Product Review - Fortune Auto 500 Series Coilovers [Archive] - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

95KA-Turbo

10-06-2009, 10:00 PM

Hello Zilvia!

I've been a fairly active member of this forum and am happy to review this product for everyone since I know they are an up and coming company.

I was lucky enough to be chosen by Fortune Auto to receive a set of their coilovers and have been putting them to great use here on our excessively crappy Virginia roads.

I will start off by saying that I was pressed for time (daylight) during the install process and my camera battery was dead so I don't have any pictures of the install. After driving on them at an event I took some pictures of the rear coilovers as I was changing my wheels out and got a picture of the front camber plate/dampening adjustment knob. The products look identical to the pictures on their website:

http://www.fortune-auto.net/510%20pro/fortune500a.jpg

Here are the specs as I am sure a lot of you are not 100% familiar with them:

-Dyno tested
-Stainless steel body / piston
-30-way adjustable dampers
-Pillowball mounts
-Forged aluminum locking collars
-Dust boots on all pistons
-50mm piston (beyond the industry standard of 44-47mm)
-Anodized aluminum camber plates** on front upper-mounts
-Fully anodized body
-1 year Manufacturer's Warranty
-Height adjustment independent of preload
-ISO 9002 certification

Previously, I had some JIC FLT-A2 coilovers on my S14 since 2007 and on my old S14 I had Megan racing coilovers. I've also ridden in plenty of S-chassis cars with D2, K-Sport, and Stance coilovers.

I am running a 9k/7k set up with the Fortune Auto coilovers.

On to the review!

I will start off with how low they go.

I have the fronts set so they have two collars out but I have not flipped the mounting bracket (which will allow for another inch of drop but will require you to wallow out the bolt holes a little as they are staggered to allow for more camber adjustment).

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2564/3949742700_e33bce480c_o.jpg

The rear is set like this:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2622/3989213184_d0b730f559_o.jpg

They can be lowered all of the way to the collars by the spring....so they go STUPID low out back.

Here is a better picture of the rear height:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3949742774_b0b4ff9db7_o.jpg

The car is at 23.75" on all four corners (measuring from the center part of the fender to the ground). I am running 17X10/11 +7/+12 with 245/40s and 255/40s so you have an idea as to what sort of wheel/tire set up I have.

Here is the picture of the front camber plate (at that setting I have -2.6):

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/3989207002_7a60b2d393_o.jpg

Now for the performance and ride quality.

I do not daily drive my car any more, so I've gotten used to driving around my wonderfully smooth 96 Accord, haha. After I installed the Fortunes I decided in order to give my best review I would need to drive the car around to work and on a long trip. My job requires me to drive around to different car dealerships so I got to experience the terrible interstates and wavy roads of Hampton Roads (the area of Virginia I live in). In addition to this I did a 200 mile round trip drive to the Outer Banks in NC, making a stop at a local drift event about 120 miles into the trip.

During the time I spent driving from dealership to dealership I was adjusting the dampening and I lost count as to where I set the final numbers, but it is somewhere between 15 and 18 clicks (with 30 being full hard and 1 being full soft). I would say after about 100 miles of driving the dampers seemed to really break in well and I noticed the car was riding better then I ever would have imagined and the height was a little lower.

The coilovers really handle bumps very well, especially the ones between the seams of concrete on the highway - those are basically not even felt at all. There is an interstate down here called 64 that is known for basically having speed bumps on it and I could drink a drink while driving down it with the Fortunes (with the JICs I would literally get air driving down it).

I could easily daily drive this car with these coilovers. I would go so far to say that I would enjoy dailying the S14 again. The only reason I don't daily it now is because I have another car to drive that isn't slammed and I prefer to keep the miles off the S14 (not to mention the S14 is being turned into a track monster this winter :naughty:).

Performance wise I am extremely happy with the coilovers. I stiffened the fronts up a few clicks from the street settings at VIR this past weekend and it really made a noticeable difference. The fact that the clicks do something in their shock dynos impressed me as well.

A friend of mine has a 350z with Koni race shocks and Nismo springs. I remember saying to him that I wished my car rode like his does when I had the JICs. I can say for certain that with the Fortune Auto coilovers my car rides damn near identical to the way his car does.

Overall thoughts:

I really couldn't be happier with these coilovers. Outside of building a completely custom set up that would easily cost double what this suspension costs I don't think you can find a better set up out there for an S-Chassis car.

I am open to answer questions from anyone. I hope this review is helpful and has shown some light on these coilovers for those of you scratching your head about them.

Here are a few more pictures of the coilovers in action:

http://i718.photobucket.com/albums/ww187/RAGPHOTO/GT%20LIVE/GTLive431copy.jpg

http://i484.photobucket.com/albums/rr208/Gkvello/gtlive/_MG_0582copy.jpg

http://i760.photobucket.com/albums/xx246/Gtlive09/GTLIVE/_MG_0094.jpg

A few more hard parked:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2589/3948969057_33273ba72a_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3482/3949742820_6aa981a84a_o.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3478/3948969029_22fe09f58d_o.jpg

5t341tH

10-06-2009, 10:25 PM

ahh so your the winner

mothon

10-06-2009, 10:31 PM

Awesome i have fortunes also i pretty much feel the same way as you. I also removed to collars, and will be flipping the lower bracket this weekend. The rears will go way lower than you will ever need them to, and thats without drooping the spring. My only issues with them so far are at speeds under 35mph they are a little bouncy, but im still on the softest settings front and back I probably should increase them a little bit. I sold my daily kouki a few weeks ago so i have been driving on these everyday to school and work. Ill really get to test their performance at lone star bash next weekend. Overall I am very happy with my purchase. I will probably be purchasing another set of these for my zenki in the near future. Hope you dont mind me adding my input here. And the car is a work in progress, i havnt even had it for a month yet.

This is as low as they go without flipping the lower mount in the front. Tires are 225/35/18. Im gonna flip the mount and go down another half in. or so.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/mateo04/car%20stuff/blue%20coupe/029fg-1.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b313/mateo04/car%20stuff/blue%20coupe/IMG_1459jguy.jpg

95KA-Turbo

10-06-2009, 10:43 PM

ahh so your the winner

I got chosen off of a local forum. Someone from outside of VA is still going to be chosen on here.

Mothon, I don't mind you adding in your review at all. The dampening just takes a little tweaking to get it just right, I'm sure if you stiffen it up 99.9% of the bounce will be gone.

s13 @ fullboost

10-06-2009, 11:03 PM

looks sweet

HyperTek

10-06-2009, 11:35 PM

sweet nice write up, hopefully whoever gets chosen for the zilvia selection wont be like "yo these are tons better then my used blown coilovers thanks for voting for me!" lol

Ali 556

10-07-2009, 03:33 AM

Right,,,

So they send you RUSTED coilovers...that why they gave'em for free

Your pic is the proof

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/3989207002_7a60b2d393_o.jpg

MADE

10-07-2009, 03:40 AM

Right,,,

So they send you RUSTED coilovers...that why they gave'em for free

Your pic is the proof

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/3989207002_7a60b2d393_o.jpg

I thought I only caught that back ones had some spots also. Could be particles falling from the install though. Where they used or did you wait to do a review? Not knocking it cause after usage none will look flawless.

ayuaddict

10-07-2009, 03:54 AM

Right,,,

So they send you RUSTED coilovers...that why they gave'em for free

Your pic is the proof

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/3989207002_7a60b2d393_o.jpg

a steel threaded part on an automobile has a bit of surface rust?

no fucking way!

jhageman

10-07-2009, 06:07 AM

;):rawk: I actually enjoyed driving my car this spring & summer since i installed these. i put over 2k miles on them which is unheard of for me.
great company to deal with!

shitty cell phone pic

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f102/jhageman/NEWLY%20INSTALLED%20PARTS/007-2.jpg

[email protected]

10-07-2009, 07:13 AM

Right,,,

So they send you RUSTED coilovers...that why they gave'em for free

Your pic is the proof

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2476/3989207002_7a60b2d393_o.jpg

Yeah that is not rust...look at the blotching its red.
Rust is more orange like the rust on his shock towers.
Must be something he bumped up against or particles during install as I hand delivered these myself to him and they were flawless

[email protected]

10-07-2009, 07:19 AM

I thought I only caught that back ones had some spots also. Could be particles falling from the install though. Where they used or did you wait to do a review? Not knocking it cause after usage none will look flawless.

Again pointing out that the rears do not have rust. Those are just dirty. He went 2 weekends straight drifting them (1 in the rain) and they got mud all over them. I am not trying to :smash:......just want to make sure that people know that is NOT rust:)

95KA-Turbo

10-07-2009, 09:29 AM

Yeah it is not rust, the track I went to before I took those pictures had clayish dirt.

Currently it looks like this:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2542/3990511560_8cae9b397a_o.jpg

You can see everything is covered in tire dust, sand, and dirt. My car is just dirty, lol. I even put a date card in there for you guys.

If everyone wants I'll clean my car really good and take more pictures.

Spring Break '92

10-08-2009, 05:26 AM

A friend of mine has a 350z with Koni race shocks and Nismo springs. I remember saying to him that I wished my car rode like his does when I had the JICs. I can say for certain that with the Fortune Auto coilovers my car rides damn near identical to the way his car does.

I remember you saying the same thing when you drove my car, but on the way to your house that day you rolled my fenders I can truly say that I-64 in our area is RETARDED screwed up. My S13 with Koni yellow/RSR race springs which are 5K/4.5K still ride rough on those concrete joints and potholes, I can imagine that hitting those things with stiffer rates is a disheartening feeling! Nice to hear that you like the Fortune coils, if I knew about those last year when I put my suspension together I probably would have gotten them instead.

Drifting-pedobear

10-08-2009, 11:01 AM

very cool. they are pricy too. but you gotta pay to play. (your the exception to that i guess :squint:)

seems like top notch quality here! thanks for the review!

Edgar

10-08-2009, 11:35 AM

It was really nice meeting you at VIR this past weekend, I cought up with the owner of Fortune and I can honestly say these dudes really stand behind their product and we will soon be carrying them here at Swapped. Every coilover is inspected before leaving their facility. I will be trying a set this upcoming season on my S13. Super Rad!!!!!!

landins13

10-08-2009, 11:38 AM

thanks for the review, this definatelly helped my decision of whether or not i want these coilovers

[email protected]

10-09-2009, 01:54 PM

VAs13

10-09-2009, 02:45 PM

Hello Zilvia!

so I've gotten used to driving around my wonderfully smooth 96 Accord, haha.

that accord that pushes s15s down busy roads? and yes it is wonderfully smooth

Chernobyl

10-09-2009, 03:40 PM

How is the coil to back-of-wheel clearance on the front? Have you tried the 17x11 +12 wheel up front without using a spacer? (I know this is silly, but maybe you have just for shits).

I assume that utilizing the slotted upper hole on the front strut may give you the extra clearance required.

95KA-Turbo

10-09-2009, 06:20 PM

My 10 +7 clears but it is definitely close. I'd say they have just as much clearance as any other coilover, no more and no less.

Chernobyl

10-09-2009, 07:26 PM

Good to know, thanks.

