Experience with D2 or G4 Coilovers?

[freddo__1]

Just thinking about suspension upgrades for my ae86... has anybody had any experience with the D2 or G4 brand Coilovers? They look like pretty good value for money, although looks can often be decieving!

Anything else people can recommend for around the same amount of coins?
($1400 for 4 corners)

[mullett]

I've got a feeling you'd almost be better off with Munroe shocks and cut springs...Maybe TEIN coilovers? They're in the same kinda price range, but I think the quality is a little better. But to be honest, save for something nice Or, for the same budget, you should be able to get some nice Eibach springs and Koni externally adjustables, a much better proposition...

RM.

[Bored?]

I've got a feeling you'd almost be better off with Munroe shocks and cut springs...

In other words you have no idea, and think that cheap(er) == bad. I think this question deserves more useful responses.

[boris]

I have been researching suspension options for my supra for a little while now, and have been considering some form of these cheaper option coilovers. From my research there are a few different brands to be on the lookout for all with varying levels of reliablility and performance.

I have only heard and read good things about HSD coilovers. Blokes have had them in there cars for over 16 months with no problems at all. Site sponsor Otomoto sell them!

Another brand I have stumbled upon is ISC coilvers. Once again these are used some of the aus drifters and I have heard nothing but praise.

As for the D2 or G4 or whatever they are I have read that these are possibly the worst of the bunch as a few people have had problems with them.

So just a summary of what I have read on a stack of auto forums.

[hamgatan]

yeah ive heard nothing but bad about D2 as well... steer clear is my opinion. They're nopt worth the price if you ask me.. I looked at these as an option back when i had my A70.. but i purged the thought after a fair bit of research and went and bought secondhand Cusco's and had them rebuilt. Much better option..

HSD to be honest i haven't exactly heard good things about either.. I know a lot of the S13 boys have had some issues with them.. but then again they could just be pretentious nissan wankers that expect their car to drift because it does on Initial D and if it doesn't then they blame their tools rather than their lack of skill.

[Lachie]

I have been researching suspension options for my supra for a little while now, and have been considering some form of these cheaper option coilovers. From my research there are a few different brands to be on the lookout for all with varying levels of reliablility and performance.

I have only heard and read good things about HSD coilovers. Blokes have had them in there cars for over 16 months with no problems at all. Site sponsor Otomoto sell them!

Another brand I have stumbled upon is ISC coilvers. Once again these are used some of the aus drifters and I have heard nothing but praise.

As for the D2 or G4 or whatever they are I have read that these are possibly the worst of the bunch as a few people have had problems with them.

So just a summary of what I have read on a stack of auto forums.

I did a bit of research coilovers for my rolla last year and I would agree with mullet that a set of Koni's and eibach sprins would be the best option for your price range. Or even KYB's with new bushes and sway bars would probably be your best option (thats tha road I'm going down)

I've heard some bad things about these coil-overs too. I've even heard of them not fitting cars they were designed for!

Look at the cost of a decent set of coil-overs from a reputable brand (i.e. DMS) with a 40mm shock (like the D2 claim from memory) and you'll find there about 4 grand. How do the cheaper companies do it so much cheaper?

People that I spoke to told me that a lot of cheaper shocks have a 40mm shock housing, so people think that they have a 40mm piston. Really they have a case around the real shock to make it look bigger but they have a piston thats smaller inside.

[MR22ZZ]

I've got G4 coilovers in my car at the moment. Summary is they are OK for the price but you want to hope in hell you live in Sydney close to Kirrawee if you have them. As far as the Tein coilovers go... they are just as bad...

here's an early thread on them http://www.toymods.net/forums/showthread.php?t=8255

I have had both front shocks die on me after 2 months but were replaced by Just Jap under warranty. They have been going strong since then for close to 5 months. They told me there was a bad bunch of inserts that came out of the factory that have shown a 30% fail rate and my car was the 1st car where they have ever seen 2 of them go. I've been extremely impressed with Just Jap's after sales support, I've had to go back there 4 times (once for each front strut and a couple of times to replace the bolts on the camber tops as they have a tendency to snap, I now keep several spares) they know me and my car fairly well now.

The car does see the track and I'm sure that's what put the added stress through the shocks, but the guys at Just Jap said it shouldn't be that bad as many of their customers do the same. I drive the car on some fairly bumpy roads though and have never had a problem since I changed the strut inserts from the original ones.

One problem I do have if a lot of noise that comes from the front of the car that seems to come from the bearings and bushes in the pillow tops. I've rebuilt them several times and greased and oiled them even more and the noises keep coming back fairly quickly. This is common with most people I know with D2 or G4 coilovers and I have even heard of several sets of CUSCO Zero 2 coilovers having this issue. I just think it's from the stress that the pillow mount bearings are put under.

