liquidtek

My S2K is in need of a serious refresh and I'm considering a revamp. This is my daily with a few track days. I'm looking to keep the ride fairly comfortable but still capable of mountain drives. Currently have some Buddy Club N+ with 100k+ miles. Yes you read that correctly. Original bushings and such on the 264k chassis. I'm probably going to replace all the front and rear bushings with Mugen, not really looking for high maintenance or stiff solid bushings. Also replace the axle cups, stupid vibrations.

Lately I been reading up on coilovers. I've been out of the s2k game for awhile since my focus has been on my IS-F but now I'm tired of neglecting it. I'm not looking to break the bank on a new suspension setup since I need to fix so many other suspension related things as well. What would be my ideal suspension setup? The majority of searching I've done comes back as Ohlins, HKS, PSS9 & mixed reviews on FA500. I'm kinda shy on the Ohlins just because obviously the price and my car being a daily with higher mileage this seems kinda out of place for a 'beater'. Hearing good things on the HKS but seems like there's only a handful of recent reviews. I'm sure anything at this point is better than my beat to hell buddy clubs but I thought I'd get back some input since these likely will be the car's refresh for years to come.

quick edit: haven't really seen any info on the new greddy/kw coils would also maybe consider something like that since I love the kwv3 on my ISF.

licelsior

I love my HKS Hipermax GT's, ride amazing on the street and stiff enough to handle the occasional HPDE.

noodels

Get some second hand Ohlins then if you can afford it

liquidtek

Never said I couldn't afford it. Just can't justify a suspension on a beater with 264k miles that cost 1/4 or more of what the car is currently worth. And lets be real, the car probably won't see that many more track days without a more significant overhaul to justify a track orientated suspension.

B serious

Ohlins aren't that "track oriented". They do everything fairly well...especially comfort and refinement. They may be worth it for what they offer in driving feel and enjoyment. They're $1900.

I just helped someone with a FA510 install and review. They worked quite well.

If you're looking for a budget setup (under $1K), Tein Flex Z is probably the way to go. Nicely balanced spring rates, and a good blend of comfort and sport. Plus, lots of useable features.

Bilstein PSS if you're looking for something non-adjustable (only height adjustments).

PSS9's are only a few hundred less than Ohlins, which offer a LOT more.

Or maybe look at AMR.

The Teins are the only twin tubes I listed. But they're well made. Low speed damping is lacking a bit. But, again...its not going to ride like an Ohlins because it costs $900.

Or maybe a used stock setup with lowering springs?

DefSport

If you're looking for something capable, but on the budget end of the spectrum, I'd recommend either the ST Suspensions coilovers (8k rates, basically KW v1's with plated steel bodies), or the Tein Flex Z (10k rates). The ST coilovers would need factory top hats, but the Flex Z's drop right in.

I was in the same situation, looking for a street/track setup that was budget friendly, and I ended up with the Tein Flex Z's. They're very comfortable on the street with the damping turned down, if a little under damped at that setting. But it's easy enough to click them up and get much more chassis control. I've had some very $$$ coilovers on other cars, and these really haven't ever let me down and made me wish I'd gone to a pricier setup. Given that, I'd say they're without a doubt the budget leader on the market for a quality, budget coilover that can do both street or track usage.

The ST Suspension coilovers are not adjustable damping, so even with the lighter rates, they might be a tad stiffer for daily usage, but no fiddling with knobs if you want to bump them up for some spirited driving. Although you can put an EDFC setup on the Flex Z's, but that's like half the cost of the coilovers.


I've always been impressed with Ohlins, but man are they pricey.

Car Analogy

How many miles a year do you rack up?

Do you want to lower the car? (Are you ok with being forced to lower it a bit, as some coilovers seem to require)

Important considerations for a dd include longevity before requiring rebuild or replacement, corrosion resistance, and warranty.

Ohlins are great, bit will wear out much faster than stock. The cost to rebuild them is not trivial.

Koni and Bilstein offer lifetime warranties. They also tend to have a longer service life in dd conditions than anything short of stock. This could make all the difference depending on your needs.

K sport and the Tiens flex z mentioned allow you to replace just the shock body, which can be very cost effective for a dd.

They are becoming harder to find, but low mileage stock suspension is usually around $200. Higher mileage are easy enough to find, but what is the point of that.

b_ron

Have these as well and they are very streetable. I can't speak for any other coilovers but these were what I was looking for since I mostly daily mine.
I like the bracket design (not digging the Ohlins bracket design, though Sakebomb Garage makes their own lower brackets for these), and the coating they have on the threads on the body to minimize corrosion.

liquidtek

Thanks for the feedback. I ordered some axles from ballade and also the hks hipermax to try out.

licelsior

youll like them a lot!