Megan Racing coilovers are here!

I just got an email from Megan Racing saying that a prototype set of coilovers just came in. I'll be headed down there tommorrow to have them installed on my car. It will be really nice to have a quality set of coilovers available for what should be a sub $1000 pricetag. I don't have any specifics about spring rates yet, but the R&D guy at Megan and I had discussed 6 kg/mm for the front and either 7 or 8 kg/mm for the rears. The shocks are 32 way adjustable, and they should be both ride height and preload adjustable.

 

Since I'm currently on Tein Flex coilovers , so I'll be able to provide a direct comparison to those. Stock is somewhat of a distant memory, but I'll also try to compare to that as well. Of course I'll post up pics of the coilovers and the install tommorrow.

 

p.s. For you guys wondering about the quad tip catback, they didn't mention that yet, but I'll try to pry an ETA out of them tommorrow when I'm there.

 

Edited thread title. Added pics to post number 14.

looking forward to hearing specs and your impressions

Its cool not buying anything yet and watching new selections come out.

 

uses stock pillow ball mounts? rubber bushings?

Eue ARGH HAY Bee Hatch!!...(love you man!)

Its cool not buying anything yet and watching new selections come out.

 

uses stock pillow ball mounts? rubber bushings?

 

If they are like their Impreza chassis coilovers, then it will be pillow balls.

Megan Racing sure have a lot of parts made.. does anyone know if any of their parts are just rebadged "made in China" kind of deal? Seems to happen a lot if you want to make money fast.

p.s. For you guys wondering about the quad tip catback, they didn't mention that yet, but I'll try to pry an ETA out of them tommorrow when I'm there.

 

thanks for the update too

Megan Racing sure have a lot of parts made.. does anyone know if any of their parts are just rebadged "made in China" kind of deal? Seems to happen a lot if you want to make money fast.

 

they are definitely spreading their name...

 

enjoy

 

edit***

**** May NOT be suitable for work***

http://www.autoimportcraze.com/forum/index.php?act=ST&f=22&t=206&

Dude.. how about a bit of a warning before you click the link for those of us at work?

Dude.. how about a bit of a warning before you click the link for those of us at work?

 

sorry man...are they too revealing for work? ..i'll edit my previous post, Thanks!

Megan Racing sure have a lot of parts made.. does anyone know if any of their parts are just rebadged "made in China" kind of deal? Seems to happen a lot if you want to make money fast.

 

They prototyped the catback on my car. I'm prototyping an FMIC for them. I'm pretty sure all their stuff is made in Taiwan or China, but honestly, of the consumer products out there, what the heck NOT made in China or Taiwan these days. As to the coilovers, the rumor on NASIOC was that their WRX coilovers were rebadged APEXi coilovers. Same factory, same coilovers, different paint job, just sold at a much lower price. I can neither confirm, nor deny a similar connection with the LGT coilovers. I do know that I lent them my stock struts and springs and that they asked me for my input on spring rate selection. I'm pretty sure they were designed from the ground up.

I was referring more about them being a rebadged part of some other company's works.

megan racing, hells yeah

Installed the coilovers today. They came in from the factory with 10 kg/mm springs on the front struts, which is too stiff for my taste and that of most folks here. Fortunately, we were able to pillage some 6 kg/mm springs from another set of coilovers that MR had in stock. After that the install was super smooth. Everything fit perfectly and slid right in place. The prototype set on my car didn't have anodized front top hats. The production units will be anodized red like the rear units. Spring rates are 6 kg/mm front and 8 kg/mm rear, maintaining the same relevative balance as the stock springs, just stiffer. Anyways, on to the pics!

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers003.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers004.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers001.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers007.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers009.jpg

 

Since I had my Tein Flex coilovers off the car I took a few side my side shots. One thing that is readily apparent is that the Megan Racing coilovers have more travel. That was probably my biggest beef with the Tein coilovers... a lack of travel. The adjuster knobs are also much easier to use on the MR coilovers. The bottom perches on the front stuts seem a bit better built on the Teins, but the MR's are very nice nonetheless. The rear adjusters are a bit too short on the MR's to poke through rear carpet and still allow easy adjustment. I pointed that out to the guys at Megan Racing and they said that they would make them longer in the production units.

Here are a couple pics of the MR coilovers installed and a few of my car post install. I set them up at the same static length as the Tein's but due to the slightly softer front springs the front of the car is tiny bit lower.

 

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers006.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers011.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers012.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers014.jpghttp://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y207/Pisadong/MeganRacingLGTcoilovers015.jpg

 

Driving impressions:

 

WOW! The bit of extra travel offered by the Megans made a tremendous difference in ride quality. With the Teins I had to run quite a bit of front preload to gain enough compression travel to avoid being on the bump stops constantly. Even with the softer springs and no preload the bump stops don't seem to come into play as often as with the Teins. Obviously the softer springs and no preload makes the ride noticably more compliant. the story is similar in the rear. The shock valving also seems very good in my limited mileage so far. The shock have 32 levels of dampening and I'm running them at 10F and 12R right now and it seems just about right, although I will be tinkering with them to see if I can get the perfect ride/handling compromise for me. Most of all, the rebound dampening seems better dialed in. Big bumps are less jaring than before even when the shocks are set soft enough for a smooth ride on smaller bumps and ripples. I had quite a bit of difficulty in getting that balance right with the Teins even after quite a bit of fiddling. I'll definately be tweaking more over the next few days, but I am very happy so far.

Looks good paul. Cant wait to see your Megan racing exhaust. You are gonna be all MR'd out. Seems like you are gonna keep the MR coilovers.

ps Lift up the front or you are gonna scuff up your beautifully painted RBS Lip

ps Lift up the front or you are gonna scuff up your beautifully painted RBS Lip

 

Going to do that tommorrow morning before work. I really do like the MR coilovers better so far.

Spring rates are 6 kg/mm front and 8 kg/mm rear, maintaining the same relevative balance as the stock springs, just stiffer. Anyways, on to the pics!

 

Aren't the stock rates softer in the rear?

^no stock is stiffer in the rear

 

Stock Spring Rates

Front: 3.5 kg/mm ---- 196 lb/in

Rear: 5.5 kg/mm ----- 308 lb/in

 

STi Pinks

Front: 4 kg/mm ---- 224 lb/in ---- 14% increase over stock

Rear: 6 kg/mm ----- 336 lb/in ---- 9% increase over stock

 

IONs

Spring rates are as follows: *for 5MT LGT Sedan, rates for wagon and 2.5i as well as 5MT vs auto are different.

(Imperial Units)

 

Front: @1" compression: 228lb/in, @2" compression: 297lb/in

Rear: (linear)

382lb/in

Which Teins did you have before? The Flex right?

 

Nothing wrong with a shorter suspension travel.. but it's all about the trade-offs. I prefer a lesser suspension travel, but a faster reaction to the bumps (aka bound and rebound). That's where the difference will shine.

 

Oh, and could you re-edit your post with the pics? not many of us like to side-scroll to see the pics thanks

Which Teins did you have before? The Flex right?

 

Nothing wrong with a shorter suspension travel.. but it's all about the trade-offs. I prefer a lesser suspension travel, but a faster reaction to the bumps (aka bound and rebound). That's where the difference will shine.

 

Oh, and could you re-edit your post with the pics? not many of us like to side-scroll to see the pics thanks

 

I did have the Flex before. I vastly prefer more suspension travel, and honestly cannot see in a street application where someone would actually want less travel. Perhaps in a race situation there might be some benefits, but on the street more travel is almost always a good thing in helping balance ride quality with handling.

 

I had my MR coilovers setup the way I would want for my car, which is a daily driver. I will be trying my hand at some autocross soon and we'll see how the new suspension setup does there. I figuring that most guys here will want spring rates and matched dampening that will offer as smooth a ride as possible on the street while offering a substantial boost in handling responsiveness, reduced body roll and enhanced balance. For people wanting firmer or softer springs, it shouldn't be a problem to order extra different rate springs.

Cool. Thanks for the comparison. The shock body diameter of the Tein Flex looks noticeably larger than the Megan Racing. I imagine the Tein Flex have an advantage in racing performance, but the MR coilovers are probably more streetable. So, sounds like Megan Racing is a good and not too expensive option for daily drivers who occasionally race.

^no stock is stiffer in the rear

interesting. I had thought I had read it was the reverse.

Cool. Thanks for the comparison. The shock body diameter of the Tein Flex looks noticeably larger than the Megan Racing. I imagine the Tein Flex have an advantage in racing performance, but the MR coilovers are probably more streetable. So, sounds like Megan Racing is a good and not too expensive option for daily drivers who occasionally race.

 

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the Tein's having larger bodies, but the MR coilovers are monotubes and the Tein's are twin-tubes. Usually monotubes dissipate heat better than twin-tubes, so even though the MR's are smaller in diameter they may resist fade just as well if not better. I won't have any real idea till I hit the track or my favorite set of local twisties.