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  • Help me with coilovers

    I have JIC magic coilovers on my 92 gts-t right now... Rides horrible on our crappy SK roads.. Anyone have any suggestions on the best riding coilovers available for these cars? I don't track, I don't care about performance. I just want a coilover that doesn't shake the **** out of you and rides half decent...

    Any suggestions on coilovers under the 2k range? Remember, no track, this thing is my DD, i don't care about performance, I want a smooth ride.
    BNR32- Sold
    1998 Evolution V

  • #2
    I think it's better to make your own suspension.

    I'll give you a basic what to look at.

    It's the solid tophats (increased Noise Vibration Harshness or NVH) that doesn't help, especially when hitting potholes. Factory use rubber to stop this increased NVH on bumpstops, etc. Solid tophats give better steering response when turning from left to right, so you lose that if going back to rubber but gain ride comfort with rubber.

    Also extreme spring rates don't help. Anything from 6kgm and below is a better street setup. Nismo S-tune (Street-tune) for example, with 5.3kgm front, 3.9kgm rear springs. As far as I know factory springs are 4kgm front, 2kgm rear to give the best ride possible with revalved shocks to give it a slightly harder ride.

    If have bodyroll, use swaybars to correct, 27mm front, 20mm rear from K-MAC in Australia. or 30mm front, 22mm rear from Cusco in Japan which from experience on mates R32 GTS-T with kgm brand (Made in Japan and not well known company) suspension gives near to 0 body roll and good ride comfort. Factory swaybars are roughly 24mm front 17mm rear or something like that (are said to be too small). That's with HICAS. Can raise ride height of car and have minimal body roll via using aftermarket swaybars.

    Upgraded swaybars can turn (depends on size, strength of swaybar but I'll use 100% as a extreme example) the 4kgm on front into 8kgm and 2kgm on rear into 4kgm on the loaded side that makes car push away and sit flatter, get more inside tyre grip and the result is lateral grip increases. It's like your increasing spring rate but aren't.

    In Japan I noticed they use higher spring rates and forget about using higher strength swaybars to correct (they want less weight, so use weaker hollow swaybars). Outside Japan, we use swaybars (Whiteline are solid metal, heavier) that increase spring rate but don't affect ride comfort. I guess it's 2x different ways of thinking.

    Those are the basics you need to know to make a good street setup.
    RESPONSE MONSTER

    The most epic signature ever "epic".

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    • #3
      Excellent write up!!

      Now I'm curious, if a guy went with 12kg fronts and 10kg rears, what would happen when he installed his 30mm front and 24mm rear sway bars? 24kg front and 20kg rear feeling?
      Black 1991 GTR. Serious garage stand mantle/parts car.
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      Sorry for my offensive comments, I r socially retard.

      start by having A ROLLING GTR then we talk u ******* mofo funzy little *****
      lol

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      • #4
        Wow thanks for the write up... But all I am really wanting to do is buy some new coilovers that will ride good... Something softer. I don't want to foddle around with swaybars, ect.
        BNR32- Sold
        1998 Evolution V

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        • #5
          Tein Superstreet has the spring rates for ride comfort if you want off the shelf suspension for GTR, GTS on the street (similar to factory), but I don't like the twintube shocks (like factory shocks) Tein used to use that could fail too early. I noticed they use Monotube shocks now on some of their suspension that I think is better but not sure about the Superstreet suspension. I prefer Bilstein Monotube shocks, as gives good ride comfort and is similar in ride comfort to Ohlins but cheaper and the way the Bilstein shock cools the fluid inside shock means they don't overheat the fluid as easily when worked hard and get bad handling. It's similar to overheating brake fluid and getting brake fade.

          If using extreme swaybars, spring rates, there's no weight transfer from left to right or right to left (you need a little bit of weight transfer for grip) and car skates across the surface of road and is extremely dangerous to drive when ground is wet.

          Swaybars are said to be the best bang for buck handling mod you can do to a car. I agree.
          RESPONSE MONSTER

          The most epic signature ever "epic".

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          • #6
            Originally posted by Skym View Post
            Tein Superstreet has the spring rates for ride comfort if you want off the shelf suspension for GTR, GTS on the street (similar to factory), but I don't like the twintube shocks (like factory shocks) Tein used to use that could fail too early. I noticed they use Monotube shocks now on some of their suspension that I think is better but not sure about the Superstreet suspension. I prefer Bilstein Monotube shocks, as gives good ride comfort and is similar in ride comfort to Ohlins but cheaper and the way the Bilstein shock cools the fluid inside shock means they don't overheat the fluid as easily when worked hard and get bad handling. It's similar to overheating brake fluid and getting brake fade.

            If using extreme swaybars, spring rates, there's no weight transfer from left to right or right to left (you need a little bit of weight transfer for grip) and car skates across the surface of road and is extremely dangerous to drive when ground is wet.

            Swaybars are said to be the best bang for buck handling mod you can do to a car. I agree.
            Thank you, just what I wanted to hear. I will check out those tein's. But again, I don't need to worry about overheating shocks because this is my only car (aka point a-b car). Off the shelf good riding gts-t "bolt on" coilovers is exactly what I am looking for.

