Been doing a LOT of research on this and finally pulled the trigger today on some BC Racing coilovers (I bought from CL vendor FIGS - great guy). BCR's aren't too expensive, supposedly have great build quality, very adjustable, and vendors can customize the spring rates (I went with 8K/10K). I considered Tein CST (looking to keep a soft ride), but they're expensive and hear they have quality issues (I was surprised by this). I ruled out Megans because of the pillowmounts which can cause noise.

 

everything that's been said about the megan racing LP series coilovers for the 2is is true, but here is my $0.02:

you're getting great value and functionality for what you're paying for, and those that have them would recommend them. part of it is that they are that good (32-way adjustable dampening, ride height adjustability, customizeable spring rates + preloading, solid upper mounts); the other part is the opinions of these owners looking to justify the money spent for them (this should go without saying, as everyone else will do the same for their product choice).

on the other hand, the solid machined upper mounts transmit more road vibration into the cabin, which translates into "noise". you will also get some creaking which (i think) are a result of the interacting forces between the road and the car. i've found that it's something normal/commonplace w/ solid upper mounts.

i think for daily driving purposes, you can't go wrong with whatever choice you make within this price category (~$1k). after all, aside from a few minor differences here and there they all offer the same in terms of functionality. and with all due respect to everyone that's contributed to this thread, you'll come to agree with this once you cut through all the opinions and bias.

while i made my decision based on budget, not everyone will make the same decision with the same set of criteria. best of luck with your decision, and thanks for reading.

 

Thanks dude Its hard to choose between some of them but does anyone know anything about the Tanabes or Tein SS??


Has anyone ever heard of them Platinum VIP coilovers?

 

even though i don't have first-hand experience with the tanabe sustec pro fives or sevens, based on my understanding of those offerings the ability to mate them w/ the TEAS unit is a nice option (especially the speed-dependent dampening). however, to run the sustec pro fives/sevens AND the TEAS unit will push you past the $1k mark.

i haven't heard much about the tein SS's or the platinum VIP coilovers. maybe someone else can chime in on those two offerings.

 

i use tein ss on my daily... have almost 130K miles on it and no problem... plus to me it's smooth.... but i am 2 turns from the lowest level so some rough patches on road i feel but not crazy .. just slightly....i want to get them again but my bro told me that there's others with tein who have issues and to fix the problem is ~$150 for each one....

so am also debating if bc or stance are better..?? or tein has proved to me to be good but rest i am taking someone else's word on it..

tough.... i would not mind tein SS again... some insider info might be useful to determine true quality and reliablity of tein..

 

Honestly man don't be so indecisive. You are going to hear mixed reviews from everyone. Some people saying this is better or that or etc etc. Just pick one decent well known set and I'm pretty sure you'll be satisfied.

 

^^ i agree! I had my car for a year and half and had 4 different coils on my car. The only reason why i changes so much is because of drop height wasnt to low or the coil wasnt stiff enough so i can drive super slammed and then AIR it is. But i would consider BCR or Tanabe

 

^^
yeah, like i said before, your not going to get any good comparitive advice.

most people buy 1 set of coilovers and stick with em' and can only comment on theirs.

I went BCR for these reasons:

- relatively inexpensive
- rubber mounts
- no down time (don't have to send your coilovers away for a rebuild)
- your choice of spring rate

Regarding the choice in spring rate, the "standard" they give is 10K/8K. I thought it was a little too soft at first, but now I'm cool with it. Its comfy.

I get a little clunk noise when going over rough patches in the road, but whatever, the benifits of coilovers far outweight this small annoyance.

or to sum it up "BCR FTW!" lol....

 

Thanks guys.

Now i guess i have to choose from Megans, BCR, Tein SS and Tanabe now haha

 

We usually recommnend 2 sets of coilovers for the IS, BC Racing or KW's.

You pay extra for the KW's but they really are a nice setup and you probably can't find anything better for the IS.

If you don't have the budget for those then we recommend the BCR coilovers. We have a lot of threads on comparisons but the basics are: Compared to most other budget coilovers BCR's excel becuase they are beefier, have rubber upper mounts for less NVH, have locking lower rings and they will ride a bit nicer due to their larger valves.

Feel free to PM us if you have any questions on a setup or want pricing

 

So i did some research, can anyone let me know if this is true:
Tanabe Sustec Pro 5- 12 way and around 2.6 drop around

BC Racing- 32 way adjustable and 3.0 all around
Megan- 32 way 3.0 all around.

Tein SS- 2.4 all around.

Can anyone let me know or correct me if im wrong.

And is rubber a better choice than rather than pillow ball??

 

Tein SS doesnt go 2.4" lower... i had them slammed and it's no where near 2.5".... Megan can go slightly lower than 3" if i am not wrong

 

megans are definetly mor than 3" im gunna have to measure stock and mine, and i still have a ton more to go

 

tanabe + teas ftw

 

Hey, does your Tein SS have that clunk noise that every is talking about when it goes over speed bumps and stuff.