VAs13

10-10-2009, 07:43 AM

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3962388293_28e09bec95_b.jpg

i love them on my s15. rides like no other

tricky_ab

10-10-2009, 11:59 AM

God I love your S15...

sweet nice write up, hopefully whoever gets chosen for the zilvia selection wont be like "yo these are tons better then my used blown coilovers thanks for voting for me!" lol

HAHA That's what I was thinking...And thanks for the review OP

Charsiu

10-12-2009, 04:10 AM

How does this compare to those Stance Coilover you have driven in?
That's really the only thing I wish to know :D

Thanks!

95KA-Turbo

10-12-2009, 07:23 AM

I personally like them better then Stance. The Stance were not bad, but the Fortunes handle bumps better - comparing their shock dynos alone will show you that.

d0pe240

10-12-2009, 01:03 PM

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3458/3962388293_28e09bec95_b.jpg

i love them on my s15. rides like no other

how did you get your fronts so low? did you flip the mount like the others said? sick s15 too!

95KA-Turbo

10-12-2009, 07:35 PM

No he actually only has one collar out. He is on 19s though, so that's why it is so close to the wheel.

ManoNegra

10-12-2009, 07:57 PM

hmmm... I thought ISO 9200 was obsolete
link to company cert?

[email protected]

10-12-2009, 10:35 PM

hmmm... I thought ISO 9200 was obsolete
link to company cert?

I think you meant ISO 9002

Fortune Auto Taiwan received there ISO certification several years ago. I honestly do not no much about ISO and if it is renewed or how it exactly works. I was told that to receive ISO certification every coilover must be dyno-ed. I will try and get in contact with the factory tomorrow and see if I can get some documentation.

Again nobody has ever asked for this in all the years that I have sold suspension and I am not very familiar with ISO so I will see what I can do.

Terry

Z33dori

10-12-2009, 10:50 PM

i like these... they visually look the same as PBM, but judging by the reviews, they sound like a much more street friendly version. So thats really cool.

Wouldn't mind trying these in hte future, but for now my PBM's will suffice

Charsiu

10-13-2009, 01:31 AM

I gotta say Taiwan does make most of the decent budget coilovers around the market these days :)
Gotta love their bargain and performance.

ManoNegra

10-13-2009, 08:27 AM

I think you meant ISO 9002

Fortune Auto Taiwan received there ISO certification several years ago. I honestly do not no much about ISO and if it is renewed or how it exactly works. I was told that to receive ISO certification every coilover must be dyno-ed. I will try and get in contact with the factory tomorrow and see if I can get some documentation.

Again nobody has ever asked for this in all the years that I have sold suspension and I am not very familiar with ISO so I will see what I can do.

Terry

oops, typo on my part... yeah, ISO 9002:1994 is what I meant
basically a set of guidelines that describe a company's quality management system
current version is ISO 9001:2008
it's funny to me that it's being used here as a feature to add value to a budget coilover is all

justinedible4

12-15-2009, 05:09 PM

Will these go low enough on a stock s13 with 17x9 +12 with 225/40 to be pretty flush without removing collars? Cuz idk how to do that or flip the bracket.

Csomme

12-15-2009, 06:18 PM

you don't know how to spin a collar off a thread?

95KA-Turbo

12-15-2009, 06:21 PM

The collars just twist off. You just unscrew the lower bracket and unscrew two of the collars, then twist the bracket back on and twist the two collars back on so you still have something to lock against the bracket. They are just below the bracket instead of on top of it.

You'll have to pick between a 215/45, 225/45, and 235/40 because finding a 225/40/17 will not be cost effective.

Either way, you should be able to go low enough without removing the collars with a 215/45 and 8k springs, the 9k springs are a little longer so you may have to remove the collars.

Black R

12-15-2009, 07:48 PM

I think you meant ISO 9002

Fortune Auto Taiwan received there ISO certification several years ago. I honestly do not no much about ISO and if it is renewed or how it exactly works. I was told that to receive ISO certification every coilover must be dyno-ed. I will try and get in contact with the factory tomorrow and see if I can get some documentation.

Again nobody has ever asked for this in all the years that I have sold suspension and I am not very familiar with ISO so I will see what I can do.

Terry

I'd like to see a shock dyno please of these!

And do you have z32 rear lower mounts optional for those of us using the aluminum uprights from the tt?

mothon

12-15-2009, 08:02 PM

They have shock dynos up on their site.

95KA-Turbo

12-15-2009, 08:46 PM

Yes, they have Z32 lower mounts. I just converted the rears on my car.

The shock dyno is at the bottom of the page:

Fortune Auto USA. Home of 50mm Performance Coilovers, Titanium Shift Knobs & Titanium Lug nuts - Fortune 500 series coilovers (http://www.fortune-auto.net/fortune500seriescoilovers.htm)

justinedible4

12-16-2009, 01:15 AM

you don't know how to spin a collar off a thread?

I have never owned coilovers before so I didnt know.

The collars just twist off. You just unscrew the lower bracket and unscrew two of the collars, then twist the bracket back on and twist the two collars back on so you still have something to lock against the bracket. They are just below the bracket instead of on top of it.

You'll have to pick between a 215/45, 225/45, and 235/40 because finding a 225/40/17 will not be cost effective.

Either way, you should be able to go low enough without removing the collars with a 215/45 and 8k springs, the 9k springs are a little longer so you may have to remove the collars.

Thanks man, that is the exact info I was looking for.

[email protected]

12-16-2009, 08:37 PM

I'd like to see a shock dyno please of these!

And do you have z32 rear lower mounts optional for those of us using the aluminum uprights from the tt?

We have Z32 lower mounts in stock for you guys running alum rear uprights. They can also be added to you coilover order for a small fee.

We are also s-chassis enthusiasts, so we keep you guys in mind with what we have on hand!

SkyHighPsi

12-19-2009, 09:03 PM

it says that fortune auto basically copied the technology of making coilovers from japan. So how would these be compared to the Japanese coilovers like Tein? They are similarly priced after all

iamtheyi

11-23-2010, 12:25 AM

anymore reviews on these? I'm torn between these and stance GR+ Pros.

Zero-Offset

11-23-2010, 01:56 AM

I have these on my S13 and i absolutely love them. On the softest setting they're about one step up from lowering springs.
Its like the jump from stock suspension to lowering springs, you notice the 'stiffness' but its really not that bad. I have mine at about 5 clicks for daily, and it handles bumps really well.
I was going to go with stance, but for the $200 or so more you'd have to spend, i highly doubt they could be any better than these.
Well, in my opinion, id rather have the $200 in my pocket, since i dont think there could be much better coilovers for the money lol.
HIGHLY recommend these to others. I've ridden on D2's, Megans, and BC's, and i must say i like these the most.

If you're looking to go HELLA low, i MIGHT pass, as i had to flip the bracket as well as remove all collars to get to this height.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1177.snc4/154923_456565182605_511532605_5975798_6283475_n.jp g

not toooo big of a deal. crossmember to ground is about 3 fingers i think? dont know how much lower you really want to go lol.

Razi

11-23-2010, 02:39 AM

I daily on these as well, I think I have em 3 clicks up all around and they are slightly better than my old lowering spring combo.
I'm on 7k/6k springs and it's only slightly uncomfortable on the really whacky bumps or potholes, other than that it's fine.

At my current height, in the front I still have about 1cm left before I have to remove a collar, and the rear I can drop it down another 3 or 4 inches.
http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm218/Razi11/IMG_2289.jpg

idriveattz32

11-23-2010, 09:01 AM

Thats good to hear. Thanks for the review. I was also impressed with their race version which I didnt know about:

Fortune Titan Coilovers - Fortune Auto USA. Home of 50mm Performance Coilovers, Titanium Shift Knobs & Titanium Lug nuts (http://www.fortune-auto.net/fortunetitancoilovers.htm)

http://www.fortune-auto.net/PhotoGallery/fortuneremoterescopy.jpg

I just thought they were another showy super low coilover company.

Corbic

11-23-2010, 09:08 AM

it says that fortune auto basically copied the technology of making coilovers from japan. So how would these be compared to the Japanese coilovers like Tein? They are similarly priced after all

$700 less -_-

Corbic

11-23-2010, 09:14 AM

anymore reviews on these? I'm torn between these and stance GR+ Pros.

I"ve had them on the 240 for two months now...daily driving in shit-hole South Bend. Siberian has better roads than this town.

They work flawless on the street. Finish looks brand new still, great company, warranty, rebuildable. The unit is beefier then Ksport as well.

I bought these for reliability and durability, not necessarily for the best performance, so far they are living up to my expectations.

teh smithers

12-03-2010, 09:42 PM

Has anyone compared these to PBM's? I'm guessing the PBM's will be stiffer, but for those who have experienced both, it'd be interesting to know.

yingiang

12-04-2010, 12:30 AM

if i remove 2 collars from my pbm up front i will either lay frame or hit the top of the fender frame

95KA-Turbo

02-24-2011, 10:15 PM

I thought I'd give this a little bit of an update. I recently took my shocks up to Fortune to get them rebuilt for some Swift springs. I went from a 9k/7k set up to a 10k/9k set up. I haven't been able to drive on them yet, I just got them on the car tonight and its raining until Saturday.

As you can see the front swift springs are 1" shorter then my old ones:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5259/5475100707_1f19597a57_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5212/5475699148_e6dcbdd6a3_o.jpg

The car on the ground:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5475100867_205dc4505c_o.jpg

If you were running anything other then OEM aero this height just wouldn't be possible. I can't even get my finger under the lowest parts of the side skirt:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5137/5475699232_ed4dff8300_o.jpg

As you can see the front fender (which has been flared and therefore the edge of it is up higher then a stock fender) is ~22.5" off the ground. The Fender is resting right on the tire at this point.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/5475100953_8c2f3d42b9_o.jpg

A side shot:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5132/5475100997_4c4b6ae6b8_o.jpg

If you had a stock fender beam the tire would be resting on it for sure. I have about 1-1.5" of clearance and I have shortened mine by ~2".

Here's my shock dyno, it got a little damaged in shipping, but you can clearly see the digressive compression curve on the top part of the dyno - this is something no other coilovers have in this price range.
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5475100673_9ceea0d836_o.jpg

Terry at Fortune made a video of the rebuild process, and outlined what they do and why its so special:

20354061

I will be sure to update the thread with my thoughts on the springs/rebuild after I drive on them.

iamtheyi

02-25-2011, 12:08 AM

So basically, people would buy these over Stance? Stance's are cheaper with the helper springs :P. Too bad they don't come stock with swifts though lol.

95KA-Turbo

02-25-2011, 06:49 AM

I'm not trying to starting anything, but you don't see stance posting pictures of the internals of their coils or shock dynos. I had talked with stance a while back about revalving shocks and they were great with communicating with me, that is until I said I would want a shock dyno for each shock when they were done. They literally never responded to me again. This leaves me to believe they were going to tell me they did something and then not do it - ie rip me off.

Pandapants

02-25-2011, 07:15 AM

are the fronts on top and rears on bottom? looks like the compression is the upper part of the graph, and the rebound is the bottom half, right?

unreal-

02-25-2011, 08:37 AM

Got my fortunes the other day, put them on (on one corner) and found out that my weak ass FWD wheels (getting better wheels come summer) rub a litte bit (these coils are a LOT beefier than they look in pictures!) so i have to get a 5mm spacer.

Also i have to call fortune today and figure out whats wrong with my set. 3 out of 4 of the adjustment knobs refuse to turn. I tried using as much force as possible (like opening a brand-new ragu bottle without hitting the bottom of the glass) and they managed to turn barely 1/4 turn in either direction. The one working coilover turns without a problem and clicks and everything.

95KA-Turbo

02-25-2011, 08:43 AM

are the fronts on top and rears on bottom? looks like the compression is the upper part of the graph, and the rebound is the bottom half, right?

I'll get one of my friends who knows shock dynos inside and out to explain it to me completely. I do know that out of the < shapes the top part is the compression and the bottom is the rebound and that as you go from left to right the rate at which the shock is moving up and down increases. I also know that on the lower set of <s the bend in the top (compression) curve shows it is digressive, meaning it is softer when you hit a bump then when you take a corner.

GOt my fortunes the other day, put them on (on one corner) and found out that my weak ass FWD wheels (geting better wheels come summer) rub a litte bit (these coils are a LOT beefier than they look in pictures!) so i have to get a 5mm spacer.

Also i have to call fortune today and figure out whats wrong with my set. 3 out of 4 of the adjustment knobs refuse to turn. I tried using as much force as possible (like opening a brand-new ragu bottle without hitting the bottom of the glass) and they managed to turn barely 1/4 turn. The one working coilover turns without a problem and clicks and everything.

Definitely contact Terry. He stands behind all of his products and will correct any issues you have. I assume you tried moving them both directions? Just asking to be sure, haha.

HayaiSaru

02-25-2011, 09:49 AM

If you they are calling their shocks digressive because of the compression curve than almost all coilovers in this price range are digressive. If you compare this to a megan dyno, its the same valving, megan's look more digressive. if anything it's got less rebound force and less adjustment range than megan's. better off buying megans if you want something cheap.

megan has 600lbs at 10secs , fortune has 400lbs at 10secs.

http://www.meganracing.com/uploadimage/regular/1312011_18829_5449_M2.JPG

95KA-Turbo

02-25-2011, 09:55 AM

HayaiSaru

02-25-2011, 10:04 AM

Am I missing something? Those shock dynos aren't even kind of the same.

The shock dyno you posted shows a nearly linear compression curve and an almost flat rebound - like the rebound is basically constantly at 100-200 ish.

haha. its same. your dyno is flipped. the compression is on the bottom on megan. look at your dyno, your compression barely passes 100.

The_Other_Aaron

02-25-2011, 10:31 AM

Anyone have any experience with their "Titan" two way adjustable coils? Looks like their coming out with a revised version here soon.

Pandapants

02-25-2011, 10:33 AM

haha. its same. your dyno is flipped. the compression is on the bottom on megan. look at your dyno, your compression barely passes 100.

That's what I was thinking, and that the graph beginning at +50 is for the fronts.

240sxScores

02-25-2011, 10:39 AM

haha. its same. your dyno is flipped. the compression is on the bottom on megan. look at your dyno, your compression barely passes 100.

You're saying on the megan dyno chart you posted that the compression curve is the bottom line??

Why would compression be negative force??

unreal-

02-25-2011, 10:54 AM

Definitely contact Terry. He stands behind all of his products and will correct any issues you have. I assume you tried moving them both directions? Just asking to be sure, haha.

Yea i tried it in both directions. :(

95KA-Turbo

02-25-2011, 10:55 AM

You're saying on the megan dyno chart you posted that the compression curve is the bottom line??

Why would compression be negative force??

Yeah, the megan one is definitely not flipped, its just shitty as hell.

Pandapants

02-25-2011, 11:09 AM

You're saying on the megan dyno chart you posted that the compression curve is the bottom line??

Why would compression be negative force??

I think it has to do with a type of dyno used, b/c i've seen koni dynos with compression on bottom (-) and rebound on top (+).

PoorMans180SX

02-25-2011, 11:09 AM

Thanks for providing these updates 95KA. Looks like you're going to have to paint your fenders with high-heat paint eh? haaha, awesome.

I am enjoying this thread a lot. I am puzzled by Fortunes dyno plots simply because they contain what looks like dual curves for each compression and rebound. Front and rear dyno's overlaid?

I'm excited to order my set.

HayaiSaru

02-25-2011, 12:44 PM

Yeah, the megan one is definitely not flipped, its just shitty as hell.

Megan says bottom is compression.

95KA-Turbo

02-27-2011, 04:07 PM

Ok, so I drove around my neighborhood yesterday and today and I have to say the suspension feels even better then it did before. It feels exactly like my friend's 350Z with KW Variant 3s. Its stiff but it takes bumps smoothly and the shocks absorb the impact so there is no bouncing at all. I would highly recommend getting the swift springs with the fortunes, its totally worth the extra money.

I currently have all of the collars in and it settled to almost the same height as it is in those photos I took without collars, haha. There is a drift event at the end of March and I'll be at that with a proper alignment and what not, so I can give a better review on how they feel then.

iamtheyi

04-16-2011, 04:27 AM

Updates? I finally ordered my set and they're coming in next week. Starting to regret getting 8/6kg and wish I'd gone through with 9/7 but oh well. I'll post up my experience with them soon.

In the meantime, 95ka any updates?

95KA-Turbo

04-16-2011, 11:23 AM

I missed the drift event, but I did do a local cruse/drive thing. They feel really awesome on the street. My tires were rubbing the whole time and my alignment was all out of wack, but the car handled bumps nicely.

I'm trying to get the car 100% complete right now, and the next local event is the beginning of June....then east coast bash at the end of June. So I should be able to give a decent review at that point.

g_mac530

04-16-2011, 12:42 PM

My 510's with the swift springs arrived yesterday, I'll be installing them next week. Pretty excited about it. Got the 9k 7k setup btw

bikrman2

04-17-2011, 02:27 PM

I got my 500's last February Absolutely LOVE them. Great street ride and even better track ride. I'll be sending them back to fortune at the end of this season for a re-valve and swift springs. Does anyone know if they can do the dlc coating on the older style? Or would I need new tubes?

sex14

04-19-2011, 12:45 AM

ordered mine last Thursday. hopefully it comes mid week this week.

iamtheyi

04-19-2011, 04:17 AM

Mine coming in tomorrow hopefully! Will update. With pics too hopefully.

tricky_ab

04-19-2011, 10:37 AM

Please do! It would be nice to hear some more hands on reports...

unreal-

04-19-2011, 12:40 PM

I guess its time to post my own review of these coilovers :)

10/8 rates, Street valving, Standard Springs.

I bought these coilovers after reading this thread, and many other scattered around the internetz. When i got my set, the first thing out of my mouth was: "GOD DAMN THESE ARE HUGE". Compared to my old shock and spring these were wayyy beefy. Strangely enough they were a few lb lighter than the old crappy springs i had. After a fun time installing, with stuck bolts, etc. and a ISIS rear arm upgrade, i finally got the car somewhat aligned and got to enjoy the coilovers.

For a few weeks i had an intermittent problem with a popping sound whenever i turned the wheel. This was rectified by increasing the preload on the spring. It was because i had inadvertently loosed the upper perches in my excitement to lower these to the max before they were on the car. Now that they are on, and settled i realized a few things: One is that the fronts dont go that low. With my rates, i still have 1 finger gap in the front. Rears can pretty much go lower than the titanic. I have mine almost all the way up and i am slightly tucking 17s. Two, these are VERY comfortable considering my rates. A few freinds have rode in my car and said the same thing. It sure doesnt seem like it when you push down on the car, but for the most part, sans bumps in the road and the slight elevation changes on the hwy, its not bouncy.

Im currently piecing together my 5lug setup, and im definitely going to remove at least 1 collar to get the height i want in the front. finger gap is for pussies :)

That said, i highly recommend these coilovers!

iamtheyi

04-19-2011, 12:45 PM

DAMN IT. Now I completely regret getting my 8/6 rates. Should've gotten 9/7 for my s14. Guess I'll have to do it when I get the swift springs and helpers.

daftphunk

04-27-2011, 05:58 PM

unreal-

04-27-2011, 06:35 PM

Looking at getting these from a buddy tomorrow. Since the reports of the front not going 'that' low, how low can you actually get with these? I am upgrading from some Tein Basic coils for these. Those go decently low but I was hoping that I would get better coils with these Fortunes and also be able to go lower.

Fronts: 1 finger gap, maxxed out without removing collars; 5-6mm between upper perches and lower perch. (thats how mine is). If you remove the bottom collar, which i plan to do soon, im sure you can get it to slightly tuck in the front.
Rears: Titanic low. The rear of your car will find nemo. :tweak:

bikrman2

04-27-2011, 09:31 PM

HA! Pull both collars and flip the perch and see what happens!:naughty:
Better either have small wheels or be tubbed because my car litterally sat the 205-50-17's on the stock fender "tub" on my s13 hatch

daftphunk

04-27-2011, 10:48 PM

^ Sounds gangster. I'm gonna install mine this Friday I'll let you know how it all goes and I'll support this thread with a review.

iamtheyi

04-27-2011, 10:49 PM

still haven't f-ing gotten mine in. Getting very disappointed right now...

Perfect Balance

04-28-2011, 05:03 PM

10/8 rates, Street valving, Standard Springs.That right there is the reason they don't go so low. They use an 8 inch spring for the 10kg, and iirc the 8kg is a 7 inch spring, or they just compress that much more or something. In any case, I pulled both collars and cut an inch off the lower mount to get my car to tuck 205/45/17s about 1 cm.

Although now, if I wanted to go buy a 7 or 6 inch spring, I could be tucking rim in the front.

HA! Pull both collars and flip the perch and see what happens!:naughty:
Better either have small wheels or be tubbed because my car litterally sat the 205-50-17's on the stock fender "tub" on my s13 hatchFlipping the perch doesn't work because it reverses the camber adjustment that you have with the slotted mount, so you end up with a lot of positive camber. I tried that, and maxed out negative, I still probably had no more than -1 degrees of camber.

unreal-

04-28-2011, 05:42 PM

That right there is the reason they don't go so low. They use an 8 inch spring for the 10kg, and iirc the 8kg is a 7 inch spring, or they just compress that much more or something.

Gotcha. I had a feeling that was the case, but i wasnt too sure. Thanks for the clarification. :)

In due time, like a few other in this thread, i plan to send em back for a rebuild and swift springs. But that wont be for another 2 years or so.

Its funny watching the look on peoples faces when i push down on my car and it barely moves haha. Keeps my undercairrage, and fender liners fully intact. and i dont bottom out on potholes, and it keeps my exhaust from dying. :)

andisan

04-29-2011, 12:16 AM

So, Fortune + swift = Great for DD
Is that what most of you guys are saying from your experiance with the coilovers? I might consider them over stance if thats the case, And do the swift springs come in different rates? and if so would 8/6 be good for DD?
Thanks guys

daftphunk

04-30-2011, 08:47 PM

http://tapatalk.com/mu/a6cd8ef1-c93e-2771.jpg

So these def do go low, at least I think mine are. My lip is probably 2 inches off the ground and I still have both collars in there and I haven't flipped the mounting perch at all. I am tucking 225/40/18 on my car. Going to try and get an alignment tomorrow after I fix all of this. They ride great though.

g_mac530

04-30-2011, 09:01 PM

sex14

05-01-2011, 12:31 AM

nice car daftphunk btw its the guy with the blue s14 :D

unreal-

05-01-2011, 01:40 AM

So got the 510's on the car. Still need an alignment, but I think something may be wrong? I have been riding around my house and I took the car on the highway and it feels waayyy too bouncey. I have the 9k 7k spring rates with the swift spring with rear helpers. I had a set of coils in my old prelude and they felt better. The spring rate was 8k/6k on those but I dont think the rate was that much of a change.

