Coilovers

[Greenhornet2]

So i lowered my car 1.4" front 1.5" rear with the springs from phastek rst x5 or something. The car looks great and it handles well but as i feared the struts are too low in the travel for around here. We have kinda crummy roads and a large dip will bottom me out. Rather than try another set of springs, pay for alignment then not like those as well i'm considering coil overs. I am not a road course racer and i don't push the limits in corners 95% of the time. I don't mind it being a little stiff but i don't want to bottom out i don't like hitting my head on the roof on the rebound.
I'm looking at all of these cheaper options on coilovers and wonder if anyone has tried them. I'm always for saving a buck but not if they are junk. Here's some i have found with a quick search.
https://shop.redline360.com/products...SABEgJPJPD_BwE
https://coiloverdepot.com/products/1...yABEgLZ0_D_BwE
https://shop.redline360.com/products...SABEgKzEPD_BwE
https://shop.redline360.com/products...CABEgJHE_D_BwE
https://www.autoanything.com/suspens...CABEgKcq_D_BwE
https://coiloverdepot.com/products/1...iABEgKOnvD_BwE
All i want is to be able to set my ride height and have a ride that doesn't bottom out and drives a little better than what it is at now. I also noticed my car darts and follows the three crown of the road pretty bad. On the highway yesterday there was a pretty uneven crown from the left lane to the right lane and when i switched lanes the car was pulled all kinds of weird. I do have 275s up front and 315s in the rear road course tires so they are wide and grippy. I did retime the rear bushings tho i didn't do the fronts. I'm wondering if one of those bumps knocked me out of alignment when i bottomed out. I liked the stock ride comfort level i just hate the wheel gap.

[Vegas Bound]

My BC Racing Type BR have been on the car for 7 years. I have adjusted ride height and damp to suit current needs and conditions. No issues, yet.

[Greenhornet2]

Thanks for your input. Wondering if anyone has tried the rev9 or megan racing ones. They all seem to use the same spring rate and are adjustable.

[Black_SS10]

Have you checked out Ridetech? That offer a good coilover setup. Also, what are your alignment specs? That will cause stability issues, such as the tracking problem you described. We are running the same size tires, and I have no tracking issues.

[VR Baron]

I like my Ridetech HQ’s. Easy single adjustable size. Best ride, no bounce, can order with spring rates you want(go to JDP). Million mile warranty. Handle great or set soft for best ride of any coilover. They aren’t cheap Chinese coilovers, but you get what you pay for. I had Pedders supercar coilovers before they went cheap and these are better. Megan’s are a cheap version of bc racing and not great from what I hear. I have never heard of redline brand. Pedders XA is like bc racing. But made cheap now as made in China. Years ago made in Australia and Taiwan and were good. Ridetechs are made here, and made for the Camaro as to valving,the others are not

[Greenhornet2]

Originally Posted by Black_SS10

Have you checked out Ridetech? That offer a good coilover setup. Also, what are your alignment specs? That will cause stability issues, such as the tracking problem you described. We are running the same size tires, and I have no tracking issues.

The front was set to factory. I think -.09 camber each side. The rear .10 toe in and -0.05 camber i can grab the sheet. I almost think i knocked out out with one nasty hole i hit i don't remember it darting so much when i first had the alignment done.

[Greenhornet2]

Originally Posted by VR Baron

I like my Ridetech HQ’s. Easy single adjustable size. Best ride, no bounce, can order with spring rates you want(go to JDP). Million mile warranty. Handle great or set soft for best ride of any coilover. They aren’t cheap Chinese coilovers, but you get what you pay for. I had Pedders supercar coilovers before they went cheap and these are better. Megan’s are a cheap version of bc racing and not great from what I hear. I have never heard of redline brand. Pedders XA is like bc racing. But made cheap now as made in China. Years ago made in Australia and Taiwan and were good. Ridetechs are made here, and made for the Camaro as to valving,the others are not

I understand the you get what you pay for mantra, but it's not true in all cases. Maybe it is with coilovers. I simply will not pay $2k. I'm willing to spend up to $1k i'm looking hard at the megans, godspeed and rev9. As long as it is better than what i have going on now it would be worth it. Trying to find anyone who has any experience with these inexpensive alternatives.

[Black_SS10]

Originally Posted by Greenhornet2

The front was set to factory. I think -.09 camber each side. The rear .10 toe in and -0.05 camber i can grab the sheet. I almost think i knocked out out with one nasty hole i hit i don't remember it darting so much when i first had the alignment done.

You could have knocked it out. I know a similar incident happened to me. Lol. Check out this chart. I use the aggressive street settings and it works great. You may need new eccentrics for the rear camber and toe.

I wouldn't cheap out on anything. 2k for coilovers is actually cheap, considering other options. I paid roughly $1500 for my Ridtechs about 4yrs ago. Got them on during a sale. You wont be happy with cheap ones as the rebound, compression, and spring rates may not be matched well or even adjustable. Ridetech sent me new front springs for FREE due to an issue that wasn't theirs. They're plenty of options out there though.

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by Greenhornet2

I understand the you get what you pay for mantra, but it's not true in all cases. Maybe it is with coilovers. I simply will not pay $2k. I'm willing to spend up to $1k i'm looking hard at the megans, godspeed and rev9. As long as it is better than what i have going on now it would be worth it. Trying to find anyone who has any experience with these inexpensive alternatives.

It’s true with coilovers. Cheap coilovers can be worse then springs. Can be to stiff or to bouncy. All in poor valving and to stiff spring rates. Bc and Pedders use spring rates in front that are roadcourse stiff, 450 lbs per inch. Valving they and all cheap coilovers use are stiff to control the springs, or to soft for an attempt at good ride, but becomes to bouncy. I know, been there done that.

