Shoutout to the guy who told me to stop using cheap coilovers on my daily

Last summer I threw some $400 coilovers on my Civic and spent every weekend chasing clunks and weird camber. A guy at a local meet in Austin pointed out the spring rates were all wrong for the street, not the track. Two months later I swapped to some basic Koni shocks with stock springs and the car actually rides smooth now. Anybody else learn the hard way that budget suspension parts just aren't worth the headache?

2 comments

2 Comments

benbrown20d ago

Swapped some $300 coilovers onto my old Miata and learned the same lesson in about three days. The ride was so stiff it shook my fillings loose on the highway. A buddy finally explained that cheap coilovers just use whatever spring rates they have lying around, nothing matches the car's actual weight distribution. Once I put on some basic adjustable shocks with proper spring rates for the street, it handled better and didn't beat me up. The whole "cheap coilover" thing is a trap for people who think they're saving money but end up spending more time fixing problems than driving. People don't realize that a stiff ride isn't the same as good handling.

emery_hall20d ago

Are 300 dollar coilovers ever actually worth it... like does anyone have a good experience with them or is it all just a lesson waiting to happen?