Coil over reviews?

[Jacare]

So with tax season here and my check burning a hole in my pocket, its time to buy some suspension goodies
I've looked at my options, but still a bit unsure on what to go for. Coilovers are obviously a possibility, but I'm unsure on the characteristics certain brands will bring to my corolla.

Megan makes some and I'd like to hear reviews on them, as well as other peoples setups. Especially the part where you keed to use the stock spindle, I'm a visual guy, so reading the instructions the site gave were no help. Then I can also make my own, but you have o source short strokes and all the other fun bits.
Pan hard bar would be a must correct?

So if you'd like just post basics of the suspension your corolla has, what you mainly use it for, and if you are overall happy with it.

Thanks guys

[LongGrain]

i have greddy and they are the ****.

[chohdog]

Just so you know, most of the Chinese/Taiwanese companies do not RnD on their coilovers, so more than likely you're getting valving from whatever other coilover their AE86 offering is based off of. Could be an S13, Soarer, Jeep, Its anybody's guess. They're fine for street driving/cruising, going low, and "Stance".

Real AE86 coilovers are valved for the AE86 and have research behind why their shocks are valved a certain way. Anyhow, its this very stubborn AE86 enthusiasts' belief that the best way to do it, is to do custom builds. Its really easy, and if you don't have friends/access to someone who can weld, give Gabe from techno toy tuning a call and he can make them for you.

If you buy taiwanese/chinese coilovers, what will do you do when they blow (and they will blow). You'll have to figure out someone that has the parts to rebuild them for you. If you do a custom unit, you can purchase new strut inserts. What I've driven on and I like:

TRD Blue short stroke (expensive, but still the best commercially available in my opinion; you can technically order them from a dealer or call herb from cabe toyota)
Tokico HTS (Really good, and commercially available)
Koni "8610" for fronts (Readily available, and great for grip)
TRD Green (feel a lot like Koni)

Good luck, and remember that buying "real" AE86 parts these days sets you apart from the sea of clones.

[kuroki86]

I have megan tracks, and track my car pretty heavily as well as drive around the city. They've withstood the abuse very well and I'm pleased with them. I've heard megan ez/street aren't too great but never have had direct experience, might just be that elitist talk, who knows. My buddy has PBMs and likes them a lot and my other friend has dg-5's and likes those bad boys a lot. dg5's will kill your wallet though. Good luck

[Zenki85]

I have the Megan street. They are good set up. Just a tad bouncy on the streets. But I have them maxed out On stiff tho

[sqznby]

I am also curious about this topic.
Some real world info would be appreciated. I understand about the china crap but, what about the reputable companies.
Like Megan, BC, Ksport, Tein, Techno Toy any others?
I can see about building up what you have but then you're talking the same if not more than coil-overs.

[chohdog]

"Megan, BC, Ksport," are not necessarily "reputable" companies. They are all Chinese/Taiwanese as well.

Buying a pre-packaged coilover setup is easy, but to get something quality its my opinion that you have a quality welder/fabricator and use any of the shocks I mentioned above. Combine those with Ground Control/T3 sleeves, camber plates from Cusco, or Tein, and use springs from Cusco/Tein/Tanabe/Eibach/Hypercoil/Swift will give you an amazing quality system. Remember, you get what you pay for.

[RW Bliss]

I have stance coilovers
7 track days on them, and i love them. set them on full soft and they are definately
streetable. only complaint is the adjustment for fronts, which is in the wheel well. you have to turn the
steering full lock in each direction to adjust.

[sqznby]

longrain,
How are your Greddys?

chohdog,
You had mentioned "real" coilovers. Which in your mind are "real"?
I'm going to look into the parts listed and see whats involved in that swap. Do you know of any write up on this?


RW,
Thanks, thats the other I had in mind. Stance.

[Jacare]

chohdog,
You had mentioned "real" coilovers. Which in your mind are "real"?
I'm going to look into the parts listed and see whats involved in that swap. Do you know of any write up on this?

http://club4ag.com/tech-data/short-stro ... ont-strut/

this is what i was thinking of doing until pricing it out for my car.
i know you can go mr2 front and camaro rear, but that isnt valved for our cars

[Reuterskiold]

I just got Stance GR+, haven't driven on them due to Winter but they look like sex

[Zenki85]

That's true if you have the money build up your own coilovers and they will be better than others

[Deuce Cam]

Just so you know, most of the Chinese/Taiwanese companies do not RnD on their coilovers, so more than likely you're getting valving from whatever other coilover their AE86 offering is based off of. Could be an S13, Soarer, Jeep, Its anybody's guess. They're fine for street driving/cruising, going low, and "Stance".

Real AE86 coilovers are valved for the AE86 and have research behind why their shocks are valved a certain way. Anyhow, its this very stubborn AE86 enthusiasts' belief that the best way to do it, is to do custom builds. Its really easy, and if you don't have friends/access to someone who can weld, give Gabe from techno toy tuning a call and he can make them for you.

If you buy taiwanese/chinese coilovers, what will do you do when they blow (and they will blow). You'll have to figure out someone that has the parts to rebuild them for you. If you do a custom unit, you can purchase new strut inserts. What I've driven on and I like:

TRD Blue short stroke (expensive, but still the best commercially available in my opinion; you can technically order them from a dealer or call herb from cabe toyota)
Tokico HTS (Really good, and commercially available)
Koni "8610" for fronts (Readily available, and great for grip)
TRD Green (feel a lot like Koni)

Good luck, and remember that buying "real" AE86 parts these days sets you apart from the sea of clones.

I'm glad I didn't have to say it. Thanks for the informative post.

A lot of people think the modified stock strut casing setup is worse than an off-the-shelf after market coilover setup which simply isn't true. IMO the only downside to a modified stock strut casing in this comparison is the fact that one can't adjust ride height independently of pre-load. Considering this I wish height adjustable camber plates were readily available - last I checked dogfight pro was the only company making them and they might be discontinued now. There also needs to be more readily available short stroke compatible rear springs with different rates - swift and trd 6 kg/mm rears seem to be the only ones easy to get .

[sqznby]

After thinking about this all night and day. I've decided to go with the DIYers instead of buying.
Wheres a good place to find a decent selection of shocks? I'm into the one stop shopping, otherwise, links would be appreciated.
I'm basically looking for part numbers so I order the right ones. I found some shocks on the bay but, am not sure they are the right ones.

Has anyone used QA1s coilover kit?

Random question = What do you guys do for the rear set up?

[Deuce Cam]

I prefer the stock layout in the rear vs. coilovers since the chassis wasn't designed for coilovers. Others will disagree; it's a matter of preference. There is a selection of rear coilovers available if you prefer to go that route.

[sqznby]

Gatcha. Can you explain in more detail how the chassis is not designed for such a set up?
Thanks
Though, the rear seems rather simple, removing the coil and replacing the shock with a coilover, doesnt get any easier than that, hah.

[Yosuke]

Gatcha. Can you explain in more detail how the chassis is not designed for such a set up?
Thanks
Though, the rear seems rather simple, removing the coil and replacing the shock with a coilover, doesnt get any easier than that, hah.

You'll be applying all the weight of your rear monocoque to two small areas of the car, which are the two strut tower points. Hundreds pf pounds of pressure on each of those areas will eventually cause the metal to break especially on a 25 year old weary chassis.
If you are going this route, i suggest strengthening the entire sheet metal back there, maybe have a box welded to handle the weight.

[sqznby]

Gatcha. Can you explain in more detail how the chassis is not designed for such a set up?
Thanks
Though, the rear seems rather simple, removing the coil and replacing the shock with a coilover, doesnt get any easier than that, hah.

You'll be applying all the weight of your rear monocoque to two small areas of the car, which are the two strut tower points. Hundreds pf pounds of pressure on each of those areas will eventually cause the metal to break especially on a 25 year old weary chassis.
If you are going this route, i suggest strengthening the entire sheet metal back there, maybe have a box welded to handle the weight.

