My D2's came with 4 flat pieces of metal. At first glance, they looked like wrenches, but are actually holders for the brake and ABS lines.

Duck, my D2's sometimes make slight groaning/creaking noises, too. I believe it's cause of the cold weather. On the D2 box it said a minimum temp of 30 degrees.....and it gets a whole lot colder than that up here.

 

I just must not have those parts. D'ah well. I'm zip tieing them up. I'll see if I can find a place that may have them.


Has anyone experience their collars locked up? I'm trying to adjust the ride height and the collars wont move. I am turning them the correct way, but its stubborn.

Any ideas? I got driver side nice and low, trying to do passenger side and its just stuck.

 

I just ordered these coilovers, how long did yours take to arrive?

 

I've used a light touch with a hammer on the end of the collar wrench to loosen/tighten them. They've always come loose. The threads get pretty gritty with dirt.

 

I've used a medium touch with a hammer and havent seen progress. I may have to get a bit more aggressive.

Its sitting so nice right now too.


edit: I'm as dumb ass, On the rears I was one, turning the wrong collar, and two turning it the wrong way. . . Lowered the rear, hope the front passenger goes as easy.

edit2: Was turning the wrong way on the rears, but the correct way on the fronts. Still wont budge. the 3 other corners are nicely setup, except from front passenger side, thats sitting at about stock height. Any suggestion? Hammer isnt working, WD-40 was sprayed.

Do I need to resort to compressing the spring somehow to relieve tension on the collars then try again?

 

yeah lately its been freezing!!! i shall wait untill after winter to look more into the noises

 

Thank you the hammer technique worked after a lot of WD-40 was used. I hit the wrench more closer to the collar plus a little more force and it started to give (an hour later).

Damn the car is low... I gotta do what I did today all over again in a few days, cause I'm rubbing at full lock.

Note: 65cm (from ground to the fender) is a low drop and will cause some rubbing on stock 15" wheels. . . yest STOCK WHEELS!

(65cm = 25.5in)

 

WD-40 is good, but for really breaking stubborn stuff free I prefer cleaning the stuff off with brake cleaner and then dousing it in Liquid Wrench.

Not that it matters at this point. But yeah, in case anyone has similar trouble later...

 

PB Blaster/Liquid Wrench > * for breaking things loose.

 

aerokroil >>>> PB blaster.

with the threaded sleeves/collars, make sure you keep them somewhat clean as well. before you adjust them, take a bottlr of spray cleaner and a stiff plastic brush and clean what you can out of the threads. lubricate with a bit of oil to help the collars rotate. once you get them in place, clean the oily residue off (again) with some more cleaner to prevent dirt and crap from sticking to the oily threads. works wonders on those things.

 

Excellent advice. The threads on the sleeves were very dirty, Justing spinning the collar all the way down and back up freed up a lot of built up dirt. I cleaned them plus with all the WD-40 I was spraying it made the collar turn much easier once they were free.

I needed to do this due to the age an wear of my D2's but the other with new KSport or D2s should have as much trouble, preventative care can help in the long run.

 

Well, since I'm probably in the coldest part of the continent from the regulars to this thread, I thought I'd provide some feed back on how the k-sport perform in sub zero temperatures (celcius). So far this winter we've already had some -15 degree celcius weather, and my maxima being my daily driver, had to be put through the suffering. I'm glad to report that the k-sport perform surprising well in extreme cold weather. The ride is marginally stiffer than normal for about 3-5 minutes depending on how extremely cold it is out, before they're back to their 'normal' feel, which I find very impressive. My only other concern is how well the threaded body of the CO will stand up to severe salt abuse Canadian winters put a car through. I completely removed the CO assembly and took it apart, cleaned it, and sprayed it with 2 coats of CRC-400 rust inhibitor, so hopefully that will hold up well. I've had good experience with this stuff on a deep scratch on the body of my car, so hopefully it will do just as good a job with the COs.

 

I'm not sure what u'r hearing but my coilovers were making some nasty creakings sounds, Ksport said it was probably worn barrings, they are going out for repair soon.

 

Bluesbreakr is farther north than you but we don't get as much snow in Wisconsin as Ontario and he has D2s. Great to hear that the Ksports handle cold well. My Illuminas really get stiff below 45 degrees and driving around doesn't seem to make a difference, at least not in the first 30 minutes.

 

I think the difference is that Ksport coilovers have much, much higher spring rates than your H-Techs (if that's what you're still on... but they have higher spring rates than almost any aftermarket spring you can buy anyway). That, plus the fact that the shocks are a lot firmer to match the springs, would cause the shocks to heat up faster.

