Debunking the Coil-Over Myth: Smooth Rides & Maximum Performance!

[@JustinKrux]

I think the myth comes from people buying coilovers for racing use, dialing their suspension setup stiff for racing use, then other people riding in the car who do not have the understanding that it rides the way it does because it was setup that way, and just assuming all coilover setups ride that way.

[@TheTexican05]

Auto worker of 21 years. Had a 10-year amateur racing period where I was 100% hands-on with the R&D, testing, etc. Biggest fails I continually see with coilovers (on street and tuner cars) that lend to the notion that coilovers destroy ride quality: 1) Wrong spring rates (at least 10-20% of the time) for the car and its uses 2) Poor install (50-65% of the time, if not more. Something is always loose or improperly torqued, locking collars left loose, sway bar links, control arm bolts, etc.) 3) Improper setup: issues w/ride height and pre-load (50-65% of the time) Most average repair shops have no clue what pre-load even is.🙈 4) Improper damper settings for the desired use. Spoiler: less is more. Compliance keeps your tires on the ground. Overly stiff setups can send your tire (or entire car) airborne over dips, bumps, and mid-corner surface changes. Doesn't mean you'll fly or crash. But it upsets the chassis and interrupts your control. Can also make for some pucker moments. 5) The "I bought these cheap coilovers to make my car look #StanceLife!". Poor quality control, poor design, and unsafe fitment. These kits need to be scrapped entirely, but novices still buy them. In 10 years, I have fixed a LOT of entry-level BC and Pedders coilovers for folks. It isn't recognizable as the same suspension after I finish, compared to the skateboard/covered wagon setup they bring me. This comes from practice, research, testing, and wisdom over time. I have also seen good, high-end $2-3k coilover kits improperly setup by the owner or installer, and the owners just assume it's how the kit was designed, and live with the harsh behaviors. Sharing this here for posterity in case it helps anyone. 🍻 ✌ A good suspension mechanic/tech can do wonders for you.

[@tandaman008]

Do you have any experience with tein street advance coilovers for a acura tl 2007?

[@TheTexican05]

​@@tandaman008 For Teen, I do not. They cater to the JDK market primarily, and I have always built domestics and German cars for street/track combos. That said, I would refer you to a company called Ceika. They custom build coilovers for each customer and car based on individual goals, preferences, intended use (street vs track %), etc. They have you fill out a simple but helpful form when ordering your setup. It's a much better approach than the conventional "1 kit fits all" approach from all the other sub-$1500 coilover offerings available. Porsche, BMW, Maserati and Mazda owners have been very positive in their reviews off the Ceika kits, including praise for street comfort in the softer settings. I'm in talks with them right now about a custom set for my Mk7 GTI daily. Disclaimer: I have zero business affiliation with them. I just know suspension products very well, and I hate overpaying for anything. Hope this helps.

[@tandaman008]

Definitely helps will check them out! When you say adjust dampening so that it’s not too stiff because the wheels will come off the ground….does that pretty much feel like hydroplaning? Like you have no control over then steering? Would you have to worry about that with any sort of stock suspension say if it’s stock but sport tuned as they tend to be stiffer? Basically what causes the “puckering moment” lol and how to avoid it. Live in nyc with horrible roads.

[@gymkata3119]

Thanks for the info, wish i had a mechanic as knowledgeable as you in my area

[@ceenice3000]

What’s the best way of choosing a good suspension mechanic?

[@galagage9279]

this was a better explaination than most others on youtube

[@headhoncho4890]

I bought my first set of coilovers a few days ago and I consider it a blessing that they are good quality. Compared to the parts I’ve been getting for my car lately

[@QA1TECH]

Glad to hear it! You will be really happy with the purchase!

[@drjoe2323]

😂

[@billkinnane6212]

Thank you for the great explanation. One thing that worries me is whether or not the replacement of the rubber based factory top shock mounts with a steel pillow ball mounts to enable camber/caster adjustment in most coil-over kits might induce a little harshness particularly on sharp bumps. I am contemplating the acquisition of a "mild" coilover kit for my 2022 Subaru BRZ that sees about 6 track days per year but also has to cope with regular use on sealed but bumpy secondary country roads. Your comments as to whether the selection of a kit with pillow ball mounts might cause harshness as opposed to getting a kit with offset rubber top mounts (e.g. Whiteline top hats ) plus offset camber bolts might make for a smoother setup on bad roads..

[@Champ0204]

Got coilover on my scion tc about 6 months ago. Of course I put the dampening on the max setting. Had polyurethane bushings all around. Especially the lower control arms. Those made the biggest difference. I enjoyed the hard setup I had going. Like the car was on tracks. Not fast but the corners are fun. I adjusted the dampening to half today. 30 dampening adjustments so 15. Definitely a huge difference almost could fall asleep. And if I put it all the way to soft it will probably feel like stock. But I think 20 clicks is going to be perfect for me. I’m not sure if I should have like a “staggered” setup. Like 15 clicks for the front and 20 for the rear. I guess I will just have to go and try out. But give me your advice!