So strengthening the area in which they mount will spread the stress out enough to not worry about cracking or any type of failure?
This was my plan and was the reason for asking. I have some pictures somewhere of what I plan on doing.
Thank you

[Jacare]

Well I'm trying to get this all figured out also


I've heard of the mr2 short stroke fronts and camaro rears.
Anyone have experience with That set up on gc sleeves? And part numbers

[8-Eight_Six-6]

This is what I've owned and driven on and these are my reviews.

Megan's - bouncy and inconsistent valving, poop
Greddy - loved them they didn't go as low as I wanted to tho
T3 - rears are pretty bouncy unless you set them to full hard. I liked them tho
Ksport - total ****
TRD/AGX - good for starting out felt a little sloppy cause they don't go that low
PBM - what I have now. Totally love them. Responsive and solid. Favorites by far. They also offer an addition spherical top hat weld on section for the rears to strengthen the tower and more articulation compared to standard bushings. And stupid light springs.

[LongGrain]

longrain,
How are your Greddys?

i have greddy and they are the ****.

[sqznby]

longrain,
How are your Greddys?

i have greddy and they are the ****.

I understand they are the sh*t, I was looking for a more detailed review. Fit, finish, adjustability how many spring options. you know

[LongGrain]

they look great, the set on my car was the first set in the US, so they have been on the car for like 6+ years and still look and feel brand new, I can still turn them by hand when adjusting. they feel awesome and go plenty low for me if you know what you're doing. I'm tucking front and rear with 14"s. Car was tracked heavily when it ran, now its undergoing a total ground-up rebuild so I havent driven it in a while.

so like I said, they are the ****, dont know what else you need to know. They arent china garbage like megan and ****.

[gaijin_rokurunner]

I have to agree with longgrain the greddy are by far one of the best setups currently available and ive tried just about everything except Megan or the cheap Chinese setups out there now...thing that stands out with the greddy is the shock and spindle on the front are two different pieces meaning you can adjust the height of the car without jeopardizing the stroke of the shock. This is where alot of other setups fail...and why short strike shocks came into the market...on the greddy the spindle is threaded and the casing the shock sits in is also threaded so to adjust height the shock casing can be moved up and down within the threading to adjust height without adjusting the spring....on the rear u have a traditional spring that its in the perch, above it you have an adjustable mount which can compensate for the shocks adjustability and just like the front the bottom half of the shock that mounts to the rear end is separate from the shock itself. To adjust you just turn the shock housing clockwise or counter to move the shock up and down, and then adjust the spring mount to compensate for ride height. Additionally the shocks themselves have several settings from soft to hard and everything in between the springs i believe are a 8kg on front and 6 on the rear but rate can be changed by setting. If you got the loot i would invest in the greddy probably the last set of suspension you will ever by.

[allencr]

Gatcha. Can you explain in more detail how the chassis is not designed for such a set up?
Thanks
Though, the rear seems rather simple, removing the coil and replacing the shock with a coilover, doesnt get any easier than that, hah.

You'll be applying all the weight of your rear monocoque to two small areas of the car, which are the two strut tower points. Hundreds pf pounds of pressure on each of those areas will eventually cause the metal to break especially on a 25 year old weary chassis.
If you are going this route, i suggest strengthening the entire sheet metal back there, maybe have a box welded to handle the weight.

So strengthening the area in which they mount will spread the stress out enough to not worry about cracking or any type of failure?
This was my plan and was the reason for asking. I have some pictures somewhere of what I plan on doing.
Thank you

He meant 4 points, 2 for the body and 2 on the rear end, that were originally designed temporary loads.

[8-Eight_Six-6]

I have to agree with longgrain the greddy are by far one of the best setups currently available and ive tried just about everything except Megan or the cheap Chinese setups out there now...thing that stands out with the greddy is the shock and spindle on the front are two different pieces meaning you can adjust the height of the car without jeopardizing the stroke of the shock. This is where alot of other setups fail...and why short strike shocks came into the market...on the greddy the spindle is threaded and the casing the shock sits in is also threaded so to adjust height the shock casing can be moved up and down within the threading to adjust height without adjusting the spring....on the rear u have a traditional spring that its in the perch, above it you have an adjustable mount which can compensate for the shocks adjustability and just like the front the bottom half of the shock that mounts to the rear end is separate from the shock itself. To adjust you just turn the shock housing clockwise or counter to move the shock up and down, and then adjust the spring mount to compensate for ride height. Additionally the shocks themselves have several settings from soft to hard and everything in between the springs i believe are a 8kg on front and 6 on the rear but rate can be changed by setting. If you got the loot i would invest in the greddy probably the last set of suspension you will ever by.

