Coilovers vs. Springs+Sways

[rabydanimal]

Ok, here's the scenario. I have enough of a budget to buy springs+sways (I was thinking iONs+Cusco (or similar) or used coilovers.

 

What's the best choice? I think I read here at some point that after coilovers stiffer sways don't make a big difference.

[froggert]

i'd vote for coilovers versus springs on stock struts.

[bmorrisj]

+sways either way....

[urfsin]

^^^ +1

[abakja1]

Either way, one seems to lose,..you get sways and bars,..you end up wishing you had coilovers due to the shock dampening and height adjustment,..

 

You get coilovers, you wish you had something simple if coilovers are too noisy, cost, etc,..

 

I'd vote for coilovers (good deal on used ones?) cause the oem shocks dont match the Htech springs,..Or hopefully some adjustable shocks get on the market realllllllyyyy soon,..Come on vendors!!!

 

good luck

[Xenonk]

you can't compare coilovers vs springs + sways... as the sways are independent suspension parts.. what you CAN compare is coilovers + sways vs springs + shocks + sways.

 

Sways is a secondary (aka passive) part of the suspension while coilovers, springs + sways are the primary (aka active) part of the suspension. The secondary is suppose to aid the primary.

 

Makes sense?

[Underdog]

Wow, this has got to be the most simplistic question ever. I will try and give as simplistic an answer as possible.

 

Are you just trying to spend money on the car, or is there a goal in mind?

 

 

Example:

 

I use my car as a daily-driver. I like a comfortable ride and am happy with the power at stock levels (for now). I would like to reduce the squat/dive/roll the car exhibits when using the car even at low speeds.

 

First, I would upgrade to a seasonal performance tire (I run a dedicated winter and will switch to a quality all season for the other 3, some people run an all season thru the winter and have dedicated dry-summer rubber). You must upgrade your tires if you plan on stiffening the suspension.

 

Second, I would find a matched set of springs/shocks that offered a slightly stiffer ride. Running springs on stock shocks will result in a bouncy ride and excessive wear on the shocks. This is also the area that demands the most research since there are not any "matched" sets out there, rather a lot of mix-n-match with varying success. The stiffness of these components is what will dictate the squat/dive/roll mentioned earlier. Coilovers are not necessary for street driving unless you demand control of your ride height and dampening.

 

Third, stop worrying about swaybars. They are popular as a modification because they reduce body roll while cornering and do so at a relatively low price. If that was the goal then sways would be great; however, they are not a panacea and will do nothing for the dive and squat which can only be addressed thru the springs/shocks.

[ebpda9]

coilovers all the way. with just the right spring rate you could get rid of the sways alltoghther. i know once the weather is getting warmer my sways will be gone forever.

[Scooter]

^^ +1

 

Actually, I'd recommend either the coilovers or springs first, and then sways at a later date if you really feel you need them. There's a good chance that the springs or coilovers alone will tighten up the ride to the point where you are satisfied. As Keefe suggests, springs/shocks or coilovers are primary, so take care of those first.

[Guest subiecity]

i prefer springs and sways, cheaper and my car handles great no complaints on ride height or roughness, just dont hit heavy pot holes at 80 mph

[EJ255_alan]

Agree w/ Keefe

 

and I vote for dampening adjustable coils(such as tein flex or KW V.2)....as you can adjust dampening rate upon demand

 

I did have coils and sways on my GT...pretty happy w/ it besides the coils are really harsh @ some point

 

RE: I do track my car @ summer and i don't really care about the noise issue as long as i'm in a good mood..LOL...but as a matter of fact i run the stock springs n struts @ winter time

 

alan

[rabydanimal]

Thanks for the input guys.

I'll tell you what really annoys me about the car is the dive and squat. It looks like a rhinoceros bucking when I launch it and everyone gets real intimate in the car when I go around corners at anything other than the speed limit. My GF's Accord corners more flatly than my LGT, you barely feel it.

 

My car is Stage 2 right now and the extra power really calls for me to do something about these things.I realize springs+sways is not a direct comparison to getting coilovers. They just seemed to be in a similar price bracket. If I got coilovers, I wouldn't be able to get sways.

 

I decided to go with springs/sways as coilovers look to be a bit too expensive. I bought iONs from another member because I've read they work very well with the stock shocks. I'd rather not have them installed then realize I want something more to take care of the roll so I'd like to get sways as well and do it all at once.

 

This raises another question. What do you recommend for swaybar size/stiffness and will my endlinks disintegrate from a thicker bar? From what I've read thicker bars will result in a more tail happy setup, or less traction during hard corners. So how thick is too thick?

