Diseasicon

I'm looking into putting a set of coilovers on my 06 Evo IX. I will be doing the install myself, so labor price is not a concern. I'm looking for something that is comfortable enough for daily driving, with decent track performance if adjustments are made. I'm more concerned about quality than price. The following are the sets I'm considering, adding camber plates up front if not included in the set.

Bilstein PSS9s - I'm a huge fan of Bilsteins. Love the factory set up.
Cusco Zero 2E - Like the idea of the Cusco Econ.
H&R Street Performance Coilover - I'm a Porsche tech, and we have good luck with these on our cars. Not sure how they would do on an Evo, but I know H&R is a reputable brand.
KW Variant 3 - People seem to like these in the Evo community.

Any suggestions or experiences would be great. Just looking for peoples' thoughts and opinions on coilover kits. If you've had any good or bad experiences with anything I didn't list, please feel free to post about it.

Piro Fyre

iTrader: (23)

The guys that daily drive their car and want comfort usually get the Ohlin DFVs. Price is pretty high though, at $3500 for the set.

boostedtres

iTrader: (4)

ohlins are great if you have the money. anything robi set up will be good as well, some with race comp. kw3's for example need adjusting as they generally run higher rates in the front vs rear which is not ideal for evos.

H&R suited me well when i had my audi, but no experience with evos. definitely a quality brand with good customer support.

TONS of threads on the subject, give it a search and see what you can come up with. gl with you decision

Boostevo58

iTrader: (3)

I have robi spec springs and love them.

fightex

iTrader: (15)

finally, someone who has done their research and not ask about Taiwanese rainbow coilovers

what is your current setup? and what kind of track driving will be you be doing? if its just lapping days, i'm sure a set of quality springs + Bilstein HDs + swaybars will suffice. if adjustability is what you're after then -

PSS9: if your primary concern is comfort then definitely look into Bilstein PSS9s, which is basically a slightly more aggressive adjustable MR Bilsteins + quality lowering spring setup. the only downside i've ever read about is that they're a touch soft at the track (you can't expect much when they're only 8k/8k)

H&R: i've never tried H&R but like you say, it's a reputable brand and as a result, i've never read bad reviews about them.

Cusco: my last experience with Zero 2Es was on an Integra years ago so my memory is a little hazy, but i remembered them to be decent too, although i'm not sure where you can have them serviced in the USA. also, i have seen people claiming KYB stamps on the shock bodies which discredits them IMO. JDM valving just don't work well on North American roads.

KW: don't bother with OTS KWs unless they're Robispec or Clubsports if you care about performance driving, otherwise they're deserve a good look.

if you want something that gives a good ride/handling compromise and don't break the bank, i would suggest buying a set of AST 4100s for $1800, pick up some used springs (8k/10k or 10k/12k + helper springs) and reuse your OEM top hats. if you play your cards right, you'll have great setup for a little over $2k.

everyone is biased towards what they're running themselves, so look for a company that will give you feedback on setups and offer accessible servicibility.

HTH

PatricksEvilEvo

iTrader: (12)

Bilstein/Spec-R I use it and I love it

Neal@tirerack

iTrader: (25)

I have many happy customers on H&R's as well as KW's. You'll have more adjustability options with the KW if you plan to track the car more, but the H&R is built a bit more for daily driving.

Diseasicon

Thanks fightex. With your suggestions I'm now leaning towards the PSS9s. I have the factory MR suspension right now and I like it, but want something more aggressive. I'm not desperate to have the most insane track car, and again, very impressed with anything bilstein I've ever used. As you noticed, yeah, I didn't really name any cheap brands. I'm a Porsche Tech and I live by the motto, "You gotta pay to play" when it comes to performance and reliability. I am probably going to get the camber plates up front and keep the factory mounts in the back. I can deal with a little noise, but I can't deal with spending a grand a year on tires because they keep wearing out due to excessive camber.

Anyway, keep the information coming. This purchase is going to be at least a month out.

FedEvo8

I'm running the KW Clubsports and love them. It's a daily driven car M-F and gets pushed on weekends. Heck if the wife and kid don't complain, it's all good!

codgi

iTrader: (22)

I have the PSS9s and they have worked for light tracking (3->4 times a year). They are good on the street but like any coilover if you have very rough roads they are going to require maintenance from time to time. Stock rates are 8k/9k but I've been told you can get different springs/re-valve them as necessary.

Diseasicon

Can somebody answer a question for me? I really want to go with the PSS9's, most websites list them available for 03-05 only. I have an 06 MR. Is there something different about the rear shocks on an 8 vs. 9 or GSR vs. MR besides KYB/Bilstein? Is the mounting different? I've never been under an Evo other than my own, so I don't know from experience. I would just hate to spend 2500 bucks on a set of PSS9's to find that the rear assembly does not mount in my car.

If anybody has the answer to this question, or can confirm whether the PSS9 will or won't work for me, please let me know. Thanks.

llDemonll

iTrader: (21)

no, the mounting is the same for 03-07 and gsr/mr

Diseasicon

Yeah, I figured it wouldn't make any sense to have a different mounting between trim levels of the same model. I started finding better pictures around that showed the PSS9s, and the standard rear Bilstein, but couldn't find a picture showing the accurate rear KYB. Thank you for assuring me that the PSS9 will work.