spring vs coilover

[SGOS252382]

Originally Posted by flht99b

When I started my XA ride quality thread earlier this year, I received numerous PM's from folks having the same ride quality issue as I was having with the XA's. I don't know, perhaps there is a QC dfsue with the shocks, perhaps XA sets were sent out with different rate springs, who knows. My wife even noticed the difference and said put the BMR springs and stock shocks/struts back in but I had already promised the springs to someone. I can't speak to the 1.4" drop springs but at least on my car and several I have ridden in with BMR 1" springs, the ride quality was excellent. I may look to get slightly lower rate springs for my XA's this winter which will at least allow me to run softer dampening settings.
Ed M.

That's funny because I get P.M.s from guys with their lowering springs that feel the same way I do. They want to get coilovers because they do not like the harsh ride with the lowering springs. I've gotten 3 PM.s just this week about this issue.


But I'm very up front with them about the Pedders XA coils. Even though the ride is much better than lowering springs the ride is still far from perfect. I give the Pedders XAs a 5-6 out of 10 for comfort. The springs I only give a 3-4 out of 10 for comfort.

.
Before I got my lowering springs people said "they ride is just like stock." Then I got the springs and I was very disappointed.
Then before I got Pedders XAs a bunch of Camaro5 members told me that I could make the ride just like stock if I wanted. Then I found out the ride is either firm (very similar to my lowering springs) or bouncy (softer ride than the lowering springs, but with unwanted bounciness.

Now I tell the guys that P.M. me that don't believe anything anyone says about springs or coilovers. I've had so many people say they (both springs and coilovers) ride just like stock and the truth is far from that.


I'm looking into the 9kg springs option. I'm not confident at all that they will give me the ride I'm looking for, but its my best option right now.

[Rob@WretchedMS]

One thing i've learn over the years is that everyone's but is calibrated differently.
and some of them are just a bit more sensitive than others.

Lowering a car requires raising the spring rate,
increasing the spring rate makes the ride a bit more stiff.

[SGOS252382]

Originally Posted by Rob@WretchedMS

One thing i've learn over the years is that everyone's but is calibrated differently.
and some of them are just a bit more sensitive than others.

Lowering a car requires raising the spring rate,
increasing the spring rate makes the ride a bit more stiff.

I ordered the 9kg springs for my Pedders XA. I'm hoping they will smooth out the ride a bit over bumps.
I hoping I ordered the right part (#5658)?

[Rob@WretchedMS]

5628 is the rear 9k springs

[mpyle007]

Do you all think I could be bottoming out my struts on the front of my car when I am hitting bumps with my BMR 1.4 springs? I cut the bump stop in half but to jar the car as hard as I am it feels like the strut has to be bottoming out.

Maybe this is why the toilet mod works a little because it is just raising the strut???

If the strut is bottoming out then that tell sme the coils are not a good option because they are too much drop for the strut.

[mpyle007]

Just spoke with Rob at Pedders and it sounds like my bushings might not have been timed.

[67motorcat]

Originally Posted by mpyle007

Just spoke with Rob at Pedders and it sounds like my bushings might not have been timed.

This makes sense.

I have had Eibach 1.25" springs on my car for almost 2 years and no complaints what so ever.

Sure.it rides just a hair stiffer than stock,but still very,very comfortable and the handling has been enhanced.

I also cut down the bumps stops but a huge bump is going to bottom out the stock springs as well.

There could also be a difference in spring rates from company to company but probably small if any.

[SGOS252382]

Originally Posted by Rob@WretchedMS

5628 is the rear 9k springs

Yeah, 5628. I typed the wrong numbers. Thanks

[mpyle007]

Bad rattle ended up being heat shield because there was no tunnel brace but no bolts put back in either. When I hit up hard bump heat shield rattled like crazy.

[Norm Peterson]

Originally Posted by mpyle007

I want to make sure I am not having false expectations here. I have BMR 1.4" springs all the way around now. The ride is nice until you hit a normal bump in the road and it sounds like the bottom is falling out. I have had the car balanced and made sure everything is tightened up by a good shop. I just feel like something is wrong with the set up or maybe I am missing something.

Would coilovers give me a huge difference in ride quality? Or should the springs still give me a decent ride and something is wrong? I expect a solid ride with a lowered car but right now it is harsh....

opinions or professional help from everyone?

"Harsh" is usually a shock/strut issue, excessively hard bump stop contact, or overinflated tires.

If the springs are "progressive" and all of the closely spaced coils close up at exactly the same amount of suspension compression, the sudden change in spring rate from soft to firm could possibly be perceived as harshness. Kind of a stretch if the bumps causing the harshness are small, though.


FWIW, most strut suspension geometry starts going away on you at much over 1" lowering regardless of whether you're using lowering "big springs" or coilovers. This isn't exactly the same thing as the additional negative camber that lowering gives you, and it may not even matter much if you don't have a "corner-carver" mentality.


Norm