a Twin Tube also, from what I've read, Twin Tube's are usually much more comfortable than Monotube on the street, and many of the twin tube designs were designed with US roads in mind. So there is that.

Just my two cents from my 8 months of considering coilovers lol. I've read a lot and I am still confused lol

You can build a really crappy Monotube and a crappy Twin Tube. Based on testing, the mentioned kits are all good. So don't get into the Monotube or Twin Tube debate. They definitely have their pros/cons of each, but it's not an absolute sign of superior performance (ie: JRZ RS is a twin tube yet it's performance and ride quality is superior to 98% of the Monotube and Twin Tube suspension kits available on the market...).

[Trmx2]

Originally Posted by CSG David

You can build a really crappy Monotube and a crappy Twin Tube. Based on testing, the mentioned kits are all good. So don't get into the Monotube or Twin Tube debate. They definitely have their pros/cons of each, but it's not an absolute sign of superior performance (ie: JRZ RS is a twin tube yet it's performance and ride quality is superior to 98% of the Monotube and Twin Tube suspension kits available on the market...).

The last brand I am considering which I could get in my price range (it's a little more actually)

Is Endless Performance Zeal Function X Coilovers.

Any info on these?

They're supposed to be very, very good.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Trmx2

So I've heard conflicting things here, some say the HKS GT would be the best for me, others say the SP since they are more aggressive. I'm also worried about the understeer that the 6k/4k would create on the HKS GT...

Can you help explain that?

What would the major difference in the HKS SP vs. HKS GT be? Watching the Japanese videos has even given me some confusion.

According to the Japanese technical test videos on both setups, the SPs dampening settings are good for multiple styles of aggressive driving. They can be tweaked easily to allow the best performance to match the conditions of the road. They also still have a great level of comfort on the road (remember, this is from HKS tech videos....which are in Japanese, so they will naturally "Sell" the product to the audience.

The HKS GT, which were tested on mountain roads in the video, seemed to point the the GT were incredibly comfortable and still allowed the driver to feel the road which translated to an "increased driver experience" in their words. They said that on the winding mountain roads the GT performed well and they could see that they would be capable for an occasional track day, but not something that a serious track goer would want.

My interest with TEIN is that is can use the EDFC Active Pro system, which would be something to consider down the road. The new Monosport is a complete overhaul/redesign of the Monoflex...what worried me is that it's cheaper in price....so they either cut corners somewhere......or the Yen/Dollar exchange rate allowed them to offer it cheaper. Not sure.

I never really pay attention to advertising stuff like that...most of what you see in that stuff is the same across most brands. I can look at the spring rates and I've seen the shock dynos for these, plus I've gone for drives/rides on a lot of different set-ups.

GT are soft comfort oriented coilovers. Do not expect a strong improvement in handling. The spring rates are wonky as well. They will understeer with those spring rates. They'll be comfortable and that's really it.

My experience with the SPs is that they do not have great high piston speed valving. They are firm and sacrifice too much ride comfort IMO, which IS important on the track too because tracks are not perfectly smooth and being able to soak up mid-corner bumps is very important. Japanese roads are generally very smooth and short travel and poor valving will be less of a handicap over there.

Given the choice between the two, I'd take the comfortable one. But I'd rather not restrict myself.

EDFC is overrated IMO. No real reason to adjust your dampers so often...when they're good, they're good.

We sold a lot of Zeal in the past but we no longer sell them. It wasn't a great experience but it was a long time ago.

- Andy

[1ofaKind]

Zeal is a great damper, they can be rebuilt in the USA. Many tuning shops in japan are running them, but they are pretty pricy 3k dollars and up depeding on the model you select. Have read nothing but great things from them. Very highend jdm damper if thats what your looking for.

[CSG David]

Originally Posted by Trmx2

The last brand I am considering which I could get in my price range (it's a little more actually)

Is Endless Performance Zeal Function X Coilovers.

Any info on these?

They're supposed to be very, very good.

They are okay. Probably better than your standard Japanese coilover, but once you've tasted a different set of suspension setups, you'll understand that there is much more available on the market.

[10Stars]

Awesome info on here! Thanks everyone

Thanks @Trmx2 for making this topic! I share the same sentiments

So how would Kw v1's, ST Xta, and Fortune Auto 500 w/swift springs compare to those discussed in here. I like the new ST Xta because of the included top hats but im worried about rust issues. Kw v1 seem affordable and without rust issues and easy accesability. FA500 and RCE(track oriented?)seem pretty all around as well.

Im swayed to go in the Tein Street flex from the suggestions but the advertised 1.3 inch drops seems minimal compared to the mono sport? More low = less comfortable though right? Kw v1 and ST go pretty low though so idk

Im not looking to slam my car (hell freaking no) i just want to close the wheel gap and fit meaty tires with a square 9.5 wheel setup and still be daily driven with some comfort.

Again thanks to all who posted here with all their help! It means a lot

[Shark_Bait88]

Originally Posted by CSG David

Here's the thing. Suspension is literally a "you get what you paid for" type of deal. There are people who try to mess with that, but hey, we've tested a lot of kits out and can tell you honestly, there are no shortcuts. This car was designed to be extremely modular/tuner friendly. In other words, many things were compromised with the idea that the aftermarket realm would help improve upon the base vehicle. Unfortunately, not everybody is offering good solutions.

With that said, good ride quality does not mean poor performance...in fact, high end suspension requires good ride quality to maintain an even higher level of performance. Remember, performance means keeping those tires planted on the road in every condition. That's grip.

Everything listed below are all 1-way setups. Most KW V3 and RCE T2 owners don't know how to dial in their suspension hence, their ride quality and performance are severely compromised. 1-way is definitely a nice method to move towards, but you're really stuck to one spring rate with very little flexibility. Once you hit critical damping, comfort settings are only a couple clicks on the softer side. Those are the two settings you'll stick to all the time.

~1-2k Category
TEIN Street Flex
RS*R Sport-i

~2k- 3.5k Category
TEIN Monosport
RS*R Club Racer
Ohlins R&T
Bilstein B16

$4k+ Category
Penske
Bilstein
Ohlins
Sachs
etc.

Sachs also makes a mid range coilover system, (below their fully track dedicated setups) for the Toyobarus, that is in that 2k-3.5k range.

[CSG David]

Originally Posted by Shark_Bait88

Sachs also makes a mid range coilover system, (below their fully track dedicated setups) for the Toyobarus, that is in that 2k-3.5k range.

Times 4.

[CSG David]

Originally Posted by 10Stars

Awesome info on here! Thanks everyone

Thanks @Trmx2 for making this topic! I share the same sentiments

So how would Kw v1's, ST Xta, and Fortune Auto 500 w/swift springs compare to those discussed in here. I like the new ST Xta because of the included top hats but im worried about rust issues. Kw v1 seem affordable and without rust issues and easy accesability. FA500 and RCE(track oriented?)seem pretty all around as well.

Im swayed to go in the Tein Street flex from the suggestions but the advertised 1.3 inch drops seems minimal compared to the mono sport? More low = less comfortable though right? Kw v1 and ST go pretty low though so idk

Im not looking to slam my car (hell freaking no) i just want to close the wheel gap and fit meaty tires with a square 9.5 wheel setup and still be daily driven with some comfort.

Again thanks to all who posted here with all their help! It means a lot

Think of features vs. budget. The more features on the same budget, the crappier they are (strong correlation). They don't have slaves to build them and test them...

[Trmx2]

Originally Posted by 10Stars

Awesome info on here! Thanks everyone

Thanks @Trmx2 for making this topic! I share the same sentiments

So how would Kw v1's, ST Xta, and Fortune Auto 500 w/swift springs compare to those discussed in here. I like the new ST Xta because of the included top hats but im worried about rust issues. Kw v1 seem affordable and without rust issues and easy accesability. FA500 and RCE(track oriented?)seem pretty all around as well.

Im swayed to go in the Tein Street flex from the suggestions but the advertised 1.3 inch drops seems minimal compared to the mono sport? More low = less comfortable though right? Kw v1 and ST go pretty low though so idk

Im not looking to slam my car (hell freaking no) i just want to close the wheel gap and fit meaty tires with a square 9.5 wheel setup and still be daily driven with some comfort.

Again thanks to all who posted here with all their help! It means a lot

No problem man! I have done a lot of back and forth research and have read countless and countless threads filled with nothing more than opinions it's frustrating because I want the best info I can get.

For those wondering, I chose the HKS SP. I believe it will be better than what CSG and RCE have mentioned and I will post a long detailed thread of my install, impressions, and perceived performance.

I'll let everyone know how it goes in the next few weeks!

[Carlitoz3]

Originally Posted by Trmx2

No problem man! I have done a lot of back and forth research and have read countless and countless threads filled with nothing more than opinions it's frustrating because I want the best info I can get.

For those wondering, I chose the HKS SP. I believe it will be better than what CSG and RCE have mentioned and I will post a long detailed thread of my install, impressions, and perceived performance.

I'll let everyone know how it goes in the next few weeks!

You would think since the GT cost more, it would be better...