SPL Parts Coilovers - Review

[chmercer]

I recently got a set of s14 coilovers from SPLParts and switched them for my old tein HEs, i thought you guys might like a little compare and contrast.

Both coilovers have 8/6 springs front and rear. Pillowball mounts all around with front camber adjustment. Dual height adjustable. for reference, D2 coilovers also can be had with these same features. The main difference, on paper, is that the SPL coilovers feature an inverted shock design in the front, which is desireable for its increased durability and longevity. SPL has 15 way adjustability, Tein has 16 way, and D2 has 32 way.

here is a picture of the front assemblies side by side.

http://img6.exs.cx/img6/2282/5683.jpg

If you look closley, you will notice a few key differences. From left to right -

- SPL unit has thicker mounting plate, and more "beef" around the heim joint.

- The SPL spring is longer than the tein spring. this probably makes no difference in performance, but it is worth noting. conversley, the shorter spring on the tein unit might allow for more agressive lowering while still maintaining 0 spring preload. Both units go plenty low enough for me, and my car is quite close to the ground, so this shouldnt be of any concern unless you are making a show car really.

- The SPL spring perches are thicker and cut sharper. The tein perches are more rounded. While i suppose the roundy-ness would help you avoid getting scrapes and such, i prefer the notchy cut perches because the spanner wrenches hook more easily to this kind.

- The SPL mounting bracket does not have a brake line bracket, or that little thing with the screw thread in it. I personally would have liked to see a brake line bracket, although it dosent really bother me. It could be noted that high end JIC units do not come with brake line brackets either.

- The SPL unit includes a spring perch at the bottom of the mounting bracket which could theoretically keep the mounting bracket from backing itself off. although i never had a problem with my teins doing anything like this.

- The SPL unit adjusts from the bottom of the shock. this is necessary with an inverted shock design. the knobs are large enough that they can be manipulated by hand, no allen wrench tool is required for adjustment. Some people like to be able to adjust under the hood, but with this design you can change the front dampening without opening the hood at all (although you have to get on the ground). some may view this as a plus.

Moving to the rear, a side by side picture of the rear struts.

http://img12.exs.cx/img12/2751/5456.jpg

Again, some of the differences -

- The same trend of nicer spring perches and mounting plates holds true in the rear.

- The SPL unit does not include a rear dust boot. This is another small detail that i would have liked to see, but it shouldnt really affect much of anything. It could be noted that topline aragosta coilovers do not come with dust boots on either the front or the rear.

- The SPL unit has a shorter spring in the rear than the tein. again i have no idea what difference this makes. in this case, there is no way it could cause any conflict with lowering the car, as the bottom mount on each piece would bottom out far before they reached the bottom spring perch.

- Both the tein HE and the SPL coilovers adjust from the top in the rear. the stroke of the rear shock is such that it would be very difficult to invert the unit; this is the norm for all rear s chassis suspension that i have seen anyhow.

- The same knobs are found in the rear as in the front, no additional tools are needed to adjust the SPL units.

A close up of the rear pillowball assembly-

http://img12.exs.cx/img12/9900/5460.jpg

- On the SPL unit, there is a tapered edge surrounding the heim joint. This could serve to keep dust out, or protect the joint, or it could very well just be an unrelated design difference. Either way, note that it is different from the tein top mount.

- Not very well illustrated by my photo, but still worth mentioning is that on the SPL unit, the adjustment knob comes up higher than the knob on the tein unit. This makes adjusting easier, although it prohibits the use of the stock rubber foam rear strut covers. the rear speaker lid will still go on with no problems.

Finally, a picture of the bottom of the rear mounting brackets.

http://img12.exs.cx/img12/9863/5465.jpg

I dont really have any commentary for this one, but i noticed the difference and thought some might like to see a picture.

extra information -

The SPL coilovers seem to have a much wider damping range than the HEs, based on my limited use of the SPLs so far. They can be set to give a rather soft ride, although they can easily be stiffer than the HEs.

The spanner wrenches included with the coilovers are made out of thick gauge steel. It would be EXTREMLY difficult to damage the spanner wrenches included with the SPL product trying to take off suspension perches. FYI, I have bent tein spanner wrenches before.

Other little things, such as maybe a splparts decal, a manual, breif insallation instructions, etc etc. would have been nice. Maybe a set of OEM bolts for the struts could be included, or offered for a little extra? or somthing. just throwing out ideas.

Extra pictures-

Here are some other photos i took.
http://img12.exs.cx/img12/7018/5466.jpg vs http://img12.exs.cx/img12/1555/5467.jpg

http://img12.exs.cx/img12/6286/5468.jpg

http://img12.exs.cx/img12/8885/5469.jpg

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In summation, i would suggest these coilovers to anyone looking for a wonderful setup for a wonderful price. Priced FRIGHTENINGLY competitivley at $1040 shipped, there is really no reason to short change yourself and your car with an inferior shock and spring setup or D2/ksport coilover setup. 15 way adjustability is plenty of adjustment, but not overkill. The damping range is extremly impressive and can adapt to basically whatever road surface you are on. (if i had to pick somthing i was most impressed with, it would have to be the damping range). Adjustment is a breeze with the knobs being firm and easy to click with no tools, and lowering is easy due to the large, crisply cut spring perches and heavy duty wrenches.

If you are shopping for suspension in the 700-1400$ range or so, i strongly reccomend you give these coilovers a good long look.

[heated heavy]

cool write up. how do they feel on the road? i have the HE's and they are stiff even on the softest setting.

[240trainee]

very Nice write up. Makes me think about my coil over plans..... I've wanted tein he's for so long, but it is write ups lke these that show there are better products for the same money. Thanks.

[240trainee]

Ahhh, now I know why. Only offered in an s14 version. bummer.

[SimpleS14]

Thanks for sharing this bit of information. I had no idea that SPL made coilovers for the S14.

[Zemus]

When do the S13 ones come out..

[KiDyNomiTe]

Finally someone carries those, I think nekopunch has the old versions, and he loves em.

[gmckey]

yep, first set of them in the US for S14. SPL will be carrying S13 ones, call them up and talk to them if you're interested, they can order them for you. they're great quality, saw them before charlie picked them up. plus, SPL has great customer service, so if you ever have an issue, they'll do their best to help you out.

-Grant

[justinhustle]

i had no idea they had those, im ready to ditch my blown gabs for em!

[Bryants95240sx]

I was set on HE's but i think i just might have changed my mind.

[gmckey]

Kuah at SPL Parts rode Tein RA's on his Z32 and is dissapointed after a year of use with them, so he's also switched over to the SPL's. He thinks the Tein durability just isn't that great.

[Bbandit]

when my HE's are blown, Im getting one of those. everything looks beefier on that spl c/o

[gmckey]

when my HE's are blown, Im getting one of those. everything looks beefier on that spl c/o

also, SPL offers replacement shocks for their coilovers for $150 shipped incase you blow them in time or want to replace them as a yearly/whenever service.

