Which coilover???
 

Apexi EXv

Tein Basic

Tein SS

Megan Racing Street


Which coilovers are the better pick???

They're all about the same price give or take $100-200

I want to lower the stock height of my wife's '00 Miata and install 6UL's/RS2's
I need a semi-soft ride once it's lowered since she would be using it mostly for a daily driver with the occasional (once a month) AutoX fling.

I should add that i would like to get something requiring the least amount (or none) of rebound/dampening adj.
If it came already adjusted for street/track use would be adequate for her, i would only like to be able to lower them, keeping things simple.

I will probably be flamed for this, but I like the KYB AGX's on NA's with Ground Controls. I have friends that swear by them on NB's

at this point, the Tein Basics are the cheapest in the bunch, at $849 shipped.

are these decent street coilovers if lowering and a decent/firm ride are what i'm after?

Will your typical installer be able to adjust the dampening/rebound on these to how i need them adjusted?

Last thing i want is a coilover that i need to fart around with 1000 times to get the proper adjustment out of it.

I have tein basic coilovers, and while they are not the absolute best solution out there they do just fine. My main gripe with them is that the spring rates cause oversteer which must be corrected by either changing spring rates, sway bars, camber, tire size/pressure , or a combo of those things. I personally have removed the rear sway and put an FM solid front sway along with running slightly higher front tire pressure to help out. It still oversteers a bit, but once I got accustomed I decided I actually preferred it because you can really get on it in a corner without any understeer at all. Just gotta be careful to not spin the tires though in the corner and everything is well.

The other thing I don't like is that the compression dampening is a bit less than what I would have wanted. I can only assume it was engineered this way for a more comfortable ride, which it is for the most part.

oh, and there is no damper adjustments, you get what you get on the basics

Fat Cat Motorsport setup. /thread

it's my wife's car, if anything i'll be the one occasionally running it at the track, so it's for street use more than anything.

comfort is a must.
then, the capability of lowering and having plenty suspension travel that a daily driven car needs on the street before hitting bumpstops.

Having just taken off a set of Tein Basics I wouldn't wish them on my worst enemy... they're harsh at low speeds, not enough damping at high speeds, and at full extension they have about 2" travel (not at ride height mind you.. FULL extension) so hitting the bumpstops regularly on the street is a given.

Putting on my FCM Bilsteins was a complete revelation... MUCH improved ride AND handling with higher spring rates. There's no free lunch, you get what you pay for.

I dont really hit the bumpstops all the time, and I dont think the ride is crappy. Sure and FCM bilstien setup would be way better and that is what I plan for down the road, but the Basics work alright for now.

BC Racing, they're fantastic. Ridden in plenty of autocross cars running on them and they all put out fast times. I run them myself on the daily and they feel like upgraded suspension, they ride stiff but if you don't like that then don't buy coilovers.

FatCat Bilsteins & bumpstops + FM springs = better than stock ride comfort, since it's not banging off the stops all the time.

I wasn't trying to put your car down since your car wasn't the topic at hand, just trying to help out the OP with another opinion on what he asked about...Tein Basics

That said, maybe you don't realize when you hit the bumpstops... maybe you don't drive as hard as I do... our ride heights are different..who knows. Ride quality is subjective, I think they ride crappy and you don't but honestly for the OP it's what his wife thinks that's important and if she's a non-enthusiast I would put money on her not liking the ride with Basics. What I can also say is with less than 2" of travel before hitting the stops when you're at static ride height, unless you drive on a billiard table you're going to be on them a fair amount, especially in the rear. This is not conducive to good ride quality nor good handling.

Saw the H&R's for under $1000 on ebay...

who else has these and what is your experience with them?

I've had KW Variant 1 on my wife's past Mini cooper S and she loved them.
Pre adjusted from the factory, only height adj...very comfortable driving and handled very well around a track. They're a bit more than i wanna spend though...

i might swing the extra $200 to just under $1000 if there's really a difference in ride quality and better handling overall.

how do the Tein SS compare with the Basic Tein coilovers?

same shit just Shinier tubes?

Penske

I think the SS are "dampening adjustable."

