antiJDM's AMR Engineering full bodied coilover coilovers review VERY detailed
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From: SW WA
antiJDM's AMR Engineering full bodied coilover coilovers review VERY detailed
If you just want to read my review, scroll down some.
My Background
I've been working on cars, everything from rebuilding engines and lowering cars, to painting them since i was about 14 or 15. I'm now 23 and do quite well with what i'm doing and can afford to do some testing on different products. I've also always been gifted at driving, some of you know that it just comes natural..my old man taught me at a very young age.
I have quite a bit of experience with Honda's especially, swaps galore and lowering them since before I had my license - (that was actually kind of a second job when I was in HS). I have any and all tools at my disposal, and it makes it quite easy when doing work.
On to my:
Writeup
First and foremost Andy at AMR is nothing less than the most customer service oriented guy I have dealt with.
Assuming you have an EK (most Hondas/Acuras are pretty close to the same)
Have ready 17mm combination wrench, 1/2" drive socket wrench with a 17mm socket, 3/8" drive socket wrench with 3" extension and a deep 14mm socket. I think all non-macpherson strut hondas EXCEPT the EK have brake lines mounted on the strut, so with those you'll need yourself a 12mm socket with a 6" extension on that 3/8" drive.
Removing stock springs/struts should be done with a spring compressor. The job can be done without one but it really is much easier with one.
I start by breaking the lugs loose jacking up the car and putting it on a jackstand (jack it up on the tow hook, set the jack points behind the front wheels on jack stands). With the tire off the ground, loosen the lugs and pull the wheel off. With your 17's, loosen the bottom nut/bolt, it's located at the very bottom of your strut spring combo on the cast fork looking thing connected to your lower control arm. The bolt might take some work to get out, push down on your rotor or caliper while tryin to jimmie it out. Once out, follow that fork up to the 14mm bolt clamping the fork to the strut, loosen and remove. NOW work that for off that strut, it might take some work, pushing, shoving, but if you think you're workin at it too hard, you probably are....get yourself a spring compressor. Once you've got that strut outta the hole, you can move to the engine bay and loosen the top hat nuts. My cars are not show cars, and you'll probably never see them sitting with the wheel off, so I just let that strut drop when that last nut comes out. Now, do everything in exact reverse order, it's much easier with the coilovers.
Adjusting preload prior to installation
Picture is stolen from Andy's thread they're not EK, i'm just using the pictures as reference, sorry Andy!! haha.
I have not tracked my Honda but in general daily driving, my experience with these preload adjustments works great.
The top adjustment is NOT for height adjusting, period. In my settings, I tighten the adjustment until you just can't move the spring up and down, then I give 4 full turns tighter, make sure your perch isn't moving when you're tightening. tighten the allen bolt to lock in your setting.
Height adjustment on these can be time consuming. You might find yourself pulling these off your car a couple times to adjust the height how you like it. If you follow my preload settings and leave about 1.75" of thread showing on the perch, you will be pretty dumped, leave a little bit more thread in the back though. I have 16x7's with 205/40's, in the front, I have NO tire/fender gap, and in the back I am slightly tucking tire.
REVIEW
As mentioned above, Andy has some great customer service. My spring rates and mods will differ from yours based on the modifications you have to your suspension. Your best bet is to contact Andy, he has his number posted in his signature AMR Engineering
Please remember, these could be tailored to you and your RACE car, or your daily driven luxury car. They aren't off the shelf!!!
This is my second set of these coilovers on this specific car. I bought my first set when I was tight on money and sold them with less than 10 miles on them for a smoking deal to somebody. Money isn't tight anymore and I liked dealing with the guy the first time, so I bought another set. Driving on these around town on full stiff is amazing, I haven't even turned the setting down to see how it is but I just love a stiff suspension, maybe one day on my way to work i'll throw it on soft and see what it's like. I think it could be safe to say that these are very comparable to something more than double the price. What other suspension manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty and satisfaction? I'm not sure of his policy, but if you aren't happy within so many miles or time he'll swap your springs out for you, for something stiffer or softer.
Hard bumps in these are harsh as is any lowered suspension on a honda, it's given. On some bigger, longer bumps, I don't bottom out and I don't catch air. It's a suspension that is tailored to you.
Small bumps are absorbed without any harshness but if you like it stiff like i do, you'll enjoy the small bumps
On to the best. CORNERING!
My previous set up was a higher end spring strut combo which has nothing on the new coilovers.
All testing was done on a closed course
Hairpins, without trailbraking, i was able to kick the rear end out, but coming in not so hot I could throttle it around the corner maybe 5mph faster than with my old combo 55 opposed to 50.
Long sweepers. My car feels about 110% more solid through these, I have no fear in my car bouncing or oversteering after about 100 miles of "mountain like road" on a track. :lol:
Transitions. I'm not a pro, but handling MY car is something I can do. Taking this through an S turn is much more predictable than I thought it would be. I almost trust this thing more than my STi now.
Have fun, drive fast, and be smart.
Modified by antiJDM at 9:56 AM 2/21/2008
My Background
I've been working on cars, everything from rebuilding engines and lowering cars, to painting them since i was about 14 or 15. I'm now 23 and do quite well with what i'm doing and can afford to do some testing on different products. I've also always been gifted at driving, some of you know that it just comes natural..my old man taught me at a very young age.
I have quite a bit of experience with Honda's especially, swaps galore and lowering them since before I had my license - (that was actually kind of a second job when I was in HS). I have any and all tools at my disposal, and it makes it quite easy when doing work.
