coilovers vs good spring/strut combo.

[recneps]

im finally readdy to move from my stock supension, im gonna miss being able to go up any driveay or over any speed bump, oh well.

anyways i have really decided on whether to for a good spring strut combo or some coilovers. I do go to the track and i would love a great handeling car but i still cant justify myself spending the money on a set of tein ssp's. im considering just some tein s-techs and some yellows. and with the money i save i could buy adjustible camber plates and links and save for other stuff.

all my friends that track their car keep telling me "dont buy springs youll just want coilovers later".

its basically a money issue i mean im gonna be doing web design at wachovia for $13/hr over the summer but coilovers will eat a lot of the money i make and im gonna be a college freshman in the fall so i dunno.

do you guys think im sacrifice a lot of handeling if i go springs and struts instead of coilovers?

opinions?

[AZceliGirl]

I'm in the same dilemma - sort of. I want to get SSP's, but I don't go to the track. I've heard nothing but good about them, but I'm not sure if I should get those or the Tein Basics.

Kristin

[GT_RyderZ]

i personally go with coilover because it gives you more options and saves you lots of headache. right now, i have kyb shocks and tein springs and i like it. however, my next set up will be coilover.

[Crizzz]

if you're not a track person, the tein basics should be good...

[DopeCelicaGT]

I have hated all the coilovers I have had honestly but they do give you more of a range of options over spring/struts, which may or may not be a good thing for you. My only problem so far with your course of action is that with the money you spend on a set of Koni Yellows and even a $130 set of springs would almost buy you a basic coilover set, so why not go for the coilovers?

[AZceliGirl]

I have hated all the coilovers I have had honestly but they do give you more of a range of options over spring/struts, which may or may not be a good thing for you. My only problem so far with your course of action is that with the money you spend on a set of Koni Yellows and even a $130 set of springs would almost buy you a basic coilover set, so why not go for the coilovers?
What was it about coilover that you didn't like? I think I'm going to replace my Tokico blues/sportline setup with either the Tein SS-P or Tein Basics. It looks like since I don't go to the track, I need to go with Tein Basics. I think those and the Tein SS-P allow for the same max drop in rear/front. I got a pretty nice drop with the sportlines, here's some pics...http://www.swordfanatic.com/2003CelicaGT/Celica.html. Will I get a similar drop with the Tein Basics?

--Kristin

[GrkCelica]

What a coincidence. I am in the same situation, trying to decide on replacing my stock (tired after 43000 Km / 26900 Miles) struts/shocks. I have narrowed my choices between the following two options:

1. Koni Yellow Sport Struts/Shocks + Tein S-Tech Springs for a lowering of approx. 1.4 in. Price in Greece around 900 Euros (i.e. 1140 $) installed.

2. Tein Super Street Damper (without the pillowball uppermounts). I prefer a lowering of 0.8 - 1 in with the Tein coilovers (if this is possible and will not mees up the spring loading). Price in Greece around 1300 Euros (i.e. 1650 $) installed.

I decided to consider the Tein SS with no uppermounts because I want a good ride and I do not go to tracks (only street driving). The streets in Greece are considered VERY bad and harsh. You can see that the prices in Greece are way TOO EXPENSIVE.

One of the benefits of a coilover setup is the ability to corner balance the car. This way we can control the weight transfer more effectively. Another benefit of the Tein SS is the effective reduction of the chassis roll during cornering, although this is the main function of the sway bars.

By the way I have installed a month ago the front and rear Whiteline adjustable sway bars and the Whiteline front strut tower bar (awesome stuff).

[silv3r0ne]

What a coincidence. I am in the same situation, trying to decide on replacing my stock (tired after 43000 Km / 26900 Miles) struts/shocks. I have narrowed my choices between the following two options:

1. Koni Yellow Sport Struts/Shocks + Tein S-Tech Springs for a lowering of approx. 1.4 in. Price in Greece around 900 Euros (i.e. 1140 $) installed.

2. Tein Super Street Damper (without the pillowball uppermounts). I prefer a lowering of 0.8 - 1 in with the Tein coilovers (if this is possible and will not mees up the spring loading). Price in Greece around 1300 Euros (i.e. 1650 $) installed.

I decided to consider the Tein SS with no uppermounts because I want a good ride and I do not go to tracks (only street driving). The streets in Greece are considered VERY bad and harsh. You can see that the prices in Greece are way TOO EXPENSIVE.

One of the benefits of a coilover setup is the ability to corner balance the car. This way we can control the weight transfer more effectively. Another benefit of the Tein SS is the effective reduction of the chassis roll during cornering, although this is the main function of the sway bars.

By the way I have installed a month ago the front and rear Whiteline adjustable sway bars and the Whiteline front strut tower bar (awesome stuff).



why would you want to lower your car only 0.8-1in with the coilovers? save your money and buy some trd or eibach prokit springs.