SS is their "hard core" suspension, actually gives a better ride because it keeps you off the bumpstops.

Talk to Shaik at Fat Cat Motorsports.

tokico illuminas + swift springs. very comfortable ride and very good handling at the same time. if anything, i have a set of swift springs AND fm springs that im trying to sell.

Anyone know if tein Basics can be revalved? I personally would be interested if it was not overly expensive

... nevermind, sounds like fatcat does revalves for $125 per corner shipping included

the Flying Miata Tokico's with FM springs are $825 and they include fr/rear swaybars.

i'm be interested in seeing what the drop is with these, on a 99/00 Miata...as well as hear what the longevity on this setup is.

FatCat doesn't revalve anything but Bilsteins so far as I know. And at the ride heights you mentioned on M.net as "the highest you'd go" (12F, 12.5R), revalving won't make a damn bit of difference on the Basics, because you'll be on the bumpstops.

949 Racing advertises custom valving of the Basics at $130 each: Tein Basic coilover system 90-05 Miata FREE SHIPPING (USA only) - DSM64-LUSS2

I dont remember saying that ... anyway, for quite a while I was running 13F-13.5R and just recently lowered it down a half an inch. Ride is a bit more rough since lowering.

So far.. im very content with my kyb/gc setup w/ fcm bumpstops. My car is fairly low, and i have yet to hit the bumpstops.. I even live down a dirt road, although i barely go 5mph down it.

Either way, the car handles 100x better and is way more fun now. We shall see how long the struts last...

Robino is you, right?

???

what?

If it is your wifes car, she will probably appreciate some Tokico Illuminas with new FM springs over a coilover setup.

but i am planning on putting 6UL's on it, 15x9's and with tokico i've read that the inside clearance sucks with the 9" wheel.

I'd just run a agx with ground controls and some isc top hats in the rear, I had a similar set-up on my street/track car last year and it preformed well. Price is right too.

Unless your running a 275, the advantage of the 9" over an 8" is negligible. Plus you said wife's car, daily driver, some track time. It doesn't sound like this is a car being built to squeeze every last bit of performance out of it. Plus, the coilovers you mentioned in the first post do are all sub-par anyways. I bet the Tokico and FM combo would perform better.

the wheels are going to be 9" so i need a strut that won't interfere with the wheel.
believe me, i would love to spend the $700 on the FM combo if it was going to work for me. I don't want to pay extra just to pay extra.

the wheels have to be 9" because i plan on having spares should something happen to any of my wheels(same set of wheels).

So i'm basically buying another set for me, but letting her use them.

then get some decent suspension while you are at it and stop fucking with our brains! it seems like youve made up your mind already.

Did you talk to FCM or not? If you haven't you're doing yourself a disservice.

Of course, it's not my money. Feel free to waste it as you'd like.

ive actually met with shaikh in person. great guy. again, you are buying a set of 9" which you completely dont need. there are TONS of other wheels that will fit 225 tires without problems and they will work just fine with cheaper shock/spring setup. you are setting yourself up for extra headache that you dont need.

For the street, FCM Bilsteins. If you don't want to pay $2200, then you don't understand what good suspension is, and feel free to order whatever crap you desire.

Good shocks cost a thousand dollars - period. If you pay less, they aren't good.

for a daily driver? nah... of course you cant get anything GREAT for under $1k for shocks alone but you can get very DECENT shocks (illuminas, koni race) for under $500. they will work just fine for street driving and occasional track events. you wont be extremely competitive and wont be pulling record lap times but they will work just fine.

Why do you insist on 15" x 9" wheels??

The adjustables are $2200.. ($2206 actually... ) the regular coilover/revalves are around $1600 last I looked and street cars don't need adjustables IMHO.

Street or track... they're hard to beat.

It sounds like its mostly street with a little "just for fun autocross" with tucked tires.

swaybars (duh)
Off the Shelf NA Bilstein HD
Buy some sleeves and springs (I.E. Ground control) 325 lb/in front 200ish rear
modded NB tophats at least. ISC tophats if you plan to go any lower or get more serious with racing.

if you get sticky tires and can't handle the body roll any more just move the 325 lb/in spring from the front to the rear, and get some 550 lb/in springs for the rear. If you get serious, have them revalved for your intended rates.

