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So... which coilovers to get? (for a JZA80)

106K views 161 replies 82 participants last post by  chevydude 
#1 ·
Considerations:
- I'd like to decrease weight if the cost/weight ratio is reasonable
- Only high-quality parts desired
- What are the pros and cons of pillowball mounts?
- Which spring rates to purchase?

I helped a friend install his HKS coilovers a couple weeks ago and they were the same weight as stock... kind of a ripoff IMO... awesome quality though.

I'd appreciate thoughts based on these considerations.

A good list of the available parts is at:
http://www.horsepowerfreaks.com/ShowProductsMain.asp?ModelCd=SUP4&SubCategoryCd=COIL

I'm considering Tein RE's with the pillowball mounts.

Thanks in advance.
-Chris
 
#2 · (Edited)
Well, although I don't have experience with any other coilovers, I would recommend the Tein HA's. I'm not sure about weight, but more importantly, they handle SOOOO much better than stock. The ride is actually really smooth, only slightly worse than stock and even then I only feel it on the bumpiest roads. I didn't get the PBM's because I've been told that they greatly decrease the roughness of the ride, without helping handling all that much. They are also some of the cheapest coilovers you can buy.

(My recommendation comes from using the Tein HA's with BIGASS sway bars and front and rear strut bars)

That being said, I've heard some people claim that the HKS is a better product. However, not haivng any experience with the HKS myself, I can't say if this is true or not. They are also supposed to be lighter.

BTW, the Tein Flex is essentially a better version of the HA's, and they are a bit lighter too. but I'm not sure if the extre $500 justifies the differences between them.

Check out this site for some coilover weights:
http://www.moreboost.org/weights.htm
 
#6 ·
I have HA's. I think the ride is better than stock when on the low setting. Handleing is a bit hard to tell because I can't seem to find a good all around setting. All in all they are def worth the $ and I'm happy with them. Another set I would look into are the Cusco's. Very good quality coilovers!
 
G
#7 ·
I prefeed the Tein Flex with EDFC

The tein flex are completely adjustable via dampening and height. What sold me was the edfc unit which allows you to adjust the shocks inside the vehicle to suit your driving. The edfc adjusts the front and rear shocks independently with 16-32 points of adjustment. Aslo the second generation edfc will be able to adjust the dampening automactically based on input from your car. I just installed the tein and flex and edfc, everything fits perfectly and the edfc truly works well.
Links: to install pics of tein and edfc

Tein Flex:
http://www.redlinepower.com/html/tein_flex_install_pics.html

Tein EDFC:
http://www.redlinepower.com/html/tein_edfc_install.html

Jason
www.redlinepower.com
Project Car: http://www.redlinepower.com/html/supra_project_car.html
 
#8 ·
I installed the HKS Hipermax II about a month ago in my MKIV and I'm very happy with them. A good friend has Tein HA in his MKIV and as far as stiffness and weight they seemed to be the same. They both seemed lighter than the stockers but we didn't actually weigh them to see the difference.

One thing you mentioned is "only high quality parts desired." I wouldn't go with Tein if this is a priority for you. You'll notice a considerable difference in quality between Tein and HKS (I can't speak for JIC, etc.) There is an infamous "clanking" noise that the Teins will make which I think is due to the pillow ball mounts. I get a bit of noise from my HKS but not even close to the noise the Teins will make.

Also, many Teins don't last too long. I've heard many cases of atleast one Tein coilover needing rebuilding after a year or two. When I was in Tokyo, there were countless busted Tein coilovers on the used market. That doesn't prove anything but you can take it for what it's worth.

But then again, I picked up the HKS coilovers used in Japan for less than 50% of what I would pay here. That being said, I wouldn't pay the ridiculous price that they go for here. I probably couldn't get myself to pay for Teins either, because of quality issues. Originally, I was planning on just doing a Eibach/Koni setup but the HKS turned out cheaper. :cool:

No matter what you go with, I have two suggestions. First, get the TRD swaybars, they make a noticeable difference even though they're only about 25% stiffer than stock. Second, once you get everything in, road race that bitch! :D


Ash
'93 SUPRA TT BPU
 
G
#9 ·
The above post was a little mis-leading. You can use the EDFC on any of the Tein shocks as long as they're adjustable from the top with an allen wrech(i.e. FLEX, HA, etc.).

