Fortune auto 510 coilovers - product review

[turbo2nr]

Fortune Auto 510 Review

After reading up on different coilovers for my new s14 and owning various other coilovers I decide to try my luck with Fortune auto. I am looking for a nice street coilover that also performs well. I don’t need this coil over to be super stiff and bouncy my car is not a race car, also I don’t need it to be soft and mushy as I enjoy spirited driving and I plan on doing track racing later this year. Fortune auto seemed to offer the best of both worlds. After reading up on different coilovers and what they offer, then speaking to Terry @ fortune auto, I could see that fortune auto put a lot of time and effort into developing their coils to be different then the rest. What sold me on this coilover was the digressive valving . Terry explained in detail how it works and the benefits of it having a lot more low speed response rebound force, which leads to a nice progressive smooth transition. I opted for the Swift Spring option in 9k/7k spring rates 6” springs, as that would be the most comfortable performance oriented spring/weight combo for what I want to do and the 6” spring would allow me to go pretty low if I need to.

What the FA510 offer:
• Street-able track suspension
• Mono-Tube damper with high pressure nitrogen
• Swift springs upgrade available
• Dyno tested
• Dyno graph supplied with all 4 shocks
• Rebuild-able
• Revalve-able
• Amsoil synthetic shock oil
• Rebound adjustable
• 6061 Anodized aluminum mounts and top hats
• Height adjustment independent of pre-load
• Oversized digressive 57mm piston housing
• 1 year warranty

I placed the order and within 1 month I had the coils! ( I had to wait because they 510 were sill in development stage when I was looking into them ,turn around time is a lot quicker now)

received the nicely packed package at my house

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0451.jpg?t=1328225667
http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0453.jpg?t=1328225635

Every thing was packaged nicely; coils arrived to me with no damages. Also terry included my dyno sheet for the coil overs

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0457.jpg?t=1328225597

My first impressions of these coils were “damm these are beefy as hell!” They felt a lot more sturdy and look better then megans,stance,bc that ive installed on s-chassis before.

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0455.jpg?t=1328225618

a quick glimpse of my s14 that the coils will be installed on:

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0471.jpg?t=1328481674

currently im running tien springs and stock struts.. its sooooooo comfy. I thought I would be sad to give this up.. Previously on my old car I had megan coils then I briefly tried stance on..
INSTALL

So I took off from work to go install these coils, at first I was going to do the install in my garage, but I figured why break my back when I can take it to by buddys shop Tarmac SPL .
Quick look of the kind of cars they produce:

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0476.jpg?t=1328800010

Damium is awesome, he has been dealing with the s-chassis for longer then i and has a wealth of knowledge built up, also he has installed basically every kind of coilover on the s-chassis from hks, cusco,nismo, yashio factor, to : k sports, megans, stance,bc, ect. He has installed and driven in s-chassis will all these coils. So he would be a good person to ask how these coils compare to the rest..

On to the install, these coilovers went on with no headaches at all, it fit perfectly! Every thing lined up with ease no modify anything; even Damium was amazed how well they fit.

a few pics of the install:
nylon washer in-between spring and seat should make for less noise.

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0487.jpg?t=1328751404

front coils ready to be put in

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0484.jpg?t=1328751412

old vs new

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0489.jpg?t=1328751387

Fits like a glove every thing lined up perfectly, the coil slipped right into the spindle didn’t have to force it in like some other coil over, also had enough play to add slight camber from the bottom part of coilover, just like factory.

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0491.jpg?t=1328751379

It also cleared my wheels ( running work vs-mx 18x8 +30 front )

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0493.jpg?t=1328751371

Hats fit perfect and lined up well to made upper camber adjustments
http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0496.jpg?t=1328751332

D going to work in the rear lol

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0504.jpg?t=1328751290

As you can see you have lots of height adjust me in the rear to either go super high 4x4 status or slam and tuck rim

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0500.jpg?t=1328751314

Rear all bolted up and ready to go

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0502.jpg?t=1328751306

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0503.jpg?t=1328751299

For giggles I installed the rear rim to see how it would look at that height w/o adjustment..
http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0505.jpg?t=1328751280

and that’s with the rear sleeve only half way!

Damium adjusted all the preload on the spring and then dialed in the height.. This isn’t the final height of the car, it will be a lot lower.. for now I keep it at a easily drivable height until I re-lip my rims and pull fenders.