Did I put them on wrong perhaps? I have never had a rear helper spring and I did not preload the springs at all.

Make sure that the preload is set right (Just enough so the spring doesnt move up and down or side to side, or rotate) and Up the dampening to somewhere in the double digits, with the rears 4-5 less than the fronts. With my 10/8s, at 20/16 dampening it rides with almost no bounce. Im sure it would lessen if i toned it down to 15/10 or something. Also give it a few weeks to settle. They ride a lot better once you put a few hundred miles on em. Out of the box they are a bit bouncy.

95KA-Turbo

05-01-2011, 08:36 AM

For the preload, you don't want the spring to move up and down or side to side, but you do want it to rotate/spin freely.

g_mac530

05-03-2011, 05:00 PM

Yea I'm definitely going to wait until I get a real alignment before I review the coils. But I'm positive they need tweaking. When I took the car on the highway, I went over a dip and almost flew out of my seat

TheRealSy90

05-04-2011, 05:46 AM

I've had my fortunes on my car for about a year now and they are just amazing.

Mine are 12k front and 10k rear."they didn't want to sell me those rates at first when I told them it was my dd haha."

I had them revalve the dampeners for these spring rates and drift use.

All the collars on the front are removed and the lower bracket is flipped. All the collars on the rear are removed and the mount is spun all the way up to the rear spring.

I have 1/4 of clearance from my front subframe to the ground.

Even with my spring rates these things ride very smooth on the street, not bouncy at all. They are amazing out on The track. I run my front dampeners at 8 on the street, 16 on track. Rears are always at full soft.

the only thing I'm worried about is how to make them go lower when I go up to 18's...

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5184/5595688054_64d99be637.jpg

PoorMans180SX

05-04-2011, 05:52 AM

the only thing I'm worried about is how to make them go lower when I go up to 18's...

Swift Springs are your friend.

Thanks for adding to the review!

TheRealSy90

05-04-2011, 05:53 AM

Swift Springs are your friend.

Thanks for adding to the review!

No problem haha.

Would 12k 10k swift springs be shorter? That may be what ill have to do haha.

PoorMans180SX

05-04-2011, 05:58 AM

No problem haha.

Would 12k 10k swift springs be shorter? That may be what ill have to do haha.

They have both rates in 6" lengths. I'm guessing yours are quite a bit longer than that?

TheRealSy90

05-04-2011, 06:06 AM

I'll have to go out and measure them tomorrow, I dont remember. Someone said their 10k fronts were longer than the normal 8's, idk if the 12's are even longer than that.

iamtheyi

05-04-2011, 05:25 PM

I was just wondering if any of you guys had problems with the damper adjuster. Mine seems to be very sluggish and there is almost no distinct "click". Wondering if that was normal for these Fortunes.

harangatang

05-04-2011, 05:32 PM

Koop's help and this thread made me put a down payment on some from Lust Garage's GB that ended today.

FA 500 series, Swift springs 7'' f/r, 9k/7k, FA rear helper springs.
Time to say bye-bye to my Stance Gr+pros!
Hopefully they'll be as comfortable as everyone's been saying, specially on the swift springs ;)

bigs

05-04-2011, 05:40 PM

I was just wondering if any of you guys had problems with the damper adjuster. Mine seems to be very sluggish and there is almost no distinct "click". Wondering if that was normal for these Fortunes.

I have the same problem with mine. Sometimes it will click, other times it wont. I have to kinda guess how many clicks i've gone.

95KA-Turbo

05-04-2011, 06:41 PM

Hmmmm, if I try and turn mine fast I can't feel it, but if you turn them really slow I can definitely feel a distinct click. Although, sometimes I have to twist it back and fourth a few times to get it to click.

iamtheyi

05-04-2011, 07:07 PM

lol alright. i'm glad I'm not the only one. My friend's TEIN Flex clicks like no other. I was just a little worried. After driving on them a little longer, I
will report. 8kg/6kg spring rate on s14.

mothon

05-04-2011, 07:51 PM

Mine dont click either i just count the rotations.

daftphunk

05-04-2011, 07:56 PM

Mine don't click at all. I have to kind f feel for it. It's kind of tough, I was trying to listen for a more distinct click but oh well.

I def have the softest springs here with 7k,6k f/r. Will upgrade to swift springs for sure with some better rates. However they ride fantastic. I just got my car aligned today and even with stock arms I'm pretty low. Have like no gap in the front and maybe half a finger gap in the rear and I'm on 18s

indoz33

05-04-2011, 08:04 PM

12k/10k they feel great!!! i daily mine too

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm55/indoz33/LAR_0714.jpg

iamtheyi

05-04-2011, 10:26 PM

lol dammit. If I knew they rode so well on higher spring rates I'd would've gotten higher ones. Oh wells. Next time lol.

eklips3

05-04-2011, 10:27 PM

all my coilovers make a distinct click, or rather then a click it gets hard to turn for a little bit then it goes easy, makes adjusting easy, i dont mind it at all.

BUT one of my coils after it gets to about the 10th click and through to the 16th click its really hard to turn.
no biggie though , fortune auto has great warranty

unreal-

05-05-2011, 03:57 AM

For the preload, you don't want the spring to move up and down or side to side, but you do want it to rotate/spin freely.

hmm then i guess i have mine set up wrong? they dont move on any axis (up, down, left, right), nor rotate. Ive read so many conflicting reports of whether to tighten it so that nothing moves, or leave some play. Its either its too loose, or tight. Hard to find that middle ground where it doesnt move on any other axis, yet loose enough to rotate. How do you do it?

Zero-Offset

05-05-2011, 10:11 AM

few more of muh car. dropped it pretty much as low as i could go.
no collars up front, flipped bracket, and ovaled out the hole when i flipped it to bring back the camber. now i rub like a bitch on compression of the upper frame part =\

dip in my driveway in this pic, so usually i have about 3 inches of clearance up front.
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/7445/dsc01326n.jpg

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/9964/dsc01337u.jpg

still rides great. have to bring up the dampening a touch but its still bearable enough to be my daily.

95KA-Turbo

05-05-2011, 01:36 PM

hmm then i guess i have mine set up wrong? they dont move on any axis (up, down, left, right), nor rotate. Ive read so many conflicting reports of whether to tighten it so that nothing moves, or leave some play. Its either its too loose, or tight. Hard to find that middle ground where it doesnt move on any other axis, yet loose enough to rotate. How do you do it?

I have read some different opinions about it as well, but Terry (owner of Fortune) said the spring should be able to spin so I figured he should know what he's talking about, hahaha.

Do you have the black rubber pieces on the top and bottom of your spring, or are you using the white nylon pieces? The rubber ones don't let the spring move and will actually bind it. The white nylon ones allow you to get the spring really tight and it still spins easily. If you don't have the nylon rings, you should be able to contact Fortune/one of their distributors and get them.

Its really only something you need up front, as the rears don't turn.

If you wanted to get super bad ass with the set up you can buy some torrington bearings and washers off Amazon or McMaster Carr.

http://www.sjmmanufacturing.com/parts/halbearingbig.jpg

Mishkin_707

05-05-2011, 02:47 PM

anyone in chicago tried these? chicago's streets are so fucked up, perfect place to test them for daily use

raz0rbladez909

05-05-2011, 04:02 PM

csar

05-05-2011, 04:15 PM

If you wanted to get super bad ass with the set up you can buy some torrington bearings and washers off Amazon or McMaster Carr.

McMaster-Carr (http://www.mcmaster.com/#thrust-bearings/=c6e66z)
are these the ones?

unreal-

05-05-2011, 04:30 PM

I have read some different opinions about it as well, but Terry (owner of Fortune) said the spring should be able to spin so I figured he should know what he's talking about, hahaha.

Do you have the black rubber pieces on the top and bottom of your spring, or are you using the white nylon pieces? The rubber ones don't let the spring move and will actually bind it. The white nylon ones allow you to get the spring really tight and it still spins easily. If you don't have the nylon rings, you should be able to contact Fortune/one of their distributors and get them.

Its really only something you need up front, as the rears don't turn.

If you wanted to get super bad ass with the set up you can buy some torrington bearings and washers off Amazon or McMaster Carr.

http://www.sjmmanufacturing.com/parts/halbearingbig.jpg

I have the rubber ones that came with the coilovers. I guess i shoot terry a PM to see if i can get those nylon rings. Im not badass enough to afford the torrington bearings lol Just a lowly street driver ;)

unreal-

05-07-2011, 12:21 AM

Hey 95KA i found what you were taslking about on the Fortune Website:

Fortune Auto Replacement Parts - Fortune Auto USA (http://www.fortune-auto.net/parts.htm)

The "resin gaskets"
http://www.fortune-auto.net/parts/fortune%20resin%20gaskets.jpg

Time to get me a set! :)

edit: how many would i need? 4? 2 for each side?

95KA-Turbo

05-07-2011, 08:41 PM

Yeah two for each side.

Razi

05-08-2011, 08:33 PM

All this talk about Fortune Auto has me rather intrigued, do you guys have any quality issues or problems with corrosion? I remember on my first s13 I had D2's and they corroded on the inside of the dampener adjuster, ever since then i've been weary of lower priced coils.
They come with an awesome coating now. :)
http://www.fortune-auto.net/fortune5.jpg

You guys should try turning the adjustment knobs slowly, I can feel my clicks just fine as long as I do it slow.

I've been on my FA coils for almost a year now, still working and comfy like new.

PHX-S14

05-09-2011, 10:37 PM

I also have fortune auto coils on my s14..love em

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o20/chinolaMEX/coils.jpg

sex14

05-16-2011, 01:31 AM

i got a question. for the front s14 500S coilovers whats the measurement on the spring preloaded.? for some reason the collars were loose and i guessed on the spring adjustment length at 7 3/8ths. is that factory length? if not what is. thanks. btw i got the stock 9/7 k ones

sex14

05-16-2011, 01:32 AM

btw these coils are wesome :D and they look purttyy

iamtheyi

05-16-2011, 07:25 PM

I was wondering if anyone had the problem of a "popping" noise when they turn their wheel with these coils. Started having this problem recently.

On a side note... they run absolutely wonderful. They take bumpy roads like a champ. I don't know what else to say lol. I've ridden in the Stance GR+ Pros and Tein Flex so far and this has outdone both of them. Although, I have never driven on those on a daily basis. Only on friends' cars. So take my word with a grain of salt.

sex14

05-16-2011, 08:42 PM

mine had a popping noise also. reason being. the collars that held up the spring it self were not tightened all the way and were loose. since that happened im assuming it screwed with the factory spring preload?

iamtheyi

05-16-2011, 09:09 PM

unreal-

05-16-2011, 10:20 PM

i believe i noted this about a page or two ago. Usually the popping is from

1. Loose top perches
2. The spring binding because of the rubber bushings they use. these bushings sit above and below the spring. They offer the nylon ones for about 25$ shipped for both sides.

Im receiving my bushings tomorrow and if it doesnt rain Wednesday, taking apart the coilovers to put em in, and while im there, remove a collar or two ;)

iamtheyi

05-16-2011, 11:45 PM

unreal-

05-17-2011, 03:29 PM

so.. Not a big deal?

