Which is the most comfortable coilover on brz/frs??

[RYU]

Originally Posted by BRZ-y

I've got the bilstein euro spec b14s. Their r&d department here in SoCal tuned them for me. I can say this: AMAZING!!

body roll is completely eliminated making for wonderful flat turns and easy transitions.

Ride quality is as follows, and my wife agrees....
You can feel approximately 5% more of the bumps on the road, but they are all 10% less harsh. This is on our renowned Los Angeles freeways that make cobblestone feel like a roller rink......

Just my input.

@BRZ-y

I'm in LA also. Is there anyway I can buy you dinner or something for a passenger seat ride in your BRZ?

I've gone thru 4 suspension setups already and i'm willing to try the B14 or B16 before I truly throw in the towel and go back to stock.

Could you post any pics by chance? Very interested in your setup and been waiting for these to become available here in the US.

[HowL]

Originally Posted by BRZ-y

I've got the bilstein euro spec b14s. Their r&d department here in SoCal tuned them for me. I can say this: AMAZING!!

body roll is completely eliminated making for wonderful flat turns and easy transitions.

Ride quality is as follows, and my wife agrees....
You can feel approximately 5% more of the bumps on the road, but they are all 10% less harsh. This is on our renowned Los Angeles freeways that make cobblestone feel like a roller rink......

Just my input.

Thanks for sharing!! Can you let me know how much it cost? This is probably the comfiest coilover I heard so for from all the thread.
So when you say 5% more of bumps but 10% less harsh, does that mean more comfy than the stock one? Sorry don't get why you can feel the bumb but not harsh, can you explain a bit more please. Thank you so much

[HowL]

Originally Posted by djdnz

I have RCE Tarmac 0's. They are valved a bit stiffer than the ST's apparently. They are not comfier than stock.

In your case my vote would be KW V3 (then you can adjust the comfort level to your liking by adjusting compression/rebound). It won't be more comfortable than stock, but you can probably get it pretty close. Make sure to use the stock mounts, don't buy camber plates.

Second bet would be the cheaper ST's which are not adjustable (if you don't live somewhere with salty winters they're fine), these are likely more harsh than stock, but less than the RCE's.

Thanks for the thoughts, I am going to use the stock mounts for sure. But you are saying even if I go for the v3 the ride won't be comfier than stock right?
That is my main problem. My Wife keeps saying the ride is too bumpy, but I don't want to spend money to get a weaker set of the suspension than the stock one, which I don't think anyone here does! That's why I am trying to see if there's any solutions here!

[GTB/ZR-1]

Originally Posted by HowL

That is my main problem. My Wife keeps saying the ride is too bumpy...that's why I am trying to see if there's any solutions here!

Leave your wife @ home... lol

[86•BRZ]

Just put 16s on it and let the tires down a bit. You're not really going to get any significant improvement if at all with Coilovers. It's just not what they are made for.

Frs front springs maybe?

[OICU812]

Comments in camber plates, I think this could be an opinion based on particular plates. I've now riden with a few guys with Tarmacs and kWs with vorshlaggs and didn't hear or feel a single thing from them?
These questions come up often, and I was one of them asking best thing to do is join local club preferably group of peeps with these cars. Then go for rides, as k to drive their suspension setups and get a feel for what you like. That's what I had to do and it was a real eye opener.

[86•BRZ]

Originally Posted by OICU812

Comments in camber plates, I think this could be an opinion based on particular plates. I've now riden with a few guys with Tarmacs and kWs with vorshlaggs and didn't hear or feel a single thing from them?
These questions come up often, and I was one of them asking best thing to do is join local club preferably group of peeps with these cars. Then go for rides, as k to drive their suspension setups and get a feel for what you like. That's what I had to do and it was a real eye opener.

Metal is firmer than rubber. Yes some plates are better than others but all plates are firmer, you'll only really notice it on bigger bumps, ruts and bangs.
Test driving is great advice.

[BRZ-y]

Originally Posted by HowL

Thanks for sharing!! Can you let me know how much it cost? This is probably the comfiest coilover I heard so for from all the thread.
So when you say 5% more of bumps but 10% less harsh, does that mean more comfy than the stock one? Sorry don't get why you can feel the bumb but not harsh, can you explain a bit more please. Thank you so much

Hey HowL,
Sorry I don't know how much they are asking for them. I worked with the R&D department and "worked something out".

The car is also adjustable from stock height down to 30mm and is setup right around 20mm.
Car was corner balanced by WestEnd Alignment.

5% more bumps, means if you run over 100 bumps in the road. on the b14s you will notice 5 more of those bumps.
10% Less harsh means that all of those bumps are less jarring than stock. For instance if you hit a pot hole there is a noticeable difference in how hard the hit feels.
Here in Los Angeles with the terrible quality of roads, this is a very good thing.
Bad news.... I don't know if they are going to release the b14's in the US. They may have to be shipped over the pond.

I hope this helps.

[Excelerate]

Originally Posted by HowL

I am looking for coil overs which are more comfortable than stock on street but holds better than stock at corners and once or twice on tract every year. Wife hate the ride saying is too bumpy on the road!! My tuning shop guy told me if I go for kw v3 it might be a little bit more comfortable on street for daily drive.

I searched over the forum, but doesn't look like any coilover will be more comfortable but holds better at corner than the stock.

Anybody can help me??

2013 brz wrb

The KW V3's are an awesome setup and can be really fine tuned to your desired comfort level, but they aren't exactly the most cost effective solution. If you'd like to keep your ride relatively comfortable and not break the bank, ST's or Tein are going to work very well. Another important thing, as mentioned already, is to retain your factory upper mounts as they will retain are more comfortable ride than an aftermarket upper mount.

ST's are a great entry level suspension and they are made by KW, so you really can't go wrong. One of the major differences between the ST's and the KW V1's is the material they are made with. ST's are constructed of high grade steel, and heavily galvanized for great rust protection. KW V1's are made from INOX stainless steel, which is 100% rust free.

Another great entry level setup is going to be the Tein Street Basis coilover. We have been dealing with Tein for a while now and they really do produce a quality, cost effective product. They're also a very comfortable coilover but do not sacrifice performance for that comfort.

You can't go wrong with either company if you're looking for a cost effective setup.

[mike the snake]

Spring rates will greatly determine your ride. Compare spring rates between the different coilover sets available.

From what I've seen, the KW and ST coilovers have the softest rates.

[ZDan]

Damping will determine ride quality WAY more than spring rate.
Also, good coilovers with solid top-mounts are going to ride way better than lesser coilovers that use the factory isolated rubber top-mount.

I just replaced the 9F/7R Tein SS coilovers (factory rubber isolators up top) on my FD with 11F/11R Ohlins DFV coilovers with aluminum top mounts with spherical bearings, and the ride quality is VASTLY improved on the street.

This was an act of desperation on my part, I just couldn't stand the car over any kind of road imperfections, and I drive it a lot. On top of that, the car wasn't that great at the track with the Teins, either. They seemed to have no low-speed damping at all (kind of wallowy in pitch and roll), but infinite high-speed damping (bumps/potholes felt like the end of the world!). I just could not live with the car the way it was.

I haven't tracked it with the Ohlins yet, but I can tell there's a lot better pitch/roll control, *and* the ride is DEFINITELY way way WAY smooover over rough roads, despite springs that are 22% stiffer up front and 57%(!) stiffer in back, and aluminum/spherical bearing top-mounts.

I was really really worried that there wouldn't be a noticeable difference in ride quality, but it is NIGHT AND DAY.

My .02...

[jcat5150]

I have the RSRi installed and on CA highway speed they can feel like whoops (way too much front to back residual). I have mine at the moto spec. I probably need to play with them a bit more, but a 45 minute commute can turn into a headache. Handling wise they're awesome.

I have driven tuned / lowered cars for almost 20 years, but this one is the roughest between 70-80 mph, which is where I live on the highway.

[OICU812]

Originally Posted by ZDan

Damping will determine ride quality WAY more than spring rate.
Also, good coilovers with solid top-mounts are going to ride way better than lesser coilovers that use the factory isolated rubber top-mount.

I just replaced the 9F/7R Tein SS coilovers (factory rubber isolators up top) on my FD with 11F/11R Ohlins DFV coilovers with aluminum top mounts with spherical bearings, and the ride quality is VASTLY improved on the street.

This was an act of desperation on my part, I just couldn't stand the car over any kind of road imperfections, and I drive it a lot. On top of that, the car wasn't that great at the track with the Teins, either. They seemed to have no low-speed damping at all (kind of wallowy in pitch and roll), but infinite high-speed damping (bumps/potholes felt like the end of the world!). I just could not live with the car the way it was.

I haven't tracked it with the Ohlins yet, but I can tell there's a lot better pitch/roll control, *and* the ride is DEFINITELY way way WAY smooover over rough roads, despite springs that are 22% stiffer up front and 57%(!) stiffer in back, and aluminum/spherical bearing top-mounts.

I was really really worried that there wouldn't be a noticeable difference in ride quality, but it is NIGHT AND DAY.

My .02...

That's interesting as their set that a few vendors sell here are more in the 7k/7k rates are they not? Given what you've explained the lower rates coupled with their calving design and so one would yield yet an even better street comfort ride yes??....or aside from spring rates are yours different somehow?

[ZDan]

Originally Posted by OICU812

That's interesting as their set that a few vendors sell here are more in the 7k/7k rates are they not? Given what you've explained the lower rates coupled with their calving design and so one would yield yet an even better street comfort ride yes??....or aside from spring rates are yours different somehow?

Shoulda stated more clearly, these were for my FD RX-7. Motion ratios are very different, so much higher spring rates vs. 86 setups.