[Bbandit]

interesting... there's also a good and a bad thing about this though...
good: I can come and pick it up
bad: I have to pay for taxes :(

[aa87]

Where are they, im like 3 hours from dallas, sounds like a good replacement for the HKS coilovers.

[Nismo_Freak]

We are in Round Rock, Tx.

We do carry the S13 coilovers, they are the same price, just not on the website yet. Should be soon.

Current leadtime on the coilovers is 4 - 6 months right now.

Price is $1040 shipped, and for you Texas guys we will eat some of the tax for you and sell them for $1090.

If you'd like to pick up a set feel free to email us, [email protected] , or give us a call 1-866-SPL-PART

BTW, we are a paid Zilvia advertiser.

[chmercer]

splparts is in roundrock tx. about having to pay tax - shoot them an email and check the price for them when they arent shipped.

edit - whoops nismo already got it for me

[pruto]

question, who makes these?

[Zemus]

Once my D2's blow, im all about those

[Nismo_Freak]

Our shocks vs. Tein RA's

http://www.splparts.com/Parts/_Z32/Suspension/ShockDyno2.jpg

This is a shock dyno, basically what it tells you is that on their hardest setting they are ever bit as hard as the RA's (on their hardest setting) but have much more adjustability.

[Var]

question, who makes these?


and also what's the warranty. i dont want to end up like the guys who buy JIC


edit: what are the spring rate listings for on the top of the dyno graph? is that the spring rate that the shocks are valved for? in that case you 7K shocks is as stiff as a tein 10K shock?

[Nismo_Freak]

and also what's the warranty. i dont want to end up like the guys who buy JIC

1 yr. warranty covering shocks and materials.

Please note: Stupidity, lack of experience (ie. improper installation, usage, etc.), and running over things like curbs, dogs, your neighbors, girlfriends, etc. is not covered.

[nightwalker]

material used for construction?
build quality? who?
long term?
handling tests!

I've had my HE's for three years and will be looking for another set of coilovers. So it's good to see what's out there. If these are a competent competitor, all the better.

But I'll wait until a couple sets are sold and see how everyone likes them. (specifically people who are going to abuse them) :D

[AadosX]

These look nice, but I personally will stick with Tein HE. I like peace of mind and name brand is important to me.

Who makes these anyways?

Oh, and I really think there should be the brake line mount.

[Var]

thanks for quick response..some more questions sorrry

1-Are they shocks rebuildable through spl? how much is the charge? how much for replacement shocks? 2-Will spl ever make suspension kits for a deal...ie: coilovers, ruca's, powerbrace, and tension rods for x amount cheaper than if you buy separately
3-where are the shocks manufactured?
4-on the dyno graph, which is spl? the one that starts on top or bottom?

[Nismo_Freak]

material used for construction?
build quality? who?
long term?
handling tests!

I've had my HE's for three years and will be looking for another set of coilovers. So it's good to see what's out there. If these are a competent competitor, all the better.

But I'll wait until a couple sets are sold and see how everyone likes them. (specifically people who are going to abuse them) :D

Steel body and bracket construction, aluminum perches, aluminum PBUs.

Long term, I don't forsee anything in the valving that would cause them to be any worse than a Tein damper or JIC for that matter. They are tuned with the spring rates and as long as you keep them on the softer settings (which is true for any shock) you should get good life out of them.

Quality is ever bit as good as any other coilover I have seen, this includes JIC, Tein, Cusco, Tanabe, etc. You can clearly see them representated in the pictures above. The pictures are accurate.

Handling tests? ... there is no standardized method with which we could test the suspension. Everyone has a different setup, and not all equal part setups are equal in tuning level. I have driven on it and honestly it feels better than my Tein HA's.

[Var]

what about rebuildability, costs and are they rebuildable in the US?

[AKADriver]

Hell... a shop that stands behind their shocks with a shock dyno? I'm sold. The only other company I've seen do this is Koni.

I don't know if it's just the picture, but the lower mounts for the SPLParts dampers look a little longer than the Tein lower mounts. If they are, it's good for a little more wheel clearance.

[Var]

it would be even better if we found out they were using koni shocks..lol i would buy a set right now.

[Nismo_Freak]

thanks for quick response..some more questions sorrry

1-Are they shocks rebuildable through spl? how much is the charge? how much for replacement shocks? 2-Will spl ever make suspension kits for a deal...ie: coilovers, ruca's, powerbrace, and tension rods for x amount cheaper than if you buy separately
3-where are the shocks manufactured?
4-on the dyno graph, which is spl? the one that starts on top or bottom?

1 - Yes, but we offer a better deal. We will give you new shocks to replace the ones you have. Tein charges $150 / shock to rebuild them, we sell all 4 replacement shocks for $550 shipped. Shock is the entire threaded piece, so you swap your hardware over to the new shocks and you've got new housings and shocks vs. just rebuilt cores.

2 - There are honestly too many setups to go with. If you look on our website there isn't one thing we can't replace, other than the actual subframe, with something we sell. However for people that wish to get coilovers, tension rods, RUCA's, toe rods, etc. or a combination of such we can usually work around with the price, just shoot us an email ([email protected]).

3 - Japan

4 - SPL is the thinner lines, the ones with more range.

[Nismo_Freak]

Hell... a shop that stands behind their shocks with a shock dyno? I'm sold. The only other company I've seen do this is Koni.

I don't know if it's just the picture, but the lower mounts for the SPLParts dampers look a little longer than the Tein lower mounts. If they are, it's good for a little more wheel clearance.

Actually, Charlie did mention that the frontal wheel clearance was improved over his Tein HE's. As for rear clearance I can't be certain.

[pruto]

rear wheel clearance for coilovers are never a problem tho...

awesome, i love how there are more and more products for us 240 folks here. =) keep up the good work

*sniff* happy tears. i remember just 2 years ago my options for s14 suspension under 1k were tokico blues, koni yellows, and tein RAs. My my how things have changed.

[Var]

you mean Tein Ha's not Ra's right?

[sykikchimp]

Our shocks vs. Tein RA's

http://www.splparts.com/Parts/_Z32/Suspension/ShockDyno2.jpg

This is a shock dyno, basically what it tells you is that on their hardest setting they are ever bit as hard as the RA's (on their hardest setting) but have much more adjustability.

Those look awesome, and that shock dyno is very good. Very equal yet linear changes b/w the settings. Only thing is there aren't 15 lines on there? Did they just test every other setting on the shocks? and only 2 settings on the RA's? Just curious. I'm assuming the thin lines are your shocks, and the RA's are the thick lines?? Usually the different settings are deliniated someway so you can tell which settings provide what amount of damping force.

What size pistons do the shocks use, and what kind of design are they? mono-tube?

Tein suck. They are budget coilovers all the way. Crap for dampening differentiation, and the dampers are much too soft for the springs they sell for performance. painted bodies, and limited camber adjustablity.. booo.. I never liked Tein coilovers.

Also - Inverted shocks are good b/c they reduce unsprung weight compared to normal shocks since the only part unsprung is the strut rod, instead of the shock body, and interior assembly. They are also stronger, and are more durable.

[chmercer]

Tein suck. They are budget coilovers all the way. Crap for dampening differentiation, and the dampers are much too soft for the springs they sell for performance. painted bodies, and limited camber adjustablity.. booo.. I never liked Tein coilovers.


false. tein makes a very high quality product. that is why they hold the majority of the market share in japan for suspension.

about wheel clearance - i run 17x9 +15 f 17x10 +25 r. with the tein HEs there was about 3mm of space between the HE spring perch and the inside lip of the wheel. it was very close. Now there is about an inch of clearance with the SPLs. this is in the front. in the rear i had no problems with either setup, i would have to run like 12" wide to run out of room in the back.

[chmercer]

you mean Tein Ha's not Ra's right?

RAs. kuah had tein RA on his z32 and was dissapointed, and now runs the SPL setup.

[sykikchimp]

false. tein makes a very high quality product. that is why they hold the majority of the market share in japan for suspension.


Quit quoting magazine articles..

Their market is driven by advertising, and the almighty dollar just like ours is.

Tein coils suck. When I first started looking at coilovers, NOBODY wanted to run them b/c of all the rust problems EVERYONE was having, and the blown struts, and crappy damping. Now since Tein has started advertising their elite "Drift Spec" coilovers, suddenly they are the hot shit. I don't think so.

[justinhustle]

its always been a choice between gab, hks, and cusco for me

fawk tein and their trendy edfc for ex civic owners w/ airride who now have s13 and flex :P

[Var]

RAs. kuah had tein RA on his z32 and was dissapointed, and now runs the SPL setup.


since when can you get ra's for under 1000? + was directed towards pruto not you


remember just 2 years ago my options for s14 suspension under 1k were tokico blues, koni yellows, and tein RAs

[citizen]

I've been impressed with SPL quality and I think i know what coilovers I will get.

[AKADriver]

Tein coils suck. When I first started looking at coilovers, NOBODY wanted to run them b/c of all the rust problems EVERYONE was having, and the blown struts, and crappy damping. Now since Tein has started advertising their elite "Drift Spec" coilovers, suddenly they are the hot shit. I don't think so.

I'm glad I'm not the only one that remembers that! People used to bash Tein HARD, haha.

For a street car, I'd still consider the Flex, only because they took care of the rust issue, and the street spring rates should work well with the damping.

In the end, all coilover setups are flawed somehow, but you have to pick your battles.

Personally, I'm a bit bothered by the lack of a brake line bracket on these. I guess you'd have to tie-wrap your brake line to the lower bracket?

[TheTimanator]

I'm glad I'm not the only one that remembers that! People used to bash Tein HARD, haha.

For a street car, I'd still consider the Flex, only because they took care of the rust issue, and the street spring rates should work well with the damping.

In the end, all coilover setups are flawed somehow, but you have to pick your battles.

Personally, I'm a bit bothered by the lack of a brake line bracket on these. I guess you'd have to tie-wrap your brake line to the lower bracket?
I remember that. So they never fixed the "rust problem" on the HE's? I haven't heard anyone talk about that in a long time. As for the brake line bracket.... Is it really that big of a deal? I mean, will the lines rub the wheel or something without it?

[nightwalker]

I'll wait for some performance driving impressions from auto-x people (would be good advertising to sponsor someone with a set)

[HyperTek]

I wanna see these go up againts Aerestages'......

[Nismo_Freak]

I'll wait for some performance driving impressions from auto-x people (would be good advertising to sponsor someone with a set)

We tested these on Willow Springs during ZCon (National Z Convention), performed very well and up to our standards. Kuah drove on them all the way from Austin, Texas to California and back on them.

Honestly we don't feel the need to sponsor someone with a set when we drive the same cars, drive the same events, and have alot of experience with different setups. Someone that hasn't already driven other setups can't really make an accurate comparison of the products in that regard.

There is one thing I'd like everyone to know about SPL that many other shops don't do. That is that we don't sell anything that we 1. don't already use on our cars personally or 2. have tested before hand. Everything we list on our website has gone through fitment, technical, and pricing scrutiny, which is why you don't see alot of common items on our website. When we sell a product, we stand by it. We tell people the truth because that's just the way we do business. If we were out to make millions we would be selling anything and everything we could get our hands on, instead we'd rather make an honest living selling good parts. Might sound like babble to some, but ask some of our customers and I think you'll find that they believe in that as well.

[Zoom8112]

i have a question for the original poster:

how does the street ride compare? i mean on the softest recommended setting?

i have the HE's and they are just too harsh even on the softest setting for the roads here in san fran.

[atom]

Another nice thing (on paper anyways) about the KTS coilovers vs. the HE's is that the KTS's have 38mm inverted monotube absorbers vs. HE's 36mm (might be wrong about this one) twin tube absorbers.

Anyways, they look nice and beefy but I'm not gonna ditch my HE's just yet. It's just kind of funny that people seem to think these coilovers are SO much better than Tein (yet they don't specify which Tein) and Tein is a POS company yet KTS is a Tein Master Shop.......

[ICKY]

I think i will wait a few months to see if they can actually last as long, and to see how many people like them. The only 2 things stopping me from getting some for myself. My shocks/springs are about to go out on me and i need to find a replacement.

[sykikchimp]

specifically, the HA's had the most rust problems. No idea if they fixed it. Things certainly change..

It says on their site:
Front: inverted shock configuration with 40mm diameter piston, high pressure gas monotube construction
Rear: 49mm diameter piston high pressure gas monotube construction

...that's excellent.

KTS may be a "Tein master shop" (whatever that is), but these coilovers are nothing like most Tein products.

[thirteenlashes]

Nismo_Freak, maybe I missed it, but what are the spring rates for the s13 coilovers? I'm a little concerned about how they'll hold up to a Minnesota winter. New heim joints would come with replacement shocks, correct? You said it would be 4-6 months out for s13...do you mean 4-6 mos from when I order or you'll have some in stock in 4-6 months? Thanks!

[chmercer]

to the person asking about street driving - they are pretty smooth, i have them on about 4 out of 15 right now and it is much better than 1 on the HEs. very smooth but not bouncy.

my HEs never rusted for the entire time that i had them. the perches got stuck once or twice, but thats my own fault for not cleaning them. i dont know why you guys think tein is crap. tein wins a lot more races than jic or whatever.

[justinhustle]

im only against the 3-6 month wait o.O

[sykikchimp]

tein wins a lot more races than jic or whatever.
nobody said anything about JIC being better.. Lately, they seem even worse.

I'm just saying there are much better options. I'm sure they work fine for most people.

[thirteenlashes]

Nismo_Freak, maybe I missed it, but what are the spring rates for the s13 coilovers? I'm a little concerned about how they'll hold up to a Minnesota winter. New heim joints would come with replacement shocks, correct? You said it would be 4-6 months out for s13...do you mean 4-6 mos from when I order or you'll have some in stock in 4-6 months? Thanks!


I emailed SPL...their post should have read 4-6 weeks out for s13 coilovers, not months. Also, the spring rates for s13 are 8k and 6k like the s14.

[justinhustle]

ya i thought i heard different when i called them to get some group pricing going :)

[orion::S14]

So they never fixed the "rust problem" on the HE's? I haven't heard anyone talk about that in a long time.

No rust problem with HEs...as someone else pointed out, HA had the rust problem. Just like the Apex and others with steel collars and/or boshock bodies...basically if it's made of a material that can rust, it will.

But the HE's are pretty much all aluminum. So no rust problems there...

Just so we're clear.

- Brian

[Var]

ya i thought i heard different when i called them to get some group pricing going :)


that post is useless unless you explain yourself. what did they say?

[justinhustle]

that post is useless unless you explain yourself. what did they say?

man o man


can i have like a DAY or TWO to organize something, or shall i just pass out half the information now and some to be named later...i like to get all details squared away before i share anything pricewise...

that post was me lettin the population know i heard what they wanted and im trying to get it for em

your post is useless unless you plan to buy something or share some needed info

[Var]

no my post isnt useless i was trying to get info . which makes 2 of your posts useless,. i win, hahahaha

no seriouly i was trying to find out about the wait time that's all. i'll sit here patiently and wait for you. no rush

[Nismo_Freak]

Nismo_Freak, maybe I missed it, but what are the spring rates for the s13 coilovers? I'm a little concerned about how they'll hold up to a Minnesota winter. New heim joints would come with replacement shocks, correct? You said it would be 4-6 months out for s13...do you mean 4-6 mos from when I order or you'll have some in stock in 4-6 months? Thanks!

4-6 weeks is the lead time, I made a typo.

Spring rates are 8 / 6 kgf/mm

[S14DB]

S14 is in stock thou?

[Nismo_Freak]

S14 is in stock thou?

Was... now on Charlies car :wiggle:

[No Motiv]

this need to go into the Faq archieves STAT!! verrryyyy good comparison.......I adore you :P

[DRFT180]

my set is already on the way! :P

[coldfire07]

I called and the guy said there's a 4-6week waiting list on the s14 coilovers. If an SPL Parts guy reads this, is there any chance of that getting moved up? My shocks are blown and I want some KTS, but having to wait 4-6 weeks sucks pretty fucking bad.

[gmckey]

4-6 isn't that bad, and riding on blown shocks, quit being a wimp, it's bad but not bad enough to need to complain about a month.

[KA24DESOneThree]

Once I get a job, can I put a reservation payment down for the S13 coilovers so I can get 'em as soon as they're back in stock? I need them by September 15.

[nightwalker]

4-6 isn't that bad, and riding on blown shocks, quit being a wimp, it's bad but not bad enough to need to complain about a month.

...and that's how sales are lost.

[tastyratz]

this whole post has been very thorough and i feel by looking at things that i am fairly convinced. the review was excellent and im pretty impressed, good job guys :-) i think you just made my to do list... the only thing though is the brake line bracket kinda urks me a bit, that would definitely be worth integrating into the design. i like the idea of all the little final touches suggested in the original post too, seems like it would round things off nicely. still fresh though so there is room for improvement in those few areas. other than that everything looks good :-)

[coldfire07]

4-6 isn't that bad, and riding on blown shocks, quit being a wimp, it's bad but not bad enough to need to complain about a month.

I have had blown shocks for 7 months. 4-6 weeks is a lot because I'll be missing 2 drift events and 3 auto-x events. That leaves about 1 of each left in the season until next March.

Some of us don't just street our cars, so quit talking out of your ass when you have NO idea what's going on.

[ZK]

For a street car, I'd still consider the Flex, only because they took care of the rust issue, and the street spring rates should work well with the damping.

In the end, all coilover setups are flawed somehow, but you have to pick your battles.


I'd have to agree, the Tein Flex is an awesome product. I am running these on my S13 and it works great. The majority of driving my car sees is commuting and adjustable for the weekend open track events I go to. These have worked great with settings and retain stock ride quality at a lower ride height to harder settings for track.

No one needs RACE suspension for street use! You will not feel too good when you drive 2+ hours on the street on some RAs!

[S14DB]

...and that's how sales are lost.
Agreed. I just went over some train tracks and lost another strut. I guess the choice for FLEX's is real easy if they are the only ones I can get.

[TurDz]

I am very impressed with your coilovers. The only coilovers I have ridden on were JIC FLT-A2's. If anyone can give a comparision of the SPL ones to the JIC's, I would appreciate it.

Also, I agree with the other member that brake line brakets should be integrated in, eventually. Otherwise, the product LOOKS awesome!

[justinhustle]

my best friends altezza has jic flt-a2's and they make the car so damn bouncy on the hardest setting, its nuts

handles well, but god my brain still shakes after i get out of the car

[sykikchimp]

They should actually be failry similar to the JIC's.. They are setup about the same.

[KA24DESOneThree]

Heh... I just found out I have $2k in a "college" bank account. Hello SPL coilovers, Yokohama AVS ES100s/Falken Azenis Sports, the rest of my trackday money, and four extra wheels. Life is sweet.

[[email protected]]

...and that's how sales are lost.

Unfortunately demand is exceeding supply even in Japan, there is a ~4 week backlog in Japan itself. We are shipping these over by UPS Express, not by sea, so there is nothing more we can do to shorten the wait...

The demand caught us by surprise, honestly I had thought it would be nearly impossible to convince people from sticking with the "big names" like Tein. We had also only recently completed our own testing of the coilovers to determine if it met our standards... that is why we had no stock on hand to meet the recent orders...

[Twinturbozs]

Excellent write up.

[tastyratz]

if all goes well with my sales ill be placing an order in a couple weeks :-) id still like to see some first impressions posts of more members of the board just because. im still convinced with everything i seen here but hey its nice to hear from them...

[coldfire07]

Ordered. :D

[KA24DESOneThree]

I put a deposit down, they're expecting them to be there in two weeks.

Sweet. Very good guys to deal with. So far I am pleasantly surprised.

[coldfire07]

I put a deposit down, they're expecting them to be there in two weeks.

Sweet. Very good guys to deal with. So far I am pleasantly surprised.

Woah shit? Two weeks? When I talked to them yesterday it was still 4-6. Badass, I'll confirm with Kuah tomorrow.

[Nismo_Freak]

2 weeks right now for the S14 coilovers (get em ASAP!)... S13's are now on backorder till the first week of Sept.

[Nismo_Freak]

...and that's how sales are lost.

I had to wait 4 months for my Tein HA's (which I will soon be upgrading to KTS's) to come in from Japan... there have been times when the Tein's were on back order, likewise for many other companies.

Our coilovers have a similar setup, on paper, to the JIC FLT-A2's but I am confident our shocks are much better from my experience with both.

[coldfire07]

2 weeks right now for the S14 coilovers (get em ASAP!)... S13's are now on backorder till the first week of Sept.

Hell yeah! I put the deposit down earlier today expecting to wait 4-6 weeks, but with this news, ya'll have made my day.

[Tdimpreza]

This is an amazing write up , someone should move this so we never lose this bit of information...It help me decided between Tiens and These. I would like to see a write up of these compared to the JICs too though.

[citizen]

how much is the deposite?

[KA24DESOneThree]

NISMO_FREAK- I was told S13 coilovers would be in in two weeks. (Or at least a set with my name on them would be in in two weeks.)

Citizen- It was $250 for me.

Expect a Buttonwillow full track test after I get them, plus some input on how they respond on the streets up to Buttonwillow.

[98sr20ve]

What bugs me is no one (besides SPL) has really compared these in ride to the JIC/TEIN or Koni. Sure they look great but looks don't matter to me. I am a die hard Koni fan. So smooth and dependable in every application I have used them in. Any shock can be blown so I don't go by the experiance of those that I assume have lowered the car too far on the Koni struts. I have been thinking of building up a set of shortened Koni fronts for my S13. The lifetime warranty and smoothness appeals to me. I would love to know how these feel compared to TEIN or JIC. I have experiance with those on a couple cars. The JIC are really nice if set up properly (not always the case in my experiance). Tein always felt kinda dead to me. JIC felt nice but reliability seems to be an issue. So that leaves me with Koni's or these. I don't need the adjustable bottom perch. Reliability and smoothness is very important to me. These are attractive because they have all the right parts but in the end a dampner is about the quality of its action to me.

[nightwalker]

For the guys that have bought them or are going to be getting them, please post your comparison notes.

[Zoom8112]

Hell yeah! I put the deposit down earlier today expecting to wait 4-6 weeks, but with this news, ya'll have made my day.


sup fellow SA goon. :fruit:

[shoes59]

We will give you new shocks to replace the ones you have for $550 shipped.
The only drawback to this is the 4-6 week wait period for the replacement shocks to arrive. In the Northeast that's half a season.

These sound encouraging and I'll be willing to give them a try after supply keeps up with demand, parts are inventory and those who currently have them post real world impressions after a season of use.

[DRFT180]

I would like to know when my set will be coming in, just curious because I put down my deposit July 12. It should be soon right?

[tastyratz]

Ive got no experience with coilovers so i cant tell by looking at these but im curious to hear how wheel clearances are with these as well.

98sr20ve the writeup was a direct comparison to the tein setup check ou the pictures and read the review

[sykikchimp]

PLEASE do not post asking for updates on your purchases, or about any dealing in this thread. This is not a commercial thread, and should not be treated as such.

If Kuah wants to start a commercial thread, he should probably start one in the Group Buy section.

-Charles

[98sr20ve]

98sr20ve the writeup was a direct comparison to the tein setup check ou the pictures and read the review

He compares the products but talks very little about the ride. I want a good comparision to the JIC, TEIN and Koni in the ride quality.

[gmckey]

they have a wider adjustability range than Tein HE's

[coldfire07]

sup fellow SA goon. :fruit:

This forum needs :dance: am i rite?

[TRUENOCOUPE]

PLEASE do not post asking for updates on your purchases, or about any dealing in this thread. This is not a commercial thread, and should not be treated as such.

If Kuah wants to start a commercial thread, he should probably start one in the Group Buy section.

-Charles

What do you expect...

< roll eyes >

[BlackS14]

I too was wondering if wheel clearances would be afftected at all with these coilover...whether it be positive (allowing more room) or negative.....

-Bill

[Nismo_Freak]

PLEASE do not post asking for updates on your purchases, or about any dealing in this thread. This is not a commercial thread, and should not be treated as such.

If Kuah wants to start a commercial thread, he should probably start one in the Group Buy section.

-Charles

Agreed, plus you'll get a response faster by phone.

[tastyratz]

my other only concern at the moment is actually a friend of mine sent me a link to an article on whitelines website (i cant find the article anymore) speaking against the inverted shock design for longevity purposes... anyone else know that link i just cant find it. Inverted is apparently supposed to give you a longer travel distance (invented by rally teams) but actually wear quicker... any takes on this??

[LanceS13]

Are different spring rates available and can they be purchased separately?

[coldfire07]

Here's a link to pictures and a review for my SPL Parts coilovers (http://www.coldfire07.com/s14/alb-080904.shtml)

Feel free to AIM me at coldfire07 with any questions.

http://www.coldfire07.com/forums/ktss14.jpg

[AceInHole]

i'd just like to know if they're revalveable..... to say... a 13kg spring

[Frappe]

These coilovers look wonderful. Beefy, and easily replaced, and 4-6 weeks isn't thaaat bad.

But what about rusting? Are the steel bits coated, or treated in some way to prevent rusting? The northeast is vicious in the winter.

[tastyratz]

couldnt wait... just ordered a set 5 minutes ago :-D i cant wait till these arrive!!! unfortuanately they are 1099 now though :-( they were losing money originally aparently when i called and asked and said they had to raise the cost another 50$.... id pick up some soon because i dont know if they will decide to raise the cost again....

[gmckey]

mine have been on for a little over a week now, and I'm amazed. they aren't nearly as harsh as my previous setup (blown shocks and shitty drop springs)... I guess dampening is used for a reason :)

very good quality and very sturdy design.

[SlowCoupe]

hehe we installed my friend's set (s13) yesterday...DRFT180 should be posting some pics soon...what a fine set of coilovers

[tastyratz]

called spl for status and looks like they are shipping today :woot: :D im gonna put them on right away too so that means im gonna have coilovers within a week :-D beats these crappy stock shocks!

[s0ldats]

how is the lowering for the rear s13 coilovers? do they lower more than the TEIN he? because those don't go low enough.

[Var]

because those don't go low enough.
:goyou:

------------

[s0ldats]

i asked a valid question, do you know the answer?

[KOUKI KA-T]

called spl for status and looks like they are shipping today :woot: :D im gonna put them on right away too so that means im gonna have coilovers within a week :-D beats these crappy stock shocks!

Shipping today??? I ordered mine over 4 weeks ago and they haven't even billed me for the full amount yet. Damn you're getting yours pretty fast....

[DRFT180]

some pictures (http://community.webshots.com/user/drft180)

here are a few pictures taken after the coilovers were installed. My car is the one with the black wheels on the rear. I have them lowered all the way. They can go lower if you were to shorten the shock travel, but I'de rather not mess with that. They have been on over a month now and feel great. I have to say they are great quality and will go low enough. I have a N1 Dual and the resonator scrapes the ground sometimes. The front lip is only about 2 inches off the ground.

[s0ldats]

thank you for the pictures.

[tastyratz]

i dunno i paid in full in advance also so maybe that has something to do with it. they also are pushin out more of them now they just werent expecting the demand before....

[KOUKI KA-T]

i dunno i paid in full in advance also so maybe that has something to do with it. they also are pushin out more of them now they just werent expecting the demand before....

So did I, but they only charged 250$ to my card so i figured they would charge the rest once they got them from the manufacturer, plus these are for an s14 so maybe it's a longer wait on them.
Edit.. just called and they were shipped today. Sweet.

[Black240sx]

they do not have any coils for S13's as of yet...

[[email protected]]

??? S13 coilovers are available...

[Black240sx]

??? S13 coilovers are available...

really???? my bad! sorry for the wrong info... I thought they are not avail till like next month or something,,,

[wootwoot]

kuah, are any other spring rates going to be offered or will i have to adjust with what is offered? these ARE what i will be purchasing but just looking for the ability to fine tune.

[[email protected]]

kuah, are any other spring rates going to be offered or will i have to adjust with what is offered? these ARE what i will be purchasing but just looking for the ability to fine tune.

We will not be offering any other spring rates as we cannot afford to dyno the different re-valved shocks to see if they are properly matched to the springs...

[tastyratz]

really???? my bad! sorry for the wrong info... I thought they are not avail till like next month or something,,,

thats what iv ebeen talkin about i have the s13 coils on their way to my house right now :-)

[tastyratz]

oh baby they came in today! boy are these sexy too!!! guess the little spl in the sky must be watching over our posts. why? because my coilovers have boots on them!! :w00t: these things look UNBELIEVABLY awesome and well built. there are a few small dings here and there from what i see so far but for the most part all is well. they seemed to have paid attention to the majority of the sharp edges with only a few small parts of the perch locks having sharp edges which must have slipped by q.a. but who cares! im gonna be making sure i can do everything in my power to install these TOMORROW :w00t: so i might have another review :-) :boink:

[KA24DESOneThree]

Mine came in today also. Works of art. They'll be in by tomorrow afternoon.

[Black240sx]

I'm still waiting for my S14 coils.... :(

[nightwalker]

You guys know we are going to demand driving impressions from each and everyone of you! ;)

(I just need a good enough reason to get rid of my HEs:D)

[KOUKI KA-T]

Mine came today as well, super nice. Going on tomorrow if it'll stop raining long enough for me to put all this stuff on:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v378/srhamlin/KTS018.jpg

[MakotoS13]

Mine came today as well, super nice. Going on tomorrow if it'll stop raining long enough for me to put all this stuff on:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v378/srhamlin/KTS018.jpg

EXCUSES! get out there man and do your duty to the forums!

[tastyratz]

i dunno it seems like the worst of the rain hits tomorrow, if it clears up long enough im gonna do my install but its gonna be outside and i might be forced to hold off :( i could cry. i REALLY hope its not pouring tomorrow or anything...

[LanceS13]

Mine came in Friday and I installed them Saturday...hopefully getting it aligned tomorrow. I'm initially impressed. The ride is firm but not harsh. It's actually more comfy than the AGX/KGMM setup that these replaced even though the spring rates are doubled...likely due to the superior damping. Performance will be evaluated at the next autox.

[KA24DESOneThree]

I just installed mine. I need an alignment, but I'll get back to you on ride quality in 20 minutes.

*Edit: Ok, so it's been way more than 20 minutes. These coilovers rock. Seriously, they're like 10x better than my blown Buddy Clubs. Very confidence-inspiring, and not even harsh. I feel as though I spent my money VERY wisely.*

[tastyratz]

rain stopped im goin under the car now :D

[tastyratz]

is it me or are these things really hard to adjust? its my first set of coilovers too though... i have them on the car and im trying to adjust the height by the spanner wrenches but the center piece will NOT budge at all. i have the 2 aluminum perch locks sitting away from the knuckle mounts up front but the knuckle mounts will NOT slide a bit!!! am i missing something here?? i made the mistake on the fronts of not adjusting the height before i put them on since I was in a rush. I alsotried running them loose and then just going over the bumpiest terrain i could find and whipped around but the coilovers didnt settle to where i wanted them! passenger side is an inch higher off the ground than the drivers side. i want the drivers side a little higher than the passengers [ghetto corner balancing a bit. (by about 1/4-1/2 inch im guessing)] but the passengers higher than the drivers. the other thing i noticed is adjusting the shocks in the rear is completely impossible if you want to keep the rug pieces that go over the shocks. you either have to ditch them or cut a big hole because the bolt with the adjustable top sticks all the way up to the plastic backed rug thing and you cant get to it with that there. i cant give a judgement on ride quality just yet though because my rears were set all the way down when i put them in and it killed everything completely. also the camber plates are labeled with only a 0... what does each line represent? 1/2 deg 1 deg? i also think i was either given 2 right side front coilovers or someone made a boo boo designing thecamber plates because the lines/marks are only on one side and when viewed from the front of the car ones in the back and ones in the front of the plate. either way my big problem is adjusting the height without just compressing the springs... any ideas?

[s0ldats]

first of all driving around with loosened perches will not lower your car ::crazy::

those tick marks on the camber plates are merely for reference and offer no guidance on actual degree of camber.

front coilovers are the same on both sides.

[Twinturbozs]

i cant give a judgement on ride quality just yet though because my rears were set all the way down when i put them in and it killed everything completely.


so hows the ride quality? too stiff? what exactly do you mean by killi everything completely?

[tastyratz]

right s0ldats, they are the same but the thing i was talking about is the ticks on the front of the coilovers on one side and the back on the other which is purely cosmetic. if they are there for reference can anyone tell me approximately maybe ballpark what in their experience the ticks make for a difference? also does the 0 in the center represent stock camber since its the center or does the way they are mounted change it so the 0 is 0 deg camber? twinturboz: driving with the fronts on 8 and the rears on 1 is no fun because at the lowest setting i feel like im on blown shocks. the fronts seem to feel awesome but i cant give a real judgement on them yet because they arent properly setup or tuned yet. once i am satisfied i leveled the sides correctly and have everything in right i can then give my official opinion. sorry for the noobish approach but these things didnt come with any paperwork whether it be a printed receipt or instructions and ive never had coilovers before

[sykikchimp]

What I do to change height..

unbolt bottom of coilover from spindle.
adjust height of lower mount
re-bolt to spindle

[tastyratz]

thats what i was afraid i was going to have to do. i didnt want to have one piston extended more than the other so i didnt want to adjust from the top perches. im assuming the bottom mount is threaded now but i figured it was just loosely mounted with the perches holding it in place.

[d-wade]

How long did it take for you guys to receive your coilovers? I ordered mine on 8/24 and I'm still waiting.

[KOUKI KA-T]

How long did it take for you guys to receive your coilovers? I ordered mine on 8/24 and I'm still waiting.
Mine took 6 weeks, so you should have yours by the end of the month or so I would assume.

[KOUKI KA-T]

right s0ldats, they are the same but the thing i was talking about is the ticks on the front of the coilovers on one side and the back on the other which is purely cosmetic. if they are there for reference can anyone tell me approximately maybe ballpark what in their experience the ticks make for a difference? also does the 0 in the center represent stock camber since its the center or does the way they are mounted change it so the 0 is 0 deg camber? twinturboz: driving with the fronts on 8 and the rears on 1 is no fun because at the lowest setting i feel like im on blown shocks. the fronts seem to feel awesome but i cant give a real judgement on them yet because they arent properly setup or tuned yet. once i am satisfied i leveled the sides correctly and have everything in right i can then give my official opinion. sorry for the noobish approach but these things didnt come with any paperwork whether it be a printed receipt or instructions and ive never had coilovers before

The 0 represents nothing, just like the ticks. Set the plates to 0 and get your car aligned, THEN it would represent stock camber settings. The 0 is just a reference point just like the tick marks..... It has no value of anything.

[s0ldats]

you don't have to unbolt the coilover from the spindle to adjust, just loosen the lower nut, and both upper nuts. then rotate the threaded body by hand to whatever height. if it comes close to the nuts, keep moving them lower/higher. same for the rear. (this is on s14)

[Brian]

thats how i adjust mine.


p.s. could they look more like Zeal please? hahah.

[s0ldats]

ding ding ding we have a winner of the "looks just like..." category!

[drift into a curb]

Installed these on an S13 this week and the quality is great. For $1100 though, they could weld on an extra brake line bracket. Initial damping of the coils seems great. The tires will squirm before the suspension does.

tastyratz, just cut out part of the carpet. We did it on the s13 and put the cover back on. The car looks stock except for the drop.

[tastyratz]

yea i just cut out a hole in the carpet today actually lol. i drilled a small hole and instead of using their knobs im gonna cut up some ricey knob style door locks i have laying around and rig them to fit on top so they poke out the little hole and can easily be adjusted. what do you guys have your damping set at? ive got mine on 8 all around and its still way too low. definitely an improvement on having the rears stuck at 1 but i gotta get more than that! ride quality isnt really that bad in these, they are well built and respond very well. drift into a curb is right, these things are solid and your tires will yell at you before you get a chance to compress.

[[email protected]]

Sorry about the trouble some of you guys had installing the coilovers, I finally had the time tonight to write up some general instructions:

Coilover instructions (http://www.splparts.com/doc/SPLCoilover/default.htm)

[coldfire07]

Sorry about the trouble some of you guys had installing the coilovers, I finally had the time tonight to write up some general instructions:

Coilover instructions (http://www.splparts.com/doc/SPLCoilover/default.htm)

Nice instructions. May I suggest you edit them to say clockwise to stiffen looking from the top on the rears and looking from the bottom on the front. That confused me at least :]

Also, it may be easier to use a small hydraulic jack to lift up the sway bar into position instead of removing it if the coilover is too short.

[tastyratz]

id agree with coldfire, clearly mark the instructions that you have to be facing the knob to lessen any discrepencies. although coldfire why would you have to touch the swaybar? i used 2 jacks installing mine, one to comress the lcas and one to jack the whole car. i didnt have to pull anything off but the stock shocks... kuah make sure you print those out and include them with every order since even my dumb ass almost called to ask when i first put them in lol. now my only complaint is the brake line bracket and the rear shocks are impossible to adjust with the stock carpet on unless you butcher it. personally id prefer to be able to have a low mounted way to adjust by reaching my hand in the strut service hole there but theres no way to make due with the current included setup. id say either have it shortened somehow or include a very tall knob that requires modification of the carpet (drill a hole) and pokes through a little. nothing i cant do on my own i guess. so far so good im very pleased with everything and im a critic at everything, my complaints are merely suggestions. im glad you guys now have the boot included. i wish there was some way to make the boot stay on both sides and be a sealed unit but due to the nature of the adjustability you wouldnt really be able to do that unless you used a big mofo oversized boot with the 2 shocks having a wiper and 2 having the boot have you thought about having a wiper and a boot on both of them? that way it will always be wiped clean and with the boot covering the wiper you could have a sealed section that is protected. im from new england so i always fear the worst... this will be interesting come winter...

[coldfire07]

although coldfire why would you have to touch the swaybar? i used 2 jacks installing mine, one to comress the lcas and one to jack the whole car.

That's what I meant, I have no idea why I typed sway bar. Anyways, it's obvious what needs to be jacked when one is trying to install them anyways.

[TurDz]

Sorry about the trouble some of you guys had installing the coilovers, I finally had the time tonight to write up some general instructions:

Coilover instructions (http://www.splparts.com/doc/SPLCoilover/default.htm)

I was just browsing your instructions.

"When you move the spring perch upwards, you are compressing the spring. As the spring compresses, it exerts a force on the upper mount of the coilover. So when the weight of the car is placed on the upper mount, the weight would have to overcome the spring tension in order to compress the spring any further. "

don't you mean spring compression? Since you're moving the spring perch up?

edit: actually, your wording is just awkward. It's not really incorrect, since the spring is exerting a force to expand outward..but rewording might help a bit. good instructions overall though!

[KA24DESOneThree]

So far, I'm really happy with these. Granted, they've only been on like three days, but they're a world of difference from my Buddy Clubs. I love my cornering speeds with these.

Now, if only I could get my Sprint in so I can really push it...

[alkemyst]

Just an update..I was originally at 12/12 settings (installed last week)...but somehow going back down to 5/5 is a lot better than it was the first day. 12/12 is great for smooth roads....no motion in the car at all...however, take some ruts and it gets a little beyond the stock feel....not bad really, but not that good either.

I am at 5/5 and I may drop the rear to 4 (with these settings 15 is stiffest, 1 is softest)...night and day difference. Now 5/5 is giving up some for a very smooth turn, however; daily driving has improved a lot. I still get a little too much stiffness from the rear than ideal on day to day things, but you really can't soften the rear more without giving up balance. Once I move to a lighter setting in the rear it may improve more. It's definitely not bad though and way better than the ups and downs of stock.

[KOUKI KA-T]

I've been running mine on 4 front and rear for months now, I thought it was crazy that people were saying their's were too bouncy on low settings and cranked them way up...

[Stock-S13]

now my only complaint is the brake line bracket and the rear shocks are impossible to adjust with the stock carpet on unless you butcher it. personally id prefer to be able to have a low mounted way to adjust by reaching my hand in the strut service hole there but theres no way to make due with the current included setup. id say either have it shortened somehow or include a very tall knob that requires modification of the carpet (drill a hole) and pokes through a little. nothing i cant do on my own i guess.


Word I tore up my Blue interior trying to get to the rear mounts(got a nice cut too), but hell it was worth it. Yeah i just ended up ziptieing my SS lines up front but now for some reason i thikn my pedal feels mushy, could position having anything to do with brake pressure?

