NEW 2GS Coilover Option: Circuit Sports (14k/12k) Complete Review + Pics + Comparison
05-24-12, 02:22 PM
#1
NEW 2GS Coilover Option: Circuit Sports (14k/12k) Complete Review + Pics + Comparison
Hey Guys,
I've owned my 2GS for a little over 1.5 years now, and have since gone through 3 different coilover options:
- Tein CS V.2 (8K/6K front/rear)
- Megan EZ's (10k/8k front/rear)
- Circuit Sports (14k/12k front/rear) <-- current setup
I thought i'd share my experience, while at the same time writing a quick review for my current setup from Circuit Sports.
When I first bought the car, I wanted to drop it while retaining a Lexus quality ride. I did some research and narrowed my choice to a set of Tein CS V2's (coupled with a set of 20" VIP Modular VR08's). After installing them, I wasn't happy with the drop so I bought a set of SAGE RCA's (front and rear). I was pretty happy so far:
Before
After
Eventually I got tired of the setup and wanted to go a little more aggressive. I picked up a set of Megan EZ's with a new set of 19's, and was amazed at how low you can get your car with these:
Although I was able to drive the car like this, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park. I would bottom out everywhere, and railroad tracks were undercarriage death (keep in mind I also downsized rims from 20" to 19", so that didn't help my clearance). I LOVED the way the car looked but I just couldn't take the stress anymore. I was convinced that if I bumped up the spring rates it would at least help (I had the EZ's maxed on dampening, and I even adjusted the spring preload as much as I could), so I started looking for stiffer options through BC and Stance. At the time I was also piecing together the suspension on my S14 240sx, so I thought i'd see if my buddy Wayne at Phase2 could help me out with my GS too.
I must have had good timing, because he said Circuit Sports actually does have an application for our car. Just some quick background for those that don't know, but Circuit Sports is widely known in the Nissan world and is often compared to Megan (in my opinion though their stuff is MUCH higher quality and some of their products even carry a lifetime guarantee). He gave me three options:
#1 - Street spec (can't recall the spring rates, I think they were 10K/6K but not sure)
#2 - Race spec (can't recall the spring rates for these either, but I think it was 12K/8K)
#3 - Custom valve + custom spring rates
After trying the CS's with 8K/6K, and the Megans that were 10K/8K, I knew I needed something considerably stiffer if I was to drive the car as low as I wanted, so I chose option #3. After going over some numbers with Wayne, I ended up deciding on a 14K/10K spring rate combination with custom valving to match the stiffer spring rate. 6 weeks later I received delivery and couldn't wait to throw them on. Here's some install pics:
Front
Rear - Note that these come with the brake line holder
Since everyone compares Circuit Sports to Megan, here's a couple of quick points to note (I'm not in anyway affiliated with Phase2 OR Circuit Sports, so this is a completely unbiased review and is purely my opinion):
Out of the Box and Install Notes
- Circuit Sport coilovers and top hats were slightly beefier than the Megans
- Both came with brake line brackets
- Both had similar separate height adjustability
- Circuit Sport coilovers are 12 way dampening vs Megan's 15 way
Performance/Ride notes
To make sure I was comparing apples to apples, I made sure the ride height settings were the same, and I set the dampening at 6 (right in the middle). After installing these, I noticed a SIGNIFICANT difference in the ride. This might have been purely in my head, but my suspension didn't seem to squeak nearly as much as before, even with the stiffer setup. The car felt MUCH more assured when driving and around corners it didn't feel like a boat (keep in mind i'm not running aftermarket sways or strut bars).
The stiffer spring rates definitely helped to prevent the car from bottoming out, but it wasn't so stiff to where I thought I was driving a Civic on cut springs (I attribute this to the proper valving done). I further dialed in the new setup by playing with the dampening, and found that the Circuit Sports actually had MORE adjustability despite them only being 12 way. You can actually tell the difference between clicks on the Circuit Sports, compared to the Megan's which were a little harder to tell. In the end I left it at 6 because it was a perfect combination of stiffness and comfort for me.
In summary, I couldn't be happier with these coilovers. In my opinion the 2GS is a heavy car and needs an equally beefy spring rate/suspension setup especially for those that drive slammed. I'm actually able to carry passengers now! I don't know if Wayne/Phase2 plans to carry my specs in stock or what he plans to retail these at, but if you want more info you can visit his website at www.phase2motortrend.com. Here's a final shot and how my car currently sits:
I've owned my 2GS for a little over 1.5 years now, and have since gone through 3 different coilover options:
- Tein CS V.2 (8K/6K front/rear)
- Megan EZ's (10k/8k front/rear)
- Circuit Sports (14k/12k front/rear) <-- current setup
I thought i'd share my experience, while at the same time writing a quick review for my current setup from Circuit Sports.
