Coilover Dilemma!

[sillieidiot]

Speaking of Swift springs, other than durability, what performance differences are there between the swift springs and regular bc racing springs?

weight. they use less coils to get the same in/lbs vs. other coils. Even when comparing with Hyperco (also another good spring), they are a tad lighter. They also have more travel given the same rates. The main thing with Hyperco/Swift is quality control. The rates are very accurate compared to way cheaper springs.

[sillieidiot]

It's funny you ask as I'm currently researching the very same thing. I just some BC Racing coilovers and I'm looking at the Swift springs. From what I've read so far they provide better overall ride from their increased dampening capabilities. Plus they do not corrode as easily as the stock springs.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=778203

In that example the guy goes from 12k to 10k. That change alone will change the characteristics of the car for any spring. It does have a more usable stroke to bind, so if he (or you) had that problem because you're too low than the swift springs are a good match.

I don't normally even recommend BCR coils though. They have QC issues on the shocks themselves. I've had a few order come to my house for customers and it would arrive broken, or the welds were bad (where the endlinks mount). I suggest you really scrutinize over them if you are going to get them for safety.

[Vas]

Look into fortune auto coilovers.

[WOLFN8TR]

In that example the guy goes from 12k to 10k. That change alone will change the characteristics of the car for any spring. It does have a more usable stroke to bind, so if he (or you) had that problem because you're too low than the swift springs are a good match.

I don't normally even recommend BCR coils though. They have QC issues on the shocks themselves. I've had a few order come to my house for customers and it would arrive broken, or the welds were bad (where the endlinks mount). I suggest you really scrutinize over them if you are going to get them for safety.

Noted...Thanks Heiu!

[ef_michael]

In that example the guy goes from 12k to 10k. That change alone will change the characteristics of the car for any spring. It does have a more usable stroke to bind, so if he (or you) had that problem because you're too low than the swift springs are a good match.

I don't normally even recommend BCR coils though. They have QC issues on the shocks themselves. I've had a few order come to my house for customers and it would arrive broken, or the welds were bad (where the endlinks mount). I suggest you really scrutinize over them if you are going to get them for safety.

Yeah I understand that from a quality standpoint, they aren't the best coils to go with. But in my case, I need a set that won't break my wallet and still have decent quality which it seems the bcr coils seem to have according to reviews.

It looks like people go with the 8k/12k combination. If I'm going to be using Swift springs, should I go with that same spring rate? Should my choice be modified?

[slater]

I'm from Toronto!

you're welcome to check out my car next time i'm in the city. i live 2.5hrs east of toronto, but am in 1-2 times a month.

[sillieidiot]

Yeah I understand that from a quality standpoint, they aren't the best coils to go with. But in my case, I need a set that won't break my wallet and still have decent quality which it seems the bcr coils seem to have according to reviews.

It looks like people go with the 8k/12k combination. If I'm going to be using Swift springs, should I go with that same spring rate? Should my choice be modified?

Yeah decent quality to me is like KWs lol But that's just me. I mean after getting those broken shocks replaced and installed on my customers cars, they seem ok. Of course I couldn't go and push the car around like I would my car. But I could see it being perfectly fine just for normal driving and stuff. But again, just make sure you really look them over for safety. They seem to have pretty good CS. Contacted them, and they just sent a new one asap.

There are a lot of factors that go into making that decision tbh. Things like your current suspension, wheels, the roads around, etc. Also how you're going to drive the car. A lot of people tend to choose stiffer spring rates thinking it's better to be stiff when going low, but that's not what you really want. If it's too stiff, you end up losing traction. I think 8k/10k would be a safe setup for the street. It's pretty forgiving. That's what I'm currently running, after having Hyperco 550f/650r in/lbs springs (~ 10k/12k Swift springs). I think the 12k would work better on the heavier M3 than it does our cars. Besides, the great thing about having coils is that you could just swap it out to a different rate if you think it's not what you want later.

[Jconlin16]

In that example the guy goes from 12k to 10k. That change alone will change the characteristics of the car for any spring. It does have a more usable stroke to bind, so if he (or you) had that problem because you're too low than the swift springs are a good match.

I don't normally even recommend BCR coils though. They have QC issues on the shocks themselves. I've had a few order come to my house for customers and it would arrive broken, or the welds were bad (where the endlinks mount). I suggest you really scrutinize over them if you are going to get them for safety.

Yep, the reason why I changed from 12k to 10k rates was because I felt that 12k was a bit too stiff for daily driving in my area. I did stick with the 8k up front and I could definitely feel a noticeable difference between the stock BC's and the swifts. Even with lower spring rates in the rear, the car still corners just as well

[ef_michael]

Yeah decent quality to me is like KWs lol But that's just me. I mean after getting those broken shocks replaced and installed on my customers cars, they seem ok. Of course I couldn't go and push the car around like I would my car. But I could see it being perfectly fine just for normal driving and stuff. But again, just make sure you really look them over for safety. They seem to have pretty good CS. Contacted them, and they just sent a new one asap.

There are a lot of factors that go into making that decision tbh. Things like your current suspension, wheels, the roads around, etc. Also how you're going to drive the car. A lot of people tend to choose stiffer spring rates thinking it's better to be stiff when going low, but that's not what you really want. If it's too stiff, you end up losing traction. I think 8k/10k would be a safe setup for the street. It's pretty forgiving. That's what I'm currently running, after having Hyperco 550f/650r in/lbs springs (~ 10k/12k Swift springs). I think the 12k would work better on the heavier M3 than it does our cars. Besides, the great thing about having coils is that you could just swap it out to a different rate if you think it's not what you want later.

Yeah you're right. That's why im so unsure about spring rates lol. I'm definitely going to go with Swift springs. In terms of wheels etc, I'm going to be on 19s and I plan to just close wheel gap; at lowest, I'd tuck a little bit of tire. In terms of roads in my area, they aren't terrible but they aren't the greatest. And if this is something else I should consider when choosing spring rates I I'll occasionally have two passengers in the back. Still go with 10k rear or 12k?

[sillieidiot]

Yeah you're right. That's why im so unsure about spring rates lol. I'm definitely going to go with Swift springs. In terms of wheels etc, I'm going to be on 19s and I plan to just close wheel gap; at lowest, I'd tuck a little bit of tire. In terms of roads in my area, they aren't terrible but they aren't the greatest. And if this is something else I should consider when choosing spring rates I I'll occasionally have two passengers in the back. Still go with 10k rear or 12k?

Lol no worries, I was in the same boat. You could only go so much through recommendations since everyone has different setups and stuff that messes with everything.

With 19s, it's going to be a rougher ride already depending on the tires. Most likely it'll be some lower profile ones since normal profile tires look weird with 19s. I would stick with 8k/10k if the roads are just decent. i think 12k+ is like for smooth roads tbh. At least with my experience, it's great in smooth areas. But jumps around and slides a little when it's not. You can do the rest of the adjustment with the shocks. I think BCR has something like 32 clicks or something. Even though most of them don't do anything. It's like every 5 clicks you feel a difference. Basically the same as my ASTs which only has 12 clicks.