Sarcastik

I've had an '09 G37S Sedan for about 4 months and I'm overwhelmed by how many different brands of coils are out there powertrix, megan, tein, d2 racing, bc racing, tanabe, etc....I've read the boards and I still feel like ive hit a dead end.

I'm going for looks over the sporting aspect and I want to lower it enough to remove the wheel gap or maybe even lower if it doesn't get to be too much of an annoyance. I use the car for commuting and I live in a city urban area where the roads are pretty good and I'm in the bay where I don't have to deal with snow or overly harsh weather. I've also heard horror stories about how "sporty" coils sacrifice ride comfort which I don't mind, but I don't want to regret it later if its more than I expect...

So, can someone help me factor in these driving habits and give me some advice on the coils i might be looking for? I want to order something this week so any advice you could offer up would be a life saver. Thanks.

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

I'm very happy w/ my Megans, good damping adjustment and do have a nice machined look w/ good fit & finish. I have mine set at 10 on the 1-32 range w/ 32 being the firmest, perfect setting for daily driving. Very simple to install & easy to adjust the height and damping. The pillow-ball mounts make it very easy to install (since you won't have to remove your strut springs from your struts and use the oem mount plate). The only con IMO would be if you want to go for a mild drop. The Megans (at least for the sedans) drop the rear quite a bit, even on the highest setting. I'm set at 26 1/4" to my fender lips on all 4 corners, but the fronts can go higher than stock all the way down to completely slammed. My back coils are set about 1/2" from the highest point and like I said I'm still at 26 1/4", you could raise it to maybe a 1/2" gap (I'm at zero gap right now), and of course you can lower it all the way so the tires would be welded to the fender wells, lol. Sounds like you want something a bit more than a mild drop and these should work well from what you said you were looking for. I think the pics in my Garage have some to show the stance w/ the Megans, if not shoot me a PM and I can get you some. I was a bit lower on my springs and was able to get the height & ride much more to my liking w/ these coilovers, so I'm very happy w/ this purchase. I've also got SPC F&R camber arms and rear toe bolt kit, you'll need those w/ these coils for sure.
Vendor FBParts on this site & g35Driver is where I got mine, took about 3 business days and had the best price by about $40.

Sarcastik

Thanks for the response, you actually answered my next question because I wasn't sure if it would require camber arms or not. I took a look at your car and your drop is pretty much exactly where I would like to be. You mentioned your is a daily driver so I'm just curious on how how much of an annoyance being that low is and how often you bottom out or just have to avoid certain situations all together. Thanks again.

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

As a DD it's not as bad as it was on the springs, since the coilovers have full shock travel compared to the restricted travel w/ springs you get a better quality ride, the jarring feel over bumps is greatly reduced now. Being on a lower drop you do have to be aware of steep driveways, high speed bumps, etc. It becomes second nature pretty quick, and I'm not as low as I was on springs so it's real easy getting around now
You may get by without camber arms if you have it set to the highest rear point, but they're great to have since you'll have the flexibility and range of adjustments to put them wherever you want

zokissima

I just got a set of Tein basic coilovers for mine, but they will not be installed until the spring, so I cannot comment on ride quality. However, Tein, being a trusted and long lived name in the industry would be a good starting point IMO.

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

Tein makes quality products, the damping on the basics isn't adjustable though so that was one of the reasons I went w/ the Megans.

surfwagon

iTrader: (1)

The Powertrix coils are pretty impressive. You can set them up either to have a Cadillac smooth ride or can dial them in for a very aggressive ride. The quality is fantastic. This might help to narrow things down for you. Megan coils are literally BC coils. They are the same manufacturer. And Powertrix coils are the same manufacturer as Stance coils. I literally could not be any happier with the setup. Call Charles the owner. He's a wealth of knowledge and probably one of the nicest guys you'll meet. http://www.powertrix.com/Z34suspension.htm

Sarcastik

Thanks for all the responses, lots of good info here, but I still just enough info to push me into another dead end...lol.

surfwagon

iTrader: (1)

Call Charles. This will help answer your questions and will help you with your decision.

Fentress24

iTrader: (3)

I am on Tanabe and happy with my coils. They give you a stockish ride, but the damping is not adjustable. Height is adjustable just like any of the others you are thinking about. As far as front and rear camber arms go. I was down to 25" on all 4 corners at one point. Pretty low, but not slammed by any means and my alignment guy was able to get the front back into factory specs without front camber arms and the toe bolt. I do have the rear camber arms on. I know quite a few guys who are just running the rear camber arms without the toe bolt (because its a pain in the *** to install) with no problems at all.

blnewt

iTrader: (13)

From the info that I've come across the $1000 & under coilovers are pretty comparable in ride quality and features. There's quite a few members here w/ plenty of seat time that own the Tein, Tanabe, Megan coils and most have good things to say about all of them. Seems every model has a quirk or two if you read enough reviews but for the money I don't think any of them are a bad choice for a daily driver that sees some aggressive track-type driving on occasion. IMO having the adjustable damping is a prime consideration though since there is a huge difference from the softest to the firmest setting and everyone has different preferences in this area. If I had to do it all over again I'd get the megans but that in no way means I wouldn't consider the other coils w/ the same features. Great to have so many choices in the $1k or less range, it's a win for all of us

cl335

I'm in the same boat.

J2S2M

iTrader: (22)

You need to first pick a budget for us to recommend a set of coilovers. They vary greatly in price ranging anywhere from 750ish to few thousands. W/o any detailed info, I'd personally recommend the Tanabe's since they're cheap and gets the job done (no damping adjustment) for a daily driver.

I'd much rather have quality set of JDM coilovers w/o damping adjustment than some china-made coilovers with 30+ damping adjustments that will crap out on you later. I'd personally NEVER cheap out on suspension and tires for my cars. They're the last thing separating you from the road.

Just my .02

surfwagon

iTrader: (1)

Powertrix is Korean made. I said before its the exact same coil as Stance. Powertrix has been around longer than Stance. They are very well respected in the 300ZX platform. They are 15 way adjustable. I've owned KW coilovers in the past and I'm honestly happier with the Powertrix.

cl335

Im looking to spend about 1500$ on coils, what would be the best bang for the buck?