 

i am thinking maybe my stock shocks weren't stock. i looked and they are KYB GR2 struts...i had no idea..the owner before me did not mod this car so why were there gr2's....
anyhow, the creaking got pretty bad last night when i was driving and i pulled over and checked out the k's. the bottom collar on the fronts were completely loose. i dont know how to keep these things tight. i mean i thought i hammered pretty hard on the collars when i installed them.. anyhow the threads are dirty so im gonna have to clean them.

 

Make sure you clean the surfaces where the collars touch the mounts.

 

man im having second thoughts about buying these.

 

^^^^yeah me too..i only hear good things about d2s lately but then again d2 doesnt have a thread like this(that i know of atleast)

 

Coilovers in general can seem over whelming, with all the adjustments to be made, etc.

Once you get them and install and actually put hands on them, it makes sense. I felt that way when I first put the D2's on, but after doing some reading (mainly in this tread) and then actually adjusting them myself, it was fine.

If you dont want the hasle, then a strut+spring combo maybe better, but dont let these little things discourage you. WHen you install new struts and springs you have to do somewhat the same work, make sure bushings are not worn out, regrease if needed, seating the spring and everything properly.

Plus when you get the coilovers adjusted just right, you dont need to mess with it again, get your alignment and your done, dont have to tought it again unless you want to (or accident. . .god forbid).


Short version: I'd read thru a lot of this thread, and if you know you dont have the patience to deal with any or some of the concerns/complications that have happened to some, then maybe a strut/spring combo would be best.

 

Anyone know if the TEIN Basics have any the loosening/noise issues? They are height-adjustable but not stiffness-adjustable, correct? That fact and the fact that you have to reuse some stock parts bothers me a little about the TEINs but if was constantly be worrying about the collars coming loose with Ksports I would probably prefer the TEINs. (Has anyone tried loading up the collar with thread locker/Loctite?)

Are there any big threads with TEIN Basic info? I didn't see any. Thanks for all the info, everyone (especially d00df00d).

 

yeah true...well for the price it think its decent. Just waiting till I actually get off my lazy azz to go and buy a set.

 

OK, for those of who are contemplating which coilover setup to buy, here's some info from the TEIN website (this applies to 4th gens only):

TEIN Basic Coilovers:
Front Spring Rate:
7 kgf/mm (=392 lbs/in)
Rear Spring Rate:
6 kgf/mm (=336 lbs/in)

So assuming they are "valved" properly for 7/6 springs, the TEINs would be more comfortable than the Ksports (valved for the 9/6 default springs). For comparison, 9 kgf/mm is an 500+ lbs/in spring rate...

Since the consensus on this thread seems to be that the Ksports are only tolerable (not really bouncy) when one half turn from full soft or on full stiff, there goes the "36-way adjustability". The question is, how much of a difference is there between almost full soft and full stiff, and how do those two Ksport settings compare to the stiffness of TEIN Basics?

Major drawbacks to TEINs:
--requires reuse or purchase of OEM strut mount parts
--install is more time consuming because of above
--strut bolt holes need to be enlarged (unless they've fixed this)
--requires camber bolts ($40 for Ingalls camber bolts on Tirerack)
--dampening not adjustable

Major drawbacks to Ksports:
--rougher ride
--many reports of perches not staying put
--reports of part breaking, strut leaking
--one strut bolt hole allows movement

 

The TEIN Basics are indeed harder to install, but they don't have the same issues as the Ksports because you can't adjust height, preload, and travel separately... which just means there aren't as many parts that need to be set and tightened properly. They also don't allow shock dampening adjustment, but that's unrelated to the problems people have had.


My experience with the TEINs is limited, but I can tell you that they definitely seem to ride better and handle a little worse than the Ksports, no matter how you set the Ksports. The difference isn't night-and-day, but it's definitely something you can feel if it matters to you.

There is a BIG difference between the two settings you brought up for the Ksports. Near-full soft is bumpy, but decent; slightly better handling than the TEINs, but a rougher ride. Full stiff gives almost zero bounce and really wakes the car up; it's much rougher than the TEINs but gives much better handling.


Also:
--The lower you set the ride height, the less suspension travel you have and the sooner your shocks will die.
--Lower front spring rates, so you can't lower it as far without worrying about bottoming out on dips and bumps in the road.


I think it'd be better to say that the Ksports require more attention and periodic checks than the TEINs. Nothing will come loose or shift around if you're really careful and thorough with the install, and then monitor them periodically.

