luigy

Hey guys I'm going for my first coilovers on in about a week.. Basically I'm lookin for a 2-2 1/2 inch drop on 20s, I'm not looking too much in performance but most likely comfort while riding with passengers.

My first option up till now are JIC's FLTA2VIP, they claim they are one of the most comfort in luxury cars. As of my research with CL members they claim they are every penny worth it.

Second option are Tein CS, price diff is not that much it gives me the drop that I'm looking for but can they even get compare to JIC's?

Third option are HKS coilover hipermax LS. Haven't done alot of research but i've ask some owners and they claim the same thing, really comfort


So my last opinion and last word would be from you guys. Hope at the end I make the right decision.

sakataj

iTrader: (182)

HKS FTW.....by the way OP they are discontinued. i been trying to buy a used set and rebuild them but the rebuild is like 125 a coil now although the set was only 600 itself.

tein is garbage IMHO

and from what i heard alot of JIC are kinda stiff...

BTW there is a review of all coilovers made for the 2nd gen. search

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

The HKS LS (Not LS+) are really soft. Their spring rates are 7kg/5kg I believe so they're defintiely not made for circuit racing. They have no damping adjustment either, if that's important to you. They are quality products, but rebuilding them is quite a hassle since there is no one in the US who can build them. But when they work, they are damn good. If you can score the LS+, then go for that instead. More adjustments available for damping and height adj. If you want more feedback on the LS-series, contact Masboy. He has a set and I as impressed with the ride quality.

If you're thinking about the Tein CSv2, then they are pretty decent, but they don't lower as much. Even if they lower as much as you want, you may have very limited shock travel unless you get RCAs to compensate. Honestly when they sold them for $1300, it was a good deal, but now that the price is up there around $1800, I would forget about them. There are many more alternatives that are much cheaper while performing decently. BC Racing with custom spring rate comes to mine. I rather take those over Teins. Two of my friends have both CSv1 and CSv2, and they both want to ditch their setups.

I don't have much experience with JIC other than the horrible customer service. I've seen the shock dyno on JIC coilovers and they're not what I expected, but if your main objective is soft rides, then these will do.

sam430

iTrader: (10)

I believe they are still selling LS+... I was researching options myself. The question come to mind "Is it worth the extra $500 bux ?"

an important question when you don't want to deal with problems of having buyers remorse. I mean, $1000 invested on something that is okay and then having to upgrade later kinda sux in my book.

I'm also looking at the BCR and Megan... very similiar in price.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Sam, skip the Megans and go with the BCR. You'll appreciate the better quality and customization for the slight increase in price ($1000 shipped vs $850?)

I was in the same boat and almost got Megan coilovers but doing my research, my general thought is that unless you just want a cheap drop, Megans are POS. Probably being too harsh, but I would definitely go for the BCR if I had to choose between the two. But there are a lot of people who are happy with Megans, but most of them don't care about damping quality and such. They're after the affordable price and the ability to lower, and if that's all you need, then they're okay.

sam430

iTrader: (10)

Yep, I'm considering the BCR but I'll do a higher spring rate. There is a Tien CS on classified for $1k btw.

Alexus_300

iTrader: (4)

Have you considered a custom setup from D2 racing? I mapped out my needs on a shock dyno and had them replicate the valving and spring rates based on my needs and they are PERFECT!!!! I'm willing to bet that my setup is on par with some of the other more expensive setups from KW's and JRZ.. It's all about your setup and not about the brand.

sam430

iTrader: (10)

Which D2 setup did you get? Drag, rally, drift? ... you said custom so I guess they are using the same shock but custom valving and a different spring rate. I was thinking 12/10 but that could be too high. But then again, the gs430 are pretty heavy. That's the difficulty of picking suspension parts. I might be wrong but stiff suspension does not always translate to performance.

What is your application on those setting? Is it for racing and street? Are you putting these on your IS300?

I see the cost varies between 1.3k-1.8k dollars direct.


As soon as I figure out how to select the correct spring rates and damp, I would probably select BCR type BR as my coilover choice.

Sorry to jack your thread but I think this could be useful information to OP too.

sakataj

iTrader: (182)

sam....they not, havent been n awhile. i called like 10 vendors bout 3 months ago. NOONE has them...

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...s-for-2gs.html


henry....PM SENT SIR

Alexus_300

iTrader: (4)

Sam, the custom setup I'm referring to is a complete custom setup that I had D2 build for me. This was when I was doing testing and working along side D2 back in the days. What I did was replicate my desired shock dampening rate on a shock dyno and then print it out on a graph. This in turn was sent to D2's manufacturing plant in Taiwan which the engineers revalved the shocks to replicate my desired dampening. As far as who can get these, I'm the only one because I hold the rights to my own valving and spring selection. No vendor will be able to get them for you as I work directly with the North American sales manager. I have done this on all of my cars ranging from IS300, GS300, Supra's, STi's and many of my friends cars. It would be pretty difficult for someone to do what I did because these equipment are costly and can only be found on race teams which I have a friend who works for RCR.

Alexus_300

iTrader: (4)

I forgot to mention that the first setup that I designed for my GS300 was for street driving which I had it tested on RCR's 7 post rig. I also have a dedicated track setup also for my GS300 that I can switch on if I wanted to.

sam430

iTrader: (10)

That's in 09, so you searched 3 months ago? Did you try 80080-AT002 ?

sakataj

iTrader: (182)

yes sam i searched 3 months ago cause instead of rebuilding the ones don was selling i was gonna try n find a company who still has them. if u saw i did post on that topic

nope, didnt search by that, wonder if any of them ACTUALLY have them in stock...i would doubt it but i guess its possible

if u also noticed if u google that part # only 3 companies actually show them although one is a multiple from the same company

sam430

iTrader: (10)

you get more results from webpage search rather than shopping results.

CircuitMS

iTrader: (51)

If you are considering coilovers you should really consider looking into the BC Racing coilovers.

Compared to most others, BCR coilovers have bigger internals, beefier shock bodies, locking lower rings (so the height adjustment rings don't work loose), and a better damping curve. They end up being a lot more compliant over rough surfaces. And they tend to last longer.

Overall the BCR coilovers are just a nicer piece than most.

Bigger internals means more surface area for the shim stacks and valves, which leads to a smoother ride and better tuning of damping. The larger shock bodies means more room for the internals and a stiffer cartirdge, which means it will hold up to much more abuse. The BCR coilovers also come with a coarser thread, so you can adjust ride height easier and quickly.

Feel free to PM us with any inquiries. I have personally run BCR's on 3 of my vehicles and the CMS STi runs a BCR ER series.



Also FYI - Pillowball bearings will provide a more direct and solid feeling in your suspension but they will also make the ride a bit more harsh and transfer more noise and vibration. A lot of Lexus owners like erring on the side of comfort. So BCR provides the option of pillowball OR rubber mounts.