I have started down the path of suspension with my ISF. I have no real timeframe on a purchase but the end goal is to eliminate the giant front wheel gap (or at least make it even with the rear gap) and to keep the ride comfort of my 2011 suspension. I am not planning on tracking the F regularly (maybe a few over my lifetime but that will have no impact on my decision). I have considered Swift lowering springs but I found that the ride will never be like the stock 2011+ suspension. So, the logical next option is a coilover setup.
I decided to take the time to find every coilover available for the ISF and compile all the information into a single thread (feel free to PM me with any that I missed and I will update this thread). There are several threads on different coilovers with scattered information and opinions. I'm hoping this thread can mainly focus on comparison to OEM 2011+ suspension but I'm sure there will be helpful information for all model years. If anyone has any experience with one or can compare several, please share. As stated previously, I am mainly looking for comparison to 2011+ suspension since most coilovers seem to provide more comfort than the 08-10 suspension.
Without further ado, here is the list of all the coilovers I found in order from cheapest to most expensive (price listed from first vendor I found):

1. Tein Flex Z (ModInJapan) - $806
I have not read much on this forum about the Teins. I recall one user suggested a harsh ride but I am not able to find the thread.


2. ISC Basic - $881.11
These also seem to be an unpopular option. I was only able to find one thread on the 2IS subforum that talks about it but their review seemed positive. One of the website descriptions suggests there is a "pad" on the top hat that adds comfort.


3. D2 Racing RS-Series (ModInJapan) - $942.50
I remember D2 years back was very popular among the DIYers because it was cheap and a step above cutting coils. JoeZ has/had these and suggested they were acceptable for a daily driver but he would look elsewhere for a track coilover. Difficult to judge ride quality from his short review but he also has an 08 from my understanding.


4. BC Racing BR-Series (Figs) - $995
BC seems to be the go-to for the ISF. They are the entry level coilover and everyone says the ride is better than the 08 suspension. Not much info on comparison to 2011+ suspension but the price is reasonable and would be a main contender if we get more comparison to 2011+.


5. DGR High Performance - $1199
I found a single thread on these and the OP stated they were "pure crap". Not looking good especially when cheaper options seem to perform better.


6. Fortune Auto 500 Series - $1250
I have found mixed reviews on these. People either love them or they push for BC being a "better value". Not much info on comfort but they are made in the USA.


7. Greddy x KW Performance (ModInJapan) - $1350
I thought these would be more popular. The few people who commented on these say they are great and the ride quality is good. CL user FFM suggested you feel more road vibrations over stock because of the aftermarket top hats.


8. RR Racing Road & Track R2 - $1500
RR Racing seems to keep pushing these as the best coilovers for evert situation. From my understanding, RR Racing in general is more track oriented with their products and I expect the same for these. There are no comparison to 2011+ suspension.


9. BC Racing ER-Series (Figs) - $1845
I found an old marketplace post of the user selling these. They said the coilover performed great but they were bringing the car back to stock. Not much more information but the remote reservoir seems like a more premium feature.



10. RS-R Sports (ModInJapan) - $1899
RSR has very popular lowering springs for the 3IS community. Not many comments for the ISF but one user selling a set called them equivalent to KW V3.


11. HKS Hipermax IV GT (ModInJapan) - $1922
These are the most interesting to me for some reason. The build quality looks top notch and they look very substantial especially at the lower mount. Most users seem happy with them but still no reviews for a 2011+.


12. KW V3 (KW) - $2589
These seem to be the most comfortable and best daily driver coilovers. My main concern is that they require fabrication/modification of the upper strut mount. I prefer to keep my OEM suspension in tact in case I decide to go back to stock later on. These sound like the perfect option besides the required modification.


13. Penske (RR Racing) - $3559.99
These are the top trim suspension setup from RR Racing. They say they have put years of development into them and I'm sure it shows. But, once again, RR Racing seems to be very track oriented and I'm not sure how the ride comfort translates. The major complaint with these seem to be the sounds.


14. Ohlins Road and Track (Figs) - $3792
One forum member (jat0223) says they are not LX comfortable but more comfortable than stock 2011 suspension. So these look promising but the cost is on the high end. If cost wasn't a concern, I think these would be the coilovers to match (or beat) the 2011+ OEM suspension.


15. Toms Advox (ModInJapan) - $4500
Now we start getting into the high tier cost for coilovers. It does not appear that anyone on this forum has owned these, at least not in the IS community.


16. Penske Track (Figs) - $4800
These seem similar to the RR Racing Penske coilover but looks like Figs did a little customization and added Swift springs. I was not able to find any posts on these in particular.


17. Ohlins TTX ILXA Competition (Figs) - $6385
And rounding out the top of Figs offerings in terms of cost are these. Another Ohlins branded coilover but these appear to take it to the next level. If the cheaper Ohlins offering is comfortable, I'm sure these would be as well (and I sure hope so at that price).


18. Sachs Novel - $7500
And rounding out the end of the list is a coilover from Novel. Most users know Novel for their carbon accessories or the extravagant sounding exhaust but they seem to offer a suspension option as well. These obviously come with a price tag to match the rest of their lineup but I had to convert the price from the Japanese Yen to USD because nobody seems to sell them here. I'm sure one of the vendors can get them but I did not want to start bothering our vendors just for this thread. Obviously out of my price range but it would be interesting to hear if anyone has experience with these.




A few additional questions since I have never dealt with aftermarket suspension:
- Seems that the top hats provide a fair amount of comfort. Is there an aftermarket top hat that can be added to any coilover to give more ride comfort?
- A lot of the coilovers on the list appear to have an option to swap in Swift springs. Is Swift the standard for aftermarket springs? Is there much of a benefit for swapping in Swift springs over the springs that come with the coilover?