Best to do a search here, plenty of feedback on Pedders and bc racing. These were out first years ago and best there was at the time. Now made cheaper and maybe good for street only, was told that by people in the business,just no data on these as it has been years people here have bought them. But for your needs they maybe fine. As to the other brands do a search, I have researched on this forum at length, but have never heard or seen those other brands.

Good luck!

[Greenhornet2]

Originally Posted by Black_SS10

You could have knocked it out. I know a similar incident happened to me. Lol. Check out this chart. I use the aggressive street settings and it works great. You may need new eccentrics for the rear camber and toe.

I wouldn't cheap out on anything. 2k for coilovers is actually cheap, considering other options. I paid roughly $1500 for my Ridtechs about 4yrs ago. Got them on during a sale. You wont be happy with cheap ones as the rebound, compression, and spring rates may not be matched well or even adjustable. Ridetech sent me new front springs for FREE due to an issue that wasn't theirs. They're plenty of options out there though.

The ones i'm looking at are 16-32 adjustable dampening and all adjustable ride height/preload.
I did use that chart as a guide for the rear. I left it factory for the front but if i swap maybe i'll go a little more negative on front camber. I already had to buy rear camber kit as they couldn't get it close with the stock ones. I think one of my bmr trailing arms was actually a little too long on my right side because it was all i could do to get it to bolt up with the eccentric bolts as loose as i could and of course that side was way the hell out of whack when they put it on the rack. But whatever they got it to what i asked for after buying the bolt kits at $80 per set.

[Black_SS10]

Originally Posted by Greenhornet2

The ones i'm looking at are 16-32 adjustable dampening and all adjustable ride height/preload.
I did use that chart as a guide for the rear. I left it factory for the front but if i swap maybe i'll go a little more negative on front camber. I already had to buy rear camber kit as they couldn't get it close with the stock ones. I think one of my bmr trailing arms was actually a little too long on my right side because it was all i could do to get it to bolt up with the eccentric bolts as loose as i could and of course that side was way the hell out of whack when they put it on the rack. But whatever they got it to what i asked for after buying the bolt kits at $80 per set.

Being adjustable is good, but what are the spring rates? Many cheaper coilovers are really bouncy. Look if they adjust rebound and compression....or is it just one or the other. Curious, what bolt kit did you buy? I got both sides, toe and camber, from SPC for that price.

[Greenhornet2]

I don't know it was one from GM that's why it was so much. The dealer supplied it as it was there when we discovered we needed it. All of the spring rates for the cheaper coilovers is 8kg front 12kg rear. The adjuatment is a single knob soft-hard doesn't have individual compression or rebound settings. I've done some research online. Godspeeds don't seem to get good reviews stiff and leaking at 15k miles. Megan racing is mixed but mostly negative for being stiff. Rev9 seems fairly new and could only find reviews from honda owners that say they are good, not too stiff just don't go as low as megan racing but i'm not trying to slam the thing like they are. Rev9 i think was cheapest $500. Bc and pedders are about $1k but behind above i guess they are made more cheaply now, so i wonder if it's the same quality as the real cheap stuff. It seems pretty uncharted waters for camaros so i might just be a Guinea pig. They do all carry a 1 year warranty. Suppose I'd just keep my shocks and struts for a while in case i need to swap them back. If i do then i could just go with the 1" lowering springs.

[SIM GhostrdrZ]

I run Megan’s on my V6. Ive had them on for 3-4 yrs now. When I did research back then, anything under $3k where all the same. I enjoy mine and I got coilovers to get a stance the lower springs couldn’t give me. I spent some time getting the stance and adjustments just to my liking. It’s softer than my Z28 but I could dial it to a bit stiffer if needed. The coilovers are only a part of my suspension that does quit well.
Good luck

[VR Baron]

Originally Posted by Greenhornet2

I don't know it was one from GM that's why it was so much. The dealer supplied it as it was there when we discovered we needed it. All of the spring rates for the cheaper coilovers is 8kg front 12kg rear. The adjuatment is a single knob soft-hard doesn't have individual compression or rebound settings. I've done some research online. Godspeeds don't seem to get good reviews stiff and leaking at 15k miles. Megan racing is mixed but mostly negative for being stiff. Rev9 seems fairly new and could only find reviews from honda owners that say they are good, not too stiff just don't go as low as megan racing but i'm not trying to slam the thing like they are. Rev9 i think was cheapest $500. Bc and pedders are about $1k but behind above i guess they are made more cheaply now, so i wonder if it's the same quality as the real cheap stuff. It seems pretty uncharted waters for camaros so i might just be a Guinea pig. They do all carry a 1 year warranty. Suppose I'd just keep my shocks and struts for a while in case i need to swap them back. If i do then i could just go with the 1" lowering springs.

Yeah 8 and 12 kg springs are like 450/672 lbs rated. That’s z28 rates when factoring in the added rate from the stiff z28 shocks. A friend runs bc racing , same rates. Doesn’t mind them on the street and has over 85000 miles on them, though they are worn out somewhat now. Just runs them soft. But is going new Ridetechs soon. Thing is, like you said, most cheap coilovers use those rates or close. The valving unless stiff just can’t control the springs well. Back to stiff or bouncy ride. It’s all subjective as to ride. Thing is we all take a chance and hope products live up to the advertising. I did with Pedders supercars. Best smoothest ride in the world. They weren’t.
To compare, Ridetechs come with 275/500 springs for best ride and control. I went with 300/550 rates as I autocross. Ride is still good and controlled, not stiff and no bouncy.