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0512.jpg?t=1328751227

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0510.jpg?t=1328751235

All done for now:

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0515.jpg?t=1328751199


DRIVING IMPRESSIONS:

Dampening was set 18 clicks form soft all around. I did the full stiff -> full soft as recommended before final adjustment of Damper.

Living in NYC and having experience in a s14 with harsh coils I was nervous in the beginning.. My first impression when driving down the block away from the shop was “wow these feel almost like the tien springs/stock strut combo” they felt more firm and responsive. Taking some dips on the road at fairly low speeds and the car remained stable, it wasn’t bouncy at all. The coils rebounded pretty quickly at local driving speeds ~15-30pmh. Compared to other coilovers they would get pretty bouncy at those speeds on wavy pavement. The joints/cracks in the road I didn’t notice them! That was a huge huge surprise to me. I was so happy that the coils rode so comfortable on local streets. I did purposely go over a few pot holes to see how harsh it was compared to the spring and struts combo. To my surprise it wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t as forgiving as a spring and strut but it didn’t make my back hurt over the bump either.. But needless to say I will be avoiding all pot holes..

On to Highway impressions-
My commute from the shop to my home is around 30miles, nyc high ways are unforgiving, pot holes, uneven pavement, cracks, un level areas that look and feel like some one put a speed bump on the high way for no apparent reason -__-
Cursing around 60mph the car is super responsive, lane change and weaving left to right is super responsive, as soon as I turn the wheel the car moves. It doesn’t lean it just goes with out delay. The ride isn’t bouncy at all. Its not to firm as in low speed testing, it rebounds nicely over uneven pavement. Driving around 60-70mph I didn’t feel the joints in the high way, it felt good not to have the car twitch over every line. I did slightly feel when the asphalt met cement and back to asphalt. But its nothing to complain about, Fortune Auto coilovers are way more forgiving then other coilvovers. The swift springs make the car feel soo composed, honestly it felt stable like my 07 335i on the high way, a nice comfortable ride and handle nicely, its very composed the car isn’t all over the road and it doesn’t tend to pull into the crown of the road like some overly stiff coilovers. The response is crazy, my last s14 had full suspension and arms spl outer tie rods/tension rods/ full rear arms, sub frame bushing ect. And in response this new car feels like this car with just coilovers! Amazing. Fortune auto did a great job with the Digressive valving on this coil.

My only only compliant was that over a big bump on the high way the coilover rebounded pretty hard, but It is expected as they are coilovers.. and the other negative would be on extremely low speed less then 10mph on a wavy piece of road the coils do feel a little bouncy but nothing that is to harsh. Again they are coilover and it’s the nature of them.

Over all im super satisfied with the coilovers and picking Fortune auto, Terry was a big help throughout the whole process of matching spring rate s and taking time to explain to me how the coilovers worked. He predicted them to be just like how they are! The swift springs are amazing defiantly worth the money. Even Damium was surprised at how well these coils rode in comparison to all the other coils hes tired.

I will keep updating this thread as I get more seat time with the coilover and also how it stands up over time. Right now the ride height is 25” from the floor to fender arch. I will be lowering it soo to around 23”. I will give another assessment of the car at that height to compare it at a lower setting. Also I will adjust the dampening to a softer and harder setting to see the difference.

Over all id recommend these coils, its super comfortable, firm and sporty when it needs to be and it fits on the car perfectly.

Thanks to Fortune Auto and terry for the FA510, and thanks to Damium at Tarmac for the install and all the help with adjusting and dialing in the coilovers.

[BOROSUN]

edit nvm ...looks awsome.

going to get me some 6" swift springs. are these 60mm or 65mm ID?

[IMPORTIMAGE]

Looks great!

[slydin240sx]

I want those coils for my s14! Props to you though.

[turbo2nr]

edit nvm ...looks awsome.

going to get me some 6" swift springs. are these 60mm or 65mm ID?

do you mean the piston size?

thanks again ill getting some more seat time with the car this weekend to see how it does on hi way cornering if doesnt snow in nyc..

[95KA-Turbo]

I'm not sure how many miles you have on your coils now, but I noticed my 500s change around 200 miles, it was like a switch was flipped and they became even more comfortable haha.

He's talking about the ID of the swift springs so he knows what size to get. A Fortune dealer will know but I'm pretty sure they're 65mm.

[nissanfreak317]

Great write up, thanks! I kind of already decided to go with Fortune Auto coils when I can afford them but this just helps reassure me a bit.