Technically no, but to be safe id go under there and make sure everything is tight perch wise, and the spring should be snug, with no up/down/side to side movement. Otherwise you might have iffy ride quality and funny noises when parking. :2c:

iamtheyi

06-06-2011, 12:33 AM

Lukasss

06-06-2011, 12:37 AM

Mine make a popping noise when im at full lock sometimes, its never givin me a problem.
Im sure its just the spring binding. No biggie, ive gotton it with any coilovers ive had. Even my Konis.

Regardless, i dont see myself getting any other coils, ever, in this price range. These are awesome for my daily S14
10;8 spring rate, and valved for 'street' use. Im low already, and still have plenty more to go down.

Razi

06-06-2011, 12:39 AM

The popping noise in my car went away after I adjusted some preload out of the coils.

iamtheyi

06-06-2011, 12:44 AM

Razi

06-06-2011, 12:46 AM

Spray some WD40 on it! :P
I did that as well.

iamtheyi

06-06-2011, 12:49 AM

Spray some WD40 on it! :P
I did that as well.

LOL! Might as well put some white lithium instead. Haha. I'll try that this week. If it stops raining in June... in California.... which is retarded as shit. Just started sanding my car for paint too :'(

One_love_silvia

06-06-2011, 12:59 AM

shouldnt this be here: http://zilvia.net/f/reviews-forum/

??

iamtheyi

06-06-2011, 01:01 AM

shouldnt this be here: http://zilvia.net/f/reviews-forum/

??

uh... This has been going for 5 pages and mods haven't said anything so I'm pretty sure they're cool with it??

Prime

06-06-2011, 02:28 AM

uh... This has been going for 5 pages and mods haven't said anything so I'm pretty sure they're cool with it??

Not only 5 pages, but 1.5+ years.

Little late to the party on that one.

One_love_silvia

06-06-2011, 02:31 AM

i understand its old. but that doesn't change the fact it would serve its purpose better int he review thread. seeing as thats where ur sposed to go if ur looking for a review.

unreal-

06-06-2011, 04:36 AM

Im low already, and still have plenty more to go down.

Interesting.. how low are you? I have the 10/8 rates and my car, with 1.7* camber STILL had a 1.5 finger gap with the coils MAXXED in the front. Even popping a collar off i can just barely fit my hand around the tire, so still almost 1 finger gap. Getting some 7" ERS springs in the future and dropping it another 1/2"-3/4" in front and it will be perfect. The 10kg springs are 8" length fyi.

95KA-Turbo

06-06-2011, 09:28 AM

lol I just did the preload again and it's still messed up.

What else? Top perch/collar being right under the camber plates?
If all else fails, I'll just have to go for those nylon bushings. Still think that's kind of messed up that they make you buy it to get rid of noise lol. Coils are still great quality stuff though.

I can't make any promises, but if you talk to the vendor you bought them from they might be willing to help you out with them. I was under the impression they were supposed to come with those nylon rings now, but I could be wrong.

da_crew10

06-17-2011, 10:36 AM

Like the last guy said. I almost fly out of my seat in the highway on some bumps or dips. Any idear what it might be?

Lukasss

06-17-2011, 10:47 AM

Interesting.. how low are you? I have the 10/8 rates and my car, with 1.7* camber STILL had a 1.5 finger gap with the coils MAXXED in the front. Even popping a collar off i can just barely fit my hand around the tire, so still almost 1 finger gap. Getting some 7" ERS springs in the future and dropping it another 1/2"-3/4" in front and it will be perfect. The 10kg springs are 8" length fyi.

My frame is about 2.5 inches off the ground.
I flipped the spindles in the front. It reduces a lot of camber, ad allows for a lot more low.
I plan on upgrading to the swifts eventually.

Lukasss

06-17-2011, 10:48 AM

Like the last guy said. I almost fly out of my seat in the highway on some bumps or dips. Any idear what it might be?

You should adjust the stiffness in the rear then.
When i was desperate to get my car lower i put the rears on straight out of the box.
take the time to adjust, and your ride will be golden.

harangatang

06-17-2011, 11:10 AM

Got my new FA in last night, but they didn't send me the correct springs, so now I have to wait haha.
I'll be posting my own review in here of them shortly! Super pumped to get these babies on my car.

iamtheyi

06-17-2011, 12:59 PM

Like the last guy said. I almost fly out of my seat in the highway on some bumps or dips. Any idear what it might be?

uh.. soften the damping? what are your spring rates? TOO much preload can do that.

95KA-Turbo

06-17-2011, 02:08 PM

Too much preload or too stiff of dampening is a possibility. What kind of bumps are we talking here? If you have large dips or bumps you will definitely feel it. I can't drive on the interstate around here because the bumps and dips are so big things would get ripped off my car.

da_crew10

06-17-2011, 02:58 PM

bigs

06-17-2011, 03:33 PM

zooopreme

06-17-2011, 06:03 PM

I have the fronts preloaded and stiffened to 15 clicks and the rears are at 10 clicks. The fronts feel perfect . The rear i ddnt really know How to preload really. If u want it low in the rear won't the spring be sitting freely since the lower u go in the back the harder it is to preload the spring?

I have 8K/6K spring rates

I may just copy your front settings. I added some preload after I contacted Terry about the loud pop noise I was hearing while parking my car.

As for the rears (from full hard soften it up about 6 clicks) so if 40 is full hard, it's at about 34 and I really enjoy my rears. But my fronts are definitely bouncy so I may try a softer setting.

yingiang

06-17-2011, 06:51 PM

Do not preload your coils

zooopreme

06-17-2011, 06:56 PM

Do not preload your coils

Some of us have had problems with the popping sound coming from the front coilovers. Adding a tiny bit of preload corrects the popping sound.

yingiang

06-17-2011, 07:48 PM

Some of us have had problems with the popping sound coming from the front coilovers. Adding a tiny bit of preload corrects the popping sound.

The reason why it pops is because they are preloaded.

I learned this from my experience of preloading coils. I had clunking and popping sounds so I asked PBM what's the deal and they told me DO NOT preload but to move the spring flush to the top plate, spin the locking collars snug to the bottom of the spring and tighten them there. The spring should not spin freely but you should be able to move/spin the spring if you tried turning it with your hand.

All clunking and popping noises disappeared after I did this and ride got considerably better.

zooopreme

06-17-2011, 09:34 PM

Not to take away from what you already know about coilovers and what you've experienced but by adding a couple of spins (adding preload) it completely got rid of the popping sounds to my coilovers. I was actually trying to dig up the email that I got from Chris at Fortune Auto to show you that one of their reps recommended adding maybe 2-5mm of preload.

EDIT: found the email, my initial message is the bottom part and Chris' response was the top

I firmly believe that adding a little preload to my FA coilovers solved my popping problem. I have not heard a sound since I fixed it back in April.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/7634/fdsfdfsafd.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/fdsfdfsafd.jpg/)

Razi

06-17-2011, 09:44 PM

Yeah, you need preload, in moderation.
Too much though, the springs will bind and pop, which is what happened to me.

After I loosened my collars and added just a tiny bit, I don't get any popping.
Woot!

iamtheyi

06-18-2011, 12:55 AM

^ oh my. Thanks for that email screenshot :]. I'm going to do that this weekend or the next.

prego

06-18-2011, 02:52 AM

not exactly 500 series but i got the 510 with swift spring and track valving for my s15, i have owned ohlins in an s15 before so i should have something good to compare to

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0097.jpg

Tearlessj

06-18-2011, 03:25 AM

I love my FA's. My friend sold his stances to get some FA's.

Seriously though, it's just personal preference.

HYPNOTIK

06-18-2011, 04:44 AM

harangatang

06-18-2011, 10:11 AM

^^^ I've ridden in cars with tein basic and flex. Both feel like absolute shit. I don't know why so many people use them. For the price you pay for flex's, I'd buy some Tanabes sustec pro sevens. Or used Zeals.

Whats the differences between the 510's and 500's?

I've always ran about 1 full turn of preload on the springs. Just enough to keep the spring snug on the shock constantly. Anymore, and it's gonna feel like shit.

prego

06-19-2011, 01:50 AM

have ridden in them yet need to raise my car just testing how low they go, rear is rasied 1 inch the front bracket needs to be flipped for decent low

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/264894_10150206528786968_505121967_7551634_6202470 _n.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0132.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0125.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0122.jpg

Tearlessj

06-19-2011, 03:50 AM

LOL Wut?....

prego

06-19-2011, 04:18 AM

like i said i was just checking how low they go it is barely movable

zooopreme

06-19-2011, 10:48 AM

for those of you that did it the right way and cut the lower mount instead of flipping the bracket, where could I take mine? or what machine should I be looking for when looking around?

Perfect Balance

06-19-2011, 09:40 PM

for those of you that did it the right way and cut the lower mount instead of flipping the bracket, where could I take mine? or what machine should I be looking for when looking around?I ended up marking a line on them and doing it with a cutoff wheel, and then just cleaning it up a bit when I was done, and it turned out well.

Yeah, flipping the brackets don't work, you end up with positive camber. I cut an inch off the bracket, but I have 10k springs in the front, which are 8inch. I think normally they are 7 inch, so essentially I've got what you would normally have with just the collars pulled and a 7 inch springs.

Bad pic, but:
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/7311/0imag0214.jpg

Tucking like 1cm of 205/45/17s on the front. Rear can still go down another 1.5 inches, but my rucas hit the coils, so until that happens, they're staying.

Z_Spool

06-19-2011, 09:50 PM

I'd recommend a bandsaw if you have one available. One nice straight cut all the way through, just letting the tool do the work for you.

hokie240

06-20-2011, 09:58 PM

Fronts are as low as they can go without cutting lower mount or removing collars. Ride on NJ roads are real smooth. Love these coilovers

http://i752.photobucket.com/albums/xx162/hokie240/Build%20Pictures/downsized_0620111823.jpg

tqstarburst

06-20-2011, 11:28 PM

fuuuuuuuuck,reading all this really made me consider into buying these.

bigs

06-20-2011, 11:33 PM

Front is maxed with collars still on. I'm really happy with these coilovers, they're nice and comfy.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5300/5474630934_9358f51e33_b.jpg

TheRealSy90

06-21-2011, 04:10 AM

I just left my front mounts flipped.

Instead I slotted out the hole on the mount as much as the other one was slotted. I'm gonna take it off and slot it some more because I want more negative camber.

I might even slot the camber plate for more adjustment.

Fronts ALL the way down, no collars, flipped and slotted bracket. 12k Springs.
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/225030_200787869958292_100000812405590_484757_4450 493_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227237_200787726624973_100000812405590_484756_1722 187_n.jpg

harangatang

06-25-2011, 08:21 PM

Koop, I'm gonna add my review in here too if you don't mind..
(This is in comparison to my gr+pros)

Alright. I got the 500 series with FA 9/7 spring rates. First 25 miles all I had to say was WOW! These handle much better than my stances did. I've now put 250 miles on them in 24 hours, and they feel even better.
They seem to absorb the smaller bumps much better and the impact coming down from larger bumps is lessened a great deal too.
Cornering feels pretty much the same. Which is great.

Height wise.... rear=awesome. Front=mehh.

