[insite]

been considering coilovers for awhile now. looked at PSS9, JIC Cross, KW, H&R, D2 Racing, and KSport. i have finally decided on the KSports.

i'm posting info on how / why i arrived at my decision, what options i've chosen, what i expect, and finally, what happens when i get them.

the PSS9 seems to be the defacto standard coilover for our car. their standard spring rates are a little soft for what i do with my car. they also use metric spring ID's, which is a bit of a PITA when looking to upgrade w/ aftermarket springs (it is doable, though, without much trouble). i'm of the opinion that if they are valved for 260/370, they will be undervalved for springs in the 400/500 range. they're a reasonable bargain, but i'd have to factor in an additional $300 or so for springs and $400 or so for camber plates or GT3 lower control arms. that puts the total cost at around $2,600, which is getting a little pricey. additionally, i'd need rear toe links to correct toe / camber for lowered ride height. that's another few hundred bucks. bilstein does have a great reputation; dampers can be rebuilt in the US and revalved if the customer desires. turn around time is a few weeks. the last thing i don't really like is that height adjustmet is done w/ spring perch.

JIC Cross look great to me. they come w/ camber plates and i can choose my spring rates. additionally, their standard spring rates of 7kg / 9kg (400/500) is what i will put on my car. height adjustment is independent of the spring perch, which is nice. price is $2,600; comparable to the PSS9 total for my application.

KW look great & i hear good reviews. the thing i don't like about them is that height adjustment is done by the spring perch and total lowering for the variant 2 is only up to 1.5". when you lower the car, you are reducing total suspension travel. running really low means perhaps hitting bump stops a lot. additionally, the front spring rates are progressive, which i don't want. the rear rate is only 285lb, which is even less than pss9. these don't look to be agressive enough for my needs. $1,900 / set.

H&R have a good rep. their units are nice. the street version is ride height adjustable. the RSS version is ride height adjustable w/ stiffer springs and valving. neither have camber plates. both adjust height via the spring perch. $1,700 for the street; $1,800 for RSS. i vetoed these based on lack of adjustability, no camber plates, & spring perch height adjustment.

D2 Racing look pretty cool. they appear to be essentially JIC Cross clones with a few differences. hard to find a lot of personal testimony about them. i contacted the company for some info. they did get back to me, but ultimately did not provide the information i was looking for. their US presence is lacking. ultimately, i didn't feel comfortable with them; too big a risk.

finally there is KSport. they come with camber plates up front and rear pillow ball mounts with three camber settings. this is GREAT because it's possible to correct camber / toe for lower ride height. this means no need for rear toe links. they are available with any spring rate the customer wants. the KSports come w/ infinitely adjustable damping (compression / rebound adjust with one dial). ride height adjustment is independent of spring perch, so full suspension travel is maintained even at lower ride heights. they appear to be JIC clones. they are servicable in the US (arizona); rebuilds are $100 per corner with a turnaround time of about two days.

they have received a lot of mixed reviews and some customer complaints. people tended to love the performance, but some people said they didn't fit the car or that the seals blew prematurely. one thing i realized very quickly is that a lot of people didn't install them or adjust them properly. one guy bought them for his 996 and said they were too long. he clearly didn't understand that total length is adjustable. others have used the spring perch to lower the cars to the point where there was no real travel left in the damper. this caused the shocks to bottom out, leading to an untimely demise.

another thing i found out: two years ago, the company was bought out. they admit to LOTS of problems with their early units. new ownership has taken the company through TuV approval and ISO 9001 certification; this is good stuff. i contacted the company on multiple occasions. response times were quick and information satisfactory. i requested shock dyno plots for my dampers; they communicated to me that they would provide them with my shocks.

ultimately, the JIC are what i would choose IF the Ksports weren't so damned cheap! they're $1,000 SHIPPED with dyno plots and springs of my choosing. considering the headway they've made in the last couple of years AND the fact that they will service them quickly and cheaply in the US, i'm willing to take the risk.

as for spring rates? my car is street / track, so it has to be livable on public roads. i don't mind a stiff ride, but i don't want it to be jarring. the boxster spec racing guys use 450 / 500. my thought was that there would be a bit of understeer inherent to these choices. this was confirmed by a guy on a BSR board who lowered his front rate to 400 & promptly knocked half a second off his lap time. i went w/ 400/500 (7kg/9kg). this, incidentally, is the standard JIC choice for our cars.

i should have these in a couple of weeks. when i do, i'll post install photos, setup notes, and initial street driving impressions. in early september, i'll be at the race track and will post track results & lap time changes. cheers.

Kevin