coilover reviews

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

 

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

 

how much are the flex?

 

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

SOG or topspeed might have lower prices

 

lower like?????hahaha

 

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.

 

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)

 

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

-Tom

 

+1 JIC's FTW

 

+1 for flex

 

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

 

are u running 12/12?

 

removed post, starting a new thread instead...

 

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

 

amen to that

 

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

 

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.

 

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:

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

I see....well in that case, my time at Top Speed has been installing all the 'older' Flex's as they felt VERY linear.

 

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.

 

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

 

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.

 

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

 

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

 

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?

 

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

 

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.

 

Of course Camber and toe.

 

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

 

SS, please just stop talking.

Thanks,

DIAF.

 

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

 

comments like this will not be tolerated. this is your warning.

 

:wtc:

 

???
take these warnings seriously or u will be banned

 

What were you doing there?

Communicating.

Communicating?

You know...keeping up foreign relations...