I have the rears nearly as high as they will go, and I'm a tad lower than I was with the stances at probably 3/4 down.
The fronts on the other hand.... I had to take one collar out, and flip the lower bracket to be as low as I was. But flipping the lower bracket gives you probably like 2 more inches of room to play with due to their stupid design. I'm tucking ~1 inch of tire on 225/40/18's and there is about an inch of thread left on the coil to go lower.

Overall, I like them a lot. Pretty much the same price as Stance, D2, BC, etc etc, but these handle so well and are much more comfortable! I'm very happy with them.

I'm supposed to be receiving 9/7 swift springs and FA helpers next week. So after I install those I'll have to make another review haha.

Edit:
Koop, I had this problem with my stances too... the toe arm bolt that connects them to the rear spindle is WAY in the way of mounting the coils. I have to use a hammer to get the coils on. Anyone else have this problem too?

prego

06-25-2011, 09:37 PM

yeah i had that problem i just flipped the bolt around so the thread is pointing the other way, can someone show me how the front brake line mounts work

future

06-25-2011, 09:51 PM

Any reviews oon these vs pbm?

Razi

06-25-2011, 09:52 PM

yeah i had that problem i just flipped the bolt around so the thread is pointing the other way, can someone show me how the front brake line mounts work
No idea.
I didn't bother with them.

harangatang

06-25-2011, 11:24 PM

yeah i had that problem i just flipped the bolt around so the thread is pointing the other way, can someone show me how the front brake line mounts work

Mine are flipped. The bolt is facing the rear end of the car lol. The head on the bolt has pretty much taken a small chunk out of the side of the lower bracket.

PoorMans180SX

06-26-2011, 11:02 AM

Any reviews oon these vs pbm?

Considering everyone says that Stance are more comfortable than PSM, I'm thinking it's safe to assume that these will ride/perform better.

DRFT180

06-26-2011, 04:31 PM

harangatang, thanks for the review. I'm looking forward to your comparison with the Swift Springs and helpers.

How would you compare these to a spring and shock setup, say Eibachs and AGX's?

95KA-Turbo

06-26-2011, 06:22 PM

They wont be as smooth as a shock/spring set up, but they're pretty damn close.

If you were to get a 5k/4k set up with swift springs and 'street valving' it would probably be realllly close.

future

06-26-2011, 06:32 PM

Considering everyone says that Stance are more comfortable than PSM, I'm thinking it's safe to assume that these will ride/perform better.

Wait, since when were pbm better then stance? I've always heard stance was best for low/comfort. Just the fact that everybody here is having problems with the front no going low enough kinda proves your post wrong

Anybody had any experience on these vs pbm vs stance? I'm still debating which to pick and looking for a good review

iamtheyi

06-26-2011, 07:47 PM

Wait, since when were pbm better then stance? I've always heard stance was best for low/comfort. Just the fact that everybody here is having problems with the front no going low enough kinda proves your post wrong

Anybody had any experience on these vs pbm vs stance? I'm still debating which to pick and looking for a good review

It's all preference. You're never going to get a straight answer here. Stance and FA are the only one's to compare. PBM coilovers are 10/8 and are stiff as hell. Most people hate street driving with PBM's from what I've read. So there's that.

Out of the Stance vs FA argument, FA takes bumps much better and is basically the same performance wise. Personally, I like my FA's vs. my friends Stance but I'm biased, obviously, because I have them on my car. It's all up to you.

To break it down even further, and remember this is all my opinion, if you're going to track the car ONLY, go PBM. 70-80% daily driving vs the track then I say go with FA over the Stance. What's also nice about the FA's is that you can rebuild them here. From what I've read, Stance does not rebuild their own coilovers. But, Stance has a bigger now as of now. It's hard to do these "vs" reviews because it's impossible to have the coils on the same car side by side for a LEGIT coilover vs coilover review. Everything is done by feel.

PoorMans180SX

06-27-2011, 06:44 AM

Wait, since when were pbm better then stance? I've always heard stance was best for low/comfort. Just the fact that everybody here is having problems with the front no going low enough kinda proves your post wrong

Anybody had any experience on these vs pbm vs stance? I'm still debating which to pick and looking for a good review

You should have probably read my post a couple times. I'm saying Stance are more comfortable than Parts Shop Max (PSM) coilovers, and Fortune Auto's are more comfortable than Stance. SOOOOOOO Fortune Auto's are going to be more comfortable/perform better than PSM. I have nothing against PSM, I love what they're doing for the industry, but a coilover that is overly stiff is not going to perform as well on the street or track. Please don't misunderstand; I am NOT saying that PSM makes bad coilovers, or that you can't do some cool stuff with their coilovers on your car, I'm simply saying that a well-valved damper will be more comfortable and handle better than an overly stiff one.

As far as the "low" part goes, it's extremely simple to flip the front bracket, or run shorter/swift springs. Problem solved.

raz0rbladez909

06-27-2011, 09:21 AM

zooopreme

06-27-2011, 10:33 AM

One of the biggest reasons why reviews get messy is because most people either dump their car beyond the floor and/or they set it on "full" stiff or "full" soft and think it'll make the car handle like a race car or a cloud.

Fact of the matter is PBM (PSM), Stance, and FA's are all in the same price range. It's all a matter of preference. PBM is known to be stiff because of their springs that come with the coilovers (if you hadn't switched them for 8K/6K springs). And it doesn't make it better that they are able to dump the car below the ground...People never get around the performance aspects of coilovers. Now-a-days it's usually "how low can they go" "are they really stiff" "how does full soft feel".

Now keep in mind that these are entry level coilovers, the higher up you go the better it gets.

harangatang

06-27-2011, 05:36 PM

harangatang, thanks for the review. I'm looking forward to your comparison with the Swift Springs and helpers.

How would you compare these to a spring and shock setup, say Eibachs and AGX's?

No idea. I've never had spring/shocks lol.

Future240

06-27-2011, 10:04 PM

Edit:
Koop, I had this problem with my stances too... the toe arm bolt that connects them to the rear spindle is WAY in the way of mounting the coils. I have to use a hammer to get the coils on. Anyone else have this problem too?

Used the same method to get mine own.

I will toss my opinion up on these. I have just regular coils. Now these are my first coils I have ever driven on, and I came from blown stock struts with megan springs (previous owner fail) so pretty much I have nothing to compare to. I've ridden in another S14 with tanabe's on, but never driven it.

Now these coils to me feel like they ride smooth. I've noticed that pre-load is a big deal with these coils. When I first put them on they had the stock pre-load that came with, then like a dumbass I lowered the coils from the spring perch which of course dropped the preload. The coils immediately went from comfortable to bouncy as fuck and popping. So after reading this thread I increased the pre-load bit by bit until the popping all but stop. (It's pretty much gone now, but everyone once in a while after the car has been sitting for a day or two then it pops) Compared to the Tanabe's I rode again (again never drove it) It feels like these go over bumps better.

As far as cornering, the hell if I know. I am sure a Megan would feel like an F1 Car compared to the bullshit I was riding on. I noticed the pre-load increase helped with the cornering. I can't really compare then to the other S14 I rode in as it had sways and a diff.

I would really like to upgrade to swift springs on this. Too bad if i tried to take this thing apart I would end up with it detonating.

As far as low, pretty much like everyone has said, the rear will sink like the Titanic, the front, I am not sure as I am too much of a puss to really lower as I drive a rather shitty 45 mins a day back and forth to work.

pacotaco345

06-27-2011, 11:24 PM

For the FA vs PBM debate.. I just got a set of PBM's on my car.. Now I'm not saying that going low is a measure of performance by any means but they WILL lay frame if you want them to.. I just drove the car from riverside to SD with the fronts 5 clicks from full soft and the rears 3 clicks from it. With 4 turns of preload on each spring. It was hell.. However I took out 3 turns of preload and put them on full soft and now it isn't that bad at all. Also having stiff coils really helps for transitioning mid-drift, instead of the car slingshoting its way from one direction to another due to weight transfer the car sort of glides and it is much more controllable. I'm 17 about to turn 18 and not to bash on anyone who is older than me but its probably safe to say that a kid like me is more willing to put up with an uncomfortable car than say someone in their mid twenties, so of course I like these coils. With that said I miss being able to bomb down the freeway at 80 and not worry about pavement transitions compressing my spine but in my opinion its worth it. Like everyone else said though, its a preference thing.

future

06-27-2011, 11:32 PM

I'm thinking thee whole debate comes down to preferance. As most of us just get coils to dump our cars. Not for trake use (like they are ment) so to somebody that is buying coils for slamability, and comfort at the low. So in my case I would have to say that the FA is out the question just cause I don't want to have to worry about swapping springs and flipping colors to make up for the height I want. Now picking from PBM to stance might be a problem lol. Cause we all know they will frame your car, but stances have comfort on their side(from what I hear/read) and PBM has more stiffness(which I like also) so that's going be a hard pick. Thanks for your guys' help.

95KA-Turbo

06-27-2011, 11:47 PM

If you had 7" springs and non-modified Fortune 500 coilovers you could be this low:

http://knoop.sumospeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/s14vspeed3.jpg

I cut my bracket because my old springs were 8", now I can go an inch lower then that up front.

You don't have to get swift springs to get a 7" spring with Fortunes, you just need to talk to the place you are ordering them from and have them tell you what the lengths of the springs are for each spring rate. I am 95% sure 8k springs are 7" and I know 9k springs are 8". They might go back down to 7" at 10k but I'm not sure.

It certainly comes down to preference, but if you are looking for an affordable coilover that performs more like a shock and less like a 2X4 then there really isn't any point in looking at PBM/Stance/Megan/D2/etc.

prego

06-28-2011, 04:04 AM

on an s15 atleast with 510 series swift springs and the front all the way down and the most negative camber you can get you will tuck about half a cm of a 215/45 r17, there isnt much to be gained cutting mine shorter so i am going to flip the bracket, this way im also retaining all the thread, im attaching photos of the lower mount with a set square to show, there is only a few mm difference between the top and bottom hole im going to get the lower hole drilled out to allow more -ve camber from the mount.

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0196.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0187.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0172.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0165.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0156.jpg

http://i592.photobucket.com/albums/tt5/bz_rusty/DSC_0150.jpg

i gain an inch by flipping the bracket, i only would feel safe to cut 10mm off the top

95KA-Turbo

06-28-2011, 08:43 AM

Yeah from your measurements it looks like I probably cut ~15mm off of mine. I am running 235/40/17s up front on my car btw, so about the same height as a 215/45.

Perfect Balance

06-28-2011, 08:05 PM

They might go back down to 7" at 10k but I'm not sure.

They stay at 8 inch for 10k, unfortunately.

I cut almost exactly 1 inch off my brackets, basically made them look like the bottom. I wouldn't normally cut that much, but Fortune Auto told me to try flipping the brackets, so if the bit of metal on the bottom is enough to safely run them upside down, I figured I'd be fine running them right side up with the same amount of metal left.

So far so good, been like that for 4 months now or so, and I daily the car.

prego

06-28-2011, 10:39 PM

Yeah I dont want to because the thread on mine only goes like 1/3 down and thats from the top, I find it easier to drill out the hole anyway

harangatang

06-28-2011, 11:01 PM

If you had 7" springs and non-modified Fortune 500 coilovers you could be this low:

I cut my bracket because my old springs were 8", now I can go an inch lower then that up front.

