iNVAR Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 What the heck? Were Konis or Bilsteins always this pricey? Konis from Tirerack: Front: $166 x 2 Rear: $147 x 2 Total: $626 Bilsteins from Tirerack: Front: $190 x 2 Rear: $98 x 2 Total: $576 but you need more stuff for the conversion OR from FBP: Full Bilstein conversion kit: $999 And none of those even include a set of springs... Tein S-techs are $191.. So if I wanted to do both, the cheapest I'd be looking at is... still 626 + 191 + whatever else I need for the suspension job. About $817+ at the bare, BARE minimum. A friend of mine says he can get a new set of coilovers from some brand (I forget the brand... but he has a ton of experience working with 240s and building them up so I trust him) for about $1300? I had always planned on going with Konis + stock springs, but the if the price difference between coilovers and Konis w/springs isn't that huge, I feel I should just spring (haha, no pun intended!) for the coilovers. Is there something I'm missing here? A little extra for coilovers seems like a good deal, hrm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bnguyenbb6 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I believe that 646 from TR is discounted...I've had Koni's + H&R's+ whiteline sways and I prefer my ISC coilovers with stock sways. Install time for coilovers are half of that of springs and shocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kongzilla Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I had BC coils and they are deff not ride quality for daily use. Some may like the feel of them but they are all over the place on city streets. Currently on koni yellow's and rallitec springs. The ride is awesome. Its a little more stiff then stock and you're not all over the place on every single bump on the road. This is what subaru should of had from the factory stock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Up to this point, I was REALLY eying up those Konis since this IS my daily driver, but I think next year some time I want to track the car a few times and would like the ability to drop the car a bit lower and also crank up the dampening force a bit which is why I'm even considering coilovers. I see Tein Basics are dirt cheap at $999, but the reviews are very "meh" here on LGT and don't offer stiffening of the damping force. Tein Flexs cost more, but have lots more adjustability. $1577 Hmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gire Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 It all comes down to preference and adjustability requirements. Coilovers will give you flexibility but generally have seriously stiff spring rates and will get more of a race car feel. Bilsteins on GT springs or Pinks or Swifts, etc, are a fixed ride height but will be more OEM feeling and comfortable (read: softer) than coilovers. I don't have experience with the Koni / aftermarket spring set up, but a local member here went that route. I should take a ride in his car. He says it's a huge improvement over his simple lowering spring on stock strut set up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmanaenk Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Tein flex would not be NYC-friendly for DD. Consider RCE T1's. There are settings (IIRC 2 clicks front/full soft rear) at which they are pretty comfortable. Firmer than stock, but would be livable on the streets of NYC. 666 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk6933 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 It really depends what you are looking for. If you care about ride quality, then go with Konis. If you want to slammed your car, get coilovers. I went from Epics w/ stock strut, to Megan coilovers, to Swifts w/ Konis. Konis is very comfortable. Check with m sprank, I'm sure he can do better than Tire Rack pricing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmanaenk Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 It really depends what you are looking for. If you care about ride quality, then go with Konis. If you want to slammed your car, get coilovers. I went from Epics w/ stock strut, to Megan coilovers, to Swifts w/ Konis. Konis is very comfortable. Check with m sprank, I'm sure he can do better than Tire Rack pricing. Try non-junk coilovers some day... 666 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftcoast74 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 RCE's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrHellrais3R Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 tein's are cheap for a reason, just remember that.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk6933 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Try non-junk coilovers some day... I know the term, 'you get what you pay for'. Megan isn't that bad for the price, some people like them, just not me. Trust me, if I had the money for KWs or RCE, I WILL get them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legaZ Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Try non-junk coilovers some day... wow, how friendly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I know the term, 'you get what you pay for'. Megan isn't that bad for the price, some people like them, just not me. Trust me, if I had the money for KWs or RCE, I WILL get them. most here will disagree but its because they dont know better and never drove a car with a quality coilover kit. megans are junk, BC's are junk and pretty much any coilover kit under $1500 is junk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strizzy Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I absolutely love the way my Cusco Zero2's ride. I have them adjusted to close to stock ride height and they feel way better than my specB Bilsteins with Cobb springs. Especially over hard bumps. It doesn't even feel like I'm running coilovers. I'm not even at the softest setting either. My bad luck build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZP Installs Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Coilovers are designed for race car/non DD car applications. A good strut and spring combo will give you 90% of the performance of a cheap coilover and you won't have to worry about them seizing up or being to stiff. Konis are great struts that will let you adjust for comfort one day and adjust for the track the next and you wont lose any fillings. Also if you are just going to set and forget the coilovers then even more reason to just find a set of springs you like and stick with those. -Jake http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg AIM: AZP Installs | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Dealer "Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitetiger Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 A good strut and spring combo will give you 90% of the performance of a cheap coilover and you won't have to worry about them seizing up or being to stiff -Jake http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/91072632.jpg http://www.pbase.com/paisan/image/133406601.jpg AIM: AZP Installs | E-mail: sales@azpinstalls.com | 725 Fairfield Ave | Kenilworth, NJ 07033 | 908.248.AZP1 (2971) | T-1 Certified Amsoil Dealer "Race Tested, Enthusiast Approved!" I submit that a koni/spring combo will give you better performance all around compared to a discount coilover kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk6933 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Well, he was debating what's better for the money he is spending. He was first comparing the price between Koni or Bilstein and a set of springs. Then he said that he can pay a bit more and go with "entry-level" coilovers. And I know RCE, KWs, and other coilovers for 1500+ are great. If YOU want to pay the difference for him, then go ahead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spec B Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I should have spent more and not gotten an entry level sports sedan... The expensive coilovers are better..end of story. I am still very happy with my cheap BCs and my cheap suby legacy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Hmm, so entry level coilovers are no good? At least compared to say... Epic springs + Konis or a Bilstein setup? Interesting... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk6933 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Everyone has their budget. If I had more money, I probably would had gotten a different car. The lower price coilovers isn't the greatest, I'm sure if money wasn't a problem, we would all get the best of the best. Some people are happy with their "junk" coilovers. What you may consider "junk" cost some people 1k. I'm here to give my opinion. Some people might not like it, I can care less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mk6933 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Hmm, so entry level coilovers are no good? At least compared to say... Epic springs + Konis or a Bilstein setup? Interesting... Comfort wise, Epic & Konis is a good combo I'm sure you can find cheaper than TR, I got mine brand new for 470 shipped. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spec B Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Depends who you ask - the highend coilover owners will say yes (mainly because they hate how low end coilovers are being mentioned in the same breath as thier super expensive ones), the low end coilovers owners will say thier coilovers are better (mainly because they want to be as cool as the highend coilover owners). You need to try them out for yourself. I feel my low end coilovers out performs my old bilstien and lowering spring setup. I have no autoX time slips to prove it, but I feel less body roll and mid turn bumps are handled just fine with my BCs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spec B Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Everyone has their budget. If I had more money, I probably would had gotten a different car. The lower price coilovers isn't the greatest, I'm sure if money wasn't a problem, we would all get the best of the best. Some people are happy with their "junk" coilovers. What you may consider "junk" cost some people 1k. I'm here to give my opinion. Some people might not like it, I can care less. +1 well said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Underdog Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I run Koni/Epic in the winter and RCE Tarmacs (400/400) in the summer. They are very close in terms of comfort, with a slight nod to the Tarmacs. Granted, I keep the ride height pretty reasonable, you can check my signature for specs. The Tarmacs are also much more planted and fun to drive on. The upshot is that I heartily recommend the Tarmacs over the Koni/Epics, as the initial cost impact will fade over time. That being said the Koni/Epic setup is really close in terms of comfort and performance and at a much better price, so it is a great option for someone who can't conceive of spending $1800 on coilovers. Best option: get both. The Crimson Dynamo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iNVAR Posted August 31, 2011 Author Share Posted August 31, 2011 Hmm, $1700 from the site for the RCE Tarmacs... So basically, for the Epic/Koni setup, I'm looking at: $241 for springs from FBP $626 for Koni front and rear (where else can I get it cheaper? I guess I'll have to shop around) Total $867 +... what else do I need? There are other things I should replace too, right? And for RCE, I see from their site it's going for: http://racecompengineering.com/osc/product_info.php?cPath=21_29_35&products_id=60&osCsid=1f06369eea3fd9deee0ce2d35ba20a35 $1700 and I'm assuming I would need a few more items in addition to just the coilovers. What about these from FBP? KW Variant 2 coilovers? $1732 + whatever else I need. I can afford any of these options, but I don't want to plop the money down unless I feel it's "worth" it. Worth is very subjective too of course. Damn, wish I could test drive the setups before forking over the money haha. Thanks for everyone's responses so far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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