adjustable coilovers, do they ruin or improve the vehicle?

[kebabaluba]

This question have bothered me for years and kinda have never found clear answer for. I see a lot of "tuners" put adjustable coilovers on their cars, yes they might get stiffer and lowered ride, but overall does their car handle better than stock? Unless their suspension are tuned by pros after the install, aren`t coilovers kinda a expensive way to ruin a car rather than improving it? I know that suspension tuning are great way to improve handling but that is something that needs to be tuned by pros as suspension tuning are quite complex thing and also require tools that no average Joe have in his garage. So when i see a car that i would like to buy with aftermarked coilovers i instantly think the owner might have ruined whole car with them and that kinda turns me off.

 

[bdcardinal]

When I put Bilstein coilovers from Maximum Motorsports on my 98 Mustang it handled better than the worn out factory stuff. However the real improvement came when MM properly corner-weighted the car.

 

[CarlB]

Like all things, it depends on the starting car and your own goals. We have some cars with coilovers, some without. Plus not all of the models of coilovers fit the same goals.

It's an unanswerable question with the information provided.

 

[Jetronic]

with anything adjustable, it's easier to maladjust than to get it right.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

Those ebay coilovers are worthless

Only a select few reputable brands are actually worth using.

 

[Pew]

IME, most people adjust the height they want, then the compression/rebound knobs without a proper alignment, corner balance, spring rate, rebound/compression settings, or the roll center. The resulting increased stiffness gives the driver a placebo effect with confidence that their car is handling better. You can usually pick these guys out when they have cheap coilovers (exceptions exist.)

 

[Jetronic]

This question have bothered me for years and kinda have never found clear answer for. I see a lot of "tuners" put adjustable coilovers on their cars, yes they might get stiffer and lowered ride, but overall does their car handle better than stock? Unless their suspension are tuned by pros after the install, aren`t coilovers kinda a expensive way to ruin a car rather than improving it? I know that suspension tuning are great way to improve handling but that is something that needs to be tuned by pros as suspension tuning are quite complex thing and also require tools that no average Joe have in his garage. So when i see a car that i would like to buy with aftermarked coilovers i instantly think the owner might have ruined whole car with them and that kinda turns me off.

I feel the same, I'd rather have all original and not pay extra for something that could be worse.

 

[Jetronic]

IME, most people adjust the height they want, then the compression/rebound knobs without a proper alignment, corner balance, spring rate, rebound/compression settings, or the roll center. The resulting increased stiffness gives the driver a placebo effect with confidence that their car is handling better. You can usually pick these guys out when they have cheap coilovers (exceptions exist.)

and then often run the cheapest tyres in the size they wanted. Maybe because they need to change them too often.

 

[kebabaluba]

IME, most people adjust the height they want, then the compression/rebound knobs without a proper alignment, corner balance, spring rate, rebound/compression settings, or the roll center. The resulting increased stiffness gives the driver a placebo effect with confidence that their car is handling better. You can usually pick these guys out when they have cheap coilovers (exceptions exist.)

I have impression that placebo effect are really strong when shocks are too stiff and ride height dropped, not that it would improve actual handling

 

[kebabaluba]

When I put Bilstein coilovers from Maximum Motorsports on my 98 Mustang it handled better than the worn out factory stuff. However the real improvement came when MM properly corner-weighted the car.

Sound like the pros did you right with those coilovers, kinda confirms my point that you might need tuning later on...

 

[Jetronic]

I have impression that placebo effect are really strong when shocks are too stiff and ride height dropped, not that it would improve actual handling

Might make handling worse even. But it "feels" better.

 

[bdcardinal]

Sound like the pros did you right with those coilovers, kinda confirms my point that you might need tuning later on...

Really cool story of how it happened. I was at a SVTOA HDPE at Buttonwillow back in like 2006. I put myself in the beginner group and was assigned a driving instructor. The instructor I was assigned raced in NASA American Iron in a Mustang and used Maximum Motorsports parts on his racecar. He took it out the first run group and said it felt good, but could be a lot better. He drive it straight to the Maximum Motorsports garage area and told them that it had a bunch of their parts on it and could they corner weight it for me. They had me go get gas so it was closer to a half tank and had me stand on one of the scales to get my weight and added that to the driver's seat. Then they asked if I minded missing a run group so they could work on the car. I obviously let them and the car drove like an absolute dream after. So yes, having a proper setup works wonders as well as people who know what they are doing when they do it.

 

[CarlB]

I have impression that placebo effect are really strong when shocks are too stiff and ride height dropped, not that it would improve actual handling

It depends, since if you lower the car, roll-center raises without compensation. That's a handling reduction there. However if the car is mcpherson strut, increasing spring rate reduces the camber gain (improvement), since there is now less articulation.

There isn't a single answer here.

 

[kebabaluba]

It depends, since if you lower the car, roll-center raises without compensation. That's a handling reduction there. However if the car is mcpherson strut, increasing spring rate reduces the camber gain (improvement), since there is now less articulation.

There isn't a single answer here.

That`s true, lower car and lower roll center are a improvement but not whole picture like as you have weigh transfer and all that to take account for. Therefore i think that people who slap on expensive coilovers without proper adjustment kinda might ruin the car instead...

 

[slo town]

..... i think that people who slap on expensive coilovers without proper adjustment kinda might ruin the car instead...

Absolutely.

Even installing a set of aftermarket springs can lead to "disaster". The biggest problem I see with aftermarket springs (and coilovers) is that people run their cars too low. Adequate suspension travel is a must!

Scott

 

[CarlB]

That`s true, lower car and lower roll center are a improvement but not whole picture like as you have weigh transfer and all that to take account for. Therefore i think that people who slap on expensive coilovers without proper adjustment kinda might ruin the car instead...

Lowering a car, raises the roll center (different than center of gravity). Unless you install components to compensate. It can help with aero inspite of suspension negative impacts.

 

[ls1mike]

I put a set of Peddlers on the Caprice. I generally dont do coilovers. I love them!

 

[Skippy722]

I’ve been in cars that were on coil overs that were just stiff for the sake of “sportiness” and I’ve been in others that were properly set up and let you rip up an Autocross track with ease, even managed 3rd place in the Xtreme Street A class!

 

[PandaBear]

It depends on how you adjust it. I think the coilover itself is not going to get you anything without tuning. Maybe it is stiffer but you can do the same by using stiffer non adjustable parts to achieve the same result.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Ive had Tein and Megan Racing Coilovers and got that out of my system. I just put premium strut bars on and call it a day now. My favourite two suspension modifications are upper strut bars and sway bar/bushings.