well, i've finally gotten tired of the spoon springs and i feel that i'm overdue for a suspension overhaul. i've been doing quite a bit of research on the full coilover setups for the ITR and this is what i've discovered so far:

the lower end tein setups (the basics and the ss, specifically) are nice for street suspensions -- but that's about it. i've driven cars equipped with both of these setups and i could definitely tell that they were street-oriented coilovers. so those two coilovers are ruled out. however, i have had very little experience with the higher-end tein systems.

from what i've heard/read, the zeal coilovers are very nice, but from my research it seems that they are priced a little bit on the high side -- maybe due to the bling factor.

i've weighed the benefits of going with a coilover sleeve/shock setup and i've come to a couple of conclusions: easy shock rebuilds and spring swapping are the main benefits...however, i don't feel that i can get the adjustbility that i'm looking for out of this type of setup -- so i've ruled this out.

i've heard lots of people rave about the buddy clubs as well as the JICs and as such, i've paid particular attention to these two setups. after my reading up on them, i'm 90% sure that i want the buddy club racing spec dampers. i do have a few questions about these coilovers: first, and most importantly, how do i go about getting the buddy clubs rebuilt when the time comes? also, are the springs on this setup equal length?

stock springrates on the coilover are not that important to me -- assuming, of course, that i can find an eibach ers conterpart to swap on. basically what i'm looking for is a high range of adjustability, good build quaility/durability, and something which would easily allow me to take my daily driver on track without issue. my price range is about $2000 -- please keep in mind that this is a big purchase for me, and i'd really love to hear everyone's feedback, opinions...

i have searched on this topic and read every thread that came up.

thanks in advance!

-tony

 

Zeal S6
12k/8k
Very tolerable on the street.

Feel good autocrossing.
Testing them out Oct 25-26 at Mid-Ohio

So far, im pleased with them.

 

hmm...another option to consider...

do you know of the diameter of the springs, by any chance?

thanks for the input!

-tony

 

W/all bling factor out the window..

have you ever considered the Koni Yellow/GC setup w/custom rates?

Originally I had disregarded these because the rear dampers, were not externally adjustable..but now they are a available.

Also, they cost about half the price of the Zeal setup...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by DsR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">W/all bling factor out the window..

have you ever considered the Koni Yellow/GC setup w/custom rates?

Originally I had disregarded these because the rear dampers, were not externally adjustable..but now they are a available.

Also, they cost about half the price of the Zeal setup...</TD></TR></TABLE>

the custom valving is something i've looked into in depth...
the only thing that caused me to rule this option out was the fact that i haven't really had enough experience with konis (our race cars run ohlins) to pick the correct valving.

basically, it's a good option -- however i'm leaning towards the "pre-made" options, if you know what i mean.

good info though!

-tony

 

buddy clubs....yeah

 

so that would be a "yes" for the buddy clubs?

 

You cannot go wrong with Zeal S6

 

Unfortunately, I can't contribute to this discussion. Perhaps Dee (? ) from Japan can help you out. He seems to have tried almost every high end coilover setup out there. Is he still around?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by delinquent &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">so that would be a "yes" for the buddy clubs?</TD></TR></TABLE>

You can not go wrong with them, seriously. I've run these things at multiple style tracks, and at each location, they've been great.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Jason Franza &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

You can not go wrong with them, seriously. I've run these things at multiple style tracks, and at each location, they've been great.</TD></TR></TABLE>

that's the type of thing i'm wanting to hear.

can you possibly shed some light on the rebuild issue?

thanks everyone!

 

i dont have experience with them but i would say the bc racing specs are not as good as the aluminum s6... the p1's on the other hand ///drool

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by euclid &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i dont have experience with them but i would say the bc racing specs are not as good as the aluminum s6... the p1's on the other hand ///drool

</TD></TR></TABLE>

The BC's have larger shock valve bodies don't they? Isn't this better.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ActiveAero &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

The BC's have larger shock valve bodies don't they? Isn't this better.</TD></TR></TABLE>

The do have a larger shock valving.

What's the construction of the buddy clubs? SS? You might save weight with the S6's.

Even RA's have a larger shock valving thant he S6's.

 

good point -- weight is something that i'm not all that worried about, though -- as long as they don't weigh a ton!

 

Hey Tony, you might want to contact Mark (goern-R) since he is running the Buddy Clubs on his R right now. From what I know, he loves his setup. He's actually gonna be participating in upcoming AZ Honda Challenge Exhibition race on Sept 28th. You should come out and check his car out if you're in town. Maybe take a ride in his car? I rode with him when we had a night track event at Firebird Main last summer. I can say that it worked very well on track. Very stable through corners. We were flying thru thru the back side of FIR Main that night! Very neutral setup. Doesn't exhibit too much understeer but then again, it all can be dialed out. Would love to get these but it sure is a good amount of change But Definitely PM him. I give the Buddy Clubs Good luck on your search!

 

thanks for the info, mervin.
that is DEFINITELY something i'll look into.

-tony