            Thanks
            BNR32- Sold
            1998 Evolution V

            Comment


            • #7
              There always seems to be a tradeoff with suspension, either comfort or gokart type of handling.

              Might eventually want to buy swaybars for that setup, as you might get sick of the slight bodyroll or massive bodyroll if stock swaybar bushes are gone, like they are on most R32 Skylines.
              RESPONSE MONSTER

              The most epic signature ever "epic".

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Skym View Post
                There always seems to be a tradeoff with suspension, either comfort or gokart type of handling.

                Might eventually want to buy swaybars for that setup, as you might get sick of the slight bodyroll or massive bodyroll if stock swaybar bushes are gone, like they are on most R32 Skylines.
                Comfort all the way for me... Its my every day car... Comfort > handling.

                Thanks for all the help.
                BNR32- Sold
                1998 Evolution V

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by quadracer111 View Post
                  Comfort all the way for me... Its my every day car... Comfort > handling.

                  Thanks for all the help.
                  if this is the case, get some very street oriented coilovers, and avoid those 18's

                  Everyone says tein's basement models (like the super streets) are garbage, but if you're never going to drive the car the way most people think a skyline should be driven, the super streets will do fine.

                  Have you looked into HSD coilovers? You can order custom spring rates, and they are monotube I believe, which makes them much better than tein super streets. I believe pur automtove or something like that is responsible for canadian sales? Don't quote me on that though, it might be another companyl.

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                  • #10
                    ...or save yourself thousands and buy someones Oem shocks/springs? if comfort is the only goal..... this makes the most sense.

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                    • #11
                      Spring rating unit is kgf/mm which is kilogram force per millimeter, lbs/in or pound per inch if you speak imperial unit. FYI HKS SF5 lower springs for BNR32 are 3.1 kgf/mm front and 3.5 kgf/mm for the rear; height drop is 35mm front (lower) and 17mm rear (lower). If your dampers are adjustable you could just get some softer springs. Coilover springs are more standardized in the area of ID and length. If you want to change to softer springs just measure the ID and length of your spring and select a a lower rating. If there is a big difference in load (in your case going softer) you might want to get taller springs to compensate the travel. If you have PS2/PS3 GT4 you can run a simulation and see what's a good spring rating for your liking.

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by plankworx View Post
                        ...or save yourself thousands and buy someones Oem shocks/springs? if comfort is the only goal..... this makes the most sense.
                        this is very true. Unless you want to maintain the current ride height, or a similar height. Are there any lowering springs that would get him down to his current ride height? He seems pretty low, to me.

                        edit:
                        If you have PS2/PS3 GT4 you can run a simulation and see what's a good spring rating for your liking.
                        I wouldn't do this, gt4 feels like garbage as far as realism and simulation goes. Even with a steering wheel If you absolutely must use a video game for reference, use Forza 3. Unlike GT4, in forza 3, if you screw with your handling in any significant way, the car will change drastically.

                        But don't do this, because no video game is going to make your ass feel the way a suspension setup will be.

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                        • #13
                          kgf/mm is correct.

                          Most just fit Bilstein circlip height adjustable shocks with stock springs.
                          RESPONSE MONSTER

                          The most epic signature ever "epic".

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by DreadedFist View Post
                            this is very true. Unless you want to maintain the current ride height, or a similar height. Are there any lowering springs that would get him down to his current ride height? He seems pretty low, to me.

                            edit:

                            I wouldn't do this, gt4 feels like garbage as far as realism and simulation goes. Even with a steering wheel If you absolutely must use a video game for reference, use Forza 3. Unlike GT4, in forza 3, if you screw with your handling in any significant way, the car will change drastically.

                            But don't do this, because no video game is going to make your ass feel the way a suspension setup will be.
                            I have forza 3 plus the wheel, fun game, but I wouldnt even think of basing a setup on there vs RL.

                            I found some stock shocks, I might just go with lowering springs on those. Or the Bilstein on stock springs....

                            OR I was thinking of going with the greddy type s coilovers... 32 way dampening, suppose to be good for DD. I doubt it though, probably one of the first 2 options. Can you hook me up with a link for the bilstein shocks for the r32 gts-t? I can't find them...
                            EDIT: Apparently they are ~$500 for a pair?? I would rather buy coilovers... I am going to run stockers on lowering springs I think...
                            BNR32- Sold
                            1998 Evolution V

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by DreadedFist View Post
                              this is very true. Unless you want to maintain the current ride height, or a similar height. Are there any lowering springs that would get him down to his current ride height? He seems pretty low, to me.

                              edit:

                              I wouldn't do this, gt4 feels like garbage as far as realism and simulation goes. Even with a steering wheel If you absolutely must use a video game for reference, use Forza 3. Unlike GT4, in forza 3, if you screw with your handling in any significant way, the car will change drastically.

                              But don't do this, because no video game is going to make your ass feel the way a suspension setup will be.
                              The main purpose of simulation software is for checking and fine tuning design specifics, if you want some realism you'll need a 3 axles dynamic simulator like the one used by Boeing or NASA.

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