Best track coilovers?
Jul 24, 2007, 01:20 PM
#31
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Jul 30, 2007, 03:25 PM
#32
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THere are many good suspension options available for dedicated track cars.
I would talk with the shop you work with and get what they recommend seeing as they are the ones that will be working and tuning your setup.
Pure race cars, 4500$ minimum for competive shocks, regardless of the manufacturer!! Qualtiy parts are expensive to buy, make, and design! Since they are expensive, there is never a lot of volume, so the price stays quite high!
-mark
I would talk with the shop you work with and get what they recommend seeing as they are the ones that will be working and tuning your setup.
Pure race cars, 4500$ minimum for competive shocks, regardless of the manufacturer!! Qualtiy parts are expensive to buy, make, and design! Since they are expensive, there is never a lot of volume, so the price stays quite high!
-mark
Jul 31, 2007, 02:09 AM
#33
people shouldn't buy stuff just because someone say it's the best, buy something that fit your budget or driving style. If you going to do a lot of road racing, you want to buy a set of coilovers that you can get support on. on my evo i have the Robispec clubsport and so far i have been beating every car in my class against evos with DMS and moton. Even my friend have the 50mm DMS, i let him drove my evo and he was impressed. I have also driven evo with DMS . I would go with DMS over the KW any day, but big problem is that you cant' really get any local support for them. In any great suspension, you need the right setup and support.
Last edited by vboy425; Oct 5, 2007 at 07:08 AM.
Sep 20, 2007, 12:09 AM
#40
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This is just my opinion so take it for what its worth.
As stated, who sets it up is more important than what you use...
That said, levels of performance and price are fairly linear, and unfortunately there's no such thing as a free lunch in the shock world. You get what you pay for, but in certain instances you can get moderately priced hardware from a guy like Robi who knows what he is doing, and end up with a car that performs almost as well as the big dollar stuff in most situations...
Level 1
Penske.
$7k.
the best. Some shop in TX makes super tough steel bodies for Penske internals. I forget the shop but its easy to find...email Penske. Standard in IRL/Indy/WorldChallenge, if you want to win.
Level 2
Moton-JRZ-DMS-Ohlins double and triple adj.
$5-7k
All perfectly adequate for full on racing. Main differences are how adjustments work dynamically, how they are rebuilt, revalved, etc.
Level 3
KW, JIC, lower priced Ohlins
Usually single adjustable, limited to how much spring rate they can handle, possible issues with shock fade in heavily sprung race cars. I've used shocks at this level in other cars where they worked great, then use the same product in an Evo and it falls apart. Evos are heavy, and really tax shocks a lot more than an Integra or Miata. If you are buying shocks at this level for serious track work, it is imperative that you do your research, or consult with someone with a solid track record of making the stuff work.
Level 4
Less than $2k...you know the brands
At this level its a crap shoot. These products may work well on the street, but its tough to find a set of $1k coil overs that are any better than ohlins shocks and lowering springs. The only people I hear pushing <$2k coilovers for track use are the guys selling them. I bought a set of $1800 coilovers for my Evo that were fine for the street, but fell apart (not literally) on the track.
As stated, who sets it up is more important than what you use...
That said, levels of performance and price are fairly linear, and unfortunately there's no such thing as a free lunch in the shock world. You get what you pay for, but in certain instances you can get moderately priced hardware from a guy like Robi who knows what he is doing, and end up with a car that performs almost as well as the big dollar stuff in most situations...
Level 1
Penske.
$7k.
the best. Some shop in TX makes super tough steel bodies for Penske internals. I forget the shop but its easy to find...email Penske. Standard in IRL/Indy/WorldChallenge, if you want to win.
Level 2
Moton-JRZ-DMS-Ohlins double and triple adj.
$5-7k
All perfectly adequate for full on racing. Main differences are how adjustments work dynamically, how they are rebuilt, revalved, etc.
Level 3
KW, JIC, lower priced Ohlins
Usually single adjustable, limited to how much spring rate they can handle, possible issues with shock fade in heavily sprung race cars. I've used shocks at this level in other cars where they worked great, then use the same product in an Evo and it falls apart. Evos are heavy, and really tax shocks a lot more than an Integra or Miata. If you are buying shocks at this level for serious track work, it is imperative that you do your research, or consult with someone with a solid track record of making the stuff work.
Level 4
Less than $2k...you know the brands
At this level its a crap shoot. These products may work well on the street, but its tough to find a set of $1k coil overs that are any better than ohlins shocks and lowering springs. The only people I hear pushing <$2k coilovers for track use are the guys selling them. I bought a set of $1800 coilovers for my Evo that were fine for the street, but fell apart (not literally) on the track.
Sep 20, 2007, 06:24 PM
#41
I'd be interested to see how you split up these "levels". Do you have experience with Evo applications with each brand listed? What puts the Penske triple adjustable on a higher level than the Moton or JRZ triple adjustable?
Sep 21, 2007, 07:02 AM
#42
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I think Penske, JRZ and Moton are very close to the same level. Ultimately the Penske's are more $ because they are made here. Ultimately any of the 3 are superb if you have the $ to tune them to your car and driving manner.
Sep 21, 2007, 12:19 PM
#44
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The 'levels' are quite arbitrary and basically represent levels of performance on the track. I've raced against all the brands I mentioned, and driven cars with everything except JRZ and Penske. I'm not sponsored by a shock company, so what I say is purely based on observation over 10 years of racing.
When the stopwatch comes out, the differences are very apparent. While quality vs. performance can vary to some degree, there are definitely no $1200 shocks that perform 'just as well' as the big dollar stuff.
When the stopwatch comes out, the differences are very apparent. While quality vs. performance can vary to some degree, there are definitely no $1200 shocks that perform 'just as well' as the big dollar stuff.