[Underdog]

By increasing the stiffness of the suspension you are placing a larger percentage of your overall grip on the tires. The suspension won't flex as easily to adapt to the imperfections in the road, therefore you need stickier tires appropriate for the conditions. Try just a JDM rear bar perhaps, the springs may do most of the work for you.

[rabydanimal]

That's another question I've been thinking. How much benefit will I really see from having a front sway bar and a rear sway bar? It sounds like much benefit can be seen just from an RSB. I read the JDM bar is 20mm which seems pretty sizable.

[Xenonk]

sway bars wont fix squats and dive, they only fix a portion of your lateral squat.. you are looking for stiffer shocks and springs.. springs that have short suspension travel and the shocks that match the spring compression and rebound release rates.

 

the bigger your sways are, the more you end up taking out the independent suspension of the shocks.

[hutru01]

sway bars wont fix squats and dive, they only fix a portion of your lateral squat.. you are looking for stiffer shocks and springs.. springs that have short suspension travel and the shocks that match the spring compression and rebound release rates.

 

the bigger your sways are, the more you end up taking out the independent suspension of the shocks.

 

Get Cobb Springs, they are made specifically for the OEM struts. The only big difference is the versatility of the coilovers. But with anything everything has its pro's and con's.

 

Do a pro's and con's list of the springs/sways and coilovers

 

Here, I will start one for you.

Springs/Sways

Pro's - more comfortable, cheaper, handling is great (unless you plan on competing in autocross

Cons - less versatile, they don't handle anything like coilovers, shorter lifespan of OEM struts/shocks

 

Coliovers

Pro's - handle better, last longer, way better for autocross

Con's - rougher ride even at lowest dampening point, expensive

 

 

Personally, I am going with Cobb Springs and Cobb Front/Rear sways in a few weeks (once my tax refunds come in )

 

Coilovers, IMHO, are too expensive and not a necessity for daily driving.

 

Guys, correct me if I am wrong about the longevity of coilovers. I certainly don't claim to be an expert on suspension.

[RacerX100]

I am thinking about buying some Ion springs for my stock LGT. A guy I know locally is selling them for cheap. This thread has me a little concerned though. Will I be wearing out my shocks/ struts quickly by installing the Ions? Also, I have the stock tires...do they not suffice with a Spring upgrade? Sorry for the stupid questions (I'm just getting into all this) but can someone enlighten me?

 

I was thinking: 1. Get these springs since the price is good and the feedback on them has been good.

 

2. Then get some Cobb sway bars. Those two things were all I had planned for the suspension.

 

3. Then I was going to get a Cobb Access Port and new intake. That was all I had planned for the mods except for the exhaust that is coming soon.

 

So for the Ion Springs and stock LGT shocks -will these things require replacements (shocks/struts, wheels) or do they just wear out quicker? A lot quicker under daily driving conditions?

[rabydanimal]

I am thinking about buying some Ion springs for my stock LGT. A guy I know locally is selling them for cheap. This thread has me a little concerned though. Will I be wearing out my shocks/ struts quickly by installing the Ions? Also, I have the stock tires...do they not suffice with a Spring upgrade? Sorry for the stupid questions (I'm just getting into all this) but can someone enlighten me?

 

I was thinking: 1. Get these springs since the price is good and the feedback on them has been good.

 

2. Then get some Cobb sway bars. Those two things were all I had planned for the suspension.

 

3. Then I was going to get a Cobb Access Port and new intake. That was all I had planned for the mods except for the exhaust that is coming soon.

 

So for the Ion Springs and stock LGT shocks -will these things require replacements (shocks/struts, wheels) or do they just wear out quicker? A lot quicker under daily driving conditions?

 

If Keefe were here I'm sure the first thing he would say is get new rubber before anything else. As far as the intake goes, skip it. More trouble than it's worth from what I've heard. Spend your money on a down-pipe/up-pipe and run StgII. Kudos on doing suspension first, I couldn't discipline myself to do the same on my LGT or my WRX.

[RacerX100]

Thanks for the feedback. I don't want to spring for new tires until I need to. Just trying to figure out if the mods I listed above will mean I need to whether I like it or not!

 

If that is the case I will start saving for them and just move the other stuff down the list. The tires are still in very good shape though.

[rabydanimal]

Some will say the stock re92s are a deathwish with really stiff sways, especially in bad weather. I can't speak from experience as I'm still waiting to get my suspension bits installed. What I can say is when I got my new rims and tires mounted I couldn't believe how much more grip I found. Since your re92s still have tread, sell them make up some of the cost for new rubber. I know there are some good cheapish tires out there that will put a smile on your face.

[RacerX100]

I was thinking Kumho ASX's?