[zooopreme]

I'm not sure how many miles you have on your coils now, but I noticed my 500s change around 200 miles, it was like a switch was flipped and they became even more comfortable haha.

I can definitely cosign on this. There will be a notable difference after the coils sit.

This write up makes me want to upgrade my springs on my 500's. Looks great, OP!

[BOROSUN]

I'm not sure how many miles you have on your coils now, but I noticed my 500s change around 200 miles, it was like a switch was flipped and they became even more comfortable haha.

He's talking about the ID of the swift springs so he knows what size to get. A Fortune dealer will know but I'm pretty sure they're 65mm.

I asked terry, it's 60mm.

[tinys s14]

Sweet hey Andrew gotta give a ride still debating between fortune auto or Pbm

[overb0ost]

sweeeeet!

Anyone switching over from PBM, Stance, BC Racing etc to these?

[g_mac530]

Nice review. I have the 510's with 9k/7k swifts also. I have the older red version though. Knoop is right, after a few hundred miles they settle and feel great. They also feel good with dampening around the 12-18 click range. It feels like they really come alive in that range.

[turbo2nr]

Sweet hey Andrew gotta give a ride still debating between fortune auto or Pbm

Yea deffinatly tiny! trust me for nyc streets they ride sooo comfortable im super happy with them.. when the weather clears up well meet up, and i'll also show you why ka-t > rb :dead: lol

[turbo_dreams]

Yea deffinatly tiny! trust me for nyc streets they ride sooo comfortable im super happy with them.. when the weather clears up well meet up, and i'll also show you why ka-t > rb :dead: lol

Troooooooof.

[dreaMervaj]

How much did you pay!?

[turbo2nr]

Just a little update.

ive been driving around the car more now i probably have around 400-500mi on the coils and they feel even better then before. In my observation it has gotten a tad but more firm but still very comfortable. The response of the coils are great as well, they hold the body even on fast cornering (80+mph) and respond well to going over little imperfections or bumps while cornering(the car didnt become twitchy as it did with my old coilovers) They absorb nicely and give a nice firm rebound but not harsh to the point it throws you off course.

In 2-3 weeks i should be lowering the car a bit more, so ill have a re-evaluation at the lower ride height.

[Endurance Motorsports]

Always good to see some real world feedback!! Good write-up!

[godrifttoday]

I'm waiting on my set, I ordered last week

[daftphunk]

I love my Fortune Auto Coils. I rode in a car with some megans and shit sucked

[jpizzle240]

can you guys tell me the advantages to the swift springs compared to the springs that FA offers? I emailed FA today about which spring rates they would recommend for my s14 that sees mostly street duty with occasional track time and they recommended 8/6k springs with street valving. opinions anyone with experience with these?

[Perfect Balance]

Swift springs are much more accurate and linear in compression compared to generic springs. Plus they weigh less and use less coils than other springs of the same spring rate.

I haven't had any experience with Swift springs personally, but you hear time and time again people say that they never thought just replacing the springs could make such a big difference to how a coilover feels. I'm sure the damper plays into it as well, but my buddies Ohlins coilovers (they use eibach springs) feel far better than any other coilovers I've ridden on.

[S_13_Sr.]

i asked it on the pbm thread..
how do the "pro's" compare to "fortune auto 510"

say they are the same price, what is the best bang for the buck?

i know FA have digressive valving and pretty thick piston but that doesn't always mean more durable.

is the caster adjustment on the pbm useful or more of a gimmick?

i asked here as well so i don't get a bias opion

[turbo2nr]

I think when choosing a coilover it comes down to what you want to do with your car. I mean you can get something suited to a track car that will be awesome on the track but crappy on the street, or some thing thats comfy on the street and crappy on the track. Most of the coilover in the 1000-1700 range is a good mix of street/track use. I guess what it comes down to well for me at least is which coil over has the best features that you are looking for.

I chose fortune because i had over stiff coilovers on a street car and its gets annoying really quick and its not useful all the time.. lets face it 80% of zilvia drives their car more on the street then track time. With fortune you can also have to option of different valving and spring rates to match what you would like to do.

As for "bang for the buck" i think its worth it not only because of the quality of the product but the tech support and customization that comes with getting a coil like this.

[240drifter1]

So how low do these go? Tuck rim on 17's you think? In the front?

[S_13_Sr.]