Also, about the problems... Apparently no one wants to help me compile a list, but AFAIK you could count the number of actual defects or breakages on one hand (not including noises from improperly tightened collars and such).

 

ill take em if he doesnt follow up. I have a shipping acct as well so no problem.thx.

 

Thanks for all the info, d00d! I've got a big decision before me but I won't need to decide for a couple of months.

So wait, you've gotten your collars tight enough that you don't worry about them coming loose, or how often do you have to retighten them?

 

I know there has been earlier talk about the lower spring rates available from Ksport (I believe as low as 7/5 without revalving), but has anyone actually tried this yet? I would really like to know what difference it makes. It might be the answer for those of us willing to trade a little handling for a better ride.

 

Well, I just cleaned the mating surfaces (where the collars touch each other and the mounts) and then tightened the collars with a hammer. I check them every couple of months because I drive them on pretty rough roads, but I have only had to re-tighten them twice since the summer.

I also de-greased the strut bolts to prevent that movement in the upper bolt hole.

You can go up or down by 2 kg/mm without needing different valving. If the TEIN Basics are any indication, 7/5 springs should make a fairly big difference in ride quality.

But AFAIK, someone has yet to try it... or if they have, they have yet to post about it...

 

For anyone that's shopping for a set of these, I've got a set for sale. about 3k miles, just got back from Ksport to have em checked out and got the A-OK!

PM me for pics and check out the F/S thread in the 5th gen classifieds section.

 

Weren't you considering trying a different spring rate at one time or am I mistaken?

 

I have sold several sets with the lower spring rate and i haven't seen any feed back from this forum

 

Are there any decent set of coil overs availible for the third gen max ?

 

I dunno. You tell me.



Ksports are not available for the 3rd gen, if that's what you're asking.

 

Were they sold to people on the ORG? Perhaps we could solicit some feedback. It would be really nice if a couple of people with similar Ksport setups and different spring rates could get together and provide some comparitive feedback.

 

I volunteer my car for a comparison if any of those people is in the tri-state area. I'm always up for a road trip....

 

I read as much as I can about these..I wanna know more..lol...Pretty interesting stuff.

Ive always wanted something in-between the Sprints and the Eibachs that I'm on now. I started with Sprints and decided they were alittle too low for my setup and road like CraP bouncing off the bumpstops every 2 seconds and axle failure is always in the back of my mind even with my current SuperCharged Setup. Then I went to the Eibachs, currently on, and Love them, just dont like how they drop...just want a tad bit more.

How much do they run ??
Ive read about the adjustablity of them, every adjustment requires a full alignmgent correct ?
Thanks for your help

-matt

 

the whole collar thing, mine have not become loose in the past 3-4 months. i used a hammer and slightly tapped the collar wrenchs and they are on there tight!!!! will not be coming loose anytime soon

also i havnt heard much about struts leaking...

 

Dont know if the GD is still going on for ~$800 shipped for either Ksports or D2s.

Only adjusting ride height would need another alignment. Adjusting preload, or stiffness wont affect your alignment.

I can say that I had AGX w/S-techs and the ride was good, but I could feel more than stock setup. D2's are on, and I adjusted the car pretty much as low as the S-techs were but the ride is much smoother. So you could get the car a tad lower than your current setup, and still have a good ride quality.

 

If all you want to do is lower your car a little more and stay off the bumpstops, then you can't really go wrong with any coilovers you get (TEINs, Ksports, D2s, JICs).

If you don't mind trading maybe a little ride comfort for a really big handling increase, then go with the Ksports or D2s.

If you want to keep your ride as close as possible to how it is now, either get the TEINs, or get Ksports or D2s with 7/5 springs.

And if for some reason you have an outrageous compulsion to get coilovers that are made of stainless steel rather than aluminum but are otherwise not really any better than the rest, then get the JICs.

TEINs and D2s run >$800 shipped; Ksports I think are still around $800. JICs are at least $400 more than the others (if you're lucky).

No matter which coilovers you get, you shouldn't need an alignment every time you change your height unless you make a really big change. If you adjust your camber, though, you'll definitely need an alignment.

Any significant drop will expose bad axles pretty quickly. It doesn't really matter what kind of springs or coilovers you're on. You might wear the axles down a little quicker, but the bigger problem is that if they are anything less than totally perfect, it will show (vibrations, pull to one side, noise, etc.). If you're at all concerned, just get some Raxles axles and be done with it.

 

anyone have a comparison between ksports or d2s and the ride of tokico illumina struts and springs?