YCW Engineering Reference Series Coilovers

[Takumi788]

Originally Posted by wootwoot

Then I would request spring rates around 300, max 350. Use stock front and rear mounts. Slot the holes in the front to gain camber there. Use a rear shock that allows as much stroke as possible.

Thank you for the input. I tend to be very track oriented in everything so having another's opinion on a street setup is very beneficial.

Originally Posted by Shankenstein

Beer accepted!

That's an engineer dancing around the sadness that Penske might lose a few sales... yet happy that their technology may reach the mainstream user in "street form."

Obviously, the devil is in the details (and it's hard to get those right). Things like choosing quality shims, surface finishes, coatings, etc. Also, it's tough to develop a manufacturing process that is robust enough to guarantee quality. It seems like this is a new company with some prior industry experience... so it will be interesting to watch them grow and react.

Thank you for the input. You clearly have a great understanding of a coilover system which far succeeds mine. I haven't been working with YCW Engineering for too long, but one thing I can tell right away is that YCW is all about giving the consumer best product possible and are very concerned about the quality of their products.

[churchx]

best & quality .. unfortunately rarely comes in hand with budget. Compromises have to be made, question being which and to what extent.

[Takumi788]

Originally Posted by churchx

best & quality .. unfortunately rarely comes in hand with budget. Compromises have to be made, question being which and to what extent.

I have not discussed cost with YCW Engineering but as for quality they aren't looking to cut corners. These will be competitive with the coilover systems currently on the market.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by Takumi788

I have not discussed cost with YCW Engineering but as for quality they aren't looking to cut corners. These will be competitive with the coilover systems currently on the market.

I've been following this thread from the beginning and am I interested to see how this goes.

Any detail updates on this coils?

Originally Posted by YCW

Our current development (YCW Reference Series) are our street-level coilovers, but can be used occasionally on track.

Once these are finished development and have some long-term testing behind them, we will start developing our track-level coilovers which will be 2-way adjustable.

I'll be honest, I know very lil about YCW coils but looking at the site and reading some info, it caught my attention for sure. Very interested to see how this coil will come out to be.

Not sure you can say much detail info/specs on street lvl & track lvl coils at the moment, but do you have any info?

[Takumi788]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

I've been following this thread from the beginning and am I interested to see how this goes. Any detail updates on this coils?

I'll be honest, I know very lil about YCW coils but looking at the site and reading some info, it caught my attention for sure. Very interested to see how this coil will come out to be.

Not sure you can say much detail info/specs on street lvl & track lvl coils at the moment, but do you have any info?

Unfortunately at this time I cannot say much. YCW Engineering and I have been going back and forth about some small details to better the product.

I can tell you that I have installed the street inspired prototypes and everything went as smooth as anyone could ask.

Sorry I don't have more to report but here is a pic of my car with the coilovers installed. I will update as soon as I can.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by Takumi788

Unfortunately at this time I cannot say much. YCW Engineering and I have been going back and forth about some small details to better the product.

I can tell you that I have installed the street inspired prototypes and everything went as smooth as anyone could ask.

Sorry I don't have more to report but here is a pic of my car with the coilovers installed. I will update as soon as I can.

Gotcha. Can I get simple info though... like level of drop (high to low), which spring rate did you get, pillowball setup or is that still embargo?

[YCW]

Feel free to ask any questions

Height Adjustability: Stock to around 2.5"

Spring Rates: We only used generic springs on the prototypes (as these were just for fitment testing primarily), but the rates are the same as what we will be offering on the production sets: 5K/6K. Obviously these will be different from what Takumi788 will eventually be running as his is a track car

Top Mounts: Again, we only used a generic set of top mounts on the prototypes for fitment testing, but these do have spherical joints. The products sets will also be spherical.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by YCW

Feel free to ask any questions

Height Adjustability: Stock to around 2.5"

Spring Rates: We only used generic springs on the prototypes (as these were just for fitment testing primarily), but the rates are the same as what we will be offering on the production sets: 5K/6K. Obviously these will be different from what Takumi788 will eventually be running as his is a track car

Top Mounts: Again, we only used a generic set of top mounts on the prototypes for fitment testing, but these do have spherical joints. The products sets will also be spherical.

Thanks for the info. I'll be interested to hear Takumi's feedback & final production

[Takumi788]

Alright. I know this thread has kind of died but that is my fault.

However, YCW and I have been going back and forth with info for the past few months with great success. I have put these coilovers through more than they are meant for (street coilover system on race tracks/autox) and they have performed exceptionally well in every aspect.

Here are my findings and full detailed review of YCW's Reference Series coilovers.