You don't have to get swift springs to get a 7" spring with Fortunes, you just need to talk to the place you are ordering them from and have them tell you what the lengths of the springs are for each spring rate. I am 95% sure 8k springs are 7" and I know 9k springs are 8". They might go back down to 7" at 10k but I'm not sure.

It certainly comes down to preference, but if you are looking for an affordable coilover that performs more like a shock and less like a 2X4 then there really isn't any point in looking at PBM/Stance/Megan/D2/etc.

Unless I was REALLY fucked up (which I wasn't) when I measured my springs, the 9k and 7k's are both 7 inches long. I'll have to check again.

So, idk... I think their bracket design just sucks. A lot.
I'll post a pic tomorrow of how my car is sitting currently.

Also, you see my question about the rear toe arm bolt issue?

[email protected]

06-28-2011, 11:42 PM

I completely forgot about this thread. Just to answer a few questions and make a few comments.

Previously the springs on all S-chassis coilovers were running 8inch long springs up front. About 3 months ago we switched out to 7 inch long springs up front. That should get most people low enough where they don't have to flip the lower mounts upside down. All coilovers with swift upgrades also run 7 inches up front but if you want to go super low you can request swifts in 6 inch lengths. You should be able to lay frame with a 6 inch tall spring.

If you have a older set of our coilovers with the longer springs, you can easily purchase a set of shorter replacement springs. Any Fortune dealer can sell you a replacement set :)

In regards to ride quality. We valve our shocks to be compliant. If you want a stiffer riding suspension just request it when placing an order with your vendor. We can definitely accommodate those requests.

Most entry level shocks ($500-$1200) just run way to much rebound and when you go over larger bumps or dips if feels like the shock pogo's you out of the seat. A lot of people have grown accustomed to that ride quality. While it is not an ideal scenario we can give you that if that's what you want :)

PRELOAD: You must have preload on Fortune shocks. As someone previously mentioned you will get a rougher ride and the front springs will turn when making slow speed turns or when parked (turning the wheel right to left) if you do not have any preload on the spring. Once preload is set its imperative to tighten the locking collars with a flat head screw driver and hammer. 4-5 taps usually does the trick!

TheRealSy90

06-28-2011, 11:56 PM

So i'm guessing my 12k springs are long as hell :( No wonder I had to take all the collars off even with the flipped mounts.

hokie240

06-29-2011, 10:22 AM

So is there anything special i have to do after flipping the front mount? Or is it as simple as it sounds lol.

95KA-Turbo

06-29-2011, 10:31 AM

Its that simple. You just have to wollow out the bottom whole like 5mm so you can get the same neg camber.

unreal-

06-29-2011, 03:26 PM

Previously the springs on all S-chassis coilovers were running 8inch long springs up front. About 3 months ago we switched out to 7 inch long springs up front. That should get most people low enough where they don't have to flip the lower mounts upside down. All coilovers with swift upgrades also run 7 inches up front but if you want to go super low you can request swifts in 6 inch lengths. You should be able to lay frame with a 6 inch tall spring.

If you have a older set of our coilovers with the longer springs, you can easily purchase a set of shorter replacement springs. Any Fortune dealer can sell you a replacement set :)

Lol i love/hate when fortune does this...after you buy a set of coilovers they find a way to improve it a few weeks later. :)

PM sent about springs

[email protected]

06-29-2011, 03:47 PM

So i'm guessing my 12k springs are long as hell :( No wonder I had to take all the collars off even with the flipped mounts.

Yes they are longer :(

Its that simple. You just have to wollow out the bottom whole like 5mm so you can get the same neg camber.

That is correct!

Lol i love/hate when fortune does this...after you buy a set of coilovers they find a way to improve it a few weeks later. :)

PM sent about springs

We are like apple corp lol

Sorry about that, it really was not done on purpose. We just had a lot of requests so we just started offering it as standard fare on the S-chassis coilovers

Future240

06-29-2011, 03:52 PM

Would you recommend a novice trying to replace the springs themselves or would it be better to send them in? I would love to get swift springs on mine.

Navajo_drifter

06-29-2011, 04:16 PM

so, is there a review on the 510 series? or do i need to do this?

btw, thanks terry, the 510's came in a week ago. and are B.E.A. UTIFUL!!

so everyone knows too, the 510's are not pink like it looks in the pictures. they are red. not that, that really matters. lol.

95KA-Turbo

06-29-2011, 05:08 PM

Would you recommend a novice trying to replace the springs themselves or would it be better to send them in? I would love to get swift springs on mine.

Its super easy, you just spin the lower mount + all of the collars off, take the spring off, put the new spring on and spin the mount and collars back up and preload the appropriate amount (no side to side or up and down movement but so the spring still spins).

Future240

06-29-2011, 06:44 PM

Seems easy enough how is ride quality with swift springs?

95KA-Turbo

06-29-2011, 07:17 PM

It was a significant improvement for my coils - but I got mine rebuilt when I got the springs. It was incredibly noticeable for me though.

hokie240

06-29-2011, 07:27 PM

Its that simple. You just have to wollow out the bottom whole like 5mm so you can get the same neg camber.

Thanks for the info. Btw i plan on doing LS once I graduate from Virginia Tech, and i have been looking at your build as motivation. Your car is awesome.

95KA-Turbo

06-29-2011, 07:29 PM

Hahaha, I just saw I wrote WHOLE instead of HOLE.

Thank you...and just to be clear I mean the bottom hole will be on top when you flip the bracket, so you have to wollow that one out. Prego's pictures illustrate it perfectly.

hokie240

06-29-2011, 07:30 PM

yeah i figured i would have to slot that one just like the top one. Just wanted to post it here and double check before i molested my new coils lol

prego

06-30-2011, 02:36 AM

i hope to have a review of my 510s soon i just need my tie rods to arrive, i got the bottom hole reamed out, down to 16mm from the bracket this should gain me some more neg camber aswell as a 1 inch drop in height, i went to a local fabrication place and the guy did it in 10 min for $15

[email protected]

06-30-2011, 08:37 AM

Seems easy enough how is ride quality with swift springs?

Its FAAAR superior to a standard spring. I know its hard to imagine that just a different brand of spring would make such a big difference but it does.

They are more compliant then a standard spring yet they provide the same stiffness when it comes to body roll. They also do not bind and make noise and are half the weight of a regular spring.

so, is there a review on the 510 series? or do i need to do this?

btw, thanks terry, the 510's came in a week ago. and are B.E.A. UTIFUL!!

so everyone knows too, the 510's are not pink like it looks in the pictures. they are red. not that, that really matters. lol.

They actually are not red either, its more of a rasberry pink. (redish pink) :)
Glad you like them!

240 GTR

06-30-2011, 08:51 AM

The 500 series + Swift's is an awesome combo! The car always feels composed and smooth when I'm at the track. Unlike most other coilovers, you can feel the dampers react to each click of the adjustment knob. It's pretty cool!

I can't say as to how they handle regular street driving, but I would imagine that the ride would also be smooth, not bouncy.

Navajo_drifter

06-30-2011, 11:38 AM

They actually are not red either, its more of a rasberry pink. (redish pink) :)
Glad you like them!

yeah. definately more red than pink.

and looking foward to it prego. what spring rates and are they with the swifts??

prego

06-30-2011, 11:09 PM

I got the 510 swift with helper in 8f 6r and track spec valving won't be until next week unfortunately since I'm still waiting on rod ends and tie rods from
Spl

Navajo_drifter

07-01-2011, 04:54 AM

I got the 510 swift with helper in 8f 6r and track spec valving won't be until next week unfortunately since I'm still waiting on rod ends and tie rods from
Spl

ok cool. i think i have the exact same setup...that or 7 and 6.....

i asked for the same setup dennis mertzanis has....

harangatang

07-07-2011, 12:34 AM

Okay. Second review now.... I've got my swift's on (9k/7k), and I have FA rear helper springs.
First, helpers=fucking annoying. Idk Why, I've had them on my sustec pro sevens, and gr +pros. Never had an issue... I think they're just giving my rear end too much suspension travel. I'm scrapping/rubbing EVERYTHING. I'm scrapping on level ground lol. When I first put the swifts on, I was tucking rim (on 18x11's) it was really badass until I couldn't go down my street.... >_< raised them up 11 full turns. Car was sitting about where it was previously. But I'm still scrapping everything? Springs aren't fully settled yet, but they should be close. I'm gonna have to raise the car again to even drive it, and I'm considering taking the helpers off when I do.

/end rant

So.... yes. The springs rock. They're soooooo smooth. I liked the OEM FA springs, but these are even better. ~Same body roll, less bouncy/loosing kidney action/less gf boob movement :-( lol. They soak up the tiny bumps like nothing. I'm going to enjoy driving my car now for the first time in a long time.
I'd recommend this combo (fa's with swifts) to everyone. They're better than anything I've ever ridden on. Specially for the price!

zenki14

07-07-2011, 12:43 AM

i love these coilovers i got them for my 350z ride quality just a hair rougher than stock but handles WAY better

iamtheyi

07-07-2011, 01:14 AM

lol I'm still having the squeaking noise after I adjusted the preload a million times. Whatever. They still ride great. Just noisy.

zooopreme

07-07-2011, 09:44 AM

lol I'm still having the squeaking noise after I adjusted the preload a million times. Whatever. They still ride great. Just noisy.

Preload doesn't get rid of the squeaking sound though. Your spring set up is probably way messed up now.

iamtheyi

07-07-2011, 11:40 AM

Preload doesn't get rid of the squeaking sound though. Your spring set up is probably way messed up now.

lol fml. that's good to know. more things that are messed up.

zooopreme

07-07-2011, 02:16 PM

iamtheyi

07-07-2011, 02:26 PM

If you read carefully, we were talking about the popping sounds that we were hearing. Not squeaking. The only sound remotely close to the squeak is the sound from the rubber dust sleeve inside the spring which is normal.

lol I know. I fixed the popping :]. Now there is like a creaking sound when I turn the wheel. Don't really care though. They ride nice and the popping is all but gone.

95KA-Turbo

07-07-2011, 02:28 PM

I'm not sure if you've gotten those nylon rings yet...but definitely do lol.

iamtheyi

07-07-2011, 02:35 PM

Mine came with them :]

silvia_s14

07-17-2011, 03:31 PM

g_mac530

07-17-2011, 05:50 PM

I took off my helper springs on my 510's running with just the swifts (8k/6k) and wow much better ride. i enjoy my ride to work every day that much more now :)

Really? I would have thought the rear helpers were there for added comfort. I have the 510's with 9k/7k swifts with the helpers and the ride is pretty firm. Handles small imperfections in the road well. Highway transitions over small bridges can be a little rough though lol

sw20>>s14

07-20-2011, 02:21 AM

so two votes against the helper springs...doesnt that defeat the purpose of getting them? what problems are you guys getting with them on? could you guys be more specific? wondering if i should keep them on for my set up now...

also, like previously mentioned, the spacing between the rear strut mount and toe arm bolt REALLY concerns me...is it really meant to have such a tight tolerance? i bet i wouldnt even be able to slip my drivers license in between...

could anyone give advice about the front brake line bracket, i realize how it should go in theory, but dont know if its possible...so the long bracket connects to the upper strut mount bolt/nut, then the square bracket connects to that, correct? is the long bracket supposed to be at an awkward angle or something? i tried it, but it is too straight and flat (hits the strut body) to mount...

and with the adjustment knobs, how far in should they go? i shoved one in and felt it seat, but it still feels super wobbly/insecure...i didnt want to break anything so i didnt force it too much...how deep are they supposed to go?

