Coilover Choice for Calgary All Year Around

[krayzie]

PMPB is right because it's "stainLESS" not "stainPROOF". INOX is just french for stainless steel. (own any Swiss watches?)

Not sure what the KW offerings are for this car but usually V1 and V2 have Koni rear shocks, only V3 and Clubsport are made by KW both front and back. I thought they use stainless steel so that the perches won't get seized as easily? It's German steel I wouldn't worry about it.

Stock ride height is usually done to comply with 5 star side impact crash ratings. It's probably not the optimal ride height for handling.

[wparsons]

Originally Posted by Jagular

My SAABs and my Alfa Romeo have ordinary steel shocks and last well over 200,000 km and, so far 22 years and 17 years without corrosion damage and driven year round.

Those have threaded spring seats stock that can corrode and seize? Let me know how well painted threads work.

[PMPB]

Originally Posted by wparsons

Those have threaded spring seats stock that can corrode and seize? Let me know how well painted threads work.

That's a very well made point. These coilovers are made to be easily adjustable. If they were painted steel, the paint would bind up the spring seat, and crack+corrode and finally seize everything in place.

[DR 86]

Simple solution to all this INOX debate: just wash your car everyday in the winter like I do

[Suberman]

Originally Posted by PMPB

That's a very well made point. These coilovers are made to be easily adjustable. If they were painted steel, the paint would bind up the spring seat, and crack+corrode and finally seize everything in place.

Except that 99% of people who buy these coilovers actually just set 'em and forget 'em.

Cleaning up shock tube threads sufficiently to move spring perches isn't an issue if you do it often. If you don't do it often you don't need them to be clean.

Coilovers don't have painted threads. Zinc plating is enough. The piston rids are chrome plated steel, not stainless.

It should be remembered that stainless steel doesn't conduct heat very well and is not as strong as mild steel in some respects. Heat transfer rates are a very important feature of high performance dampers (well, any damper really).

Stainless steel is serious overkill for these components if corrosion is the concern.

[wparsons]

I'll take overkill over a zinc plated set for a car that sees winter every time.

Zinc plated, after ~230 hours of salt spray testing.


http://www.kw-suspension.com/us/kw_inox_line.php

[PMPB]

Is this real life?

99% of "statistics" in forums are made up. I can't believe someone who purports to be a lawyer would really type that out.

Also, what kind of logic is: Nobody who buys coilovers ever adjusts them... Cleaning the spring perches regularly will maintain their adjustability...

Person A who never adjust their coils probably doesn't need to clean them regularly because they aren't adjusting them anyways.

Person B who does adjust them regularly, would probably just pay the extra to have stainless and not have to clean them every f***ing time. I wouldn't want to go at my coils with a wire brush every time I adjust them to remove the corrosion, and the 'zinc' coating. Lol.

Anyways, pretty poor reasoning demonstrated here.

I'm the only person who drives my car, and I rarely have passengers. Maybe I should bolt my seat directly to the floor, and remove the passenger seat... Right? In fact 99% of the population is the same as me. We should all save money because there is never a chance that once I buy my car I'll want to adjust the seat, or carry a passenger. Suberman, you're a genius,; of course, you already knew that....

[Suberman]

If you think you will be part of the 1% who constantly changes the ride height if your car either your alignment shop or your tire shop is going to love you for it.

And just btw, I would be happy for you to find the exact figure for how many people who buy coilovers actually adjust their ride height after they find their favourite height.

I should've thought any reasonable person would have read 99% as "almost everybody".

Actually, nobody really adjusts their adjustable shocks either, despite some manufacturers making it easy to do. There's a reason for this. Most people don't know what settings to use and of those most end up with the wrong settings.

The actual range of suitable ride heights and shock settings is quite small.

Changing ride height, spring pre-load and shock settings is an elaborate and time consuming process, but only if you do it right.

One of the best things you could do for yourself, given your posts, is just buy a set of fixed spring perch shocks, say from Bilstein, and forget about changing the ride height altogether.

Oh and corrosion is the least likely mung you'll have to clean out of those threads, just btw.

[kbye]

OP, in the 1000-1500 range I'd consider the Bilstein B14, stainless steel housings with aluminum plates. As for the sleeve, you must be referring to the coilover condoms



They'll help a bit I suppose. Don't know if they affect road/suspension noise or not. Personally I have never used them, because even if you do, you have to take them off occasionally to spray off any moisture or salt that happens to sneak in there anyway. I think as long as you clean your coilovers regularly you will be fine.

Cheers!

[OICU812]

To the OP of this thread. Seeing how you live in Calgary call Ryan @VexPerformance he can help you out with your suspension.