On to my:
Writeup
First and foremost Andy at AMR is nothing less than the most customer service oriented guy I have dealt with.
Assuming you have an EK (most Hondas/Acuras are pretty close to the same)
Have ready 17mm combination wrench, 1/2" drive socket wrench with a 17mm socket, 3/8" drive socket wrench with 3" extension and a deep 14mm socket. I think all non-macpherson strut hondas EXCEPT the EK have brake lines mounted on the strut, so with those you'll need yourself a 12mm socket with a 6" extension on that 3/8" drive.
Removing stock springs/struts should be done with a spring compressor. The job can be done without one but it really is much easier with one.
I start by breaking the lugs loose jacking up the car and putting it on a jackstand (jack it up on the tow hook, set the jack points behind the front wheels on jack stands). With the tire off the ground, loosen the lugs and pull the wheel off. With your 17's, loosen the bottom nut/bolt, it's located at the very bottom of your strut spring combo on the cast fork looking thing connected to your lower control arm. The bolt might take some work to get out, push down on your rotor or caliper while tryin to jimmie it out. Once out, follow that fork up to the 14mm bolt clamping the fork to the strut, loosen and remove. NOW work that for off that strut, it might take some work, pushing, shoving, but if you think you're workin at it too hard, you probably are....get yourself a spring compressor. Once you've got that strut outta the hole, you can move to the engine bay and loosen the top hat nuts. My cars are not show cars, and you'll probably never see them sitting with the wheel off, so I just let that strut drop when that last nut comes out. Now, do everything in exact reverse order, it's much easier with the coilovers.
Adjusting preload prior to installation
Picture is stolen from Andy's thread they're not EK, i'm just using the pictures as reference, sorry Andy!! haha.
I have not tracked my Honda but in general daily driving, my experience with these preload adjustments works great.
The top adjustment is NOT for height adjusting, period. In my settings, I tighten the adjustment until you just can't move the spring up and down, then I give 4 full turns tighter, make sure your perch isn't moving when you're tightening. tighten the allen bolt to lock in your setting.
Height adjustment on these can be time consuming. You might find yourself pulling these off your car a couple times to adjust the height how you like it. If you follow my preload settings and leave about 1.75" of thread showing on the perch, you will be pretty dumped, leave a little bit more thread in the back though. I have 16x7's with 205/40's, in the front, I have NO tire/fender gap, and in the back I am slightly tucking tire.
REVIEW
As mentioned above, Andy has some great customer service. My spring rates and mods will differ from yours based on the modifications you have to your suspension. Your best bet is to contact Andy, he has his number posted in his signature AMR Engineering
Please remember, these could be tailored to you and your RACE car, or your daily driven luxury car. They aren't off the shelf!!!
This is my second set of these coilovers on this specific car. I bought my first set when I was tight on money and sold them with less than 10 miles on them for a smoking deal to somebody. Money isn't tight anymore and I liked dealing with the guy the first time, so I bought another set. Driving on these around town on full stiff is amazing, I haven't even turned the setting down to see how it is but I just love a stiff suspension, maybe one day on my way to work i'll throw it on soft and see what it's like. I think it could be safe to say that these are very comparable to something more than double the price. What other suspension manufacturer offers a lifetime warranty and satisfaction? I'm not sure of his policy, but if you aren't happy within so many miles or time he'll swap your springs out for you, for something stiffer or softer.
Hard bumps in these are harsh as is any lowered suspension on a honda, it's given. On some bigger, longer bumps, I don't bottom out and I don't catch air. It's a suspension that is tailored to you.
Small bumps are absorbed without any harshness but if you like it stiff like i do, you'll enjoy the small bumps
On to the best. CORNERING!
My previous set up was a higher end spring strut combo which has nothing on the new coilovers.
All testing was done on a closed course
Hairpins, without trailbraking, i was able to kick the rear end out, but coming in not so hot I could throttle it around the corner maybe 5mph faster than with my old combo 55 opposed to 50.
Long sweepers. My car feels about 110% more solid through these, I have no fear in my car bouncing or oversteering after about 100 miles of "mountain like road" on a track. :lol:
Transitions. I'm not a pro, but handling MY car is something I can do. Taking this through an S turn is much more predictable than I thought it would be. I almost trust this thing more than my STi now.
Have fun, drive fast, and be smart.
Modified by antiJDM at 9:56 AM 2/21/2008
Thread Starter
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,314
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From: SW WA
the one i just got out of was KYB AGX with tein s-tech, but i've been through gc/agx, gc/koni, and kyb/h&r race...all on the same car. can't remember the spring rates on the gc's fwiw
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Re: (mormonboy)
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by mormonboy »</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so what rates r you exactly running? you failed to tell us that. </TD></TR></TABLE>
shouldn't really matter, but 10k/7k. i think i'll be jumping to 13k/8or9k for track.
shouldn't really matter, but 10k/7k. i think i'll be jumping to 13k/8or9k for track.
Thread Starter
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From: SW WA
finally have a picture of my car...these are my daily wheels. i will be running 205/45/16 re01-r on fn01r-c 16x7 for track.
alignment was done with camber kit
1.5* camber on all 4
0 toe
some + caster (can't remember what the specs were.
handles like woah!
alignment was done with camber kit
1.5* camber on all 4
0 toe
some + caster (can't remember what the specs were.
handles like woah!
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