When I first bought the car, I wanted to drop it while retaining a Lexus quality ride. I did some research and narrowed my choice to a set of Tein CS V2's (coupled with a set of 20" VIP Modular VR08's). After installing them, I wasn't happy with the drop so I bought a set of SAGE RCA's (front and rear). I was pretty happy so far:
Before
After
Eventually I got tired of the setup and wanted to go a little more aggressive. I picked up a set of Megan EZ's with a new set of 19's, and was amazed at how low you can get your car with these:
Although I was able to drive the car like this, it wasn't exactly a walk in the park. I would bottom out everywhere, and railroad tracks were undercarriage death (keep in mind I also downsized rims from 20" to 19", so that didn't help my clearance). I LOVED the way the car looked but I just couldn't take the stress anymore. I was convinced that if I bumped up the spring rates it would at least help (I had the EZ's maxed on dampening, and I even adjusted the spring preload as much as I could), so I started looking for stiffer options through BC and Stance. At the time I was also piecing together the suspension on my S14 240sx, so I thought i'd see if my buddy Wayne at Phase2 could help me out with my GS too.
I must have had good timing, because he said Circuit Sports actually does have an application for our car. Just some quick background for those that don't know, but Circuit Sports is widely known in the Nissan world and is often compared to Megan (in my opinion though their stuff is MUCH higher quality and some of their products even carry a lifetime guarantee). He gave me three options:
#1 - Street spec (can't recall the spring rates, I think they were 10K/6K but not sure)
#2 - Race spec (can't recall the spring rates for these either, but I think it was 12K/8K)
#3 - Custom valve + custom spring rates
After trying the CS's with 8K/6K, and the Megans that were 10K/8K, I knew I needed something considerably stiffer if I was to drive the car as low as I wanted, so I chose option #3. After going over some numbers with Wayne, I ended up deciding on a 14K/10K spring rate combination with custom valving to match the stiffer spring rate. 6 weeks later I received delivery and couldn't wait to throw them on. Here's some install pics:
Front
Rear - Note that these come with the brake line holder
Since everyone compares Circuit Sports to Megan, here's a couple of quick points to note (I'm not in anyway affiliated with Phase2 OR Circuit Sports, so this is a completely unbiased review and is purely my opinion):
Out of the Box and Install Notes
- Circuit Sport coilovers and top hats were slightly beefier than the Megans
- Both came with brake line brackets
- Both had similar separate height adjustability
- Circuit Sport coilovers are 12 way dampening vs Megan's 15 way
Performance/Ride notes
To make sure I was comparing apples to apples, I made sure the ride height settings were the same, and I set the dampening at 6 (right in the middle). After installing these, I noticed a SIGNIFICANT difference in the ride. This might have been purely in my head, but my suspension didn't seem to squeak nearly as much as before, even with the stiffer setup. The car felt MUCH more assured when driving and around corners it didn't feel like a boat (keep in mind i'm not running aftermarket sways or strut bars).
The stiffer spring rates definitely helped to prevent the car from bottoming out, but it wasn't so stiff to where I thought I was driving a Civic on cut springs (I attribute this to the proper valving done). I further dialed in the new setup by playing with the dampening, and found that the Circuit Sports actually had MORE adjustability despite them only being 12 way. You can actually tell the difference between clicks on the Circuit Sports, compared to the Megan's which were a little harder to tell. In the end I left it at 6 because it was a perfect combination of stiffness and comfort for me.
In summary, I couldn't be happier with these coilovers. In my opinion the 2GS is a heavy car and needs an equally beefy spring rate/suspension setup especially for those that drive slammed. I'm actually able to carry passengers now! I don't know if Wayne/Phase2 plans to carry my specs in stock or what he plans to retail these at, but if you want more info you can visit his website at www.phase2motortrend.com. Here's a final shot and how my car currently sits:
05-24-12, 02:48 PM
#3
I'm not sure how much they are planning on retailing these at, you would probably need to contact them to find out. I emailed him just now so i'll update this thread when he gets me an answer. With the teins, I did have rubbing issues so I rolled all 4 fenders, hammered the problem areas flat, and used a hole saw to clear the front upper control arm.
06-11-12, 02:44 PM
#7
It was a night and day difference. The entire time I had the EZ's, I always thought to myself man these would be perfect if they were just a little stiffer. The 14k/12k really did it for me, and I love driving my car again. Thanks for the compliment!
Trending Topics
06-18-12, 03:36 PM
#9
Hey guys, I just spoke with Wayne and although he couldn't give me exact pricing, he was able to get me a ballpark on my exact setup: $850-$865. I have to stress that I'm not affiliated with Phase2, so if you guys need to place orders or anything please contact Wayne (www.phase2motortrend.com) and not me thanks!
Ryan
Ryan
06-18-12, 10:38 PM
#10
Hey guys, I just spoke with Wayne and although he couldn't give me exact pricing, he was able to get me a ballpark on my exact setup: $850-$865. I have to stress that I'm not affiliated with Phase2, so if you guys need to place orders or anything please contact Wayne (www.phase2motortrend.com) and not me thanks!
Ryan
Ryan
Last edited by Neo; 06-19-12 at 03:45 PM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
