Ok so im in the process of saving up for coilovers and im most likely going to go with bc racing coils with swift springs but i have one very specific question. Could I safely run 8k/6k or 10k/6k without spring sag? Im trying to keep the car as comfortable as possible while reducing the boaty feel and lowering it about an inch.

 

probably but you'll have to run it pretty tall, if you lower it, it's gonna smack the ground on bumps unless you have stiff dampers. most coilovers for the SC are 18k/14k so you're running less than half.

 

How tall are we talking? i only plan to lower the car by about an inch. Also the stock bc coils come with 14/10 and ive seen other coilovers that are 12/8 and based on the research ive done our OEM springs are about 6k/3k. If anyone actually runs these coils at that rate, i would very much love some feedback.

 

i highly doubt stock springs are that low rate, that's like cadillac deville soft springs lol. Stock height is like SUV tall so if you're only lowering an inch you might be fine, sorry i don't have concrete evidence.

 

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sus...300-sc400.html

That post talks about spring rates and they seem to suggest our stock rates are around 6.5k/ 3.5k. Based on that 10k/6k seems somewhat reasonable. Personally id like to go something like 8k/5k but i dont know if thats even possible with BC coils.

 

Reviving an old thread.

I just put new 18" wheels on my SC300 and although they look sweet my car definitely looks like an SUV now. It looked a bit like that with the 17" wheels but I ignored it to save money. But now I have to do something and I am just starting to figure out what that should be.

Any updates on the BC coils?

 

I have not been able to get any concrete answer about the spring rates yet. I called BC and they basically told me they can put whatever i ask them to put but its on me to figure out whether or not it will work. I guess my best bet is to wait until someone who is running the BC coils can chime on on their spring rates. Personally i probably wont be doing anything until winter time unless something happens that forces me to dip into my suspension savings

 

I am basically in the same situation. I have read a ton of posts on the coilover threads and I am starting to get a feel for what the right spring rates might be. I like the Stance setup and for my SC300 they recommend 18K/10K F/R. Several people have posted that using those rates gives them a firm but not nasty ride, which is what I am looking for. I don't remember what rates people are running on BC coilovers but I do remember them saying that they were on the soft side, and I am pretty sure that they were lower than that. I drive my car pretty hard on the street (where appropriate and safe) and I like a firm ride with nice tight compliance so I don't want any float.

I might try the 18/10 rates if I don't learn anything more specific regarding whatever coilovers I pick. I also might substitute Swift springs although I hate to start buying and selling expensive springs until I figure it all out. I already over dipped into my SC savings when I replaced the AC compressor and bought new wheels and tires last month. Going ahead with the coilovers this year would be extra dumb, even for me, but I am actually considering it.

 

I still don't get how 18k/10k can be comfortable when our stock rates are 6k/3k. I told a friend that owns a mustang that i was considering 10k/8k and his jaw dropped to the floor. 18k is 3 times the spring rate of stocks aka 300% more stiff. I just want something thats like an inch lower and maybe 30-40% stiffness increase to help reduce the boaty feel but keeping the luxury grand touring feel.

 

OK - that is good information to have since I did not know what the stock spring rates actually were. What you are looking for is what I want too - a luxury grand touring ride but with firm body control and decent handling.

Based on that spring rate information these inexpensive coilovers seem like a bad idea -- gaining firmness by trading away the compliant ride that Toyota dialed in from the factory. If you push the stock suspension hard it handles fine, with soft responses in easy riding and then firmer when you really get on it -- just like my Lotus tuned MKII Supra did. People often confuse a buckboard suspension with good handling while I know that it is much more complicated than that. I know that I need new suspension parts but I now realize that I have no clue what would be best for my car.

I see coilovers ranging from $500 a set to $3,500 for a Vance set and I can't tell if they are actually any differnt. Vance wants me to pay 3 to 4 times as much and won't even share what spring rates they would be using for my car. Are they really four times better than a set of BC coils? I have no idea.

I would **** away the money if I knew what the best choice was but I now realize that I don't have a clue and that the information I get on this forum is based more on feelings than fact. That will help me to hold back and try to figure out wtf is going on here and if there really is a clear winner in coilovers or if I should just go with a stock Supra setup instead. That is a factory tuned high performance suspension for this chassis and is probably a lot better than some suspension parts which aftermarket tuners sell for every car on the market.

 

BC is by far the best bang for buck option ive found, especially since they can do custom spring rates and they also valve the shocks based on the spring rate you choose. My biggest concert is spring sag and bottoming out with the new springs. What i will probably do is next time im near my car i will find one of the lowest points and measure how far off the ground it is, i will then subtract 1 inch since thats how much i want to drop the car and calculate what percentage of the total high that is. then increase the stock spring rate by that percentage. Logically speaking the math adds up. lower the car and increase the stiffness by the same percentage to avoid bottoming out but the spring sag is a different story. IDK maybe im supposed to measure the spring height instead. its all very confusing lol. If someone with a bit more experience could weigh in that would be great

 

Sounds like you have a plan and I hope that it works out for you. It does not look like we will be getting much information on this thread, as the SC section of this forum seems to be pretty dead these days. Your idea makes sense but it leaves me with no clue as to what rates I should chose. If you do put coilovers on your car I would love to hear what you pick and how it works out for you.

So for now I will just keep saving my money and keep reading and hope to learn more in the future before I jump in.

 

LOL Jim, just get a unibody coilover with spring rates in the teens.

like I said, I'm running 10k/7k, which is basically the softest possible, and I'm probably lower than most people out there, and I havent had any issues other than those massive dips on the freeway and horrible steep driveways and stuff.

The coils themselves do not bottom out, it's simply my frame banging and scraping.

So, as you want to just daily your car and drive spiritedly, I'd say the BCs at 14k/10k are just what you need. :P Just pull the trigger!

 

It's a bit different when the valving/rebound is calculated to pair with a stiffer spring rate. If you were to just slap on some 18k springs on stock shocks it would be a nightmare lol.

Again, I'm on 10k/7k and I actually like how soft they are. makes the car still feel like a cruiser. But Ideally I think something a bit stiffer would be beneficial for someone who likes riding pretty low.

The coilover debate is one of those that never ceases. Most people arent building track cars or race car projects, and blowing thousands of dollars on the best R&D'd coils is foolish, in my opinion. Not that premium parts don't have their merits or value, but only if that's what you're aiming for. You average cheap or mid range coilover will get the job done for most people.

 

LOL - you are so right. I do sometimes overthink stuff and get stuck trying to figure out what is perfect when what I really need is what works. I used to work for a guy who would walk up to a group of his employees and say - Do something, even if it is wrong!

It makes sense that we are talking about a system and that you can't compare spring rates on coilovers with those paired with stock shocks.

You are making it hard for me to not order some coilovers and jumping right in - even if I am wrong. :-)