Coilover advice

Started by m1tch, January 3, 2018, 16:21

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m1tch

Hi all,

I am looking to fit coilovers to the car this year, its currently on stock shocks and Tein lowering springs, however the last MOT noted that one of the rear dampers has started to fail, the car is currently on 175k miles so I have decided to refresh the suspension and look to change to coilovers and upgrade bushings etc whilst I am at it. I can also check for any other areas when everything is apart, I already know I need to swap out the rear discs and pads etc, the good news is that the rear calipers have been replaced at some point and the car passed its MOT (although with an advisory on the handbrake efficiency). I think the hand brake issue is a combination of slightly grooved discs and low material on the pads - I also think the pads are more track focused so they don't really grip well in the cold - cables move freely though.

Anyway I am looking for some advice on coilovers, I know that TCB are currently offering some K Sport coilovers but I have also seen some other coilovers for sale for our car namely the BC coilovers - the BR series. I have found that there are 3 different levels of the BR series:

RA = Front pillow ball, rubber rear mount
RH = Front pillow ball, rear pillow ball
MH = Same as RH but inverted damper

I believe that the K sport coilovers TCB offer have just the front pillow mounts, so would be equivalent to the RA version? Do I need the rear pillow ball mount or will I be ok with just the front only - I am guessing I should aim for the RH version as I don't think there is camber adjustment on the rear of our cars?

What is everyones thoughts on these coilovers - I know there are coilovers that are far more expensive but the car will be a road car rather than track only so I probably won't need some of the more advanced features on the high end versions.

jvanzyl

#1
I'd suggest just going with MeisterR's.
They are well priced, the valving is done well and there are lots here who have them and you can do lots of rides in them with and without polys to satisfy yourself.

I'm sure the ksports are good- but no one here has them.
As such you'll be the guinea pig.

m1tch

#2
Quote from: "jvanzyl"I'd suggest just going with MeisterR's.
They are well priced, the valving is done well and there are lots here who have them and you can do lots of rides in them with and without polys to satisfy yourself.

I'm sure the ksports are good- but no one here has them.
As such you'll be the guinea pig.

I believe that the K sports are the main coilover in the US and the modding scene seems to be more over in the US rather than the UK (which is why I am finding it harder to find forged 1zz parts in the UK as MWR in the US has basically all the parts you would ever need but would be a fair amount more to get them shipped over).

I also feel that the MeisterRs might be slightly out of budget considering they are around twice the price of the K sport or BCs.

I guess the other option is to find some upgraded adjustable dampers instead of the stock shocks and run my current Tein springs although I have a feeling that this might work out about the same cost as a set of new BC coilovers!

jvanzyl

#3
Fair enough man- but your ride quality will make or break the experience.... I see little point in saving £200?ish  if MeisterR's are around £800? If you're going through all the effort with the engine..
I know k sports are big in the US and have heard from Paul at TCB about them. But you're honestly going to be the first on the country to have them and as such it's a risk.

shnazzle

#4
I'm very pleased with my BCs and have been for years now.
4/6kg springs option and rear rubber top mount to retain a bit comfort
Perfect fit and brake line mounting tab like stock.

Great availability of any of the parts in case something breaks.

Do recommend getting some strut socks to protect them from the elements as it gets a bit rusty.
...neutiquam erro.

JoeCool

#5
Ask for pricing on meister R's. I certainly didn't pay £800 for mine and that wasn't even a group buy...
2ZZ '02 Roadster

wotugonado

#6
Meisters for me too, plenty of adjustability for fine tuning and are more forgiving for the state of our bumpy, pothole filled UK roads.

