Swift Spec R Review

[M23]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

We actually do offer custom valved Bilsteins with a matched set of springs...for Impreza.

It's a seriously awesome set-up that's better than most coilovers but unfortunately we just have not been able to bring it to market for BRZ and FRS. Part of the reason is Bilstein already offering their own sport shock.

Will the Impreza ones fit an 86, hehe

Sux to hear you aren't able to bring those custom-valved Bilsteins to market

[Hyper4mance2k]

H'm well I'd love to be a guinea pig on the Cusco's, but I don't have the funds, and by that price point I should have just gone with the Tein Street Flex :/

The rears are abviously the same as the WRX, but I wonder how similar the fronts are to any other cars.

On the First Gen Rx7, we run the 1st gen MR2 Rear strut because it is shorter and stiffer than what's offered for drop in in the FB. This allows you to run a lower and higher spring at no additional cost. My street setup was 300/200 and track was 700/500 on illuminas. I put over 40k miles on this etup and it was damn great. Apples/oranges, I know, but I'd like to have a similar option. Not a lot of guys ran Koni struts/shocks because of the reliability issues when compaired to the illuminas.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by M23

Will the Impreza ones fit an 86, hehe

Sux to hear you aren't able to bring those custom-valved Bilsteins to market

Unfortunately it's a different spring perch design up front.

- Andy

[Hyper4mance2k]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Unfortunately it's a different spring perch design up front.

- Andy

Inserts #problemsolved

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Hyper4mance2k

Inserts #problemsolved

Well, it's tough to do inserts of an inverted strut onto a non-inverted OEM strut!

Custom valve some Bilstein B6 and you win the fixed perch strut competition IMO.

- Andy

[M23]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Custom valve some Bilstein B6 and you win the fixed perch strut competition IMO.

- Andy

The hard part would be tuning, or testing, or figuring out, what the optimal valving specs should be for Spec-R/Tarmac springs though, right?

Or, at least, for me and most of us, we wouldn't know where to even start, nor what to even tell Bilstein if we want to have it valved perfectly to match those springs (majority of us aren't race car suspension engineers, lol). I'm sure you/RCE can though

If you told Bilstein to re-valve a set of B8's to match Spec-R/Tarmac springs, would it turn out good or perfect? Or, would it be better for a good suspension maker (such as yourself, RCE), to tell them specific valving specs?

If the latter, would you(RCE), be able to help us, or give Bilstein, specific valving specs that would be optimal for the Spec-R/Tarmac springs? ie: perfectly matched valving/springs.

Re-valving Bilstein sounds very realistic, given their affordable valving/rebuild prices, as stated by RCE. It would only be $420 to revalve a set of non-adj dampers.

http://www.bilsteinus.com/products/s...rvice/service/

This would be a badass set-up, that would most likely blow cheapy/entry coilovers outta the water. And affordable too.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by M23

The hard part would be tuning, or testing, or figuring out, what the optimal valving specs should be for Spec-R/Tarmac springs though, right?

Or, at least, for me and most of us, we wouldn't know where to even start, nor what to even tell Bilstein if we want to have it valved perfectly to match those springs (majority of us aren't race car suspension engineers, lol). I'm sure you/RCE can though

If you told Bilstein to re-valve a set of B8's to match Spec-R/Tarmac springs, would it turn out good or perfect? Or, would it be better for a good suspension maker (such as yourself, RCE), to tell them specific valving specs?

If the latter, would you(RCE), be able to help us, or give Bilstein, specific valving specs that would be optimal for the Spec-R/Tarmac springs? ie: perfectly matched valving/springs.

Re-valving Bilstein sounds very realistic, given their affordable valving/rebuild prices, as stated by RCE. It would only be $420 to revalve a set of non-adj dampers.

http://www.bilsteinus.com/products/s...rvice/service/

This would be a badass set-up, that would most likely blow cheapy/entry coilovers outta the water. And affordable too.

We have actually done a lot of the homework already...



It can be better than cheap/entry level coilovers but it's not exactly readily available and does cost some cash. If you're serious about going this route let me know when the time comes and we can work something out.

Anyway, we're getting off-topic here.

- Andy

[M23]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

If you're serious about going this route let me know when the time comes and we can work something out.

Most definitely!

This goes out to others that may be interested in 'custom-valved Bilsteins matched to Spec-R's/Tarmac's' as well.

[Black Tire]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

Well, it's tough to do inserts of an inverted strut onto a non-inverted OEM strut!

Custom valve some Bilstein B6 and you win the fixed perch strut competition IMO.

- Andy

Andy,

You say B6, and M23 keeps saying B8.

Which is better for the Swift Spec R or Tarmac springs on our cars?

[mid_life_crisis]

Originally Posted by Black Tire

Andy,

You say B6, and M23 keeps saying B8.

Which is better for the Swift Spec R or Tarmac springs on our cars?

Looks to me like he is saying that if you are going to just buy and install the struts without revalving, you should use the B8. If you are going to have them revalved, you should start with the less expensive B6.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by mid_life_crisis

Looks to me like he is saying that if you are going to just buy and install the struts without revalving, you should use the B8. If you are going to have them revalved, you should start with the less expensive B6.

nm

- Andy

[Hyper4mance2k]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

This. Plus I'd take out the inserts and trim the bumpstop.

- Andy

I hate to sound stupid, but what inserts?

[M23]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

This. Plus I'd take out the inserts and trim the bumpstop.

- Andy

I did not know this. So, the shorter (stroke or body?) B8's don't help for lowered cars/lowering springs? Or, is this just a money-saving determining factor? Idk.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Hyper4mance2k

I hate to sound stupid, but what inserts?

Bilsteins are inverted so you can remove the nut and take out the shock itself.

- Andy