budget suspension?

[Nismo240SX]

well, each day i get closer and closer to getting my 240 to the body shop, and back on the road. the car hasn't been in the road in a little over a year and now. its now sr powered, and a 5spd. i'm picking up my 180sx brakes tomorrow after realizing i won't really ever put a q45 or 300zx brake upgrade to its full potential, because the car will never see more than 300whp. now with that said, i'm looking to upgrade my suspension for sure. these kyb gr2s and eibachs weren't cutting it. i won't track/drift the car that often, it will basiclly be a fun thrilling car to cruise back and forth to work in. i won't mind a bit of wheel gap, because these roads in VA will put anyone's who is slammed oil pan/bumper/wheels into instant death. so i think coilovers won't be my best choice. anyone have any ideas on what would be a good match to a kyb agx. i would like to get some camber adjustment for the front and rear, along with some nice sway bars. any sugestions along those lines? thanks

[EchoOfSilence]

sounds like you need shitty megans.

or spend a little more for silkroad, stance, kts, gp sports

jeez i have that phrase in a text file waiting to be copied and pasted every time

[cdlong]

AGXs, tein springs, SPC RUCAs. that will give you a decent street suspension. no real need for front camber plates, the stock cammber is about right for street driving without them. the rear is a different story. suspension techniques sway bars are pretty affordable and a decent upgrade.

[SochBAT]

Hey cdlong, where in abilene are you?

i've got family over there, and i was lookin to move, but it was semi-rare to see a 240.

how's the 240 scene there?

PS. megan = budget coilovers. Get em.

[drift freaq]

I will sell you a set of AGX/GC's . Thats AGX's with Ground Control collars running eibach ERS springs 8kg front 6kg rear with tein pillowball camber plates up front $650 for everything setup ready to go setup is like new with around 100 miles on it.

P.S. for clarification This is a fully assembled coilover setup.

[SochBAT]

Wow.

DriftFreaq +18

PICK IT UP!

how about a deal with GC sleeves? =]

[2iv0 sx]

LOL at your icon sochbat.. isnt he banned or something?

but yeah... shocks and springs doesnt cut it for us 240 guys... go with driftfreaq's set up or Megans since your on a "budget."

[cdlong]

Hey cdlong, where in abilene are you?

i've got family over there, and i was lookin to move, but it was semi-rare to see a 240.

how's the 240 scene there?

uugh, don't get me started on Abilene. if you have a choice between moving there and not moving there, don't. i didn't have a choice, USAF. you ask where i am like it's socal or something, it takes 15 minutes to drive across town.

the job market isn't great and it's far away from anything interesting. but it is a great place to raise a family and if you love to go to church it's nice because there's one on every corner (i'm only exagerating a little). it's also cheap to live there. two of my friends bought houses for $80. both small but still decent 3 bedroom houses in good neighborhoods.

the 240 scene is mediocre at best, i think my car is the nicest there. not saying much. there is one guy with a juiced up SR that i haven't seen in a while though. most modified cars are pretty ricey, they are a little behind the times there.

[SochBAT]

Yea, i know how the living is in abilene.

My family over there owns the infamous donut shops, and the cambodian restaurant. Whenever i visit, i always head to work (the donutshop) Its really not FUN to live there, but its pretty chill. My daily grind there was work from like, 2am til 12-1pm, work out right next door in our gym (the donutshop on Willis and S1st), head over to coco palms to hit on the workers, and fish/whatever. Its my second home away from home. And yea, you're not exaggerating about the church. Those girls are freaky!

Maybe you know my cousins? Sony (drives a 3000gt) or Viesna (drove a 3.2TL, now has his bro's RX8).

I love the simple living. I was tempted to get my shit together, and open up a garage/shop. I know the AF/Military guys didn't have a place to mod up their cars, so i was going to open a DIY shop, i supply the lift, tools, liquids, all that jazz, and everyone just pays a restock fee, and hourly charge. Its still floating in my head, depending on if my buddy is down to move as well.

[cdlong]

My family over there owns the infamous donut shops.

the Jack and Jills? sorry, i try to avoid donuts in large quantities.

Maybe you know my cousins? Sony (drives a 3000gt) or Viesna (drove a 3.2TL, now has his bro's RX8).

sorry, if they don't work on base or at starbucks, i don't know them. i haven't mingled with the locals much.

I was tempted to get my shit together, and open up a garage/shop. I know the AF/Military guys didn't have a place to mod up their cars, so i was going to open a DIY shop, i supply the lift, tools, liquids, all that jazz, and everyone just pays a restock fee, and hourly charge. Its still floating in my head, depending on if my buddy is down to move as well.

sorry to burst your bubble but every Air Force base has an auto hobby shop that offers the exact same thing. except it's dirt cheap, $5 an hour for a lift and all the tools you need for free. there's no way you will be able to compete with it, i don't even think they break even.

if you opened a competent tuner shop you might do alright, i don't know of any in town. but i haven't looked either, i like doing my own work.

next time you're in town, hit me up (after late september). i wouldn't mind hitting on the coco plams girls sometime.

[steve shadows]

So yeah for a true budget setup i would go with these components (especially if its a daily driven car).

KYB AGX (4 way adj front, 8 way in back)
Eibach Pro-Kit Springs or Tien (i prefer the eibachs).
Front Camber Plates (really help with steering feedback with the right tire)
RUCAs

these 4 things should be able to be afforded under 7-800 dollars used or new from the right places and will give you a good all around suspension to get started with.

When your ready to go stiffer, I would suggest something like JIC or Apexi. Tien is good as well. Just take you time and time with you money

[EchoOfSilence]

camber plates can get pretty expensive. also, eibach prokits suck, as do tein springs. Get RSR Race springs... or better yet call Ground Control

[SochBAT]

IM starting to get back in the game, so i was going to have a'custom' setup.

AGX w/ GC sleeves
7k/5k springs with helper springs
aluminum stoppers
KTs camberplates

It'll cost almost as much as a fullcoilover setup, but i'm thinking way better ride.

[Flybert]

I had koni yellows with eibach prokit back in the day while I was saving up for coilovers. I loved that setup for the street. Seeing how you don't want your car low, that should be the ticket. The konis can be adjusted to make your car really stiff or super comfortable and can be rebuilt when they get old.

[Nismo240SX]

RUCAs? i think i didn't get the memo. define

[drift freaq]

RUCAs? i think i didn't get the memo. define
RUCAs, translation rear upper control arms. something our cars have already but commonly used to mean adjustable rear upper control arms for camber adjustment. Basically they are talking about ones that replace the rubber bushing with spherical rod end ball joints i.e. heim joints and are threaded for adjustment. Quite commonly overkill for most street driven cars, though very popular in the bandwagon jumping 240 crowd i.e. people that do not track their car much if at all but buy them because everyone else tells them to.

Something to remember about a street driven car whenever you eliminate rubber for metal it makes more noise and can make the ride harsher in some areas of the suspension. A better way to go for the occasional track/auto crosser that is mostly street driven is urethane bushings in place of your worn stock rubber bushings you can even get concentric bushings to give you some camber adjustment although not nearly as much as RUCA's give you. Though if your not lowering your car to drastically then aftermarket RUCA's may not even be needed.

[Nismo240SX]

thank you... i thought about teins or rs*r's with some kybs.

Btw, guys how about a few pumps in my reputation points? i've been here a lot longer than most. and not really been much of an asswipe or postwhore. help a brotha out! lol

[drift freaq]

thank you... i thought about teins or rs*r's with some kybs.

Btw, guys how about a few pumps in my reputation points? i've been here a lot longer than most. and not really been much of an asswipe or postwhore. help a brotha out! lol
well the Ground control setup I mentioned is for sale. Its a pretty thought out decently match balanced setup. plus it would come with the Tein camber plates. The other nice thing about the Eibach ERS springs that come with it is you can get them in 25lb increment for like $50ea
Eibach ERS springs have won a lot of races as well and are nothing like the pro kits or sportlines

[ManoNegra]

camber plates can get pretty expensive. also, eibach prokits suck, as do tein springs. Get RSR Race springs... or better yet call Ground Control

If I'm not mistaken, Eibach makes the Ground Control springs. As they do for most suspension companies.

[Nismo240SX]

you aren't mistaken

[trsilvias13]

I say get a bigger buget, it be easier and open up way moer options.

Also If you want eibach spring, I will sell u the ones off my parts car cheap.

[P4rD0nM3]

Please save up a bit more...just wait man...just wait and buy the better parts. Just be patient. No need to rush.

[chmercer]

put spring compressors on the stock springs and drive around with them on the suspension. should give you a nice drop

[Nismo240SX]

i don't want a drop. i want something for more the less street with the idea of tracking the car everynow and then. i shouldn't have posted.

[WanganRunner]

What exactly should he be saving up for?

This "one size fits all" approach is fucking irritating. If he spends most of his time on awful road surfaces, he doesn't need goddamned coilovers, it'd be counterproductive. He needs soft spring rates and plenty of travel, and he seems realistic about not excessively lowering his car.

Not everyone needs/wants $2000 Zeals with double-digit spring rates. It'd be ridiculous in his case anyway, from the sounds of it he'd blow 'em within 6 months.

But ZOMGwtfbbq j00 c4n't D0rifto on t3h AGx!!!111

[PBucch]

What exactly should he be saving up for?

This "one size fits all" approach is fucking irritating. If he spends most of his time on awful road surfaces, he doesn't need goddamned coilovers, it'd be counterproductive. He needs soft spring rates and plenty of travel, and he seems realistic about not excessively lowering his car.

Not everyone needs/wants $2000 Zeals with double-digit spring rates. It'd be ridiculous in his case anyway, from the sounds of it he'd blow 'em within 6 months.

But ZOMGwtfbbq j00 c4n't D0rifto on t3h AGx!!!111


Word dunny. AGX+a decent used spring imo.

[Nismo240SX]

WanganRunner, at least you understand.

[FaLKoN240]

If you get most coilovers, they have ADJUSTABLE RIDE HEIGHT. You don't HAVE to drive slammed. If you're serious about handling characteristics, coilovers are in a different ballpark when compared to shocks and springs.

You should really consider getting some adjustable coilovers, or try riding in someone's car that has them. You won't be disappointed.

[steve shadows]

What exactly should he be saving up for?

This "one size fits all" approach is fucking irritating. If he spends most of his time on awful road surfaces, he doesn't need goddamned coilovers, it'd be counterproductive. He needs soft spring rates and plenty of travel, and he seems realistic about not excessively lowering his car.

Not everyone needs/wants $2000 Zeals with double-digit spring rates. It'd be ridiculous in his case anyway, from the sounds of it he'd blow 'em within 6 months.

But ZOMGwtfbbq j00 c4n't D0rifto on t3h AGx!!!111

yeah on the typical southern california roads around here pole holes and big dips/cracks or just inanely crappy surfaces are king. The agxs are plenty stiff for daily and a little grip or drift here and there.

If your really serious get something softer like this for daily and buy some insane coilovers like Zeal or maybe get some JICs for weekend events etc.

[atom]

If you get most coilovers, they have ADJUSTABLE RIDE HEIGHT. You don't HAVE to drive slammed. If you're serious about handling characteristics, coilovers are in a different ballpark when compared to shocks and springs.

You should really consider getting some adjustable coilovers, or try riding in someone's car that has them. You won't be disappointed.

I'd rather have Koni's than some POS like megans or D2's. And some of the best suspensions for 240's dont have adjustable height via a bottom bracket, so who cares.

[pablo180]

I'm surprized nobody has mentioned tires. Any suspension modification is worthless unless you have some good quality tires. So take tires into consideration when planning your budget.

Pablo

[BigVinnie]

The biggest bang for your buck combo would be to get KYB AGX's with the Megan springs.
The Megan springs come with a 6Kg springrate for the front, and a 4Kg spring rate for the rear. Megan lowering springs can be found for under $100. Also better quality than the Tein Stechs, I own the stechs and they suck balls, 3Kg spring rate in the front, and a 2Kg spring rate for the rear. I would say that if you are keeping the car streetable and still want to perform on the track you should defenitely get a stronger springrate than the stechs. Weaker spring rates can also tend to wear down the short stroke dampaning of the AGXs much faster, making it a less reliable product.
You should be able to piece together the AGX's with Megan Combo for under $500. AGX's are nothing like crappy GR2's.
For those that say you can't drift on AGX's they are plain and simply smokin crack, or can't drift to begin with.

[WanganRunner]

If you get most coilovers, they have ADJUSTABLE RIDE HEIGHT. You don't HAVE to drive slammed. If you're serious about handling characteristics, coilovers are in a different ballpark when compared to shocks and springs.

You should really consider getting some adjustable coilovers, or try riding in someone's car that has them. You won't be disappointed.

Adjustable ride height is a nice feature, but I'm not sure it addresses his problems for a couple of reason:

1.) Doesn't change the spring rates. He doesn't just need "not slammed", he needs suspension that's not a set of 4 steel rods. Even stuff like the Tein Flex doesn't get soft enough for really shxtty circumstances. There are some coilovers that run like 6/4 though, and that might work.

2.) You should only monkey with your coilover settings if you're going to corner weight the car again each time you do it.

As for the tires comment, w3rd to big bird. Get nice tires BEFORE getting suspension, drive it some, see what it's still not doing right, and then fuss over the suspension.

But seriously, you can have plenty of fun on a track with a good strut/spring combo, and anyone who's telling you otherwise is probably a bench racer/internet car jockey who's more into their spec sheet than actual driving. For the occasional "go out and have fun" track day, you'll be just fine.

I'm not debating that kickass coilovers are the #1 way to go fast on a nicely paved circuit, because they quite obviously are, but they aren't necessarily the best solution for everyone. Some people are willing to compromise their daily situation more than others. It's just like running a 2-way LSD in your daily, not everyone wants to do that.

[ronmcdon]

The biggest bang for your buck combo would be to get KYB AGX's with the Megan springs.

The Megan springs come with a 6Kg springrate for the front, and a 4Kg spring rate for the rear. Megan lowering springs can be found for under $100.

You should be able to piece together the AGX's with Megan Combo for under $500. AGX's are nothing like crappy GR2's.


dammit, i was hoping to throw on some megan springs on my cheapo gr-2's (came with the car i bought). i like the Megan rates, but unfortunately i think they would be too much for the gr-2s to handle.

[Nismo240SX]

bench racer/internet car jockey who's more into their spec sheet than actual driving.
hit it on the nose with what i was thinking.

and btw, i've been running azenis for quite some time.

BigVinnie, where do you see megan springs with that spring rate at?

nevermind... i did the conversion... you are right. hmmm... hows that compare to RS*R's though?

[WanganRunner]

dammit, i was hoping to throw on some megan springs on my cheapo gr-2's (came with the car i bought). i like the Megan rates, but unfortunately i think they would be too much for the gr-2s to handle.

The good news is that you can likely find a buyer for your used GR-2's if they're not blown/messed up. You should be able to get at least $100 for the set, which will somewhat soften the blow of the AGX purchase.

[Nismo240SX]

yeah, they are basicly brand new, and i have the lifetime warranty info for each. i'm not too concerned about that though... the idea of the budget suspension was for me to have a nice dd set-up with the ocasional track day in mind. this way, i could have a nice spring and strut combo, sway bars, subframe spacers, and now i guess rucas.

about the megan springs, they're spring rates are good looking on paper form, i'd just trust a better name brand spring... anyone have any springs that they would vouch for?

[WanganRunner]

I know a lot of people that like their RS*R springs, although honestly at this point I wouldn't be terribly in doubt of any Megan Suspension product.

Their coilovers have proven to be quite good, good enough for Apex'i to license the design and rebadge them as the N1 EXV's.

[BigVinnie]

about the megan springs, they're spring rates are good looking on paper form, i'd just trust a better name brand spring... anyone have any springs that they would vouch for?

It's more than paper, the megan springs are tested on a dyno for there spring rate, that doesn't change the reliability of the product just for it's name. It's also because the steel that is used and the design of the spring that allows that springrate you can pretty much determine that it is a durable product. It wouldn't be any different than purchasing rs-r's, or even eibachs for that matter, accept the fact for there name badge they are more expensive than the megans.
Thats why when I mention that the tien stechs are poo they pretty much are. Cheap steel and a good design can offer a horrible springrate even with a brand name such as tien.

[ronmcdon]

The good news is that you can likely find a buyer for your used GR-2's if they're not blown/messed up. You should be able to get at least $100 for the set, which will somewhat soften the blow of the AGX purchase.

True, but if it has to come down to getting new shocks & springs ($500-$700), i might as well just get some coilovers instead. If it was just getting some springs for $100, i'd def consider it as a temporary solution.

[BigVinnie]

True, but if it has to come down to getting new shocks & springs ($500-$700), i might as well just get some coilovers instead. If it was just getting some springs for $100, i'd def consider it as a temporary solution.


Uhh more like $400-$500 and your missing the point.. Shock strut combos are for streetability.
Coilovers suck with potholes.

[drift freaq]

I know a lot of people that like their RS*R springs, although honestly at this point I wouldn't be terribly in doubt of any Megan Suspension product.

Their coilovers have proven to be quite good, good enough for Apex'i to license the design and rebadge them as the N1 EXV's.


You sir do not know what your talking about. Apex N1 EXV's while looking like the Megans are not the same valving internally and do not ride like the Megans. Do a Search on the forum here., Slizzoo had Megan sold them and bought the Apex's just to see. Its a different shock. It might have come out of the same factory but it is designed to Apex specs, which are not Megan specs.

[drift freaq]

If you do not team AGX's up with the proper spring rates they will indeed be very bouncy as bouncy as a lot of coilover setups can be.

[BigVinnie]

You sir do not know what your talking about. Apex N1 EXV's while looking like the Megans are not the same valving internally and do not ride like the Megans. Do a Search on the forum here., Slizzoo had Megan sold them and bought the Apex's just to see. Its a different shock. It might have come out of the same factory but it is designed to Apex specs, which are not Megan specs.

You are correct, I wanted too commment on this as well. It just happens that BC sold Megan and Apexi the same shells. They are in no way the same internally. There has been misinformed information spewing and regurgitating from the mouths of many Megan distributors that they were infact the same to boost sales, (which is of course false information). I feel sorry for anyone that had taken those lies as truth.

[ronmcdon]

Uhh more like $400-$500 and your missing the point.. Shock strut combos are for streetability.
Coilovers suck with potholes.



Sorry i didn't clarify. it would be a bit more if the shock used were koni yellows. I've always just purchased koni's in the past so that always comes to mind.

I don't know if coilovers are not streetable. I'd think that's more a matter of spring rates and dampening. A lot of coilovers have pretty modest rates out there, like 4/6 or 6/8. Most of them have adjustable dampening.

Then again, whats streetable and what's not is so subjective that it can be somewhat meaningless to discuss. I have koni yellow/GC springs w/ 375f 500r on my crx. I have it as my daily beater in los angeles, and i find it feels ok. theoretically i'd imagine a 8k/6k (440f/330r?) setup on a heavier car like my S14 should be more comfy.

[BigVinnie]

I don't know if coilovers are not streetable. I'd think that's more a matter of spring rates and dampening. A lot of coilovers have pretty modest rates out there, like 4/6 or 6/8. Most of them have adjustable dampening.


Right but what people fail to realize is that AGX's are a simplified coil over dampening system that is applied to a strut shell rather than a coil over shell.
The only real difference between the 2 types of systems is that coilovers have ride hight adjustability, where as AGX's are bound to a non adjustable spring.
As in this example at the corrolla forums this guy modifies AGX's to perform as a coil over for $700.
http://img302.imageshack.us/img302/2530/agxhybrid2db.jpg

[ronmcdon]

yes, for the most part coilovers only offer height adjustment. TBH - I don't really mess with the ride height too much anyways. I just stick with a reasonable height that works good for street and track. Many of the nicer shocks like the AGX or the Koni yellows will offer dampening adjustment, so it is really not that much different otherwise.

Looks like what you have their are AGX and GC coilovers. $700 would be about right :) . I actually prefer using the Koni/GC setup as the shocks are usually valved for a larger range of spring rates, and its usually simple to get diff rate springs as well. I just wish it was as easy to use the same setup with our 240's without modifying the shock body.

[drift freaq]

The biggest problem, with the GC/Koni or AGX setup, is the fact that neither the Koni Yellow or the AGX shocks for our cars is properly stroked for a 2 inch or more lowered setup. In short neither is a true short stroke shock for our cars. Which means basically they will perform well up to a certain amount of lowering. Once you go beyond that your shock is pretty much going to bottom or not be able to utilized to its full potential and in the end fail. Now if there was a short stroke shock available a GC/shock setup would indeed be a very affordable way to go.
For the person who wants to lower the car have a fairly decent adjustable ride height setup and is not going crazy super slammed they work.
I will say its superior to the average spring shock combo as GC has indeed worked with matching the eibach ers springs to each brand of shock decently. Plus if you don't like it you can buy different rates.

[Ricks15]

Lowering springs and strut bars.

[BigVinnie]

The biggest problem, with the GC/Koni or AGX setup, is the fact that neither the Koni Yellow or the AGX shocks for our cars is properly stroked for a 2 inch or more lowered setup.

This is true since speaking with a rep at KYB the lowest the drop can be from front and rear is about 1.8" from stock clearance to perform well. Anything dropping below can actually cause damage. This means even using a proper spring rate would need to be used, since G forces verticle/lateral can cause a drop in the suspension as well not using the proper spring rates. (This is one of the reasons why I want to move away from the tien Stechs, and order the megans with the 4/6Kg spring rate.) I believe the stechs cause more damage with the crappy 2/3Kg spring rates

Now if there was a short stroke shock available a GC/shock setup would indeed be a very affordable way to go.


I believe for $1000 Tanabe offers the sustech pro's that carry many similarities to the AGX's/GC's with much longer stroking capabilities. I was considering on purchasing a set, but I don't hear many people speaking highly about them these days (or saying anything at all for that matter).
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c166/BigVinnie/Tanabecoilover.gif

[Nismo240SX]

Lowering springs and strut bars.

i already have those dickweed. go blurt out on someone else's thread, but next time, try to make a complete sentence by including a verb with your subject.

[drift freaq]

[QUOTE=BigVinnie]This is true since speaking with a rep at KYB the lowest the drop can be from front and rear is about 1.8" from stock clearance to perform well. Anything dropping below can actually cause damage. This means even using a proper spring rate would need to be used, since G forces verticle/lateral can cause a drop in the suspension as well not using the proper spring rates. (This is one of the reasons why I want to move away from the tien Stechs, and order the megans with the 4/6Kg spring rate.) I believe the stechs cause more damage with the crappy 2/3Kg spring rates



I believe for $1000 Tanabe offers the sustech pro's that carry many similarities to the AGX's/GC's with much longer stroking capabilities. I was considering on purchasing a set, but I don't hear many people speaking highly about them these days (or saying anything at all for that matter).

Once again though the Sustec Pro's are now up in a price range that puts them in direct competition with several good coilover setups, KTS,Stance,Apex N1 EXV's etc.... At that point the Sustec Pro is not worth the money your paying for it in comparision to those.
Its this very reason I am going to most likely wind up with Stances on my car. Of course as with anything you get what you pay for and the KTS and the Stance are pretty damn good bang for the buck in their price range. I would say the Sustec Pro's should be cheaper by at least a few hundred but they are not.

[BigVinnie]

I would say the Sustec Pro's should be cheaper by at least a few hundred but they are not.

Agreed. For there durability to conditions I wouldn't pay more than $800. If they were in compitition with the Megan's I would buy the Tanabe over the Megans anyday.
Silkroad, Stance and KTS for the price seem to be the best in pricing for performance.

[Nismo240SX]

okay, can anyone help me with converting these spring rates to metric? 450lbs front, and 400 rear. whats the formula? i think it is (Standard amount) x 0.018 = metric .... am i correct?

[drift freaq]

okay, can anyone help me with converting these spring rates to metric? 450lbs front, and 400 rear. whats the formula? i think it is (Standard amount) x 0.018 = metric .... am i correct?

The conversion factor is KG/mm x55. A 450lb spring is pretty much in the 8KG/mm range. The Eibach ERS spring setup that comes with GC's is pretty much a 8kg front 6kg rear setup.

[Nismo240SX]

so a 400lb spring is in the 7KG/mm range? want to know something funny? the dropzone springs i have on my car are 8kg front and 7kg rear(if i am converting correctly). i guess the crappy ride is from the gr2's. hell, i guess i may just buy some AGX's and call it a day

[drift freaq]

so a 400lb spring is in the 7KG/mm range? want to know something funny? the dropzone springs i have on my car are 8kg front and 7kg rear(if i am converting correctly). i guess the crappy ride is from the gr2's. hell, i guess i may just buy some AGX's and call it a day

Well its not always as simple as you think. Those Dropzone springs might have a decent spring rate but if they are crap it means nothing. I would hazard to say they probably sag.
Someone earlier in the thread ripped on Eibach Sportlines and Pro kits, fact is they are a quality wind that will not sag.
Tein springs are famous for sagging after 2k miles. One of the cool things about the Eibach meet 2 years ago was the fact that we got to see their spring dyno and see a number of brands of springs they had tested.
A spring is only as good as what quality of spring steel its made from, how its wound and how it dyno's. In that sense Eibach ERS springs are very high quality springs, that do not sag. In fact sometimes people with other brand coilovers wind up sticking Eibach ERS springs on replacing the the springs that came with them.
Swift claims to be better than Eibach in dyno testing and in a supposedly higher quality spring steel thereby utilizing less winds and being lighter. Though I have heard recently of people breaking Swift springs. I have not verified that fact beyond reading it on the forums though.

[VROOOM]

Right but what people fail to realize is that AGX's are a simplified coil over dampening system that is applied to a strut shell rather than a coil over shell.
The only real difference between the 2 types of systems is that coilovers have ride hight adjustability, where as AGX's are bound to a non adjustable spring.
As in this example at the corrolla forums this guy modifies AGX's to perform as a coil over for $700.
http://img302.imageshack.us/img302/2530/agxhybrid2db.jpg

I had a set of gab superstroke revo 2's on my old civic and they looked exactly like a set af AGX shocks, but height adjustable. same adjustment knob and everything. and those coilovers were stiff as fuck(my girlfriend wouldn't ride in my car, said it made her tits hurt). thats one reason im running AGX w/ RSR springs right now. dont track my car enough to justify the shitty ride.

[drift freaq]

I had a set of gab superstroke revo 2's on my old civic and they looked exactly like a set af AGX shocks, but height adjustable. same adjustment knob and everything. and those coilovers were stiff as fuck(my girlfriend wouldn't ride in my car, said it made her tits hurt). thats one reason im running AGX w/ RSR springs right now. dont track my car enough to justify the shitty ride.

KYB makes the component for GAB,Tanabe,Nismo, etc... In case you did not know there are not that many actual shock manufacturers in the World. There is a lot of rebranding that goes on in Japan. Of course sometimes the particular brand gives the shock builder different specs to build to.

[Nismo240SX]

well, i've ran these dropzones for 2 years, and no sag what-so-ever. as for the tein's i've never seen any sag. tein and dropzone guarantee no sag or free replacement. you would be surprised to know who actually makes Dropzone

[BigVinnie]

well, i've ran these dropzones for 2 years, and no sag what-so-ever. as for the tein's i've never seen any sag. tein and dropzone guarantee no sag or free replacement.

Believe me tien stechs sag. If you are using GR2's that is probably where the majority of your sag is coming from using any type of drop spring. The GR2's are a stock OEM replacement shock and don't maintain well to dropped hiegth unlike the AGX's. GR-2s are stroked to function with bounce and comfort as if the car was stock, for stock hiegth, it is very limited to function well with a drop, and will cause sag.

[WilloW]

The Megan springs come with a 6Kg springrate for the front, and a 4Kg spring rate for the rear.
BigVinnie, recently I've been thinking about puting the Megan springs together with my Tokico J-Sports (short stroke) which is somewhat similar to the setup you mentioned. From your experience did the Megan springs gives an even drop as far as the front VS. the back? My worst fear is to have the front higher than the back :smash: . As far as a budget suspension, my setup of the Tokico J-Sports (short stroke, only rears are 5-way adjustable) and the Megan Springs (will buy soon) will cost under $400 shipped.

[BigVinnie]

BigVinnie, recently I've been thinking about puting the Megan springs together with my Tokico J-Sports (short stroke) which is somewhat similar to the setup you mentioned. From your experience did the Megan springs gives an even drop as far as the front VS. the back? My worst fear is to have the front higher than the back :smash: . As far as a budget suspension, my setup of the Tokico J-Sports (short stroke, only rears are 5-way adjustable) and the Megan Springs (will buy soon) will cost under $400 shipped.

I have a few friends that are using the megan springs. I don't see any problems. Compared to my ride using the tiens it is a much stiffer ride. There is no awkward sagging as many people think. It's a good product for using the Megan name.

[HKSdrift3r]

So as far as a stock shock is concerned, would the Megan Lowering springs be to much for them... too stiff of a spring rate for the shock?

[wilfonzo]

this thread is making me second guess my decision to purchase KTS coilovers and go with an AGX/? combo seeing how i will most likey never see a track

alot of good info here... keep it up

[Maeda]

Theres a simply solution for that. GO TO THE TRACK.

[FaLKoN240]

I track my car, and I had KYB AGX. I hated them. I had Eibach Pro-kit springs.

I'm not speaking from reading what EVERYONE else says. I'm saying what I know.

I fucking hate shock and spring. Every car I've been in with shock and spring feels sloppy, and is not responsive enough for what I WANT. I don't know what you like, nor do I care. I'm speaking from experience. Also, when I put the damping on my coilovers to the softest setting it's very streetable.

[ronmcdon]

I track my car, and I had KYB AGX. I hated them. I had Eibach Pro-kit springs.

I fucking hate shock and spring. Every car I've been in with shock and spring feels sloppy, and is not responsive enough for what I WANT. I don't know what you like, nor do I care. I'm speaking from experience. Also, when I put the damping on my coilovers to the softest setting it's very streetable.

I don't know what other cars you've driven, and what are the shock & spring combo is, however i will say that eibach pro-kits have some of the lowest spring rates out there. In some cases the rates are even more conservative than oem. this is perfectly ok if you want just a drop on an otherwise comfy car, but it could explain why it feels unresponsive. the rates are just too soft.

About shock and spring combos, sometimes it just requires more fine-tuning. Not sure if the Koni/GC coilover for my crx would fit the criterion of 'shock & spring', but I had to adjust the setup and ride height alot before i got something i was happy with. When i first put them on, they were too low and bottomed out, and the valving was set too stiff in the back. the car felt like it cornered worse and was more unpredictable than the stock suspension.

After messing with the settings some (adjusted rear shocks to med valving, and raised the car up some), and just driving the car so i get used to it, im actually a lot more comfortable with it and i'm overall happy with the results.

[ronmcdon]

this thread is making me second guess my decision to purchase KTS coilovers and go with an AGX/? combo seeing how i will most likey never see a track

alot of good info here... keep it up

I'm no expert, but i think even if you are a track guy that doesn't necc mean you have to go with coilovers.

Based on what I've researched (and pls correct me if im wrong), the only reason why you would need coilovers over the AGX or Koni/GC combo would be that:

1) you need to lower the car more than 2 inches. sorta like the same reason why not everyone needs aftermarket ruca's. Wish GC made some shock mts for our cars so it wouldn't bottom out so easily.

2) you need spring rates higher than 500 lbs. Konis and AGX single adjustables are valved to around 500 lbs or around 9.5k (some will say 600 lbs is the limit, so maybe its debateable. i just like being safe). For Hondas, you can get a special revalving job done with the Koni yellows for it to take even higher rates. i don't know if this is avail for 240s though. There are also Koni double externally adjustable shocks (for rebound and compression separately). They can withstand even higher spring rates iirc, but they are also very expensive $4-500 shocks.

Most full coilovers out there are 6k/8k anyways. The koni yellows can take up to 9.5k rates, so i think unless your looking for a very stiff 10k/12k rates coilover, the koni/GCs should be sufficient. A lot of the Honda track guys stay away from the JDM coilovers period, and prefer the koni/GC combo.

I really like Konis a lot too, b/c they're very easy to get rebuilt. I live 30 mins away from one of the Koni rebuilt center in socal, so thats even better :)

[wilfonzo]

so what would the difference be in a set of both coilovers and shock/springs if the both had the same spring rates and besides height adj...
the dampening?

[BigVinnie]

So as far as a stock shock is concerned, would the Megan Lowering springs be to much for them... too stiff of a spring rate for the shock?

Never use lowering springs on OEM/stock struts (that includes GR-2's). All it does is blow out the struts since they are not stroked for a drop in the suspension.

[ronmcdon]

so what would the difference be in a set of both coilovers and shock/springs if the both had the same spring rates and besides height adj...
the dampening?

I don't think there really is much difference, for MOST coilovers out there. you can just as easily adjust dampening. rebound & compression setting are not independantly adjustable in most cases for shock & spring or full coilover apps, unless they are higher end coilovers that do have independant rebound & comp settings. But even something like that is a bit overkill for ppl who causally track their car a couple times a year. features like that, i'd imagine are only worthwhile if you're competing and need to fine tune your suspesion to the max to be competitive.

I really do think, however, if you're considering spring and premium shock combos (koni yellows/agx, not cheapo gr-2 and the like), you may as well consider getting slip on coilovers from GC. Its like $300, compared to a decent $150-$200+ spring. Might as well get something that also allows you to adjust hieght, get specific rates you want, and be able to change those rates later on easily.

About the full-coilovers, iirc, most manufacteres say its ok to change the rates but not to deviate from the default rates by too much (i think it's with 100 lbs/2k, give or take). They're valved to a very limited range, compared to Konis. Not sure if its ok to go a very low rate, but i think it should theoretically be fine. Konis on the other hand have a much wide range of valving, up to 500 lbs. In that respect I'd imagine them to be somewhat more flexible than full-coilovers.

Again, im no expert. I've only sat and driven in hondas and miatas with the GC/Koni combo. I've also driven a friends' civic with some tein full-coilovers, and tried to do as much reasearch as possible. Im not drawing conclusions, just pointing out to some observations and discussing. :blah:

[steve shadows]

how about this

get 4 pieces of steel tubing, drill some holes, install (in place of shock/spring and go!).:keke: :keke:

[HKSdrift3r]

^^or not... any one have any experience with the RS*R race springs?? They seem to have a decent rating as well as a conservative drop.

[steve shadows]

^^or not... any one have any experience with the RS*R race springs?? They seem to have a decent rating as well as a conservative drop.

why not?

hksdrift would do it if it were straight jdm yo!


go get some kyb agxs, and some pro kits if you want to be bukku cheap.

if you want to be a real jdm drift star buy a corolla from takumi or whatevre.

IMO just save up for coilovers. I got all my suspension for free so far, nice to have friends who hate money I guess.

[drift freaq]

^^or not... any one have any experience with the RS*R race springs?? They seem to have a decent rating as well as a conservative drop.

I said this in one of my previous posts,maybe in not these same exact words though.
The key, to any spring shock combo, is matching the springs to the valving of the shock.
Eibach Pro kits were designed to be put on stock shocks, they are very soft. KYB AGX is a uprated over stock shock i.E a performance shock. If your going to put a spring on them a Sportline or better would be the wiser choice.
I have driven cars with AGX'swith HKS super sports, ride not bad though a bit bouncy. I have driven cars with RSR downs tend to be a little stiffer somewhat bouncy.
I just sold a car with Tokico blues, yes its a uprated shock though not to the level of the AGX with Espelir springs. It drove very well i.e. handled well, dropped the car some and retained a relatively smooth pleasant ride experience i.e. stiffer than stock but not bone jarring. In fact most people that rode in the car or test drove it loved the suspension.
Now, if you can match your springs to the shock, then a spring shock combo can perform as well as a coilover.
The big catch here is the average buyer is clueless in the department. They do not know the valving of the shock and just grab some off the self springs putting them together hoping the combo will work blindly.
Tokico was smart in offering their springs with their shocks, as it made a good upgrade combo for the average guy looking for sportier handling without going all out.

Ground Control has actually done work, in the matching the springs to the shock, when it comes to Koni's and AGX's. Albeit the numbers are pretty universal but when it comes down to it they are putting you in the right ballpark to play.
Most of the better coilover manufacturers do research into this as well and your getting a pretty well matched setup. Of course this depends on who is making your coilover as to the extent of the research and you do get what you pay for.
For anyone who is ripping on Eibach ERS springs you really need to do your research on them. They have been on so many cars that have won races and have been spring dyno test proven as well.
I am not trying to be a proponent of Ground Control here but I will say a lot of slag them without really knowing or having experienced a good GC setup.
I always hear the I want true coilovers statement. Your stock struts are true coilovers in the definition of a coilover shock!!!
Somewhere along the design of any coilover with adjustable collars the sleeve has to be attached to the shock body. If you do it or its done for you the end result is the same if you do it right. You turn a non adjustable collar shock body into a adjustable collar shock body.

Now that rant over :D lol
You have your choices, i.e. budget affordable, decent spring shock combo harder to do for the common man but done right works.
Budget adjustable collar and adjustable damper setup? GC/AGX! Step up from that price wise ? Megans, would I buy Megans? No. Why? They break. Just like JIC break. To many times seen it happen with both brands.
Tein? A lot of serious Tein owners wind up sticking Eibach springs on in place of Tein springs. See earlier for the discourse on how Tein springs suck.
Next step up. Your in the 1k range and now most people do not consider that budget except for those of us who look at the suspension in the 1.5-2.5k range.
Thats it in a nutshell folks.

[cdlong]

Now, if you can match your springs to the shock, then a spring shock combo can perform as well as a coilover.
The big catch here is the average buyer is clueless in the department. They do not know the valving of the shock and just grab some off the self springs putting them together hoping the combo will work blindly.

Ground Control has actually done work, in the matching the springs to the shock, when it comes to Koni's and AGX's. Albeit the numbers are pretty universal but when it comes down to it they are putting you in the right ballpark to play.

since you brought it up, do you mind explaining the process a little, or point us in the right direction? GC's store asks for what shocks you use so i guess they would do it for you, but i'd rather know myself and be able to make adjustments.

any body know if GCs have the same clearance issues as standard coilovers? are they better or worse than most coilovers?

i had always planned to get some KTS coils when i turned my car into a track slut because i was under the impression that GCs were the APC of spring manufacturers. i have almost new AGXs so this might be a good option for me.

[HKSdrift3r]

why not?

hksdrift would do it if it were straight jdm yo!


go get some kyb agxs, and some pro kits if you want to be bukku cheap.

if you want to be a real jdm drift star buy a corolla from takumi or whatevre.