They are also an affiliate on here, worth a read through some of their threads.

 l viewtopic.php?f=86&t=57140 l

He has a discount code in his signature and 0% finance option, you will need to see if it's still valid but worth an ask imo
---------------Tte turbo----------------
      Graced the tarmac from 2014-2019

1979scotte

#7
Meister R for the roadster are never 800 quid. Would be my pick have had 2 roadsters with them.
K sport could be great but I don't know anyone running them.
Some coilovers are way to harsh for UK roads.
BC are well thought of too.
If you have the money Tein are supposed to be great.
Tbh mate no point having all those lovely forged parts and mega turbo power if your suspension ain't up to it.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

jonbill

#8
I think Tokico Illumina would be the benchmark for adjustable replacement damper inserts. I think 4 of them will easily cost £600.
Also.. I'll take a small wager that your handbrake advisory isn't down to grooved disks and worn pads [emoji3]

BahnStormer

#9
any advice on sources for these? looks like £830 from MeisterR:  m https://www.meisterr.co.uk/products/zetacrd-plus/ m
Black 2006: AC & heated leather: 4x Megillian braces, Koni/Tein custom suspension, MTEC+YS+braided brakes, Toyosports manifold, TTE exhaust, Conti PremiumContact2(summer)/ Conti TS860S(winter) / YokoAD08RS (track/summer), Pioneer MVH-390BT + TS-E171ci, FBSW, Robbins mohair hood.

wotugonado

#10
Quote from: "BahnStormer"any advice on sources for these? looks like £830 from MeisterR:  m https://www.meisterr.co.uk/products/zetacrd-plus/ m
Put mr2roc in the coupon section in the checkout and it takes 5% off.
Alternatively  if there's enough interest you could ask to get a group buy going, I got mine through one of their group buys organised on here for about £650.00
---------------Tte turbo----------------
      Graced the tarmac from 2014-2019

LeoD

#11
I would be interested in a group buy

ayresyboy

#12
+1 for Meister's. Prefer them to the BC's I had.

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SW20 Gen4 Turbo // SW20 1MZ V6

Ardent

#13
Quote from: "jonbill"I'll take a small wager that your handbrake advisory isn't down to grooved disks and worn pads [emoji3]
s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

m1tch

#14
Quote from: "1979scotte"Meister R for the roadster are never 800 quid. Would be my pick have had 2 roadsters with them.
K sport could be great but I don't know anyone running them.
Some coilovers are way to harsh for UK roads.
BC are well thought of too.
If you have the money Tein are supposed to be great.
Tbh mate no point having all those lovely forged parts and mega turbo power if your suspension ain't up to it.

I didn't think they were at £800 but I was pricing up the Meister coilovers based on the GT1 coilovers, their ZetaCRD+ are currently at £829

 m https://www.meisterr.co.uk/products/zetacrd-plus/ m

If the Meisters are better than the BC coilovers or K Sport I am tempted, although they don't have the rear pillow ball as you would get from the BC RHs - which are currently at £720 a set.

What spring rates should I look to get? 4/7 or 5/7?

m1tch

#15
Quote from: "Ardent"
Quote from: "jonbill"I'll take a small wager that your handbrake advisory isn't down to grooved disks and worn pads [emoji3]
s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

Both cables move freely and the calipers have been refreshed?

BahnStormer

#16
Quote from: "wotugonado"if there's enough interest you could ask to get a group buy going, I got mine through one of their group buys organised on here for about £650.00

Ooooh.... interesting!! How many did we need last time to get it down to £650?? (and/or who are our contacts at MeisterR?)

Sorry for the thread hijack, but I figure I'm asking the same "coilover advice questions" - so figure it's better to get people to focus collective efforts in one place, especially when people may ask questions that I haven't even thought of yet. On that note, what else should should be lined up (in terms of parts) that ought to be looked at at the same time as brakes and suspension? I'm not looking to go too crazy here as this all started with needing new back discs... and I'm already lining up Black Diamond G6's + YellowStuff pads (front and rear for both), Goodridge Phantom braided lines and now eyeing up suspension too...
Black 2006: AC & heated leather: 4x Megillian braces, Koni/Tein custom suspension, MTEC+YS+braided brakes, Toyosports manifold, TTE exhaust, Conti PremiumContact2(summer)/ Conti TS860S(winter) / YokoAD08RS (track/summer), Pioneer MVH-390BT + TS-E171ci, FBSW, Robbins mohair hood.

wotugonado

#17
Go on the affiliates section on this forum and look through the threads on there, edwin i think is his name.
---------------Tte turbo----------------
      Graced the tarmac from 2014-2019

1979scotte

#18
Quote from: "m1tch"
Quote from: "1979scotte"Meister R for the roadster are never 800 quid. Would be my pick have had 2 roadsters with them.
K sport could be great but I don't know anyone running them.
Some coilovers are way to harsh for UK roads.
BC are well thought of too.
If you have the money Tein are supposed to be great.
Tbh mate no point having all those lovely forged parts and mega turbo power if your suspension ain't up to it.

I didn't think they were at £800 but I was pricing up the Meister coilovers based on the GT1 coilovers, their ZetaCRD+ are currently at £829

 m https://www.meisterr.co.uk/products/zetacrd-plus/ m

If the Meisters are better than the BC coilovers or K Sport I am tempted, although they don't have the rear pillow ball as you would get from the BC RHs - which are currently at £720 a set.

What spring rates should I look to get? 4/7 or 5/7?

Go for lighter spring rates unless it's purely a track machine

Meister R affiliate page.
 l viewtopic.php?f=86&t=57140 l

I got mine before they became CRD and with a big discount paid way less than 829.
You should get the 5% club discount off that though.

Edit
Rear pillow ball isn't always ideal for the road again if it purely for track then go ahead.
Tbh if it is for track just get BC.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

m1tch

#19
The car will be probably be a 90% road car so it looks like I should look to get the Meister CRD+ - if there is a group buy on them I am in, if not, even high £700s for a set of good coilovers is still good value.

Good to know I probably won't be needing the rear pillow ball - although that does mean the the BC coilovers RA are the same in terms of setup but are at around £700 - would probably go with the Meisters as it would only be about £70 more and that's without a groupbuy price!

1979scotte

#20
Quote from: "m1tch"The car will be probably be a 90% road car so it looks like I should look to get the Meister CRD+ - if there is a group buy on them I am in, if not, even high £700s for a set of good coilovers is still good value.

Good to know I probably won't be needing the rear pillow ball - although that does mean the the BC coilovers RA are the same in terms of setup but are at around £700 - would probably go with the Meisters as it would only be about £70 more and that's without a groupbuy price!

Loads of people are happy with the BC on the 4/6 springs but from a few test drives I've had I think the meister R are more supple not tried the new CRD+ but they're supposed to be even better.
I believe they're very popular with the m X 5 lot.
First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

Free Ukraine 🇺🇦

m1tch

#21
Think I will aim for the Meisters then  s:) :) s:)

BahnStormer

#22
m1tch, I've just dropped a note through to Jerrick to see what sort of discount might be available (% and how many people we'd need). If you can hold on a bit, it would get us one extra person towards a group buy critical mass. I've not arranged one of these before, so just stumbling along as best I can.

If I don't have a reply in the next day or two, I'll ping the MeisterR sales team via a webpage form/e-mail directly, but I figured I'd give the MR2ROC message system a chance first (plus their site is blocked at my work)....
Black 2006: AC & heated leather: 4x Megillian braces, Koni/Tein custom suspension, MTEC+YS+braided brakes, Toyosports manifold, TTE exhaust, Conti PremiumContact2(summer)/ Conti TS860S(winter) / YokoAD08RS (track/summer), Pioneer MVH-390BT + TS-E171ci, FBSW, Robbins mohair hood.

m1tch

#23
Quote from: "BahnStormer"m1tch, I've just dropped a note through to Jerrick to see what sort of discount might be available (% and how many people we'd need). If you can hold on a bit, it would get us one extra person towards a group buy critical mass. I've not arranged one of these before, so just stumbling along as best I can.

If I don't have a reply in the next day or two, I'll ping the MeisterR sales team via a webpage form/e-mail directly, but I figured I'd give the MR2ROC message system a chance first (plus their site is blocked at my work)....

I am happy to wait - no real rush as the current suspension is ok at the moment as I don't think the damper has failed - would be great if we could get a further discount, if not its still a good price with the affiliate discount for a good set of coilovers.

BahnStormer

#24
MeisterR looks pretty inactive on this forum, so I think I'll have to drop them a mail over the weekend.
Black 2006: AC & heated leather: 4x Megillian braces, Koni/Tein custom suspension, MTEC+YS+braided brakes, Toyosports manifold, TTE exhaust, Conti PremiumContact2(summer)/ Conti TS860S(winter) / YokoAD08RS (track/summer), Pioneer MVH-390BT + TS-E171ci, FBSW, Robbins mohair hood.

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