Let me start off with a little about myself. My name is Josh Herbert and I drive the YCW Engineering sponsored GT86. I bought my GT86 new in March 2013 with intentions of attending a few track days while keeping the car comfortable on the street. Since then the track life has gotten the better of me and it has turned into a street legal track car aimed at competing in time trials.

I was in the market for coilovers when I got involved with YCW Engineering, but I was not 100% sold on any particular setup. When I saw that YCW had started a thread on a GT86 forum looking for drivers to test a new product, I jumped on the opportunity. Naturally, I was a little nervous that I was going to be installing a street biased prototype setup on a car that regularly sees a punishing track environment. But from the second I opened the box, it’s been bliss.

Even in prototype form, the coilovers looked amazing. The black zinc-plated coating not only looks great, but has been salt tested to maintain that great look for years to come. The rest of the components are forged 6061-T6 hard anodized aluminum which keeps them light, strong, and corrosion resistant. When it comes to the springs, YCW went with the best in the business. YCW has partnered with Swift Springs for their Reference Series coilovers. This partnership has opened the door for YCW to be able to supply customers with well balanced spring rates due to Swift’s massive inventory of springs. Having Swift on board adds huge performance and value for the money.

The installation wasn’t any more challenging than most other coilover systems. The GT86 platform is known for ease and readiness of modifications and I was able to install the prototype coilovers without modifying the car or the coilovers at all. The hard anodized, camber adjustable top hat makes adjusting camber a breeze. With the camber plates maxed out I was able to achieve -3.8 degrees of camber! My previous setup had only allowed -2.8 degrees. YCW thoughtfully maintained the ABS sensor and brake hose mounting points on the bottom knuckle mount to keep everything looking clean and secure. YCW also supplied adjustable front sway bar links, spanner wrenches and all the hardware required for install and adjustment.

Since installing the coilovers, I have attended a few track events and driven over 2,500 street miles. I have really been able to dial in the YCW coilovers to my liking by playing with the 7 levels of rebound adjustment. Even though the Reference Series coilovers are designed for the street, they work very well on the track. They have drastically lowered lap times by giving me the confidence a driver needs to make that perfect lap. And on the street they remain as comfortable, or more comfortable, as my lowering spring/oem strut combo that was installed prior.

My car isn’t a trailer queen by any means. Not only does it get pushed hard at the track, but it also gets driven to and from the track while towing a tire trailer. The coilovers have taken every bit of abuse I can throw at them with the same poise and grace as a much higher priced option. This is all thanks to YCW’s tendency to over-engineer their products. The Reference Series coilovers are loaded with goodies. The upper mount has an oversized PTFE-lined japanese spherical bushing to increase shock articulation and prevent annoying coil-bowing. The internals include a proprietary forged SAE 4140 chromoly piston rod (a common weak point on budget coilovers), ceramic piston rod guide (to minimize shaft play over time) and double digressive blow off piston (DBO). The DBO maintains a higher damping force while cornering, offering increased responsiveness and stability, while enabling a lower damping force for comfort while at higher shock speeds when hitting bumps.

In the event that something does happen to the coilovers, YCW Engineering prides themself on their post-purchase service and warranty. They provide a lifetime warranty on the hard parts and even a 1 year limited warranty on the wear items! And when it comes time for servicing or a more aggressive spring rate, YCW has local servicing/re-valving locations in North America, Europe and Asia-pacific.

The real deal is that YCW pushed hard to supply an over-engineered coilover system for an affordable price. And by my books they nailed it.

Check out my build thread to see what I put these coilovers through over the past few months. Also feel free to ask any questions.

The coilovers are available for pre-order. MSRP is $1699.95 + shipping. PM me for more details.

Thank you for your time.

[Clipdat]

Any photos of them?

[strat61caster]

gud ad copy, have matt farah read it before one takes instead of ball powder, rake in monies

[Takumi788]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

Any photos of them?

Unfortunately I am still rocking the prototypes so the pictures I have to show you will not be accurate. However, since you asked. Below is a pic of the prototypes.







Please note:

The top hats shown are not what is included in the kit. They will be a machined piece like these YCW Focus ST coilovers.



Not sure what color the springs are going to be.

Top hats and lower mount will be black.

[mav1178]

I'm curious as to why the manufacturer can't even put up correct photos of the product on their site?

By the way it's posted you would think they have actual specific product photos already, but they don't.

[Takumi788]

Originally Posted by mav1178

I'm curious as to why the manufacturer can't even put up correct photos of the product on their site?

By the way it's posted you would think they have actual specific product photos already, but they don't.

We are getting there and its in the works. I will update the thread when the pics are available. Shouldn'e be too much longer now. We trying gauge interest at the moment.