What's the difference?

 

Springs are preset to lower your car by a certain amount, whereas coilovers allow you to adjust the height as high or low as you see fit.

 

coilovers also usually offer a stiffer ride and are sometimes louder than other options. Lowering springs come in different sizes and also stiffness. But like it was stated, you only get that height. Coilovers can be adjusted. Also, coilovers have the shock and the spring in one assembly, with lowering springs, you either use your stock shocks, or aftermarket ones. And then even with the shocks, you can get those with one damping level, or shocks that have adjustable damper settings. That way they can react quick and be firm for the track or slower and soft for your date.

 

sounds like the springs are the better bet, seein' that it would give a smother ride that just coilovers.

but what do you guys think? should i go for coilovers or springs?

 

I'd go for springs if I were you.

I remember when I was makin this decision I was asking about Skunk2 coilovers and Rod told me to just get the Tein-S springs. Well I didn't listen cuz I was gettin the coilovers from a friend for only $180 and the adjustable ride height idea seemed pretty appealing to me.

Well it turns out that I'm more than likely never gonna adjust the height again in which case springs would've done just as good a job and given me a better ride. I will admit my car is bouncy as f**k and hops on even the smallest little bumps. Tein makes kickass springs, so if you can get your hands on the S-tech set that Rod was tellin me about in the first place, I'd just do that and call it good...

 

hmmm, thatnks for the advice KrayzieFox!

 

Hey Amrit ... I found these on Hopupracing and I thought you might be interested. It would probably cost you about $175 after shipping ... which is about as good a price as you're gonna get unless you buy used.
http://www.hopupracing.com/tescospmapr5.html

 

Coil overs also use smaller diameter springs, which allow for more room to add negative camber (something you want for racing, but not necessary for the street)

Ground Control (and others) make inexpensive coil over setups that use your stock shocks and a "coil over sleeve" (that's not the correct terminology).

If you just want to lower your car for the street, I'd go with lowering springs. Don't forget to upgrade your shocks. They can make a big difference!

 

Coilovers are nice, but I couldn't justify that kind of expense for my purposes.
Sounds to me as if you'd be better off just going with lowering springs also.
I went with the Eibach Pro-kit, but Tein, Goldline and some others are very good as well.

 

Another factor on coil overs is the car must be taken and put on scales to get the corner wieghts correct , otherwise the could handle much worse then stock.
For street use I'd recommed a matched set of struts and lowering springs. The car will still ride decent and it will handle well also. If you don't have the cash now save and do it all at once just adding lowering springs won't work very well.


Tom

 

Just curious of your opinion why---I've been running springs only on stock struts and the car handles great. No problems at all, although I expect my struts will wear somewhat faster. The Eibachs lowered my car by 1.4" front, 1.8" rear, not a big drop, but noticeable.

 

OK . . I have almost the same situation. . . I wanna to lower my car but I afraid of bumping. . . do u feel more bumpy after lowering. . . I wanna stay with stock stuts .. . does it affect so how???
thx. . [B]

 

wow thanks man!

now guys please forgive my ignorance if i say something wrong here but...

i know for sure that's i'll be goin' with the Tein S springs, and you're sayin' that i should upgrade my shocks as well.

so could i go with the Tein springs and mazdaspeed shocks?

 

Ok here is the deal: Shocks , damp the springs I.E. keep them from bouncing up and down perpetually. Springs and shocks are matched to each other , most lowering springs are stiffer. This is what creates that bouncy ride as the shock is not quite up to the spring. If the spring rate for the lowering spring is the same as the stock spring then it's fine.
In the handling department the car may "feel" OK but over little pavement ripples the tire is ever so slightly pattering up and down and not really in contact with the road. Same thing as over stiff shocks and springs , tire bounces over a bump instead of rolling over it - tire not really in contact with the road.
With that said you can just put the springs on the car to give it the look just keep in mind it is a comprimise. On a final note I also do not recommend adjustable shocks unless you plan on learning how a shock/damper works. For the street just get a nice matched set.

Tom

 

Thanks for the explanation, I never really knew that. But it makes sense.
That 'pattering' isn't really noticeable on a straight road, but now I know what's happening when I take a tight curve on a slightly bumpy surface--I can definitely feel it, but didn't really know what it was!
I love this forum, I learn something new all the time.