[@tyquanwashington.8510]

Without watching the video, and as someone with coilovers (Fortune Auto) that ride rough, im going to make some assumptions as to why this myth is perpetuated and why people's ride is rough. A) people lower their car/coilovers which deminishes ride quality B) people pick spring rates that are too stiff and meant for track use. C) people get coilivers with no damping adjustment D) people dont use the correct damping settings for their roads. E) people cheap out on coilovers and buy 💩 like Raceland.

[@brianguta6592]

No! My car rides and drives like a dream. Handles like a different car in a good way and the ride quality is better than factory. I think this is the best upgrade I’ve made by far

[@brianguta6592]

Bc sent my front coilovers will springs that were wayyyyyyy to long. At full drop the car sat higher than it did at stock. Waiting to see how they respond and remedy my situation. That being said I still love the handling and the ride quality fyi upgrade to the swift springs

[@RMINTZELL]

I put these on my 55 Chevy, along with the tubular control arms, front sway bar, and power front disk brakes. It now rides so much better than it did in its stock form.

[@GorhamWorks]

Lot's of good information. Learning right now while in the midst of installing a suspension system on my c10. Very excited for it.

[@jeffarcher400]

If you replace a McPherson type strut with a coilover you're swapping the springs. In many coil,leaf or torsion bar designs swapping for coilovers does Not do anything to remove the stock springs and now you are double sprung. This is mostly older cars and home swaps since a good shop should know about it this. I may be wrong but this is my understanding from dealing with my old 911. If I put coilovers on the back I can eliminate the torsion bars and upgrade the trailing arm bearing without setting the pesky arm angle dangle. Many drivers(not just Honda Civic fans) lower the ride height. For one there's less travel. Some don't properly lower the shock body into the mount and start compressing the spring. Now the spring is loaded too. If the shock shaft travel is limited it must do it's work in half the distance. It's tough to get damping without time and distance for oil to flow and with hot foamy thin oil. Now add poly bushings,low profile tires and a beefy swaybar and you got a track car out in the real world. Never thought about topping out much. The back often has limiter straps but the front has nothing. Street isn't a problem but in the dirt there's lots of air time. There's rubber bump stops for bottoming but topping out it's only hydraulics that prevents the shock piston being the limiter. Pushed by the spring and with gravity pulling the wheel,hub and control arm that's a lot of repeated force. Amazing the abuse suspension takes.

[@carlosmiguel4756]

First point is get a proper coil over setup from a good brand. Cheap ones will ride poorly, harsh, very low or no adjustments at all etc Also don't forget other things not mentioned in the video that can significantly affect how harsh the car rides: tires and silent blocks/bushings. Again, if you're setting up for track only of course it's gonna be hard. If your setting for street daily driving, try to find a good balance using the things he said, you want it to be comfortable but also not driving like a boat with no feedback at all. I have KW V3 in my BMW and they drive like a dream, mercedes-like comfort but when i want to have fun, i adjust the rebound and compression and it's a different beast!!!!

[@ShanerTheGrey]

Not a myth. Not debunked. Most coil overs are so cheaply made that even correctly adjusted they are far WORSE than stock. You MUST, I repeat: YOU MUST spend at LEAST $2,000 for a set of coil overs. Otherwise you’re in for a rough ride my dudes. Been building Hondas since 99

[@acidtechno]

the dude did say the damper can be short etc , or can be provided short , and if you buy any two piece shock with lower leg screw on, it will be 40mm shorter at least than a OEM damper. to provide lowering on the lower leg . i.e a bad idea . because you gave up your droop as well just then. best to lower car using helper springs to the ride level you want -40mm etc that you wanted, and maybe up the spring rate by 0.5kg to 1kg more. personally I dont want to ever lower any car . perhaps increase the ride height. by + 10mm / 15mm with max travel. I think the video is fair . but leaves out some basics that could be overlooked.

[@oneday3857]

So what coilovers do you recommend

[@ShanerTheGrey]

@@oneday3857 hmm well right now I’m running a basic set of Tein Flex Z coil overs. I like them because they have like 20 way adjustable dampening. I think I payed like $1200 after tax or something. But they have to adjusted softer to be decent. Thing about coil overs is they can be way to stiff. I think if I had to buy some though I would spend at least 2k and probably go for either BC brand coil overs or KW coilovers. KW is the best of the best in my opinion. Made in Germany to the highest specs. However with all that said I do think even the Tein Flex Z would still be a good budget set. DO NOT get TruHarts or maxspeedingrods or raceland. Really don’t get anything new for under $1000. I bought some truharts off of Amazon for like $700 and they were a huge mistake.

[@daysofgrace2934]

Spring and damper work together like hand in glove. You change the damper setting then you need to change the spring setting…

[@tomydespins2315]

True cause a stiffer spring with a softer damping settings shock will top out so with stiffer springs you need to stiffer your damping, thats a reason why people changing spring rate for stiffer sometimes hate it cause they are scare to raise their damping valving stiffer too

[@dakotacargill6311]

You are not explaining how to adjust the valves to get a smoother ride the video title is adjusting coilovers for a smoother ride so do what the title says you're doing

[@JorgeGarcia-cl7of]

Buy the your coil overs set them stiff , drive on track and back off your REBOUND and COMPRESSION as needed. People have a stiff ride but don't bother making adjustments. I like a little stiffer rebound on my steer axle and a little less on rear axle to come of corners a little more confidence. Spring rates matter more so on what type of driving your doing like low speed or high speed. IMOOOOOOOO

[@israelcontreras5332]

So if a cars spring length is 10” does that mean it should sit at 12.5-13” just sitting on the ground to have a proper spring rate?

