Worth while investing in coilovers before I get a cert?

[Mr-Paulio]

The stock setup will probably not be best for track use but ask yourself this. Are you chasing down laps times and fully converting your car to a track racer and using it for something like World Time Attack?
You can get adjustable dampers that don't need a cert and the TRD springs would be quite good however is the V6 heavier than the 4AGE? The rates for the TRD springs might not be good for it.

However now is the time to do this mod and if you can afford the cost of coilvers then do it. MRP or (Fortune Auto which you can get from MRP) or BC golds. There are others around but those are just the more well known names, not necessarily the best either.

Exactly what I have been battling with in my head. I guess the hardest part is I have no experience with coilovers. But just feel like I might want/need them in the future?

[Mr-Paulio]

Okay, so it's probably going to happen now I guess. What lower spring rates would you advise for mostly road use. But also track. 6 front and 8 rear?

Also, MRP or BC Gold??

Add your 2 cents below!

[GDII]

MRP but only based off others comments on how good they are for road use and the fact that they are NZ developed and Barry and his guys are awesome. Plus you are buying from a local supplier and can get any issues sorted. He might have recommendations on spring rates for your car with the different engine. No idea on weight differences between the two.

But my opinion might be biased even though I have never experienced a set myself in an AW11. They come with 4kg and 6kg springs as the AW11 is a light car it doesn't need stiffer and if you are using it on the road more stiffer might be bad. But once you own a set you can change springs easy and adjust the dampers to suit or get them upgraded if that doesn't quite work.

[*84vvt]

This is from a post I made in 2011 might be the soft springs I had on the modded standard tubes

I'm running 125lb/in is 2.2kg/mm front and 225lb/in is 4kg/mm rear on mine
for street and the odd track day they work well
corners flat with little body roll.
(corrected Math on spring rates Thank Malcolm)

[*84vvt]

Some coil over pictures that Iv had on my Aw11

[Malcolm]

I'm running 125 lbs 56.699 Kg front and 225lbs 120.o6 Kg rear on mine

I think you've converted the rates in lbs/inch into kg/inch there! When people refer to spring rates in "kg" the correct unit is "kg/mm". I don't know why people think it's acceptable to drop the "/inch" or "/mm" off spring rate units.

Anyway, 125lb/in is 2.2kg/mm and 225lb/in is 4kg/mm.

As for the original question, I've always been wary of the idea of using aftermarket coilovers as the dampers used in them are typically super basic and don't have a high-speed blowoff circuit (which AFAIK even factory dampers have). To simplify the explanation of why this is bad; low speed damping affects behaviour due to dynamic chassis movements (e.g. roll in a corner, pitch under accel/braking) and if you have stiff springs you typically want this damping to be quite strong. High speed damping affects behaviour when you hit bumps, and regardless of what your car is set up for, you usually want this to be as soft as possible. To achieve this dampers usually have effectively a blowoff circuit that releases pressure when it gets too high (when you hit a bump), therefore softening the impact. If you don't have this circuit in the dampers, and you have stiff dampers to cope with your stiff springs, they end up being extremely stiff when they hit a bump which is pretty much useless unless for most roads and TBH most tracks. And when I say useless, I don't mean that they're just a bit uncomfortable; this stiffness in bump is terrible for grip too.

As far as I know, Fortune Auto are one of the few semi-affordable manufacturers that make dampers with a high speed circuit (aka "digressive valving"), and so one of the few I'd consider for a street car.

[GDII]

I think you've converted the rates in lbs/inch into kg/inch there! When people refer to spring rates in "kg" the correct unit is "kg/mm". I don't know why people think it's acceptable to drop the "/inch" or "/mm" off spring rate units.

Anyway, 125lb/in is 2.2kg/mm and 225lb/in is 4kg/mm.