I've had my HA's for 5-6 months and I LOVE them. I wouldn't go back to stock setup for the world. However, with the HA's as my only suspension mod at the moment, I can tell I'll need sway-bars(preferably WhiteLine) in the near future. If I decide to upgrade to a better coil-over, I'll probably be getting the FLT-A2's like mentioned above. JIC is fairly new to the game, but they're kicking ass and taking names.

Brandon
 
#11 ·
PinkySwear said:
In addition to my above post, in the time I've owned my Tein's, I haven't heard any noise from my Tein's. NONE. I'm usuing stock rubber mounts, however.
The noise comes from the Tein pillow ball mounts. If you're using stock rubber mounts you won't get any noise. Then again, you won't get the same level of performance out of your coilovers. It's a trade off based on your preference.


Ash
'93 SUPRA TT BPU
 
G
#13 ·
I dont know if its me or not... but the teins feel like shit. Even on the softest settings. You can feel EVERY SINGLE LITTLE BuMP in the gawd damn road and i hate that. Maybe its the 19s with the teins, but still.

Do HKS or JIC coilovers ride smoother than the Teins? I saw on the blitz website that they are coming out with some coilovers that are made to be smooth as well as to perform well, probably not as well as some of the other coilovers, but to a daily driver who doesnt race that much, i would rather have comfortable coilovers.

I know everything is a trade off when modding a car, but im just not happy with my coilovers.
 
#14 ·
I have the Tien RA's with the pillowball mounts in my car. They are lighter than stock due to the aluminum construction.

I have the damping set at approx 2 clicks (softer) from the midpoint and they are kinda stiff. I beleive they are stiffer than the HA's because the spring rates are higher than the HA's. I also have TRD sways and front and rear strut bars and I have to tell you that the car handles like it's on rails.

My supra is not my daily commuter so I can live with the stiff ride. But if you plan on using your supra as a daily commuter I would not recommend the RA's.
 
G
#15 · (Edited)
A few things to consider:

1. Tein RE and JIC FLTA2 allow you to adjust height without affecting the spring rate / preload.

2. Some spring rates:

Tein RA 895/559
Tein Flex 783/448
Tein RE 895/559
Tein HA 783/448
HKS v3 770/440
JIC FLTA2 787/564

3. Some weights (including Complete Packed Box)

HA KIT 75 POUNDS
FLEX KIT 60 POUNDS
CS KIT 52 POUNDS
RA KIT 61 POUNDS
RE KIT 58 POUNDS

So don't buy the HA's if you're looking to save weight

4. There are three versions of the HKS coilovers, so if you are buying those, make sure you know which you're getting.

5. Look for linear vs progressive springs. I personally think linear is the way to go, although progressive springs (like eibachs) would be a slightly more comfortable ride around town.

6. For the JIC's, the shell casing, hat, misc. hardware are made in Japan, but the damper (most important part) is made in Korea (think Hyundai, Kia) everthing is assembled in Japan. I was going to get these myself until I found this out.
 
#101 ·
You look much more serious if you can back up your claims/findings in point 6, with some evidence and not just a statement from yourself ;-) . So until you can post some info. that support your statement i consider it as BS .
 
#17 ·
Just to be clear I have a track day coming up in late September. I have Eibachs with stock shocks right now and the dampening rate doesn't feel correct with the spring rates. I also don't like the ride height.

HKS coilovers are too expensive for the features from what I can see.
 
#18 ·
quick said:
Just to be clear I have a track day coming up in late September. I have Eibachs with stock shocks right now and the dampening rate doesn't feel correct with the spring rates. I also don't like the ride height.

HKS coilovers are too expensive for the features from what I can see.
How much were you planning to spend. I'm sure you can get a great deal in any of the stores used by the supra members.
 