The spindles are not threaded the shock casing is. And if you ever put a Greddy front setup and lets say a T3 there is like atlest a 7" difference, Greddy being taller. And assuming you track your car reinforcing the shock mounts on a 20+ year old car should be like the first thing you should do. And guys, just because the corolla ORIGINALLY came with the spring separate from the shock doesn't mean that's the BEST way to go. For the traditionalist ya go for it, but if you track your car and want to get the most out of it, go with a spring over shock assembly, it's like night and day

[Deuce Cam]

It's not just the shock towers, but also the mounting points for the shocks on the axle.

I'm pretty sure most of the n2 cars are running separate spring and shock in the rear, correct me if I'm wrong. I guess it depends on what you plan on using the car for: street, drift, grip, etc., and preference.

I did a google search and it looks like the Greddy's have front top hats that place all the weight on the bearing in the camber plate

[gaijin_rokurunner]

I have to agree with longgrain the greddy are by far one of the best setups currently available and ive tried just about everything except Megan or the cheap Chinese setups out there now...thing that stands out with the greddy is the shock and spindle on the front are two different pieces meaning you can adjust the height of the car without jeopardizing the stroke of the shock. This is where alot of other setups fail...and why short strike shocks came into the market...on the greddy the spindle is threaded and the casing the shock sits in is also threaded so to adjust height the shock casing can be moved up and down within the threading to adjust height without adjusting the spring....on the rear u have a traditional spring that its in the perch, above it you have an adjustable mount which can compensate for the shocks adjustability and just like the front the bottom half of the shock that mounts to the rear end is separate from the shock itself. To adjust you just turn the shock housing clockwise or counter to move the shock up and down, and then adjust the spring mount to compensate for ride height. Additionally the shocks themselves have several settings from soft to hard and everything in between the springs i believe are a 8kg on front and 6 on the rear but rate can be changed by setting. If you got the loot i would invest in the greddy probably the last set of suspension you will ever by.

The spindles are not threaded the shock casing is. And if you ever put a Greddy front setup and lets say a T3 there is like atlest a 7" difference, Greddy being taller. And assuming you track your car reinforcing the shock mounts on a 20+ year old car should be like the first thing you should do. And guys, just because the corolla ORIGINALLY came with the spring separate from the shock doesn't mean that's the BEST way to go. For the traditionalist ya go for it, but if you track your car and want to get the most out of it, go with a spring over shock assembly, it's like night and day

Now that didnt even make sense....one being threaded and the other half not? Both are threaded how do you think the casing goes up and down in the spindle it doesn't slide into the spindle it works like a nut and bolt both being threaded to accept one another! Also 7 " is a lot of difference...which is also incorrect....the greddy allow you to adjust ride height up and down the proper way without effecting shock stroke while the T3 are fixed height...all you can do is adjust the spring location which in turn effects the stroke of the shock your using and thus requiring you to use a different shock. As far as the rest of what you said....where do you get your information because all the setups are spring over shock assemblies!

[gaijin_rokurunner]

Duece alot of N2 cars run inverted shocks in the rear where the piston is upside down like motorcycles use....and a separate spring like the stock setups....alot also run watts links for straight up and down movement of the rear instead of an arched movement created by the panhard rod....as far as the greddy weight placement its actually on the shocks piston straight up and down movement....the shock cushions the weight of the car with the spring and only time u wont have this is if your shock bottoms out ....

[LongGrain]

^^ he was referring that you said the SPINDLE was threaded, which it technically is not, the spindle is the smooth tapered metal part where your wheel bearings and hub go.