[recneps]

What a coincidence. I am in the same situation, trying to decide on replacing my stock (tired after 43000 Km / 26900 Miles) struts/shocks. I have narrowed my choices between the following two options:

1. Koni Yellow Sport Struts/Shocks + Tein S-Tech Springs for a lowering of approx. 1.4 in. Price in Greece around 900 Euros (i.e. 1140 $) installed.

2. Tein Super Street Damper (without the pillowball uppermounts). I prefer a lowering of 0.8 - 1 in with the Tein coilovers (if this is possible and will not mees up the spring loading). Price in Greece around 1300 Euros (i.e. 1650 $) installed.

I decided to consider the Tein SS with no uppermounts because I want a good ride and I do not go to tracks (only street driving). The streets in Greece are considered VERY bad and harsh. You can see that the prices in Greece are way TOO EXPENSIVE.

One of the benefits of a coilover setup is the ability to corner balance the car. This way we can control the weight transfer more effectively. Another benefit of the Tein SS is the effective reduction of the chassis roll during cornering, although this is the main function of the sway bars.

By the way I have installed a month ago the front and rear Whiteline adjustable sway bars and the Whiteline front strut tower bar (awesome stuff).



why would you want to lower your car only 0.8-1in with the coilovers? save your money and buy some trd or eibach prokit springs.


you could run about 1" drop and a hard dampener and have a nice track setup.

[nccelica]

I had ground controls on my last celica, I bought them again for this celica. They aren't the best ride in the world, but they have a very large range of height, .5" to 3.5". I go for mainly show, so they are very nice for that.

[pr0file]

One thing to consider is that with your spring/strut combo, what type of springs will you have: Linear (constant rate/stiffness) or progressive (gets stiffer as it compresses)? For track, correct me if I'm wrong, you'd want linear springs. Everyday driving, you'd be good with progressive springs. And I don't think any company makes linear springs, other than for coil-overs. Hope this helps! :)

[Pump]

^^^ Took the words out of my mouth.

[gts_rosh]

I'm in the same boat too. To go either Koni Yellows + Tein S.Techs or go with Tein Basic or SS. One thing I hate is that the koni fronts are inserts, and I've read that some people get noises and chattering coming from inserts. The Tein Basics seems like the most logical choice, but I hope its not too stiff. Does anybody know if you can make the SS softer and/or more comfortable then what the Basics are at?

[jeffh]

The problem with the Ground Control kit as stated earlier is that the spring rates they come with are too stiff up front(esp for daily driving) and too soft in the rear...425 front and I think 275 rear. It would be a good idea to request different spring rates if you went that route. The GC sleeves are also too expensive new...there are cheaper alternatives out there that work just as well. A nice advantage of sleeve/shock combo or full coilver kit because of the ability to change ride height's and spring rates anytime you want. The Tein also says that their SS's are valved on the soft side as for US roads and drivers, along with softer spring rates...so they may work well for your situation.

[jeffh]

I'm in the same boat too. To go either Koni Yellows + Tein S.Techs or go with Tein Basic or SS. One thing I hate is that the koni fronts are inserts, and I've read that some people get noises and chattering coming from inserts. The Tein Basics seems like the most logical choice, but I hope its not too stiff. Does anybody know if you can make the SS softer and/or more comfortable then what the Basics are at?

The shocks are basically pressed in the housing...how are you going to get chatter?

[gts_rosh]

Maybe chatter was the wrong word to use. I read about noises, that's all. Are they really pressed into the old housing, or just slide in and get bolted with a nut & bolt? I'm not really sure.

If you can't install them yourself, then the labor involved in cutting & doing the front inserts, and I heard the rears are a PITA too for some reason, then its probably works out to the same or perhaps even more then just going with TEIN Basics.

[recneps]

One thing to consider is that with your spring/strut combo, what type of springs will you have: Linear (constant rate/stiffness) or progressive (gets stiffer as it compresses)? For track, correct me if I'm wrong, you'd want linear springs. Everyday driving, you'd be good with progressive springs. And I don't think any company makes linear springs, other than for coil-overs. Hope this helps! :)

^^^ Took the words out of my mouth.


good point.

im still on the fence with this. if i go coilovers im gonna go all the way though (ssp's).

[earlleeah]

so wat would be better a tokico shock/tein s.tech spring setup or the tein basics? this would be for daily driving in ny. which would last longer?

[1zz-fe ce|ica]

i just helped a friend install non dampening adjustable coilovers on my friends si. He previously had race springs and tokico shocks on his car for about 4 years. From what i can tell the coilovers made a huge difference and you can't go wrong with it. If your looking for a good soft daily driver i say get the s.tech. If your looking for performance and you can sacrifice comfort (which really isn't that bad at all) then definitely get the coilovers. I would love a set of basics, but i don't have the funds.

I had progressive rate springs on my car and then upgraded to ground control coilovers. I can definitely feel the difference over the lowering springs. The ride was nicer with the lowering springs but the performance is better with the gc's (less body roll). I can only imagine the difference with tein basics.