#19 ·
SUPER-MKIV said:
How much were you planning to spend. I'm sure you can get a great deal in any of the stores used by the supra members.
Good question.

Probably not more than $1500 ideally and the closer to $1k the better. I'd like to find a good balance of price vs. features and quality. The better job I do in that regard the more I have to spend on other mods ... like the TRD sways.
-Chris
 
G
#20 ·
Features?

The only features youre going to be able to choose from when it comes to coilovers for these cars are: Height adjustment, spring rate, and dampening or Height Adjustment and Dampening. then with the Teins, the EFDC.

Right?

I say for your budget, go with the Tein FLEX system.
 
G
#21 ·
I have Tein HA's, they aren't bad. Also, for the price they can't be beat.

You should not need to adjust preload. With the amount of wheel travel we have, much preload is a bad thing.

The Tein RA and RE shocks have an aluminum body. They are lighter, but aluminum wears faster than steel. I suspect all of the really lightweight shocks are this way. Just something to consider.

All coilovers have different springs available. You need to pick springs that are stiff enough that nothing hits. Some people have found that they need 900+ lbs/in in front to prevent wide front wheels from rubbing. Mind you, stock rates half of the softest spring in the list above. You also need a decent front-to-rear balance of spring rate to avoid unpleasant track day surprises.

jD, try turning the shocks to their softest setting. I suspect you have them turned all the way up and you're overdamped. Also, these are coilovers, of course they're harsher than stock. Coilovers are for people who value handling over a cushy ride.

Another thing to keep in mind is you will need to corner-balance the car to get it to behave well. If the ride heights are off front-to-back you can get some nasty handling effects.

Pillowball mounts do very little on a Supra except produce NVH. If we were driving Civics it would help since the strut helps locate the wheel. In our case, we have a properly designed suspension and movement of the top mount does not affect camber.
 
#22 ·
I have the Tein RAs with pillow mounts, big-ass sway bars and (right now) 245/40/18 and 285/35/18 S-02 Potenzas. I have had these on my car for at least two years with NO problems and NO increase in NVH which I'm particularly anal about. I believe my ride is almost perfect for the street and even though I don't daily drive my car, I could quite easily with my existing ride quality.

I've said this before and I'll say it again. There is absolutely no reason, IMO, why someone cannot get the proper ride quality with a good set of coilovers. Either you are overdamped as someone else previously noted or the ride harhness is coming from the 19s some people are running on and you have not properly adjusted your coilovers to account for the 19s. Plus, my RAs are sensitive to tire pressures, so this is also another factor that should be accounted for in the whole ride/handling equation.

It might take a bit of experimenting, but if someone has a decent set of coilovers (Teins, HKS, JIC) and they are in good operating condition and you don't like your ride quality, its probably not inherent to the coilovers, IMO. The overall weight of your wheel/tire package matters as well as the fact that our tires are springs as well. Lower aspect ratios will affect the ride and handling greatly and this is not something a lot of us considered when we purchased our 18s, 19s and even 20s for some of us. This is usually why you see guys more concerned about handling, sticking with 17s and 18s for our cars.

Its all a matter of personal choice and trade-offs. The thing that really matters is how you use your car. Any of the systems listed can meet your needs as long as you are clear about your needs and can adjust the coilovers appropriately to meet your needs. If it were my money, I'd get the Tein RE's with pillow mounts and EDFC. My RAs, of course, are all aluminum and weigh approximately 10lbs less than a set of HAs I had for comparison. I'd put my ride quality and noise attenuation up against anyone else's, keeping in mind that others might think my ride was too stiff for their needs. Also, I have the Do-Luck floor brace, TRD front strut tower brace, Cusco carbon fiber rear brace and Do-Luck Assist Bars (not yet installed) and NEVER take my targa top off. You'll find the stiffer your chassis, the better ride you'll have because you can soften up your dampening and still have superior handling with a stiffer chassis. Yeah, I know I could go the ultimate route and install a cusom roll cage, but its a street car. Always has been and, probably, always will be.

Ken.
 
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