10kRPMS

Are coil overs worth the money or should I just get springs?

Spin9k

The coilover answer is simple. Yes if you need them for performance, no if only for looks. Typical problems are coilovers are expensive and require tuning - IOW, it's easy to mis-adjust them and be worse off than stock as far as performance and comfort.

The spring answer is simple too. Yes if you just want a slightly lowered look, likely no if it's major performace improvements your looking for. Springs will likely mean you'll need dampers too pretty soon, esp. if the springs are much stiffer than stock as they'll destroy the shocks fairly quickly. Hey, now you've got coilovers - sort of

Nevertheless 10kRPMS, your already hot car would look great with either esp. if they're red!

10kRPMS

maybe I will just go with springs, I can't seem to justify the cost of coilovers

EZZY

if you are going to do alot of track days atdifferent track environment, then coilover will give you the luxury of changing settings for that particular track.

if not, go with lower springs and matched aftermarket shocks. add sway bars to complete the simple, but effect sussy setup for everyday street use

ECHO1

which springs are you looking at? i was thinking about the rb springs and sways (for the "sussy setup"). they're listed as only 20% stiffer than stock according to rb, would that increase necessitate upgrading shocks as well?

bureau13

That's what I'm considering, I think a lot of people use that combo with the stock shocks. Now, the Konis are out and that's supposed to be better I guess, but from what I understand it you should be fine with the stock shocks.

jds

Mikelikes2drive

RB srpings dont lower the car too much. if you want a meaner drop i would say eibachs or tein springs.

the drop on the RB springs is not very noticeable

Fanman

I have the RB suspension package (sway bars, springs, and front sway bar endlinks) and it works great. Perfect for aggresive street driving, and moderate track work. If you are heading out to the track every weekend then a set of coilovers might make sense. I've never been a fan of springs that dropped this car over an 1" but still use stock shocks. I got a ride in an RX8 that had a set of springs that did that and felt that the handling was compromised. Didn't feel as tight as the RB setup. Looked nicer though with the car slammed.

10kRPMS

I am thinking Mazdaspeed springs with Mazdaspeed shock. I work at a dealer so I get them at cost.

solito

I have tein-s springs that I would like to install on my 8's stock shocks. But before I take them in for install, can someone give my an idea of what I would be paying. I was quoted $600+ at PeP Boys.

Thanks!

iridearocket

I have used H&R springs for 20,000km and the shocks are starting to wear out. (stock shocks have 27,000km total on them) It's not bad, but in another year they will be shot and will not provide the handling you want from a $35,000 car. Any drop over 1/2 inch will wear shock out fast. The RB's may allow the stock setup to last the longest. Any other spring, and get ready to start bouncing after 1 year.

I have learnt my lesson with 2 cars now, if you lower the car, you must change the shocks as well. When lowering a car, you are reducing the compression stroke of the stock cartridge. Aftermarket shocks assume a shorter spring will be used and are manufactured to that setup.

Coilovers are great becuase the spring and shock are matched by design. If you don't want to blow all that money, a good shock like Tokico, Koni, Bilstein, etc. matched with a sport spring, will put a smile on your face ever time you drive the car and will perform just like coilovers. But coilovers are not that much more money and you usually get the ride height adjustment. I used to have coilovers... it was great, but even they do not perform well if you slam the car down becuase you are shortening the compression stroke.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

sorry man, but about 90% of what you just said is incorrect. Lowering doesn't wear out the shock. Most OE shocks are junk (and some of hyped aftermarket ones too), only marginally capable of handling the OE spring rate. Throw a stiffer spring on there and you're already underdamped on shock valving. As the shock wears, and OE shocks typically wear out in 30,000 miles but most people just don't know any better, it just shows itself sooner with a stiffer spring. The compression stroke doesn't become an issue unless the shock is bottoming out excessively, then you need to look at a shorter shock, progressive bumpstops, or higher spring rates; individually or in combination.

So yeah, you should go ahead and get a decent shock to go with a spring swap, just that you didn't present the correct reason why.

Napboy

to install my s-techs, i paid only $100. that's a pretty good price to install springs, but i wouldn't pay more than $200.

Genesis

Hey 10kRPMS...you never said why you're interested in the sus upgrade to begin with...what's yer motivation bro? That should help to answer your question rather than sparking a general coilover vs. spring debate which IMO clearly favours coilovers...but that's just my opinion

RX4life

if you are going to pay that much.. you might as well buy coilovers... they are normally cheaper to install... and they have height-adjustability, shocks, and springs.

600$ is ridiculously high!!

iridearocket

Hey TeamRX8,
How come the comression stroke becomes more harsh and the reboud becomes softer when you lower the ride height of a coilover? (even if you are not bottoming out the car) Conversely when you raise the car's ride height, the rebound becomes more taught and the compression stroke becomes softer.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

on most "real" shocks this is not true, the major damping forces are determined by the piston valving and shaft velocity, the position of the piston in the body has no effect on this

the only exception might be, and I'm taking a wild guess here, is if the manufacturer uses bleed holes or slots somewhere along the sliding wall. No "real" shock manufacturer uses these gimmicks though. However, I suspect that you are into the bumpstops when lowered and just don't realize it.

GeorgeH

iTrader: (2)

Actually, I spoke with a shock dyno operator/ownwer once and was told that the repsonse of many shocks do change depending on where in the travel they are tested. I didn't ask specifics about brand, but the reasoning given was that the surface finish quality within the tube is highest in the region where the manufacturer expects the piston to spend most of it's life. Take it out of that range and the response of the damper changes.

Having said that, based on iri's description of the behavior I'd say TeamRX8 is correct - you are (or were) in the bumpstops.

FYI, not all coil-over kits suffer from the bump-stop problem. Top-tier kits from JIC and Tein allow you to adjust the height of the car without affecting travel, but these kits aren't cheap.

IMO there is no substitute for a damper matched to it's spring. Good off-the-shelf dampers, like Koni & Bilstein, do work quite well with stiffer-than-OEM springs, but an optimum setup IMO can only be achieved when the valving is designed for the spring rates. This requires stepping up to a good kit like JIC/Tein (and I'm sure there are others) or getting your Konis/Bilsteins revalved.

And by 'optimum' I mean lowered stance coupled with stiffer springs without compromising (much) on ride quality.