Coil overs for a DD?

[vonrottes]

After getting the suspension put together on my S10, I guess the 5660 springs I installed are NOT the same spring rate that I had stock... so the front end is nearly sitting on the bump stops.

It's about 1" from the spring pocket WITHOUT the poly bump stops

 

So, I'm looking at QA1 coilovers.. They are a lot more than another set of springs but that is an install I NEVER want to do again.

 

Questions are:

 

1. Are coilovers worth it for a daily driver? obviously adjustability will make it handle a lot better than stock, but what about negatively affecting the ride quality?

2. Anyone have any idea what spring I would need? seen various people with various LS engines using 350,450 and 550 all with varying results.

I don't want to drop it with coilovers, just a stock ride height, maybe 1" lower.

I was looking at QA1 one way adjustables, jeg has for $502 w/tax, but after a lot of looking found viking is a prefered brand for the price and with spanner and thrust bearing comes out to $60 more and they are two-way adjustable.

 

I know ricers that throw coilovers on their cars to drop it and then have to run the stiffest spring so it rides like shit,

Edited April 5, 2017 by vonrottes

[Rustlestiltskin]

Curious, what's the info on your '92 S10? What's all done to it?

[Miller]

The harshness of the ride is as bad as you make it. Don't go to something crazy stiff if you don't want to beat yourself up. Even on a stiffer spring a progressive rate will give you better street comfort and balance out the performance better too since you're lowering you center of gravity.

 

Also select your spring lengths so that at full extension of the suspension there's still contact between the upper and lower perches. If there is not the spring will drop loose then slam back into the perches over large bumps and uneven ground. That's what usually makes them loud and annoying for these guys that run a 6" spring and hella flush their junk.

[vonrottes]

The harshness of the ride is as bad as you make it. Don't go to something crazy stiff if you don't want to beat yourself up. Even on a stiffer spring a progressive rate will give you better street comfort and balance out the performance better too since you're lowering you center of gravity.

 

Also select your spring lengths so that at full extension of the suspension there's still contact between the upper and lower perches. If there is not the spring will drop loose then slam back into the perches over large bumps and uneven ground. That's what usually makes them loud and annoying for these guys that run a 6" spring and hella flush their junk.

 

That's what I figured, just something I've never really looked into until just now.. Didn't know if bad ride quality was inherent of coilovers, or if it was just poor setup on imports..

 

 

Looks like the sets that are sold for my truck both use a 10" spring which is factory spring installed length, so ????

 

 

Curious, what's the info on your '92 S10? What's all done to it?

 

LM7 5.3, 4l60e, ford 8.8, spohn control arms, soon to have 255/45r19's and various other supporting mods.

CR build thread

[Miller]

That's what I figured, just something I've never really looked into until just now.. Didn't know if bad ride quality was inherent of coilovers, or if it was just poor setup on imports..

 

 

Looks like the sets that are sold for my truck both use a 10" spring which is factory spring installed length, so ????

 

 

 

 

LM7 5.3, 4l60e, ford 8.8, spohn control arms, soon to have 255/45r19's and various other supporting mods.

CR build thread

 

If 10" is your factory length then you can assume the coilover sleeve will give you factory ride height and maybe 2"-2.5" max lowering below factory height..

[iwashmycar]

On a prior car I had some BC coilovers. They were nice because you could thread the whole strut body down into the lower mount to set height, and then sort of fine tune spring preload (and ride) with the collar on the threaded strut body, compressing or decompressing the spring.

 

Is it a fair weather DD? Coilovers get TRASHED here because of the salt!

[vonrottes]

On a prior car I had some BC coilovers. They were nice because you could thread the whole strut body down into the lower mount to set height, and then sort of fine tune spring preload (and ride) with the collar on the threaded strut body, compressing or decompressing the spring.

 

Is it a fair weather DD? Coilovers get TRASHED here because of the salt!

The ones I'm looking at are more or less just a cheap hybrid, they have adjustable preload, rebound and damper but they use the stock upper spring mount. So no adjustment in the shock length.

 

I've avoided driving it in the winter the last two years so I guess you could say that..

 

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

[vonrottes]

If 10" is your factory length then you can assume the coilover sleeve will give you factory ride height and maybe 2"-2.5" max lowering below factory height..

Factory spring free height is 14"

Loaded is 10.75" so hopefully I can get damn close to a stock ride height.

 

Sent from my HTC 10 using Tapatalk

[Crossle]

I would rather have a shock/strut/spring combo over coil overs for a daily. Also totally depends on your application and what's available for it.

[BIGGU]

I would rather have a shock/strut/spring combo over coil overs for a daily. Also totally depends on your application and what's available for it.

 

Depends on the quality of coilovers as well. I put Penske on the ISF and it rode like a dream when turned down.

 

but for people that get BC/stance/FA/ FEAL or what ever 1k ish coilover out there a well paired spring/shock/strut combo will be probably more comfortable.