As for the original question, I've always been wary of the idea of using aftermarket coilovers as the dampers used in them are typically super basic and don't have a high-speed blowoff circuit (which AFAIK even factory dampers have). To simplify the explanation of why this is bad; low speed damping affects behaviour due to dynamic chassis movements (e.g. roll in a corner, pitch under accel/braking) and if you have stiff springs you typically want this damping to be quite strong. High speed damping affects behaviour when you hit bumps, and regardless of what your car is set up for, you usually want this to be as soft as possible. To achieve this dampers usually have effectively a blowoff circuit that releases pressure when it gets too high (when you hit a bump), therefore softening the impact. If you don't have this circuit in the dampers, and you have stiff dampers to cope with your stiff springs, they end up being extremely stiff when they hit a bump which is pretty much useless unless for most roads and TBH most tracks. And when I say useless, I don't mean that they're just a bit uncomfortable; this stiffness in bump is terrible for grip too.

As far as I know, Fortune Auto are one of the few semi-affordable manufacturers that make dampers with a high speed circuit (aka "digressive valving"), and so one of the few I'd consider for a street car.

I had no idea about this valving system. A good read Malcolm. Fortune Auto do sound like a good brand to go for for both the AW11 and SW20 as the pricing isn't too much higher than the other brands people use like BC or D2. Some people say the SW20 coilover is more comfortable than the factory setup and this is their lowest spec suspension they offer.

And Colin, you springs seem very soft for a coilover not that it's a bad thing. The ride I found to be quite good as a passenger.

To be even more accurate it's kgf/mm which if people don't know it is how much weight/force you need to put on the spring to compress it 1mm. A 5kgf/mm spring requires 5kg of static weight to compress it 1mm or 10kg to compress it 2mm.

[*84vvt]

Thanks Malcolm
My math sadly lets me down some times
then again I didn't have the lb/in in the equation so totally wrong answer.
To be honest the car rode much nicer with the standard shocks as per photos than it does now
even handled better.
The BCs just don't have the travel and it is easy to pick up the inside wheel.
Will put the softer springs on and see if the ride softens out a little.
maybe one day I will get a better shock for the car.

[85AW20v]

What swaybars are you running Colin as if they're too stiff they'll definitely help to pick up the front wheel. I've got coilovers in the racecar but I have no idea how they would feel on the open road. Mine are 200lb fronts and 350lb on the rear but a linear rate.

When I got them, the guys at George Stocks said that Targa people were getting progressive springs to help make the cars feel better on the open road at normal speeds and on small bumps then the harder rates worked when loading the suspension during a stage. Maybe that's something that could be investigated.

[MR2GUY]

+1 for Fortune Auto, have only heard great things about them.
Barry Manon (MRP) suggests I eventually get rid of the BC golds in my AE92 in favour for the Fortune Autos, describing the BCs as "average." After all BCs are Taiwanese like alot of coilover manufacturers and Fortune Auto are american made and all tested in house with a test sheet supplied.

but hey if you do upgrade and you want to sell on the TRDs let me know

[GDII]

+1 for Fortune Auto, have only heard great things about them.
Barry Manon (MRP) suggests I eventually get rid of the BC golds in my AE92 in favour for the Fortune Autos, describing the BCs as "average." After all BCs are Taiwanese like alot of coilover manufacturers and Fortune Auto are american made and all tested in house with a test sheet supplied.

but hey if you do upgrade and you want to sell on the TRDs let me know

I'm not quite sure that Fortune Auto are all American made but happy to be proven wrong. They do service them in America. I'd still buy them eitherway.

[Mr-Paulio]

Well, so this happened!

Thanks for all your help and Input guys. I'll let you know how I find them when I install them after this weekends run!!
P.S. I'll still be keeping the std suspension and TRD springs. (Because I like to hoard ADub parts)

[GDII]

Well done. Good choice.

Haha join the hoarding club, especially the TRD hoarding part of it.

[Troyhaima]

. ausome. welcome to the club.

[Mike n Rochelle]

Are your brakes up to the task? Worth thinking about before cert.