# Springs VS Coilovers



## GTRsentra (Jul 10, 2003)

Whats better springs or coilovers


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## Neil (Aug 13, 2002)

coilovers


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## bahearn (Jul 15, 2002)

One can't make such a blanket statement on this subject. The answer depends upon what you want out of your suspension. For the vast majority of peple, O.E.-style springs are the best.


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## Wont Be Beat (Sep 20, 2002)

bahearn said:


> *One can't make such a blanket statement on this subject. The answer depends upon what you want out of your suspension.*


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## 200silvia (Jun 12, 2002)

unless you want to be riding on the bumpstops coilovers are better.


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## Rama (Mar 8, 2003)

very true bahearn what are you going to do auto-x, drag, just daily driving, or is this just purely for lowering purposes or just trying to improve your suspension?


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## UNISH25 (Aug 12, 2002)

Don't coilover make clinky noises for some of you guys?
And face it, when was the last time that you modified the ride height with coilovers?


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## Neil (Aug 13, 2002)

thats just the ground controls that people complain about squeeking rattling n stuff.

He just asked which was better, he didn't ask which was better for him, or better for street driving, etc. I dont think anyone can honestly say that a true coilover setup is worse than almost any spring/shock combo especially when you can choose your own spring rates, get more travel, have upper mounts that are adjustable, have damping rates which are adjustable, have matched together components made for a specific vehicle, and have adjustable ride height.


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## GTRsentra (Jul 10, 2003)

am just droping my car for daily driving, the look and sometimes i street race


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## 200silvia (Jun 12, 2002)

it comes down to what you can afford, i am just telling you from my personal experience that the drop springs currently on the market for a b14 arent very good. My car bottoms out all the time, my car is unstable and for a daily driven car it is very uncomfortable. I think Hyperco is making some springs soon. From what i read the springs will drop a lil over an inch and have spring rates over 300. If thats the case they will be a good alternative mated with agx's. Other then that i wouldnt recommend the other spring, shock combos on the market for the b14. 
My setup in case you were wondering is H&R springs, kyb gr2's, and motivational rear mounts.Im glad to say this setup is coming off on monday!!!


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## MCHNHED (Dec 22, 2002)

*Coil-overs VS Springs!!*

so for me...(i have a '96 200SX)... i just want to drop the car a little bit and basically stiffen the suspension up to add the best overall combinations of comfort and performance - but dont get me wrong, i dont care about rough rides! ONE MORE THING, i also dont want to make it difficult to get a jack underneat the damn thing so i can do my own work, ya know? WITH THAT SAID, what's the best setup for me? coil-overs or springs&struts??


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## Wont Be Beat (Sep 20, 2002)

Some good dampers will prevent all the bottoming out going on.


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## GregA (Oct 23, 2002)

*Re: Coil-overs VS Springs!!*

Good aftermarket springs for the street, and leave the coilover s for the track.

http://www.bira.org/coilover.html


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## 200silvia (Jun 12, 2002)

the b14 suspension is not the same as other cars in its class. The car has no suspension travel. You can get springs but it needs to matched with the motivational shortened struts. Theres no point to make your car ride that much worse just for looks.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

Here's the thing:
There are next to no good aftermarket springs for our Sentras. Like 200silvia said, Hyperco is developing a set of stiff springs with a mild drop, but few of us have experienced what that feels like, or how the quality will be. The rest lower the car too much with too little an increase in spring rates.

I'm not saying that everyone (or anyone, for that matter) should go one way or another, but our options for a good budget/low-maintenance suspension setup are extremely limited.


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

200silvia said:


> *the b14 suspension is not the same as other cars in its class. The car has no suspension travel. You can get springs but it needs to matched with the motivational shortened struts. Theres no point to make your car ride that much worse just for looks. *


Haha. Damn you 200silvia. You beat me to it.


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## Wont Be Beat (Sep 20, 2002)

Does ground-control make a coilover system? If so, you can get sleeves that leave your car at stock or near stock height as well as just about any spring rate your heart desires.


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## MCHNHED (Dec 22, 2002)

well then... what you are saying, 200silvia, is that my 200SX does not need any suspension work whatsoever?? are you saying that the thing is already stiff enough for street/track driving? i thought the whole point in lowering my car (with either coil-overs or springs/struts) was to get a stiffer ride, no??


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## Wont Be Beat (Sep 20, 2002)

No, the point is to decrease body roll, then increasing turn in, and keeping your tires firmly planted while cornering.


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## 200silvia (Jun 12, 2002)

nah what im saying is that if you dont do it right your setup will hurt your handlinig more then helping it. Youll love your setup until the struts wear out, and then what buy new struts? If you want to lower your car i would reccomend the tein basics. They are not much more then a spring/strut combo. Im not trying to make it a spring vs. coilover issue, its a suspension travel issue. The coilovers have shortenend struts which means when you lower the car it doesnt ride so harsh. The only shortenend strut available for a b14 is motivational. 
I mean my car ran so rough on springs that i constantly have to put the exhaust back on its hangers. Anyway im not saying dont upgrade your suspension, im just saying springs/stuts arent the best way to do it for our cars.


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

200silvia does have a point.. but its in preference, i have eibach springs and i and change the shocks soon, getting motivational rear strut mounts and it should be a good set up.. since i didn't want lower than 1.5" drop, i had to go springs.. but if you go coilovers you need shorted struts..


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## MCHNHED (Dec 22, 2002)

well i dont want to lower my car more then 38cm... and i really dont feel like screwing up my alignment with the camber adjustment and all *(this is what i heard about coilovers). so what i can conclude is that a spring/strut combo would be best for my application???


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## 200silvia (Jun 12, 2002)

are you talking about sleeve coilovers like ground control or full coilovers like tein? Your alignment is going to have to be done after installing any suspension products


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## psuLemon (Apr 23, 2003)

200silvia is right.. even with my 1.5" drop with my eibachs, i still have to do an alignment.. just if you go alot more you might have to get chamber corrections


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## Neil (Aug 13, 2002)

the tuning shop i went to were pretty helpful. They said that alignment has to be done on any suspension because you are removing it from the body. 

Also they said with my coilovers that I dont have to have another alignment done when raising or lowering unless I go above an 1" of raising or lowering. They told me all the spec numbers too which was cool.


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## Skinny G (May 9, 2002)

MCHNHED said:


> *well i dont want to lower my car more then 38cm... *


I think you mean 38mm. 38cm is over a foot and a half, and I'm sure you don't have that kind of ground clearance.



G


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