st coils vs stance

[jdmblood]

getting coilovers for my brz. everyone says that st is better for dd but the stance coilovers are only 100 bucks more. i really want the stance coilovers but are they worth the extra 100? what else do i need in order to properly lower my car other than coilovers and a wheel alignment? im a suspension newbie so help me out. what are lower control arms, camber plates..etc etc??? pics help!!! thanks in advance!

[Racecomp Engineering]

Do you have any other suspension mods? What kind and what size tires do you use?

What are your goals with your suspension? Any auto-x or track time? How low do you want to go?

- Andy

[jdmblood]

suspension is all stock. and im looking to upgrade to 18x8.5 soon. no autox or track time for now. want to go anywhere between 1.5 to 2 inches lower

[mwjcyber]

Why don't you read other threads in the suspension forum? All of you questions have been answered hundreds of times.

[brianlo622]

I will offer some help.

First of all, I have stance coil overs and stance LCAs. I can't say I love them, but they do their job. The main advantage of stance (over the STs that you are comparing against) is its adjustability since it comes with camber plates. When you run a wider/more aggressive wheel setup (I am running TE37SL 18x9.5 square), the camber adjustment comes in handy. Like a lot of DDs, once I set the height on my coils, I leave them as is, so the rebound adjustment is not particularly useful, but its nice to have it I guess. I have had many sub $2000 setups in the past on other cars (KWs, Tein Basics, SMAs (a lesser known Korean brand). The stance were neither the least bouncy or the most quiet setup I have, but you get what you pay for and I can live with it on a daily basis.

If you are not getting an aggressive wheel setup or looking for that flush fitment, and you value ride quality and noise free day to day driving, I do recommend the STs over stance. The camber plates is nice if you need them for fitting aggressive wheels, but in the end they usually cause more suspension noise than others.

What is your budget? That is another important question to ask. I personally believe ST is the best for sub $1k coils, but if you bump up your budget slightly, there are other ones. RCE T0s are slightly more but are custom valved, and comes with a better coating against harsher weather conditions. Heard a few good things about the RSR I coilovers as well.

There are new options coming out as well, such as the Bilstiens, and those should be pretty interesting. Moving up the ladder there are the KW v3s, Ohlins Road and Track, and Tein SRCs. At the end of the day it all comes down to what is your ultimate goal, and how much you are willing to pay. Good luck.

[Maruthas]

So, st won't fit the 18x9.5? I was thinking to get enkei raijin & st coilovers. Should I pick less aggressive wheel? If I want to go with st?

[mike the snake]

I think the ST's use the same smaller-than-stock coils, and I've read about many people running 9.5's in front, with coilovers, so I think if you get the correct wheels and offset, you'll be fine.

I'm running 9.5's rear and 8.5's in front, 45 offset with no issues.

[brianlo622]

Originally Posted by Maruthas

So, st won't fit the 18x9.5? I was thinking to get enkei raijin & st coilovers. Should I pick less aggressive wheel? If I want to go with st?

almost all aftermarket coilovers will provide more clearance than the stock shocks and springs, and I don't see ST being an exception. You should be able to run 18x9.5 wheels with ST coils, provided they are the correct offset.


There are two types of rubbing that can occur when you slap on aftermarket wheels/tires. Inner rubbing occurs when the inner parts of your wheels/tires are rubbing against the suspension components. This is why opting for the correct offset wheels is critical. Another type of rubbing is the outer tires rubbing against the fenders. To make sure the latter does not happen, again you need to make sure the offset of the wheel is correct, tires are not too wide, and you need to have the ability to tune it out with a bit of negative camber.


when you run a coilover without camber plates, you need to purchase camber bolts so you can adjust camber. But yes, ST will work with 18x9.5 provided the offset is proper/tires are not too wide/you have the bolts to adjust camber.


Good luck!


Brian

[hanabie]

Originally Posted by brianlo622

when you run a coilover without camber plates, you need to purchase camber bolts so you can adjust camber. But yes, ST will work with 18x9.5 provided the offset is proper/tires are not too wide/you have the bolts to adjust camber.


Good luck!


Brian

Nope. Unless you want more cambers. ST front upper struts hole is slotted. I believe I could get between -1.5 and -1. I did not measure. I went with camber bolts for more cambers.

get 9.5s and you will thank me OP

[kchiang4200]

I'm have 18x9 square and no issues, lowered about 1.5in. there should be enough clearance in the front for 18x9.5, though I would check the wheel fitment guide if you already know which wheel/wheel specs you want.

[switchlanez]

How low (height or # of threads) do the ST coilovers come preset from the factory? Adjustable range is 20-50 mm so indicating what fraction of its adjustable range it comes preset would be enough (ex: preset at halfway, 3/4 down, etc.).

[jdmblood]

i know im bringing back an old thread here but i figured it was better than starting a new one. the sts range of height adjustability is 20mm-50mm. what is the height range of the stance coilovers? i couldnt find them

[mwjcyber]

I believe with pretty much all brands of coilovers, approximately 50mm rear drop is all you'll get without something like Stance LCAs. There's just not enough height back there for more; unless you like riding on the bumpstops. BC EL being the exception.

As for the Stance coilovers, I remember something like 70mm of drop.

Do understand there been threads regarding the best ride height for handling, and a 35mm drop from stock was found to provide optimal suspension geometry and handling. Going lower than that will decrease your car's handling performance. At least you'll have a lower CG.

[wlwarfield]

I'm not sure how low you're looking to go but I have stance coilovers on my BRZ with 18x9.5 +40 wrapped in 245/40R18. The height I have it adjusted to is 24.5" from ground to top of fender well. (and there's still room to go lower) No fender work done and very very minimal rubbing on a hard bump.