Cheap coilovers

GazHyde

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Don't do it. Cheap coil overs are just that... Cheap. If you want a harsh bumpy ride that makes you lose all love for life, carry on.

Personal experience verified. £180 straight in the bin.

If I go coil overs again I shall be saving up for decent quality ones.
 

t-tony

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My Z3 has K&W units on and it's awesome, but that has it's price!
I wish they were interchangeable with a Z4 ...................................:thumbsup:

Tony.
 

Daz3

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Spilsby, Lincolnshire
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Yeah don't go the cheap option there rubbish I've tried them, rides really bouncy. I now have a AP coilovers up front and shocks on the back with H&R springs and the rides pretty good. I'd love some KW but just can't afford them :(
 

Dino D

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The short answer - hell no!
Good lowering spring set or I can highly reccomed the BC Racing coilovers I, @Brian H, @Mnbrennan and others whose name I forget right now run them.

I personally would only go for coilovers with height and damper adjustment as I like to to have the option to tweak. What works for one their favorite roads doesn't translate for someone else always, the way it feels is very subjective.
The BC lets you change the damper setting easily (from inside the car for the rears) at an affordable price (£692 including camber adjustable front top mounts which you may not need).
Plenty of BC talk and getting it set up over here: https://zroadster.org/threads/project-dino-d.6735/page-4

I'd try and get a ride in a few members cars to compare options if you can just to see what suits you.

Just FYI my car had FK Silverlines before which were good but not as good as the BC's IMO.
There is a 'branding/marketing' effect with these like all things, the FK's are German and use a big names struts, either Koni or KW I believe but even with progressive springs they weren't as nice as what I have now. Not bad but not as nice.
 

Grumps

Always happy, apart from when I'm not 🤬
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My Z3 has K&W units on and it's awesome, but that has it's price!
I wish they were interchangeable with a Z4 ...................................:thumbsup:

Tony.
How much did you pay for those at the time Tony?
 

Brian H

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@Sean d you may be seeing a pattern here :) buy cheap, buy twice.
 

t-tony

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How much did you pay for those at the time Tony?
The man I bought the car from had fitted them when I got it, but they are around £1000 I think.

Tony.
 

andyglym

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The man I bought the car from had fitted them when I got it, but they are around £1000 I think.

Tony.
:wideyed: :arghh: you get what you pay for but Crikey :( I take it they work well Tony?
 

t-tony

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Yes, very nicely Andy, I just need to put someone in it and show them how it goes and I hope it'll be gone. After I get the Z4 jobs done that is !

Tony.
 

Sean d

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Thanks for the replies guys, I was kinda hoping but never mind, what about lowering springs, any particular brands.
 
Z

zedonist

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Buy the Bilstein B12 kit, it is Bilstein B8 dampers and Eibach lowering springs, it works. extremely well, and leaves you money to buy the H&R ARB kit.
 

spurs fan in a coupe

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Eibach are a market leader - I've had them and they were fine, although from your link, I didn't think the different engine sizes were as compatible as suggested, they'll fit (I'm 99% sure) all except 3.2, but the difference in weight for various engines is fairly substantial.

Also depends on the wheels you are on, as the ET (offset) of my rears was too low, I had to raise the rear back up, the lower you go on the rear, the worse the inner tyre wear too.

That said, just get them, it'll look great and the tyres would have needed doing anyway!
 

5harp3y

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Basingstoke
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I've just fitted eibach -30mm springs to mine and bilstein b4s

personally the fronts need to go down another 5mm but the ride is fantastic, super compliant and taught.

cheap coilovers are great at getting low and terrible at everything else, been there and done that.
 

peteslag

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Shifnal, Shropshire
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I had eibach progressive springs on my z3 3.0, it transformed the cars handling both on the road and track. The only downside was that the standard shocks didn't last long. I put B8's on, they also improved things but 90% of it was down to the springs. Well worth the cash.
 
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