Please excuse any typos, I only took a quick proof read before posting.

 

Nice list! I've had KW V3, tein springs on 08 suspension, and the RR Penskes 18k/16k. KWV3 was bouncy. 08 w/springs was harsh. RR Penskes are awesome: no noise, damping adjustments are felt (the 7500DA is a good shock--and RR collaborates with Penske who is practically next door to them on the valving). I have no qualms about their comfort either.

 

I dove deep down this rabbit hole, and I’m close to making my purchase. Ultimately, if you track your car, buy Penskes. If daily comfort and no noise is more important, the Ohlins road and track are your best bet. This is My opinion based on numerous reviews and talking with vendors. I’ll be buying RR Penskes, as they are superior to the Ohlins and better for performance. They will make noise compared to the Ohlins.

Edit: quite a few like the KW, but a few guys have had their plastic spring perches break, and they are undersprung for the car. I talked to one advanced track driver who used them temporarily and said they did well, which surprised me. He also upgraded to Penskes, though.

 

I sort of have the Novel coilovers. Youll notice theyre actually manufactured by Sachs, which also manufactured the TRD coilovers, which I have. Im not sure if the valving and spring rates are the same, but the TRD/Sachs coilovers have been amazing, even just on the street. Granted, Im coming from 2008 suspension and have the TRD sway bars (which are different spec than the stock sways) so its sort of a suspension “package”.
I had Swift springs prior to getting coilovers and was really happy with them. But as many have said, youll eventually want coilovers so save your money and skip starting with lowering springs and just go straight to coilovers.
Great job putting this list together!
-R

 

Great list! Thanks for putting this together

 

Swift springs are popular. Hypercoil is the brand known for delivering the spring rate printed on the box. Anyone else you should test to be sure. Some, like Tein, are junk from the start and have no consistency or adherence to specification. The majority of the solutions in this thread will work fine for anyone looking to change the ride of their car. Only the Penske and Ohlins TTX ILXA are truly track performance oriented. The Sachs units are probably just fine, but getting support for them is just about zero in the US, so most track junkies aren't going to run them. Penske and Ohlins both have resources available to fully tune your set up regardless of the spring rates you choose.

Bonus for the BC Racing from Figs is they will put them on a shock dyno and be sure you have as matched a set as possible. None of the other low cost options sport this level of attention to detail. Also, adjustability in the vast majority of aftermarket shocks is useless and utterly inconsistent from unit to unit, again with the exception of Penske and Ohlins whose adjustments actually work and are reasonably consistent from unit to unit. Sad but true, you're going to pay for this.

Last but certainly not least - there is an ideal damping rate for the springs you choose and the application (street comfort, street performance, track performance). If you don't want to get spendy, decide what springs you want and have a competent suspension tuner set up your shocks to match your purpose. You'll be WAY ahead of the pack if you do this because most aftermarket suspension sales are for fashion, not measured performance.

 

Great job compiling all this info on one place!

I have a 2011 and run the figs BC BR Coilovers with swift springs.

I do not track the car at all, but I do like to take a spirited drive occasionally.

For the price, I think the BCs offer a great combo of value, dependability, and streetability. They are completely quiet, ride quality is same as stock and I believe they do a great job at dampening overall. The serious track guys will tell you the BC dampening ability is crap and so is their adjustability.

For me, for the street, I am very happy with my setup - been running it for about 5 years now without issue.

 

Couldn't have worded it this well myself. Unless you buy the above, you don’t actually know what your getting or if it’s consistent. The numbers on the box have no real value. You can have two front corners with different spring rates and shock values. Both Figs and RR will consult with you on the phone about your goals and what you need to achieve them if you go with these suspension options. Unfortunately, the price of entry is high.

You can see this in cars on the track running good stuff versus cheaper stuff. Some stay level in corners, some lean hard, but they both allegedly have the same spring rates. That’s what sold me.

 

Until more recently, not enough credit was given to the importance of the damper, everyone focused on spring rates. Ride quality and handling are both largely influenced by the damping, and that’s the true science and where the cost comes into a coilover.

With that said, it’s a curve of diminishing returns for cost to performance improvement like about anything. But the high end parts are truly good stuff.

The buzz word, and rightfully so is digressive damping. “High” damping for low speed for body control during handling maneuvers, “lower” damping for high speed for bump compliance and ride comfort.

 

is there a thread explain the customization required for the KW V3's ?

mainly looking for a bit more comfort on my 09 for DD

 

This isn't exactly recent news. I knew the difference between high speed and low speed damping when I was tuning mini sprints in the early 90's and it wasn't new then. The thing that is fairly recent is the ability to change the viscosity of the oil with magnetism allowing for very fine adjustment of damping rates and a variability unmatched by mechanical means. Still all of this is primitive compared to truly active suspensions, and I believe it is truly sad F1 banned active suspension systems. Had they allowed development of this technology, it would be common in every vehicle by now. Cars would lean into corners like motorcycles and suspension geometries would have been adapted to take advantage of this capability. But FIA said no, and now we're still using passive systems in 2020...

 

I remember hearing about the bose ls400

 

Good Info thank you. I'm leaning towards Greddy X KW or BC Coilovers sometime this summer. But, I think Ima go with Greddy's. HKS would be amazing just a little out of my budget.

 

Ive fitted a set of Tein Street Advance Z to my 08 JDM and they were certainly better than stock. They were a cheap option when 2 of my shocks were leaking but I'm quite happy with them now. Took my a while to settle on settings though.

Only £400 (approx $500) new, might be useful for others

 

Yes indeed I remember reading about these when they were in development