I'm thinking about getting the Tanabe Sustec Pro SS for my 97 GSR. I had them on my 92 DA before and they were nice, but I had them with the helper spring....for some reason though, I felt it could've been stiffer. Now i've been doin some research and I found out that its better to adjust the stiffness of the ride by changing spring rates than by using the damper adjustment because too much damper adjustment can result in blown dampers.....maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I concluded after reading what i read. If I'm right though, I'm considering buying the Sustec Pro SS coilovers without the helper springs and ordering springs from Tanabe with a higher spring rate....wat do yall think?

Does anyone have any advice on whether to go with the helper spring or without it?

please help....thanx!

 

Im stuck between S-0C and S-S model for my EP. I know a lot of DC5 guys swear by their Tanabe coilovers on the big RSX forum.

Everyone has TEINs, and I honestly dont see what is so spectacular about them after riding in a few cars with SS's and HA's.

Tanabes are like the quiet smart person in class who does really well, but no one knows about him. =P I think their internals are pretty different, because one of cars i've ridden in with the Sustec SS's rode on rails when he pushed it in the twisties, but was still really comfortable for cruising.

I want the helper spring model since it seems to add a little comfort, which i need on these f*ed up roads.

These: http://www.tanabe-usa.com/coilovers/s-s.asp :drool:

The dampener works to stop the spring from moving up and down too much, and also the speed of the spring. (someone correct me if im wrong)

 

My point exactly.

 

custom spring rates?

 

yea..i think i can get the stiffness that i'm lookin for that way.

 

so, anyoen have any idea on whether the helper spring is better or without it?

 

From what I learned through some crazy hunting... the helper spring is used because countries like Germany have TUV and Japan has some sort of equivalent, where the main coil spring has to be properly seated at all times for an aftermarket suspension to be roadworthy.

Helper spring makes it a dual rate, one to absorb the smallest road bumps, and then it changes over to the true linear rate of the suspension when you push the car hard enough to fully compress the helper spring (which isn't very much)

It's more of a comfort thing. I think for performance, the non helper springs are probably better, although i doubt there would be much of a difference if both models were tested on a track.

 

Guess I'll be trying it out without the helper spring....besides...I can always get the helper springs later too....thanx guys!

 

I would e-mail tanabe and ask what the valving can handel, I know they the S-0C type 2(without helper spring) can take an increase of 2kg/mm in spring rates.

 

The helper springs have a very low spring rate, as their only purpose is to keep the main spring seated, and does not make a progessive spring in combination with the main spring. It will be totally compressed into the shape of a disc/spacer when the car is resting at static ride height (its wound from flat wire).
You might be talking about tender springs, which are sometimes added to the main coil to create a progressive rate spring.

 

so it would be useless to get custom spring rates with the helper spring I assume.

 

Helper springs typically have such low spring rates that they will not noticeably alter your overall spring rate when matched with other regular springs, and will not have any affect on ride quality.
The only reason helper springs are added is to keep the main spring in place during full suspension droop or when the car is on jackstands. I'm finding it difficult to figure out exactly which applications would find helper springs more useful. Part of me thinks its only for very stiff spring setups, and the other part of me thinks it depends on whether or not the height and preload are independently adjustable. Which would make more sense because if you can't adjust ride height with the lower mount, then the only way to do it would be through lowering/raising the spring perch, where too much lowering of the perch might allow a lot of play in the spring between the two mounts. A helper spring would be in this situation effectively I think...

 

ahh, i see.