I think when choosing a coilover it comes down to what you want to do with your car. I mean you can get something suited to a track car that will be awesome on the track but crappy on the street, or some thing thats comfy on the street and crappy on the track. Most of the coilover in the 1000-1700 range is a good mix of street/track use. I guess what it comes down to well for me at least is which coil over has the best features that you are looking for.

I chose fortune because i had over stiff coilovers on a street car and its gets annoying really quick and its not useful all the time.. lets face it 80% of zilvia drives their car more on the street then track time. With fortune you can also have to option of different valving and spring rates to match what you would like to do.

As for "bang for the buck" i think its worth it not only because of the quality of the product but the tech support and customization that comes with getting a coil like this.


cool thanks for the honest non zilvia bullshit reply.

i just picked up an s13 and it more of a weekend fun car/ small track days

i dont mind stiff suspension as i wont drive it too much. i had tein super drift on my last car and those were stiff

[turbo2nr]

So how low do these go? Tuck rim on 17's you think? In the front?

pretty low

http://knoop.sumospeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Jared-11-13-11-S14-3.png

17x10/11 - knoops car w/500+swift

he did slight modification to front sleeve ( flipped it and cut piece of it off) but it goes pretty low..

[WhipsGoneWild.net]

wow nice write up exactly what ive been looking for! always nice to have personal non biased reviews time to start saving lol

[turbo2nr]

Update:

its been around 4months of driving and i must say these coilovers are by far give the best ride i ever felt. I also have given about 3 people rides in the car and sold them on fortune coils.

since FEB. i have since lowered the car to a lowerer height. This is how it stands now

http://i1235.photobucket.com/albums/ff421/turbo2nr1/IMAG0883.jpg

even at this height the coils remain non bouncy and even more responsive, they hold the car pretty well when cornering very minimal lean / body roll.

over all im super happy with these coils , no issues what so ever and super comfy/responsive.

[WhipsGoneWild.net]

Awesome looks good man updates are always appreciated! I can only assume there is a curb there and you do not have flat tires lol

What size wheels and tires btw?

[turbo2nr]

^ yea its a curb

tires are 235/40/18 and 265/35/18

[JKL1031]

whats up with their 500 series coils that are a lil cheaper? Im starting to look at those as a step over from the BC Racing.

[zooopreme]

whats up with their 500 series coils that are a lil cheaper? Im starting to look at those as a step over from the BC Racing.

http://zilvia.net/f/chat/282893-product-review-fortune-auto-500-series-coilovers.html

Read up.

[240sxbaltimoremd]

Awesome write up!!

[95KA-Turbo]

pretty low

[IMG]http://knoop.sumospeed.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Jared-11-13-11-S14-3.png[/]

17x10/11 - knoops car w/500+swift

he did slight modification to front sleeve ( flipped it and cut piece of it off) but it goes pretty low..

Yeah, that's 7" springs with all of the collars in. I trimmed the bracket rather then flipping it. Flipping it would give it another 12mm or so from that height and removing the collars another 15mm or so....so it can basically tuck 17s up front...but with stock fender bars theres no way you'll be doing that without a super tiny tire.

I realize that post was a while back, but the thread was bumped and I figured I'd say everything I did and what to expect.

[rightcoastimports]

running 500's w/ 10/8 swifts for the last 3 months. i drive on a lot of bumpy roads and the dampening is great on these.. car still remains pretty comfortable even on the bad roads.

thx to knoop for the insight before purchasing.. the swifts are well worth it.

[95KA-Turbo]

running 500's w/ 10/8 swifts for the last 3 months. i drive on a lot of bumpy roads and the dampening is great on these.. car still remains pretty comfortable even on the bad roads.

thx to knoop for the insight before purchasing.. the swifts are well worth it.

No problem man, and I completely agree. I can't verbally explain it well enough, I just tell people to trust me and if they can swing the extra money to get them and they'll feel the difference.

[xsteven562]

I don't mean to bump an old thread, but comparing the 500s to the 510s is there much of a difference between ride quality with swift springs or ride height adjustment?

[MrChow]

http://zilvia.net/f/suspension/508913-fortune-auto-coilovers-series-4-brand-new-import-image-racing.html

I'm too lazy to look for the rest. Research it.

[2.5T_/<ouki]

I will always purchase a set of Fortune-Auto's for my cars as long as they make them for the specific model i own. They are by FAR the best coilovers I have used whether it be daily driving or track use. Not to mention, their customer service is TOP NOTCH. So much better than any other company that just wants to make a quick buck.