adjustable coil over recomendations


T

Timelight

apex ninja
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Dec 27, 2010
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after building a number of racing civics in the 90's as a teenager in the US and burning up about 30k i should have invested, I am now a more financially secure 32 yr old that searched hi and low and found a mint, 1 owner 2000 DX hatch (EJ6) as a new project. what are the front runners for highly adjustable coil overs in the current market? willing to spend up to 3 grand. want lots of adjust ability but also track record of performance. car's end result is NASA/SCCA competitive car.
 
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Timelight said:
after building a number of racing civics in the 90's as a teenager in the US and burning up about 30k i should have invested, I am now a more financially secure 32 yr old that searched hi and low and found a mint, 1 owner 2000 DX hatch (EJ6) as a new project. what are the front runners for highly adjustable coil overs in the current market? willing to spend up to 3 grand. want lots of adjust ability but also track record of performance. car's end result is NASA/SCCA competitive car.
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Ohlins coilovers are up there with one of the best setups, I don't know much about their features as I have never looked into it but I was speaking to a DC5 race car owner and he rates them very highly! I have also been on the track with him and it outhandles most of his competitiors. His version of the Ohlins coilovers have seperate reservoirs
 
yes deffinatelly ohlins or toda fightex but those cost a arm and a leg
 
Some names you need to be looking at are KW, Ohlins and possibly the high end Tein stuff.

Not sure if they're still in the same price bracket, but over on HT stuff like Moton and Penske is often mooted as the stuff to have.
 
Couple question you got to ask yourself.

1. Will this car be a road car, road/race car, or pure race car?

2. How much can you get out of the car with different suspension?
Can you get more out of the car with a higher spec suspension?

3. Will you have enough knowledge to adjust a highly adjustable coilovers, or have the fund to hire a track side race engineer to adjust the coilovers for you.


If this will be a pure race car, then you don't have to worry about road compliancy and can go nuts on the springs rate. (Granted you got to adjust everything base on the chassis build and the rules that you want to compete in).

Then you need to have the ability to adjust a multi-way (2-way or 3 way) suspension and have the skill to use it if when the adjustments are made.

Another issue I would be slightly worrying would be what aftersales service you need.
Because high end suspension should be rebuild about every season or every 2 years at least, so you got to factor that in also.

If it was me, and at that price range, I will be looking at the Nitron NTR 2way or 3way coilovers assuming I answer yes to most of the questions above.
 
Nothing comapres to Ohlins. May not have as many adjustments and gimmicky features as some but if you want to keep your car on the road/track they can't be beaten.
 
There's some spoon coilovers for 2k on eBay at the minute if that interests you :)
 
didn't see an Ohlins application for a civic chassis...haven't put the call in to them yet to ask about mod/fit from another model...anyone running them now?

>>>3. Will you have enough knowledge to adjust a highly adjustable coilovers, or have the fund to hire a track side race engineer to adjust the coilovers for you.

totally viable but also a little condescending...grew up in Bristol and went to college in Indy....put behind the wheel of a racing Volkswagen rabbit at age 11 and didnt stop for 10 years....raced SCCA solo 2 and small circuit rally in the southeast....think Ive got suspension rates down at this point....lol.....
no serious offense taken

thanks again guys
 
Timelight said:
didn't see an Ohlins application for a civic chassis...haven't put the call in to them yet to ask about mod/fit from another model...anyone running them now?

>>>3. Will you have enough knowledge to adjust a highly adjustable coilovers, or have the fund to hire a track side race engineer to adjust the coilovers for you.

totally viable but also a little condescending...grew up in Bristol and went to college in Indy....put behind the wheel of a racing Volkswagen rabbit at age 11 and didnt stop for 10 years....raced SCCA solo 2 and small circuit rally in the southeast....think Ive got suspension rates down at this point....lol.....
no serious offense taken

thanks again guys
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Sorry if you feel a bit condescending... it isn't a nice question and so there really isn't a nice way to put it across.
But if you don't know what you are doing, the more adjustments you have the worst you can make the car perform.

It seems like you have the experience both behind the wheel and under the car, in which case I say 100% go for a 2-way or a 3-way system.

You budget should allow that, and it will make a huge difference for you.
 
Timelight said:
didn't see an Ohlins application for a civic chassis...haven't put the call in to them yet to ask about mod/fit from another model...anyone running them now?

>>>3. Will you have enough knowledge to adjust a highly adjustable coilovers, or have the fund to hire a track side race engineer to adjust the coilovers for you.

totally viable but also a little condescending...grew up in Bristol and went to college in Indy....put behind the wheel of a racing Volkswagen rabbit at age 11 and didnt stop for 10 years....raced SCCA solo 2 and small circuit rally in the southeast....think Ive got suspension rates down at this point....lol.....
no serious offense taken

thanks again guys
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I checked the ohlins catalogue as well and there's nothing listed specifically but ive seen civics/tegs with ohlins so there must be a suitable cross match.
 
Nitrons for me in this price bracket, several HOT drivers running them now, very good feedback.
 
AST, Nitron, Ohlins or a Bilstein damper set up with a quality spring (ie Eibach). Forget about tein/spoon and definitely KW, they did not need to be mentioned in this thread lol
 
Until you have tried proper Teins you cannot really make a statement like that......

Running Tein circuit master N1 myself, dampers fully rebuilt at Tein before fitting and they are outstanding, not cheap but if you are looking for proper circuit stuff then cheap isn't much of an option

Mine are the alloy bodied ones so they are fairly lightweight
Short stroke
inverted 2 way adjustable damping with separate compression and rebound damping

Mine are running swift race springs which again are worth a look as they do hundreds of applications
 
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I've nothing against Teins and I'm sure yours are very good, but the guy asked for "front runners for highly adjustable coil overs". Top end Tein are great, but they are not the best.
 
@MeisterR
Hey man i cant answer a private message because I dont have enough posts yet...odd...to answer your question I'm in New York City. curious what youve got cooking. are you the actual designer of MeisterR suspension?

thanks for all the input so far, definitely got exposed to a couple companies that I had not been looking at yet.
 
Right now I am going with the Buddy Club N+ spec Coilovers, and for the money you get a pretty great bang for the buck!!
 
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