In either way, KTS Coils rock so much!!! I was driving like an idiot today and was completley IN LOVE with my car again!!

ahh Relentless :love: ......

[mr_240sx]

would the kts coil-overs be stiff enough for drifting?
how low can you lower your s13 with the kts?

[alkemyst]

it's an 8/6 kg/mm combo equal to HE's.

do you actually drift?

You can go lower than you can drive them....

[mr_240sx]

ok tks for the info. by the way, i do drift.

[Johny5]

why is it you guys had trouble installing these things? mine went on very flawlessly. coldfire07 was there, he knows. adjusting the fronts, you guys actually remove your spindles and everything? i adjust my fronts with the freaking wheels in the car, haha. loosen both collars that surround the piece that grabs the knuckle. then use the collars that have the spring tensioned to turn it. the collars tensioning the spring won't move any, simply because you've doubled them up so tight that the force of them against each other won't allow them to move. height adjustment takes 5 minutes top in front. still haven't figured out the almighty trick to the rear though...

all in all, you guys came out with a pretty kickass suspension deal here. i installed mine with a lot of parts that were supposed to all make a big difference, yours made the biggest.

[sLiDewAys]

does it honestly matter, i mean sorry if it seems like i dissagree with everyone. but what ever happened to the days of just " STFU and drift" Again not directed to anyone. I hear people and see these forums posts about which is beter. I'd have to say either way its better than using blown monroe struts and cut prings./ and PPL use to actually do that.. dunno why? lol thats just too ghetto.

but back to my point, it seems like everyone wants to be ""DIFFERENT" just go for the best bang for your buckm i use tein he cuz i got mine for 1100 shipped over a year ago. not becasue d1 drivers used them or becasue others prefered. i just got a good price and needed something fully adjustable.
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid148/p28c1f364265ee3be24d3721be9adc116/f6216794.jpg

[tastyratz]

ive had a good amount of time on these and so far so good. they seem to be holding up well on new england roads the way I drive. They havent had alot of chance to see nasty snow yet so we will see how they handle in the weather. very light surface rust showed up on the inside of the mount brackets for me but it wiped off with my fingers and was fine so nothing of it. Ill probabbly post a continued review later on after ive had more time on these but all my friends compliment on my suspension in this car it does very well. slideways: specs and quality of a part matter alot and it does matter what you get, it just depends on the persons needs. id say these are awesome bang for the buck :-)

[Stock-S13]

Dude you either have tiny ass hands and arms OR your car isn't low enough seriously im not huge by any means but when i was buying sockets for my now 19mm spinlde bolt, i couldn't even fit my hands in there (between fender and tire at full lock)

In either case, what hieght does everyone have their car set around at? I have 22 inches all around and my rear still seems a bit high, but the front is scraping.

Edit; from top of fender to floor w/ tape measure.


Werd, to the great product SPL!

why is it you guys had trouble installing these things? mine went on very flawlessly. coldfire07 was there, he knows. adjusting the fronts, you guys actually remove your spindles and everything? i adjust my fronts with the freaking wheels in the car, haha. loosen both collars that surround the piece that grabs the knuckle. then use the collars that have the spring tensioned to turn it. the collars tensioning the spring won't move any, simply because you've doubled them up so tight that the force of them against each other won't allow them to move. height adjustment takes 5 minutes top in front. still haven't figured out the almighty trick to the rear though...

all in all, you guys came out with a pretty kickass suspension deal here. i installed mine with a lot of parts that were supposed to all make a big difference, yours made the biggest.

[Johny5]

lol, the car has to be lifted up for you to do this. low offset wheels make it easy too :hsdance: i just can't stand removing my wheels 2-3 times each adjustment, so POINTLESS.

[dops13]

I jus got mine SPL KTS coilovers yesterday. I'm going to put them on today. I'll keep u guys updated. I was jus wondering if anyone here considered putting rubber boots on the rear shocks? Or does it even matter?

[tastyratz]

actually yes if you check out earlier in the thread i made a thing about boots for the shocks. while they are off id say it would be a good idea for you to put some boots on the shocks if possible. its not a big deal to have to have them but for longevity its a good idea for them to be there, especially if your car sees any kind of weather. i couldnt find boots that fit when i first put everything on but now ive seen them everywhere. go for it.

[tastyratz]

Update: these coilovers didnt hold up too well over the winter months. The front camber plate bolts are rusted BAAAAAD I mean bad. no biggie though they are just allen head screws. as far as the adjustment screws they have on the bottom they froze up completely. the rear ones did the same and one of the knobs actually sheared off inside the shock. the main body and piston havent rusted at all, but the chrome plated mounts have started to show through a bit with some light rust, no issue yet but possibly in the future after some time. These can be a bit loud in the bitter cold as well. I called spl about this however and they are shipping me 4 new shocks. no hassle, no complaints. shipped right away... the same great spl service you would expect. no problems if everything goes smooth but just to fyi people of my experience with these, and with them :-) Kuah is being great with this so far!

as a sidenote from my experience I would highly suggest preventative measures... especially if your from a colder climate. The new shocks when they arrive will get some sort of sealing treatment to protect them definitely, dunno maybe ill cover the bottom with silicone sealant or something. I have heard of people getting coilovers with teflon coated threading... that would be GREAT!!! anyone know if theres something I can get like a teflon sealing coating in a can (not like plumbers goop, something that will hold up. I probabbly will use stainless bolts for the camber plates too.

[aznpoopy]

^^^

good info man. i'm looking at getting a set; and like you, i also have to deal with snowy winters and salty roads.

[Ian]

i'd say give them a good rubdown w/ some silicon spray or WD40...just coat them up all slick and greasy before you put them in...

any petrol based stuff will protect from moisture damage

[SimpleS14]

i'd say give them a good rubdown w/ some silicon spray or WD40...just coat them up all slick and greasy before you put them in...

any petrol based stuff will protect from moisture damage


But won't that attract a decent amount of dust and dirt?


I had my coilovers over the winter and I noticed some surface rust on the adjustment screws. But my case is not as bad as your since it only snowed heavy twice during that winter.

[MakotoS13]

if you guys move to texas you wont have to worry about snow.

ever.

well... mostly never.

[blitz180]

when we are talking about cold winters obviously it's not the south, but i live in north eastern ky and we get a few good snows a year.... is this the winter you were talking about... or did you mean like NY, CO, WA style winters?

[Project D]

Yeah, A CO style winter is just murder on any compnent basically. I have Ground COntrols on my other car and they have held up for a couple of years now with no problems. Just rubbed them down with some WD-40 before install and they were great. ALso in the process of finding suspension for my S13 and want something that will last in the bad winter of the Rockies. KY isnt all that bad in the winter. Been to Louisville when it has snowed and the thing to watch for is people driving. They don't know how to drive in the snow. Also been to Dallas in similar conditions and that was intense. White knuckle to the Extreme!