lowering springs vs coilovers

[tracknfield423]

i was wondering besides the ability to adjust ride height with the coilovers which would be better handling wise and is it worth the price difference? also what brand of coilovers or springs do you suggest.

 

[melicha8]

yes

 

[Boston5761]

i have some skunk 2 coilovers for sale

 

[tracknfield423]

how many miles on them, hows he adjustability and drop any pics?oh yea and price

 

[Boston5761]

how many miles on them, hows he adjustability and drop any pics?oh yea and price

not sure if they will fit the mazdaspeed

1000 miles on them, adjustable 0-3"

 

[tracknfield423]

hows the handling with them and the ride? price and does anyone know if they'll fit the msp

 

[gar777]

Big difference is the noise. For all-out handling (race-track stuff), coilovers can't be beat. You get adjustability of ride height, it's easy to swap springs (for ones with different rates to alter under/oversteer) and you can even do corner weighting. Problem on the street is that the springs that give you great track handling are stiff as hell and not so comfy for normal driving. Also, most coilovers (maybe all?) eliminate the rubber in the upper strut mount which helps the handling but makes lots noise on the street - clunk, clunk, clunk over ever bump, pot hole, driveway, etc. For this reason, I decided against coilovers on this car.

If all you really want is a reasonable drop (say 1.5") and improved handling, then you'll probably be happy with a set of Eibachs, H&Rs, Esparils, or whatever everyone is recommending these days. Best appearance/performance mod for under $200.

 

[tracknfield423]

are coilovers still a harsh ride if say i keep them at original ride height. i want the handling to improve i don't really care about the drop thats just an added bonus. i could put up with a harsher ride for performance its a good tradeoff.

 

[mazdaspeedpower]

I say just get stiffer springs then..most springs to improve handling will lower the car, and give it a stiffer ride...as this is what improves handling, since it lowers your center of gravity, and reduces body roll. I say your best bet is a good set of Eibachs or whatever spring you like, just look around at the sites.or even just search here, since alot of people have springs.

 

[tracknfield423]

if i were to get springs i was looking at the tein s techs. any opinions on these or anybody suggest a better spring for handling? also with just springs should i get new struts and endlinks aswell?

 

[gar777]

are coilovers still a harsh ride if say i keep them at original ride height. i want the handling to improve i don't really care about the drop thats just an added bonus. i could put up with a harsher ride for performance its a good tradeoff.

It's not the ride height that makes coilovers harsh, it's the stiff springs which people typically run with them, as well as the elimination of the rubber upper strut mount, which acts to cushion the bumps to some extent. You should just go with springs. I have H&R and like that they're progressive, as are the Eibachs and probably the Teins (but not sure). They first compress at a lower spring rate and then at a higher rate. not the absolute best for handling but an improvement over stock and a nice compromise between ride/performance. You can definitely run them with stock MSP struts, as I do. They work well. They can be used with stock P5/ES struts, but it's not as good as the MSP struts, as the P5/ES struts are a bit too soft for the springs. You want to roughly match the stiffness of the springs and that of the shocks so they work together well.

 

[Brian MP5T]

Yes

 

[tracknfield423]

i don't care about ride quality i want best performance and handling so i was looking at the tein ss and basic coilovers aswell as the ksports. any input on these?

 

[imp3]

in proteges, coilovers dont really "drop" the height it gave mine a total of a 2in drop

 

[Nutari]

in proteges, coilovers dont really "drop" the height it gave mine a total of a 2in drop

... wow really?? coilovers dont really drop the height eh? thats why my side skirts are about 1/2" off the ground now?

 

[carsandguitars5]

... wow really?? coilovers dont really drop the height eh? thats why my side skirts are about 1/2" off the ground now?

Thats the kind of drop I want. What kind of coilovers do you have? Hows the ride quality? Any pics?

 

[Nutari]

Thats the kind of drop I want. What kind of coilovers do you have? Hows the ride quality? Any pics?

ride quality is eh.. I got used to it.

oh, skunk 2 coilovers.

pics ..

 

[carsandguitars5]

ride quality is eh.. I got used to it.

oh, skunk 2 coilovers.

pics ..

eh? Haha, as descriptive as it may be, was it a lot worse than stock or just a little? Those side skirts look really nice man, I'm thinkin about getting myself a pair of those since it makes the car look that much lower.

 

[Nutari]

eh? Haha, as descriptive as it may be, was it a lot worse than stock or just a little? Those side skirts look really nice man, I'm thinkin about getting myself a pair of those since it makes the car look that much lower.

ride quality is pretty stiff. Lots of noise from the coilovers themselves, if you do a search on Skunk 2 coilovers, they are famous for being noisy. The only upside is that they drop lower than anything out there for the protege. Pretty much to the ground. mine are set only and half the drop in those pictures.

 

[CChris704]

i vote ground control coilovers... only heard good things.

they are sleeves though, kinda like coke 2, too big of a pussy to drink coca-cola, too hardcore to drink diet.