LASTLY (sorry), i noticed that the rear upper mounts dont have pillow balls or movement...just a solid mount with bushing (correct me if i am wrong)...never really bothered checking, but was expecting for them to at least have pillow balls/free range of movement...is this a cost thing, or is it a superior design/performance thing? i was always under the impression that pillow ball/free range of movement is best...

silvia_s14

07-20-2011, 03:12 AM

I ran my 510's w/helpers for awhile. Drove koo but after awhile on the same route to work I would pass over the same bridges or certain bumbs and I started to kinda hop outta my seat. I messed with the preload on rear springs but didn't really do much. So I decided trying them with out helpers. I read too that helpers were to help keep wheel stay planted to the ground. Idk so thats when I decided to see what the diff. Without them would do. Still playing around with them.

PoorMans180SX

07-20-2011, 06:13 AM

ManoNegra

07-20-2011, 09:16 AM

lol I'm still having the squeaking noise after I adjusted the preload a million times. Whatever. They still ride great. Just noisy.

look into torrington bearings

I read too that helpers were to help keep wheel stay planted to the ground.

look up helper vs tender springs

sw20>>s14

07-20-2011, 03:35 PM

You can flip the toe arm bolt to get more clearance.

I always just use zip ties for my brake lines.

I don't keep my adjustment knobs in once I have it set the way I want it, so it never mattered that they were loose.

The rear rubber upper mount is a cost thing. It doesn't affect performance too much, as the shock doesn't do too much moving like it does in the front.

you pretty much answered with everything that i suspected was the answer...although, if possible, id like to utilize the brake line brackets...

i guess ill run them with the helpers for the time being just to see...any suggestions for settings that yield a good, comfortable ride? preload, slight preload, no preload?

coming from ddrugs, i have somewhat high expectations, but from what im seeing from other people, im sure these will do the job nicely! cant wait to feel how the complete package with swifts feel at the track next week!

sw20>>s14

07-20-2011, 03:51 PM

look up helper vs tender springs

so is there no point to helper springs if the coilover is not preload dependent for ride height?

i always thought:

helper springs = increased comfort and ensure a seated spring
tender springs = increased comfort and traction

but what youre implying is that the SOLE (and only) purpose of helper springs is to properly seat the spring...which in this case is useless because fortunes are full tap...wondering if i wasted another couple of hundred bucks expecting more street comfort, but getting some cool paper weights instead...

95KA-Turbo

07-20-2011, 09:55 PM

I didn't have any noticed discomfort from my helper springs. They give you significantly more shock travel out back. I got another 2-3 inches of travel, so it helps me keep my rear wheels on the ground.

icedsole

07-20-2011, 10:00 PM

what i always though is the helper is pretty much pointless when all the weight of the car is on it.
since its such a light rate it just crushes. its more there to keep the tires on the ground better.

i also noticed when i used to jack my car up before, the wheel would sag more. but after i tightened up the helper (made it an inch shorter/compressed)
the wheel wouldnt sag nearly as much (no spring drooping)

this is just my thought, i did no prior research. just talking out of my ass

zooopreme

07-30-2011, 11:03 PM

DISCLAIMER: This might be pointless for those of you who knew beforehand but I will admit I had NO idea what these things were back in November when I got my coilovers.

Anyway, when I got the coilovers, I got a set of hardware which included zip-ties, brackets, and a set of tiny bolts and nuts.

Today, I was staring into a box of parts, saw them, and then it hit me. That hardware was for the brake line.

So anyway, here's for those of you who just left your brake line hanging like I did since November.

This is the hardware that came with the coilovers and a set like this goes on one side:
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6002/5992943636_ac4377bed9_z.jpg

You don't need to use all four of them but I did & I might take one out tomorrow when there is light out. I mean other brand coilovers just have the part where the brake line meets the mount, right?

I chose to mount one of the long brackets on each side where the top bolt of the two that connect the knuckle and the lower mount. Like so:

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6136/5992385323_2c43ae6e0a_z.jpg
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/5992384891_40067d22b2_z.jpg

The little bolt was a 3mm on my allen key set.

On the side with the clip, I probably should center it and take it down one hole but it was getting a little dark out so I rushed it. And since you may not even need the other bracket, you probably do not have to zip tie another part of the brake line on the other side.

Well yeah, that's about it.

The install took about 15 minutes overall (could have been quicker if I had just done one side) because when you tighten down the bolts, they tend to move and since it was just me working on it, it was difficult to align the two sides. But like I said, you don't have to mount both of them if you don't want to.

chuki.s13.coupe.

07-30-2011, 11:10 PM

^^ lol your fucking smart. I was like ok WTF is this shit for lol

unreal-

07-31-2011, 03:08 AM

omg you are a genius! i also looked that the brackets like..WTF IS this? and so i ziptied the lines using the space where the coilover bolts to the spindle as a anchor point.

ramman434

07-31-2011, 10:00 PM

Shit, I was wondering what the hell those were when I opened my box lol. I guess when I have time I'll have to cut my zip ties and set up those brackets

iamtheyi

07-31-2011, 10:15 PM

Shit, I was wondering what the hell those were when I opened my box lol. I guess when I have time I'll have to cut my zip ties and set up those brackets

lol I just let them hang. They stay out of the way anyway.

zooopreme

07-31-2011, 11:12 PM

lol I just let them hang. They stay out of the way anyway.

A friend of mine got me to think out of this when we were doing swapping my 300ZX brakes.

He told me this bizarre story of this customer that came in for his brake system, he was using his emergency brake pedal to stop the car from moving. Turns out the line came loose when he had run something over.

So from then on, I kind of wanted to take extra precautions to ensure that the parts on my car stay functional.

It doesn't hurt to put these on really haha

iamtheyi

07-31-2011, 11:26 PM

O.O I will do it very quickly.

TheRealSy90

08-01-2011, 05:01 AM

Wow, how did I not realize that's what those were for...

I lost mine :(

samms95s14se

08-04-2011, 03:15 PM

Is there anyone who has an S14 with 18's and FA's with Swift springs 8/6 that can give me a baseline measurement for setting the front coilover length, I just need a measurement between the bottom locking spring perch collar and the very bottom locking collar. I was hoping to get it close then dial it in. Thanks if anyone can help! Oh I'm only going for no fender gap but not tucked.

95KA-Turbo

08-04-2011, 03:52 PM

What sized tires and are your springs 7"?

samms95s14se

08-04-2011, 04:29 PM

What sized tires and are your springs 7"?

Fronts are 235/40/18 front springs measure 7 inches.

95KA-Turbo

08-04-2011, 04:41 PM

You should be good with just lowering it almost all of the way with all of the perches in it. Like maybe leave 1/4 of an inch of thread left before all of the perches touch.

samms95s14se

08-04-2011, 05:50 PM

You should be good with just lowering it almost all of the way with all of the perches in it. Like maybe leave 1/4 of an inch of thread left before all of the perches touch.

Cool! That will help out big time thanks!!

maxgohan

08-07-2011, 12:51 AM

what spring rate would you guys recommend for a ~3300 lb chassis that is mostly daily driven??

icedsole

08-07-2011, 12:56 AM

id say 7k/5k

maxgohan

08-07-2011, 01:06 AM

i was thinking that aswell,
but i've read this thread and some people said they wished they had gotten a bit stiffer

unreal-

08-07-2011, 01:18 AM

what spring rate would you guys recommend for a ~3300 lb chassis that is mostly daily driven??

8/6 max.

If you are feeling brave, go 10/8. I have 10/8 and have no complaints. yes it will punish your kidneys on rough roads, but Fortunes are very compliant even at those rates. Just make sure your tires are up to the challenge of coilovers that stiff. My crappy Kuhmo AST's made my ride kind of bouncy at low speeds, but i have switched to some used ES100's and a lot of the bounce has dissipated (mostly due to the much stiffer sidewall).

Then again it depends on the chassis you are talking about.

maxgohan

08-07-2011, 11:05 AM

8/6 max.

If you are feeling brave, go 10/8. I have 10/8 and have no complaints. yes it will punish your kidneys on rough roads, but Fortunes are very compliant even at those rates. Just make sure your tires are up to the challenge of coilovers that stiff. My crappy Kuhmo AST's made my ride kind of bouncy at low speeds, but i have switched to some used ES100's and a lot of the bounce has dissipated (mostly due to the much stiffer sidewall).

Then again it depends on the chassis you are talking about.

it's a c34 nissan laurel chassis...
4 door rwd rb25...

KOME

08-13-2011, 12:27 PM

The rear damping adjustment doesn't have that click sound to count said adjustment. How did you guys know and how much did you adjust it?

I just turned both rear about 3/4 of a turn to soft starting from full hard. Any suggestions?

Also would anyone mind giving me an explanation of camber plate adjustment? Would setting them all the way into facing to the engine bay result in positive or negative camber?

Gracias

Oh actually one more quick question. The spring pre-load: I just left it how it came(Lust Garage group buy with Swift Srpings). I just tighten them up. Good or bad idea?

zooopreme

08-13-2011, 12:50 PM

1.) The rear damping adjustment doesn't have that click sound to count said adjustment. How did you guys know and how much did you adjust it?

2.) Also would anyone mind giving me an explanation of camber plate adjustment? Would setting them all the way into facing to the engine bay result in positive or negative camber?

3.) The spring pre-load: I just left it how it came(Lust Garage group buy with Swift Srpings). I just tighten them up. Good or bad idea?

1.) There's no distinct clicking sound but you should definitely feel the clicks. If you don't feel/hear any clicks, the way you do it is not a bad either.

2.) This visual represents cause and effect (on the driver's side). The red arrows show direction which you move the little nuts. If you move them away from the car, you will get positive camber. If you move them towards the car, you will get negative camber.

http://i52.tinypic.com/f0rply.jpg

3.) Adding a moderate amount of preload is not bad. FA's actually need them to correct the popping/clunking sound. However, adding a lot of preload is bad. It significantly makes the ride quality go bad.

KOME

08-13-2011, 01:02 PM

1.) There's no distinct clicking sound but you should definitely feel the clicks. If you don't feel/hear any clicks, the way you do it is not a bad either.

2.) This visual represents cause and effect (on the driver's side). The red arrows show direction which you move the little nuts. If you move them away from the car, you will get positive camber. If you move them towards the car, you will get negative camber.

http://i52.tinypic.com/f0rply.jpg

3.) Adding a moderate amount of preload is not bad. FA's actually need them to correct the popping/clunking sound. However, adding a lot of preload is bad. It significantly makes the ride quality go bad.

Awesome thanks.

1)I'm gonna give it another try right now to see if can feel them. My fronts are at 15 clicks starting from full hard so maybe i'll leave the rears at 10.

2)Mine are fully set to negative(Or as much as i can get from these plates), i even changed the screws to get the maximum amount possible. Should i give them some positive? This is my DD i don't wanna eat the tires up.

3)I tighten them enough so the springs wouldn't move so easily. And it it did get rid of the popping sound it made while turning.

Thanks again man this is my first DIY along with a 5 lug conversion and front EVO Brembos. I'm still a noob :doh: