coilover reviews

Discussion in 'Modifications & DIY how-to' started by oucatch21, Jan 16, 2006.

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  1. oucatch21

    oucatch21 Member

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    Okay guys im trying to decide between different sets of coilovers
    ive been searching for a few days and havent been able to find any thing ...
    my options are
    TEIN Flex
    Tein SS
    and Cusco zero2r

    any body that has these or has seen a reveiw of these im trying to get as much info as i can.

    Milo i want a ride so i can see what the flex feel like :)
     
  2. Trackmonkey Racing

    Trackmonkey Racing New Member

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    Not sure if you are still looking, but the Tein SS and the any Cusco will be inferior to the Tein Flex. The Flex is an excellent coilover for the $$.

    I still personally would recommend a STi V8 takeoff shock with some Pink Springs for anything other then a "raced" car, but if you must have the height adjustability of coilovers, the Flex > * in their pricerange.

    -Tom
     
  3. miloman

    miloman Retired Admin

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    the flex feel awesome... let me know when u would like a ride
     
  4. tuan

    tuan Member

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    how much are the flex?
     
  5. miloman

    miloman Retired Admin

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    on tein's website they are $1740... look at details here

    SOG or topspeed might have lower prices
     
  6. tuan

    tuan Member

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    lower like?????hahaha
     
  7. pEd

    pEd This ain't no Piccadilly!

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    I'm very happy with my Flex.
    Agree with Tom on the money issue.
    Can't beat them for the price.

    Might want to look at JIC's as well.
     
  8. jason

    jason Member

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    Ill second that. I could not be happier with mine. I got mine for around 1500 shipped.

    Milo, dont we have the same spring rate? (7/7)
     
  9. Alex

    Alex Community Founder
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    You shoulda stuck around Chip, we finished up my JICs. The final product is pure excellence :bigthumb:
     
  10. Trackmonkey Racing

    Trackmonkey Racing New Member

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    Talk to Trey at TopSpeed, they will give you a great deal :)

    -Tom
     
  11. WRX-WRC

    WRX-WRC Active Member

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    +1 JIC's FTW
     
  12. monk

    monk <b>The Kitchen Ninja!!!!</b>

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    +1 for flex
     
  13. miloman

    miloman Retired Admin

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    mine are 8/8... i have a set of 9/12 sitting in the closet that im not sure i wanna put on

    i believe the new flex coilovers come with 10/8
     
  14. Alex

    Alex Community Founder
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    You need 12 12, :p
     
  15. miloman

    miloman Retired Admin

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    are u running 12/12?
     
  16. Alex

    Alex Community Founder
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    No, that's insane for daily street oriented application. 7/5 with my sways is perfect.
     
  17. flip

    flip Member

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    removed post, starting a new thread instead...
     
    #17 flip, Mar 8, 2006
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2006
  18. Alex

    Alex Community Founder
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  19. javid

    javid Member

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    for street/hobby: ~5k-9k + sways
    For race: ~12k-16k + no sway

    Tien shocks= digressive (could be harser on street, better on track, not better for rally)
    JIC shocks (and cusco too me thinks, hoppe would know) = linear (could be nicer on street, less better'er on track, less not better for rally)

    Actualy tuning your suspesion setup = priceless ;)
     
  20. miloman

    miloman Retired Admin

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    amen to that
     
  21. siegelracing

    siegelracing Registered Vendor<br><b><font color="#666666">bion

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    The SS-P's are the most comfortable suspension I have EVER driven on an Impreza. They still outhandle stock shocks by a MILE.

    The Flex's are going to perform better, and be less comfy, the JIC's will outperform the Flex's on a Road Course, but the compression is pretty high for the street...

    SS
     
  22. sol drums

    sol drums Active Member

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    is there any way i can find out the specs on my tein flex's? they came on the car when i bought it & i would like to know what they are.
     
  23. trhoppe

    trhoppe Member

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    Unfortunately, your limited experience competing in subaru products prevents you from making an educated statement concerning the quality of JICs in a subaru racing application. The tein Flex, as well as other Tein products, have a better valve across the entire range of shaft speeds then the JIC. Furthermore every national competitor in scca autox that originally purchased a set of JIC coilovers has switched off of them as their budget allowed. Also, last but not least, the Tein Flex is significantly less expensive.

    -Tom
    Driver / Tuner/ Racer / National Champion ;) :rofl:
     
    #23 trhoppe, Mar 8, 2006
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2006
  24. trhoppe

    trhoppe Member

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    The only correction I will make here is that the more digressive the shock (Tein Flex, Koni) the LESS harsh it will be on the street as, well as the track, then a linear valve (JIC, Cusco, Zeal, etc)

    A digressive valve allows for better control and more valving force at low strut shaft speeds, such as a normal turn, a slalom, or braking, while making the shock softer, and thus less harsh, then a linear valve shock on high strut shaft speeds such as crashing rumble strips or hitting bumps.

    -Tom
     
  25. WJM

    WJM Banned

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    Great 2nd post there....assmonkey Tom. :rofl: :bowdown:

    However, I'll agree to the JIC ultra suckage on autox and street...THEY SUCK. The revalved Teins seem to be the way to go for autox....JIC's seem to perform on a glass smooth race track like none other as I'm sure Japanese tracks are glass smooth...so...bam JDM shock.

    While I am impressed, HIGHLY, with the SSPs...they are nothing compared to Ohlins.

    MY personal list...for street quality...

    1. Ohlins
    2. Tein SSP
    3. Hoppe's old National winning STX shocks with 10k/12k
    4. Off the shelf Koni's w/350/350 springs
    5. Stock 2004 STi shocks
    6. Whiteline Group 4
    7. All others

    For RACE on autox courses...the average one with bumps and stuff(just my personal experience)...

    1. Koni's
    2. Hoppe's sh!t
    3. stock STi stuff
    4. Whiteline G4's
    5. All stock valve Teins here
    6. other junk
     
    #25 WJM, Mar 8, 2006
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2006
  26. trhoppe

    trhoppe Member

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    How old is the car and when were the shocks put on? The early Tein Flex's were a 6k/5k valve and not the greatest valve in the world. I believe in early 2004, the Flex's were switched to a 10k/8k rate and the valve greatly improved and made very similar to a Koni 8610. There should be some numbers on your springs which will point out their spring rate.

    -Tom
     
  27. trhoppe

    trhoppe Member

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    Will, the new Tein flex actually have the exact same curve as my revalved setup, except they are slightly softer as they have 10k/8k rates instead of my 10k/12k setup, making them actually better for a bumpy autox course. While I agree that the Ohlins is a great street shock, their linear valving and harsh high speed compression make it a not so great autox shock. For autox, you want as digressive a valve as possible.

    Last but not least, no track is "glass smooth". If you can't crash curbs because your JIC shocks will cause your car to catch air, something digressive and more compliant over those curbs will beat your lap time ;)

    -Tom
     
    #27 trhoppe, Mar 8, 2006
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2006
  28. WJM

    WJM Banned

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    I see....well in that case, my time at Top Speed has been installing all the 'older' Flex's as they felt VERY linear.
     
    #28 WJM, Mar 8, 2006
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2006
  29. WJM

    WJM Banned

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    A ninja edit I didnt catch.

    While I agree no track is that smooth in reality...some places are damned near close...and some people dont crash curbs and rumble strips...so as long as they stay off those, the JICs would be faster on that 'clean' line....

    I think Koni's/New Flext/SSP's would be far faster than anything else on an 'average' track taking the 'fastest line possible 'and autox courses currently.
     
  30. miloman

    miloman Retired Admin

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    lots of good information... keep it comin guys :bigthumb:
     
  31. javid

    javid Member

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    Barber is glass smooth (except for the 2 creases between the 3 sections of paving that the entire track is made of), because its brand new. However, If you can't use rumble strips/curbing there, you will get smoked. Its hard for me to imagine a track where you could post faster or even 'as fast' times w/o using the rumble strips /curbing.
     
  32. siegelracing

    siegelracing Registered Vendor<br><b><font color="#666666">bion

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    Considering that NOBODY on this board, including you and me have "banged wheels" in a Subaru (Road RACING, as opposed to driving on a road course, which we both have done, and I imagine that the original question was referring to) I don't know that ANY of us are "qualified to make an educated statement about anything in a racing application."

    That's why I simply said "On a Road Course."

    I've had near 100 Subaru's on race tracks, with almost every shock, spring, bar, and coil-over setup on the market. I guess I thought that qualified me...

    FTW

     
  33. trhoppe

    trhoppe Member

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    Everyone who is "banging wheels" in a class where they are allowed is smart enough not to touch JIC's with a 10ft pole. I couldn't run them if I wanted to because of class restrictions.

    Driving around on track is nothing compared to racing against the clock. I've done plenty of "CLOCK" competition on track in a Subaru and its quite different then playing around just driving laps. You actually have to consider what makes you *faster* vs what you think feels better.

    Having said that, using rumble strips and bumps are part of "driving around on track" as well, and everyone would be better suited to use a coilover that could take advantage of those features of the track rather then lose lots of time and be afraid of those features.

    -Tom
     
    #33 trhoppe, Mar 9, 2006
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2006
  34. javid

    javid Member

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    True, and that gives you some valueable insight. However, I think Hoppe was pointing out that none of those cars/rides were driven at 10/10s and none or few were timed.

    As for autoX vs Road Course, I would argue that the range of shaft speeds on an autoX course (average 40 mph, max of 60 mph) are similar to the shaft speeds on road courses (average 80 mph, max of 140 mph). So.... autoX experiance / shock setup would be not be inappropriate for applications on road courses... right?
     
  35. trhoppe

    trhoppe Member

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    Autox shock settings and shock knowledge is very important and applies very much to track cars. After all, a shock is doing the same thing in both situations, except in autox you do *more* of them. Shock shaft speeds with be the same. Also, just happens that car setup is very very close for a track car and an autox car. There are a few small differences such as alignment or maybe a 100lbs of spring here or there, but everything applies.

    -Tom
     
  36. Brian

    Brian Active Member

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    Time for a coilover shootout! I'll volunteer my car. You can put your favorite coilovers on my car and we can switch between track sessions. ;)

    Does anyone have one of the DIY alignment tools? I'm actually 1/2 serious.
     
  37. javid

    javid Member

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    Of course ;) Camber and toe.
     
  38. Brian

    Brian Active Member

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    Cool. And I'll buy the winning coilovers. FTW!
     
  39. DIAF

    DIAF New Member

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    SS, please just stop talking.

    Thanks,

    DIAF.
     
  40. moose

    moose Infina Mooooooose!

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    There's no need for these sorts of posts on the forum. Respectful disagreement is fine, crap like this is not.
     
  41. DIAF

    DIAF New Member

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  42. jt money

    jt money 350hp mmm mmm Good!
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    comments like this will not be tolerated. this is your warning. :eek:
     
    #42 jt money, Mar 12, 2006
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2006
  43. DIAF

    DIAF New Member

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  44. miloman

    miloman Retired Admin

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    ???
    take these warnings seriously or u will be banned
     
  45. WJM

    WJM Banned

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    What were you doing there?

    Communicating.

    Communicating?

    You know...keeping up foreign relations...
     
  46. Alex

    Alex Community Founder
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    I'm locking the thread, congratulations.
     
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