Adziu

Looking to lower my 08 F in the near future and wat to hear from you guys what my best option would be. The car isn't daily driven but I do live in Chicago (potholes out here suck). I want to give it a bit of a drop but not sure what to go with. I was told Swift springs are good and BC racing coilovers with swift spring upgrade is a good route to go with. Those of you with springs and those of you with coilovers, what would your feedback be? If i do go with springs what are some good struts to go with for these? Coilovers what are some good brands to go with other than BC? The car will see a few track events (drag and circuit).

bnizzle87

From my experience and in reading what others have done, springs will be pretty much to decrease the wheel gap. It might make the 08 IS F less harsh in terms of ride quality, but not by much. Swift springs are widely the product chosen, if one were to go with springs.

In terms of coilovers, you have to ask yourself how competitive you plan on being with your IS F. For a good number of owners, it was recommended to go with BC Racing with Swift Springs (16k/12k) as the entry-level coilover setup. Cost wise, it wasn't expensive, but it was a good mix of street comfort with the adequate stiffness for the track without the stress of competition.

KW V3 is another popular choice, though some have said the spring rates are really soft. But it does offer a compliant drive and owners who have it installed on their Fs say it's great for tracking from time to time. They do come with a higher price tag and I don't know if the lower spring rates do any harm in terms of lap times.

Lately, there have been a few newer offerings from the more reputable companies in racing, such as Ohlins and Penske. Even a few members have gone ahead and had coilovers custom built with parts to emulate the suspension setups of competition-use vehicles. These, of course, will be quite expensive, but a necessary investment to not only combat the weight bias but also to keep the car planted and minimize body roll in order to gain those precious seconds for timed laps and competition.

Any other plans beyond suspension for your F?

Jz39

iTrader: (2)

It’s hard to imagine springs alone improving ride harshness—usually it’s exactly the opposite, mispaired springs and shocks will lead to a poor overall ride. I think that those doing springs only may trick themselves into believing that the ride is better, but all scenarios I have experienced personally or knew someone who did springs only, the ride quality was compromised, at times severely. Maybe the shocks of the ISF are so stiff that they can handle this better, IDK.

In terms of other coilover options, I went with RR Racing Road and track coilovers 16/12k and love them. They are priced between the cheapo BCs and the high end Penskes and were the best compromise in my mind. Beautiful aluminum construction and the cars handling is amazing. If you drive with the radio off, there is a very small increase in noise, mostly over small dips in the road, but generally they are silent. I have mine set at full stiff, thus, I think the valving from the factory could be a bit stiffer such that I’m not at the end of the spectrum, but overall I could not be happier.

tas02

iTrader: (2)

Make sure include the cost of a quality alignment with corner balancing if you opt for coilovers. And if you're averse to properly adjusting adjustable parts, just go with lowering springs (at all 4 corners pls.).

semnosNSX

I don't see the need for him to pay the extra money to get the car corner balanced. Corner balancing is really only necessary if he is primarily using the car for track purposes and is really trying to get the suspension dialed in perfectly. A proper corner balance is done with the driver in the car as it factors the drivers weight into the balance of the car. If the OP is driving around town carrying passengers, groceries, etc., then he would just be wasting his money to get it corner balanced.

BlckGhst

I went with lowering springs because my main concern was lessening the fender gap over how the car rides. Easy, cheap, achieved the results I wanted

Jz39

iTrader: (2)

djiawan

Went with Tien springs and was super happy with it. Am considering coil overs in the near future but for now, a quick and cost efficient upgrade, springs is the way to go.

Meraki Autoworks

iTrader: (8)

Depends on your budget as well. Springs are $300, BC w/ swift $1300, KW $2500.

If you drive in areas with bad potholes. I'd get coils to smoothen out the ride..

Contact us for pricing and options!

-Josh

eyefone

I also have a 2008. I wanted to fix the wheel gap up front so I went with Tein springs. A few months later, the terrible ride quality was really getting to me. So I decided to give GReddy x KW coilovers (15K/10K) a chance. Much better ride quality. Definitely worth the extra $.

I'd say if you're okay with the ride quality and only want to lower the car, go for lowering springs. But if you also want better ride quality, then coilovers.

FFM

I think with an 08-10 you pretty much have to opt for coilovers, because the only way you will enjoy springs is if you spend the extra money on some Bilsteins. Which now you are sitting in the range of a set of Greddy's or BC's. I am quite happy with my Greddy coilovers, but then again, I was also pretty content with my Swifts on 11 struts. I just was due to replacement due to mileage and wanted the adjustability.

tas02

iTrader: (2)

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Figure in the cost of an additional install and alignment.

The frequent posting of used lowering springs for sale in the classifieds tells you all you need to know about 'em.

Adziu

So coilovers look like my best bet huh? Not trying to spend too much but a fair price for some decent ones that will get the job done.

Meraki Autoworks

iTrader: (8)

Yes sir,

lets get you some BC coils w/ swift springs!

-Josh

Adziu