coilovers vs. springs/dampers

[hondakiller]

I am looking to basically eliminate almost all body roll, brake dive, and squat, and at the same time lower the car a couple of inches (for the look). I will be purchasing either Eibach or H&R sway bars and also springs/coilovers. I am looking into quality suspension parts so regular sleeve coilovers or just lowering springs are out of the question. I am looking at H&R cup kit suspension or their coilover system.

-What performance advantages do true coilovers offer over matched spring/dampers (besides height adjustment)?

-Does anyone have the B+G, shark racing, H&R, or Quest coilovers? Any comments?

-Will I still be able to drive on roads/speed bumps without scraping with a 2.0-2.5 inch drop? (no body kit)

-Can all coilovers adjust camber or will I need camber adjusting bolts?

P.S. I do not care about ride quality, only about physical damage to the car, so I don't think I will find coilovers too harsh a ride.

[ikeing]

dont mess around get coilovers, my springs were $310can struts were $400 total with taxs 800 and change now the coilovers for my car are i think $1500 usd they have to be a better ride than what i have plus there adjustable but i think you have to get them alined after you adjust them do you not?

[stickshift]

Theoretically, you have to have the suspension aligned after you change the height, but I didn't get an alignment after I installed my H&R springs, and I haven't had any problems yet... no abnormal tire wear, the car tracks a straight line etc. The H&Rs are a mild drop though... only 1.4 inches.
It is a good idea to keep an eye on it though.
Full coilovers are the best choice as the springs and dampers are tuned to work with each other. For street use though, most quality lowering springs will be fine with a set of good struts, like KYB GR2s, for example. They're not "performance" struts, but they're better than OEM, and they do alright with lowering springs.

[AccentAE86]

The advantages coilovers have over matched springs and dampers is that coilover springs are usually a standard size, like 2.5"ID. That means you can pick and choose the EXACT spring rates you want for each corner, you can choose the free length of the spring too for extreme lowering or even raising (if you are rallying). This means you can also choose the spring rate difference between the front and rears, allowing you to change your car's balance between understeer, neutral, or oversteer.
Another advantage is that some coilovers are designed to be used with a 2.5 inch drop by shortening the stroke of the damper. When you lower with a stock length strut, you are losing travel. If you are running a short stroke setup, you gain back some of that lost travel. Also, if you decide to swap in very high rate springs onto your coilovers, sway bars will offer MINIMAL benefit and can be a waste of money. You will have so much roll stiffness with your springs that it would render the bars useless. Some racers remove the sway bars completely because of this.

As for not scraping anything with a 2.5" drop, I doubt you'll be totally clear all the time. You're gonna have to set your dampening rates to a really high and totally uncomfortable setting. You'll probably want to increase the rate of your springs too. You'll hate driving after of week of it. But not even that will help you out when you are trying to enter parking lots or alleys with high entry angles.

As for camber at this level of tuning, that is usually adjusted at the strut mounts with adjustable camber plates (also known as adjustable pillowball mounts), not bolts. Just make sure your coilovers come with those mounted on top.

For a while, I was riding on a 2.5" drop, 500lb springs on full endurance racing coilovers. (on a 1900lb car) I couldn't take it anymore; it was hurting my kidneys and giving me headaches.

[Edited by AccentAE86 on Nov 18, 2003 7:54 AM]

[hondakiller]

Thanks a lot for all of the information. I think I will go with coilovers and see how the sway is and then decide on the swaybars. I am expecting a rough ride (I can take it, I t's not a "daily driver" and remember I don't have AC, power steering , interior insulation, and I use a 4-puck clutch , and I consider my car "comfortable"). I like the idea of the standard sized springs as I will always be able to use/tailor the coilovers for whatever event I enter. I don't want to end up buying something I will have to upgrade later if I get into more serious racing events. I'll probably spend about 1,000, but there are so many available now it's a hard decision.:dead: