raverx3m

iTrader: (1)

after doing some research about the quality of available coilovers i think im gonna stick to the quality even though i wont get the 36 way adjustable stuff.

especially after reading this thread:
http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...2143480&page=2


"I never said that Fortune was made at Bor Chuan in Taiwan, I only siad that it was a possiblility as someone mentioned they appear similar.

As for where I'm 'getting this info', aside from first hand experience, I've done some phone work and gotten answers about the source manufacturer from several brands. Others refuse to tell me where they are made because they know that Bor Chuan and HD makes crap.

Let me ask you this, do these have independent rebound adjustment? Or is the bump and rebound tied together on the same ****? If they are tied together, you should run far and fast from these 'coilovers'.

And just for reference, my investigations have discovered that these brands are made in these factories, on the same line, to the same specs. They offer different applications for a wide array of vehicles, but one thing that remains is that the valving is horrible and they have inherent flaws such as the bump and rebound tied together.

Bor Chuan (Taiwan)
- Apex'i
- BC Racing
- D2
- Greddy
- Ksport
- Megan
- Omni
- Skunk2
- Tanabe
- T1R

Go Power (China/Taiwan?)*

HD Systems (Korea)
- Buddy Club
- Driftworks
- Kei Office
- Stance


And again, after I had been saying this for years, I was recently directed to this article: http://www.importtuner.com/tech/impp...ion/index.html

It seems to have scientific data to confirm all that I've said.

If you want good 'coilovers', you need a set that has good dampers, and good dampers ain't cheap."

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its a 95 del slol b16 thats gonna be sitting on 205/45/17 tire and lowered as much as the tires will allow me to without rubbing.(probably about1.5 inch)
stock front sway bar, 22mm rear type-r bar and both upper tie bars are already on the car.

i have 3 choices that are about same price range
the new tokico illumina coilovers
koni/ GC combo
progress coilovers.

1 where is tokico made?
2 what spring rates would best work for my specific car for some good cornering stability.
3 are progress coilovers adjustable dampeners or not people are confusing me some say they are and others say they are not...


also i would like to fab up some clean looking support brace for the cabin to keep it from flexing too much but also not abnoxious pile of tubes running through every panel.
i have acess to a custom shop welding and all thats needed for metal work.
is there a clean way of doing it?

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

How low you go without rubbing depends on your spring rates. If you're OK with a two-finger gap or a little lower, then Progress or Koni/GC with the standard rates are probably about the right firmness. The Tokico kit is notorious for having very soft spring rates on progressive springs. I would check on the available rates or consider Illumina/GC instead.

For picking rates I'd say:

What is your desired ride height? That determines the minimum rates you need to run. Your wheel/tire combination plays a role in this as well. I'm dropped 1.5-1.75" in the front of my car on 350 Progress springs, and I'm just barely fine on my winter tires but I'm worried that might slightly higher offset summer combo will have fender clearance problems.

What is your desired ride/handling compromise? That's a trickier question to answer...

STOCK_SOHC_DX

You mean Apexi, Greddy, Tanabe, Kei Office, Buddy Club, Stance aren't made in Japan????? Those coilovers are "madjdmtiteyo" they have to made in Japan!

I hope your running some kind of subframe brace for your rear sway. Tokico's are made in Japan, but they are not rebuildable like Koni. Progress is a good budget minded coilover and NOT ADJUSTABLE. I had 10K/8K on my delslow and it worked great. Only type of brace for the cab is CAGE that wouldn't look stupid or be dangerous IMO.

*edit* Just notice you're in Seattle, might wanna try giving AMR a call.

raverx3m

iTrader: (1)

i didnt mean the bar behind your seats.
something more than that i can build custom one that is not too bulky to prevent it from flexing .or maybe even a brace to replace the targa top when its off the car.

yes i have comptech brace that i used with it on my teg.

GagnarTheUnruly im assuming were talking about same thing?
the new tokico coilover set not the strut/spring combo



yes i will have about 2 fingers gap thatswhat my integra was with skunk2 sleeveovers with stock shocks and it was a bit bumpy ride but kicked *** on the corners.
im assuming that a coilover will be a bit better ride while giving me more control on the corners compared to above setup that i had?

i also niticed that progress has shorter struts than most coilovers. that would be better with lowered car, right?

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

You'll definitely have a better ride with correctly matched springs and shocks. Also IIRC those SK2 springs are fairly stiff, so you'll obviously be smoother with a lower spring rate.

IDK about the Tokico coilovers. I thought they already made them for a while I just know that Tokico kits have a reputation for being very soft (i.e. essentially equal to stock) and those are progressive...

Regarding Progress, in theory, yes, the shorter shock means that it will be in it's "sweet spot" lower than a longer shock design, at least if I understand correctly. HOWEVER I think it's best if people view the height adjustability as a fine-tuning capability on the Progress shocks. The spring rates are low enough that you don't have much freedom to adjust downward without running into issues, and because the shocks are short you can't adjust very high without coming out of the sweet spot. So as I understand things, I think they are best thought of as high quality lowering coilovers that will provide a good ride at about 1.5" drop with about 1/4" of adjustability around that.

civexspeedy

The Tokico lowering springs are only slightly stiffer than stock, hardly noticeable. I know, they are on my DD and I love how buttery smooth they are . The Tokico coilovers are only just a little stiffer than the lowering springs but the springs have progressive rates. I've read 250f/123r for their coilovers. Not very stiff and by no means great for getting real low.

raverx3m

iTrader: (1)

well im not after slammed look lol
the 17 inch wheels are my choice because i can feel the corners better on them than riding on fat tires. the tire flex scares me more than tire loosing traction.
cuz the low profile tires just break loose and i can feel when they back on track.
with fatter tires they bounce and that just makes me sht my pants a bit lol.
i know what to do with low profile tires already since ive been driving on them for years.

they will be adjusted accordingly to leave me some space.
which from what i can tell is about 1.5 inch drop 1.75 lowest.

having adjustable struts with tokico would it almost make up for having soft springs if set on the highset setting?

essentially they would be same thing as getting koni/GC coilovers since they are still sleeveover design?
just no progressive springs on GC setup then but still adjustable struts and lifetime warranty on them.

so the progress coilovers dont have adjustable strut option for any of their setups then?

what about d spec tokico? RAK502-D
i actually cant find any info on spring rates for either illumina or d-spec tokico coilovers they only mention the drop levels...

GagnarTheUnruly

iTrader: (3)

I'd contact Tokico customer support and ask about the rates. If they are as low as we suspect, they are not appropriate for the drop you want, which I think would require in the range of 350F/250R at a minimum. But the Illuminas have a great reputation and I think that would be a good kit if you can specify spring rates.

Progress CSII are not damping adjustable, but they do make coilovers that are -- they are just more expensive. But while I can see the uses for adjustable damping, it is not an important selling point for all drivers. Non-adjustable shocks have simply been dialed in by a professional suspension tuner rather than by the user.