If i wanted to be a real jdm tyte drift star, id be rockin the real tyte sr20 and 4k wheels but im not! Its not that im bukku cheap, i actually have to pay for parts and since my car is a DD, theres no point in saving for C/O when it'll never see a track.

Drift Freaq, thanks for your very informative post, looks like the Pro-kit is goin on my ride.

-George

[drift freaq]

since you brought it up, do you mind explaining the process a little, or point us in the right direction? GC's store asks for what shocks you use so i guess they would do it for you, but i'd rather know myself and be able to make adjustments.

any body know if GCs have the same clearance issues as standard coilovers? are they better or worse than most coilovers?

i had always planned to get some KTS coils when i turned my car into a track slut because i was under the impression that GCs were the APC of spring manufacturers. i have almost new AGXs so this might be a good option for me.
They do not have bad clearance issues, in fact better than some brands. As far as adjustments go. Unless you have all the valving info on your shock matching the spring is a matter of trial and error. Even people with much higher priced setups go through this. For instance Koguichi has Tein Flex with EDFC because he is sponsored by them but he is running different spec springs then what come on Flex setups for our cars.
If you were under the Impression that GC was the APC of spring manufacturers then you A: did not do your homework and B: listened to a lot of hearsay.
Ground Control does not make springs. They use Eibach ERS springs and in no way shape or form is Eibach the equivilant of APC.
On top of that Ground control uses lightweight aircraft qualiity aluminum threaded sleaves and collars. There is nothing cheap about them.
If you really study Ground Control you will see they have many SCCA championships under their belt . This would not happen with a company making products the quality of APC, which got sued by the U.S. D.O.T. for not making legally safe products.
Again I am not speaking up as a champion of Ground Control I am just trying to clear up a lot of major misconceptions a lot of people in the scene(some of which should know better but are biased out of ignorance) try to heap on them.
They make a product that is well worth the money and is excellent bang for the buck. Look no further than the SER guys to see how many people run Ground Controls even look at a fair amount of AE86 guys as well.
Honestly sometimes 240 owners can be snobs.

[cdlong]

A: yep
B: yep, i haven't even considered using them until now.
i should have said suspension products, i know the springs themselves are eibach. i have sportlines now, they are good springs but too soft and a little too low. thanks for the info, i'll do some more research.

i second the snob comment.

[ronmcdon]

They do not have bad clearance issues, in fact better than some brands.

On top of that Ground control uses lightweight aircraft qualiity aluminum threaded sleaves and collars. There is nothing cheap about them.
If you really study Ground Control you will see they have many SCCA championships under their belt . This would not happen with a company making products the quality of APC, which got sued by the U.S. D.O.T. for not making legally safe products.
Again I am not speaking up as a champion of Ground Control I am just trying to clear up a lot of major misconceptions a lot of people in the scene(some of which should know better but are biased out of ignorance) try to heap on them.
They make a product that is well worth the money and is excellent bang for the buck. Look no further than the SER guys to see how many people run Ground Controls even look at a fair amount of AE86 guys as well.

Honestly sometimes 240 owners can be snobs.



Regarding the clearance issue, i don't think that the actual GC coilovers have clearance issues. However, when using the Koni or AGX/GC combo, its the actual shocks that have clearance issues, hence the whole setup cannot be lowered more than 2" w/out modifying the shock body.

I use GC/Koni for my crx, eg hatch, and miata. I have them b/c they are effective for the given appilcation. However, with my 240 i will chose to go with some tanabe coilovers b/c its something where i can lower it more without clearance issues, and it is a good product. I don't know about you guys, but I choose parts depending on the application and what works, not snob appeal.

[WilloW]

I have a few friends that are using the megan springs. I don't see any problems. Compared to my ride using the tiens it is a much stiffer ride. There is no awkward sagging as many people think. It's a good product for using the Megan name.
http://photos.freshalloy.com/gallery/d/8433-1/DSCN7705.JPG
http://photos.freshalloy.com/gallery/d/8436-1/DSCN7702.JPG
Thank you kind sir for responding, I was a little hesitant about buying those springs but now I'm going to get them. After some searching, the spring rates of these looks very similar to the KGMMs. Does anyone know how much those KGMM DR21 Racing lower the car (s14)? The pics above are of the Tokico J-Sports, the total of my budget suspension came out to be just about $400. $304 shipped for the Tokico from Wheel Choice, and $85+shipping for the Megan Orange Springs from UM. Yay for no more riding "Bucky the S14"..."drive like a truck, buck like a horse":rl: .

[drift freaq]

Regarding the clearance issue, i don't think that the actual GC coilovers have clearance issues. However, when using the Koni or AGX/GC combo, its the actual shocks that have clearance issues, hence the whole setup cannot be lowered more than 2" w/out modifying the shock body.

.
Actually you can lower the Ground Control Koni or AGX setups more than 2 inchs. It is not a clearance issue. It is a optimum dampner performance issue. Ground Controls will let you drop the car 3 inchs or more. Though when you do that your no longer in the shocks optimum piston range and it could bottom. Thats not a clearance issue thats a stroke issue. If you alter the shock body to raise the lower pickup point then yes you would minimize that. Though your statement of not being able to lower the whole setup more than 2 inchs is just flat out wrong.

[cdlong]

Regarding the clearance issue, i don't think that the actual GC coilovers have clearance issues. However, when using the Koni or AGX/GC combo, its the actual shocks that have clearance issues, hence the whole setup cannot be lowered more than 2" w/out modifying the shock body.

so the springs on the GC/AGX combo sit above the tire like stock? instead of next to it like a coilover. 2" is enough for me.

[drift freaq]

so the springs on the GC/AGX combo sit above the tire like stock? instead of next to it like a coilover. 2" is enough for me.
No, the collar slides down over the original perch location. The front uses a base which you spot weld onto the shock body the collar sits atop this. The rear actually slips down onto the shock body and extends lower than the original perch. Roncom is describing something that is not a clearance issue but a stroke issue and he is mistaken at best on description of it. I have a Ground Control setup on my car right now. It can easily drop below 2 inches like I said before. The way he speaks of clearance issues is improper. I stated the clearance issues before. They are no different than any other coilover. Some coilovers have some clearance issues some have less. I have not seen a large clearance issues on the GC setup for 240sx's nor has my associate who runs a Koni/GC track S14. On top of that Yoshi on the forum here also runs a GC/AGX setup and has not had clearance issues. You need to start listening to people who have real world experience with 240's and these setups.

I stated this before I will state again its not a clearance issue its a stroke issue. Its amazing how I can state this and you guys just completely miss it. The issue is the fact that once you go beyond roughly 2-2.5 inches you are putting your shock at a disadvantage dampning wise(unless its a short stroke shock).
Why? because the AGX's and the Konis for our cars were setup up for performance but not super extreme lowering. They are not true short stroke shocks.
When you lower a non short stroke shock beyond a certain point you no longer utilize the dampner in its optimum stroke range and you risk bottoming the piston. Now there are two ways to correct this situation, change the lower pickup point on the strut so you actually move the damnper body back into the optimum range in the spring. Or you get a short stroke shock, the stroke is shortened so that you get the optimum travel for the lowered spring which has less up and down motion due to being stiffer and shorter. Thats a quick laymens explanation of the physics involved.

[WanganRunner]

Theres a simply solution for that. GO TO THE TRACK.

Not everyone lives near a track, and thus setting their car up for track duty wouldn't make much sense.

Yes, there are tracks in California where you love. Surprisingly, not EVERYONE on Zilvia is from California, even though it may seem like it sometimes. I'm lucky enough to have VIR and Summit Point within easy driving range of DC, but people in other parts of the country may not have have access to circuits.

Anyway, this has turned into a very good thread.

[ronmcdon]

Actually you can lower the Ground Control Koni or AGX setups more than 2 inchs. It is not a clearance issue. It is a optimum dampner performance issue. Ground Controls will let you drop the car 3 inchs or more. Though when you do that your no longer in the shocks optimum piston range and it could bottom. Thats not a clearance issue thats a stroke issue. If you alter the shock body to raise the lower pickup point then yes you would minimize that. Though your statement of not being able to lower the whole setup more than 2 inchs is just flat out wrong.

sorry for not being clear, thats my fault. anyhow, i pretty much agree with you there. i meant to say lowering around more than 2" would cause the shocks to bottom out.

I wonder if the lowering issue could be helped, if Koni could shorten their Koni yellows for the 240sx app? I know for a fact that this can be done for Hondas, as i had the option to do so when i had my honda shocks rebuilt & revalved. IIRC, the shortening of shocks was around $70 per shock, in addition to the rebuild service I had. I also do know that GC offers top shock mts as well, but i doubt they have anything for the 240 either.

That being said, even if such parts/services were avail, including camber plates, i think the price would add to be similar the cost of some KTS/Megan full coilovers. I think id still opt for the Koni/GC's though.

[drift freaq]

sorry for not being clear, thats my fault. anyhow, i pretty much agree with you there. i meant to say lowering around more than 2" would cause the shocks to bottom out.

I wonder if the lowering issue could be helped, if Koni could shorten their Koni yellows for the 240sx app? I know for a fact that this can be done for Hondas, as i had the option to do so when i had my honda shocks rebuilt & revalved. IIRC, the shortening of shocks was around $70 per shock, in addition to the rebuild service I had. I also do know that GC offers top shock mts as well, but i doubt they have anything for the 240 either.

That being said, even if such parts/services were avail, including camber plates, i think the price would add to be similar the cost of some KTS/Megan full coilovers. I think id still opt for the Koni/GC's though.

Thats cool, GC used to sell special app short stroke Koni's but they stopped selling them the minute they came with their Advanced Design fully adjustable short stroke adjustable collar coilover.
There was another place that did it down here as well that was big with the SER crowd but they have stopped as well. You can buy custom short strokes from Koni but once you factor in the cost it puts you up in the land of KTS,Stance, Silkroad etc...

[mobilesuit818]

I think it all depends on what you want at the end result. Everyone can say, that XXX is great, and someone else can say xyxy product is great too. These people are not you, and therefore the real decision and feedback will need to be yours and your alone.
With this being said, I hatex2 AGX setups. I have heard good and bad things about them, but I cant say one good thing about them.

What I like is to use stock springs, with Koni shocks, and hard-thick swaybars with adjustable end links, set the swaybar on a hard setting, and you get a all purpose suspension, with the much needed suspension travel, Thick sway bars to end the all famous body roll, and the ability to drive bumpy streets, and cambers corner of racetracks all in the same setup. This is to help prepare you for coilover setup.

This is meant for another post, but 80-90% of people who get coilovers, dont know how to use up the full potential of them. Just my .002 cents

[ronmcdon]

Thats cool, GC used to sell special app short stroke Koni's but they stopped selling them the minute they came with their Advanced Design fully adjustable short stroke adjustable collar coilover.
There was another place that did it down here as well that was big with the SER crowd but they have stopped as well. You can buy custom short strokes from Koni but once you factor in the cost it puts you up in the land of KTS,Stance, Silkroad etc...

Yeah, the Advance Designs are certainly top notch. Kinda similar in function and pricing to the Koni double-externally adjustables. Again, I'm not really sure if they have an application for 240's.

I really think in time, with the growing popularity of 240's, Koni may offer more products suited towards our needs. They released a special version of the yellows that already were shortened and had the spss2 (?) valving to be compatible with higher spring rates (good for around 1,000 lb rates? not sure) for the honda track guys last year. They were more expensive at around $1k for a set of 4 shocks, but certainly worth it imo. its entirely possible that we may get something in the future as well.

Yeah, its true that if you're looking at a more customized Koni/GC suspension buildup it will cost you as much as say a set of Megan, or KTS. Personally, I'd trust a more overall established company like Koni, the convience of having proffesionall rebuild centers close by, and have the flexibility of choosing a wide range of spring rates I can play with. Imo, the Koni/GC setup would be less user friendly, b/c its not such a tried and tested setup within the 240sx enthusiasts as the usual full coilovers. Going the shortened Koni/GC setup theoretically makes sense, but its still risky b/c so few of us have done it.

On the other hand, the full coilovers you get from KTS, Megan, Tein, Tanabe etc are also very conveninet in that everthing is pretty much a pretuned, plug & play suspension setup. It pretty much performs close to optimal once you install them.

[ronmcdon]

I think it all depends on what you want at the end result. Everyone can say, that XXX is great, and someone else can say xyxy product is great too. These people are not you, and therefore the real decision and feedback will need to be yours and your alone.
With this being said, I hatex2 AGX setups. I have heard good and bad things about them, but I cant say one good thing about them.



true, diff ppl will prefer diff setups just like they may have diff driving styles, which i why i think adjustability (or in some cases, lack of it, if youd rather not deal with hassle more than anything else) is prob one of the most desirable qualities in a given suspension setup. Being able to choose and change spring rates from a wider range is one reason why I love the Koni/GC's.

I've never used AGX's so i can't comment on them. I've just always used Konis and have been happy with them. The Konis arn't that much more expensive. the piece of mind of using Koni alone, is worth the neglibile premium imo.