I wouldn't buy tokicos or AGX for anything stiffer than drop springs. They blow quickly and have extremely random adjustments. if you go from 3 to 4 and back to 3, the first three is not close to the second 3.

Why ISC tophats over FCM?

You mean 550s for the front, right?

cheaper

Spoken like someone who's never driven 9s.

Benefits of 9 over 8:
-they are faster
-they put more rubber on the road (tire sits square on the wheel)
-crisper steering feel
-less tire springrate
-more women in your bed

I have driven/tracked/own both. Yes, the 9's make a slightly better contact patch and have a firmer sidewall. Arguably, they are slightly faster. However, this setup is for this guy's wife's daily driver with some track time, not a race car. I am going to say judging by the OP's given information, an 8" vs a 9" for him and his wife is not going to make any difference. When a person is capable of driving their car around 9.5 to 10/10's consistently, something like a 9" over an 8" will show it's advantages.

225/45/15 NT01's over an 8" wheel on my NB.

Attachment 203721

225/50/15 A048's over a 9" wheel on my Turbo NA. I currently have 225/45/15 NT01's on these wheels now.

Attachment 203722

Attachment 203723

I have the FM suspension.. The ride height without cutting any of the dead coils is only a little bit lower compared to stock. The ride is better compared to stock IMO. I have 15X9.. think +35 offset.. only 205s, but not even close to rubbing/hitting anything. Personally I want something a bit more harsh as I don't care about ride quality very much now that it's not my DD.

Ok, I am the guy with tein basics. Dont get the basics. I just recently adjusted my ride height to 12.5f / 13r and now the ride is rather harsh (bump steer?), especially in the rear. I am considering getting some ISC tophats to give more travel, and I bet that will help a lot. Anyway, just thought I would throw it out there.

shuddup, bitch. 9's are faster and you're a dumb bitch. The reason they're only "slightly faster" is because you're afraid to put it on the curbs. Savington is my bitch, and I'll be god-damned if you're going to mouth off to him without asking my permission. Next time you want to yap at him like a bitch.

u always seem to gay things up a bit...

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2467/...fbb2baf9d6.jpg

Ohlins DFV custom....

Oh look, it's Miataturbo.net's residential e-thug. I can't even begin to tell you how intimidating you are. :jerkit:

For the record, I wasn't mouthing off at Savington. I know who he is, what he has done, and have a lot of respect him and his driving. I wasn't even disagreeing with him. Like I said, for the OP's scenario, the 9's are not needed. If it is his Wife's daily, there is a pretty damn good chance she is not going to be running around on some NT01's or other insert R-Compound tire here

I actually agree. For his purpose, the 9s probably aren't necessary, but there's no real downside to having them, either.

for daily driver and occasional track car i would run 7" wheels. less weight = better gas mileage.

I wouldn't go more than 205's on 7 inch rims. You can put a lot more on there, but the feeling goes to hell... and a good feeling car is why many of us bought Miatas.

im running 225s on 7" wheel and it feels just fine. of course it could be better on an 8" but its good enough.

Oh shut the fuck up.

Good enough? The price difference for 7" to 8" is not much at all. With an 8" you get the great 6UL rim, besides.

20$ durashocks from Autozone will be "good enough."

Lifetime brake pads will be "good enough."

Overboosted power steering is "good enough."

Good enough? The term "good enough" is how GM got in the mess it's in. Drive a Cavalier, that's "good enough."

FCM are just stock NB tophats, modded to take an NA shock, and with Shaik's bushing material. ISC is deeper and cheaper, Better for slammage with more travel. The family ITA car has ISC tophats sitting at IIRC 10.5" F and 10.75" rear. Plenty of travel on both ends. I have less travel on my NB with similar ride-height, NA shocks and FCM tophat

yeah D'oh

prove me wrong


i agree its not optimal but ive got an insane deal on this combo and everything was brand new so i couldnt pass. it works.

If you agree it's not optimal, then stop suggesting it.

i agree that its not optimal to run 225s on 7" but why would you want to run 225s on a daily driver anyways?

No turbo, so I don't expect you to understand.