[@Insoxploras]

I own a 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS 350 (W218), I’m currently looking to replace the whole suspension (coil overs preferably) I would greatly appreciate any recommendations. I’ve spent considerable time researching but haven’t found the ideal solution yet.

[@QA1TECH]

Hi there! Appreciate you reaching out. We currently do not offer a direct fit coil-over shock setup for this vehicle.

[@jchavins]

you confuse sag vs spring rate vs spring resistance......you can compress a spring until it binds and it won't affect spring rate. Most people don't understand what spring rate is or what sag is either. Increasing the spring preload definitely increases the spring tension or resistance. It will be stiffer at the same amount of wheel or shock travel. That's pure physics. What you failing to mention when you are talking about the sag is that there will be less of it available. In the sceneio you are talking about it may not be noticeable UNLESS the customer is at the end of the available sag. More importantly what the use of this type of system you and everyone else is avoiding is whether or not the shock is rebuildable and revalveable. I would not spend the kind of money this type of system costs without this feature.

[@captainsenileinfo]

Control arms can also affect your ride.

[@jermaineflowers9906]

I wanna put some on my 96 grand marquis

[@chelseajikit8807]

I don’t like the spring on my 75 nova it’s too spongy I want it more stiff im thinking of getting cool overs can I get any help ?? I also have wheel spacers

[@QA1TECH]

Hi there! We do offer front coil-overs for these cars! Give us a call for some recommendations! 952-985-5675 or email us at [e-mail]

[@ericwatler23]

Will these give me a factor ride quality if I lower it 1 .5 f and b? Because I have eibach and over bumps bumpy roads and imperfections in the road it ride like crap

[@QA1TECH]

That's the beauty of adjustable shocks! They will give you a great ride quality and allow you to fine tune the compression and rebound to help reach the perfect ride you want. Just be sure to pair it with the right spring rate. A lot of times the springs are what lead to an uncomfortable ride. Feel free to reach out to our tech team with questions and recommendations! 952-985-5675 or [e-mail]

[@ericwatler23]

When I have the money 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 I will be giving yall a call!!! I have lowering springs with their shocks and struts a well known place, and my car rides like crap over bumps bumpy roads and imperfections in the road please help. I want my charger lowered 1.5 front and back with ride quality just as good or better that stock!!! It’s got to be away to do this without the low rider ride quality what are your prices

[@Haze8923]

Spend more time teaching how and what to adjust on the knobs

[@QA1TECH]

We have several videos that talk about adjusting your shock valving for specific driving needs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5ippaR8ZZ50ock kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4nTpIKkZ9p9a5I kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqG1iY2LZpyKhMk kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJa9kHR7r5mdZsU

[@31acruz]

Can coil-overs keep my vehicle's original ride height?

[@QA1TECH]

They will lower your vehicle a minimum of 1-2". We do offer factory replacement shocks that will keep the stock ride height.

[@TechTokOffical]

If ur not trying to change the ride height at all ur better off buying better standard shocks and struts. What are you trying to do?

[@phantazmahobbit2679]

You guys are amazing with the details. But myth busted? Y'all aren't myth busters.🤣 not even close.

[@QA1TECH]

Haha, you got us! We may not be the MythBusters, but we do pride ourselves on paying attention to the little details.

[@NjBoriG35]

I'm soo tired of my coilovers i can't get them to stop bouncing

[@QA1TECH]

This could be from a few different things. Shock valving is too stiff, your spring rate isn't the right match for your vehicle or it could be a few other things. I would recommend reaching out to our tech team for assistance. 952-985-5675 or [e-mail]

[@bobkuzyk5562]

Like someone else pointed out, you say a lot about nothing in this video? You don't cover anything about the actual adjusting of these components, you say "turn and lower the adjusters 1" by spinning it, how many revolutions per inch? From what your telling us is coilovers don't in themselves make your ride worse, great. But the Elephant in the room wants to know if it makes your ride better and if so how, smoother, more stable, less lean?

[@QA1TECH]

Coil-overs do make your ride better with being able to dial in your compression and rebound for the specific driving you are doing with the vehicle whether it's just street driving, road course, drag strip, etc. They will help your vehicle grip better, and you can achieve a better stance than stock ride height. For more information, please call into our tech team at 952-985-5675

[@JustinKrux]

i think after what they went over, it should be common sense to understand that a fully adjustable suspension setup allows you to make the car ride however the heck you want it to, so obviously its going to be better than your factory setup. " if so how, smoother, more stable, less lean?" all of the above.

[@RealityUntold]

Height not Heigth. Basic 2nd grade pronunciation.

[@rizzbizz8195]

That would be a spelling issue not how to pronounce the word. Clown