[tooch]

From NS.com





Apparently that's not the only time it's happened...

[ViPeR_NiPPleX]

surely that wasn't just from normal driving, must've been hit or hit something.

[tooch]

surely that wasn't just from normal driving, must've been hit or hit something.

Looks like it was on a track. But if you look at the wheel, it's not broken or bent, so doesn't look like it was a massive impact if that's what happened

[deviant]

I was about to put those pics up...Apparently that happened on a drift day and just broke of its own accord..

In my opinion a set of 4 coilovers costing < $1500 can not be good.....where is the margin in that for any sort of research or development?

I have read bad things about all of the cheapo coilovers...

The damping adjustment does SFA to the damping....all it does is make nice clicking noises when you turn it
The spring rates are all wrong not only for the car but they dont match the valving used in the shock
They are always horribly stiff
I have read of one persons experience in a Silvia with cheapo coilovers fitted where even at low speeds the car was skipping across the road and once speeds got higher it would follow any change in camber in the road and would buck and bounce all over the place if things got bumpy..

[Mr Ed]

Note to self: Dont buy those coilovers!!!

Are those the G4?? (Purple ones)

[RONA]

Looks like it was on a track. But if you look at the wheel, it's not broken or bent, so doesn't look like it was a massive impact if that's what happened

Pretty sure an S13 had a similar failure at Oran Park last year with G4 Coilovers, he was very lucky no other damage occured ie not lose control and put the car into the wall.

HSD coilovers have gone the distance with Darren Appleton's abuse with drifting.

That said for an AE86, why not go for a DYI kit, find a mate that can weld, buy koni kit, choose a quality insert and bobs your uncle

[hamgatan]

no theyre D2's

[tooch]

Pretty sure an S13 had a similar failure at Oran Park last year with G4 Coilovers, he was very lucky no other damage occured ie not lose control and put the car into the wall.

HSD coilovers have gone the distance with Darren Appleton's abuse with drifting.

That said for an AE86, why not go for a DYI kit, find a mate that can weld, buy koni kit, choose a quality insert and bobs your uncle

Yeah I've heard of it happening several times

The whole thing is, you pay $1500ish for these things, for an extra couple of hundred you can get Tein's for most cars. Tein's obviously aren't the very best of the best, but they are without a doubt better than these things, and much less likely to snap like that!

[Rex_Kelway]

It never ceases to amaze Rex that people (admittedly the younger more impressionable types) will instantly put shiny, drifty things over fundamental principles.

What Rex is getting at is this...

You can buy damper cartriges from a great many of the truly proven performance manufacturers. IE KYB, Koni, Bilstein Tokico etc etc. All of these have a proven track record in PROPER gruelling top level motorsport.

You can also buy rate tested and professionally manufactured springs from just as many manufacturers.

You can even purchase top-shelf adjustable perch kits.


Combine these and Rex will bet His life on the fact they will outlast and out-perform ANY of the chinese 'one size fits all' range of coilovers.

Have you not noticed that most of these new units look the same aside from the color scheme? It is more than likely they are all made in the same factory and same specs but to a wholesale buyers specified colors.

He has heard many many things about D2 being huge in Europe and DTM cars use them and shit? Rex is an avid European Motorsport head and has seen nothing of the sort.

Or the fact that HSD are a 'true Japanese coilover' with many years of car manufacturers OEM supply. They are definately not Japanese, and if their OEM supply is anything remotely sporty Rex will eat a Monkey's uncle, along with its Hat.

How good can the be if after the Designer, manufaturer, trading agent, importer, transport company and reseller all get their cut and they still top out at $1400.

So what if your modified AE86 strut has a spray can paint job. It's the constituent elements that make it.

These 'one size fits all' coilovers may do the job, but for how long and how well. They sure wont match the KYB's and Bilstein's of the market.

[tooch]

He has heard many many things about D2 being huge in Europe and DTM cars use them and shit? Rex is an avid European Motorsport head and has seen nothing of the sort.

I believe one of said companies was advertising said crappy products with pictures of DTM cars, had a few people believing them too I think

[mullett]

I stand by my point. For any kind of street driving a set of budget-arse Munroe shocks and springs would be better, and likely for the track too. As far as what I'd actually recommend for someone to buy, Munroe are shit, the D2 etc are no better. (I use munroe to illustrate a point, I don't think they're any good...) As heaps of people have said, you can get a really nice set of shocks (I'm VERY happy with my Konis), and a quality set of springs, often for less than your $1400. Hell, for that, you could almost get a couple of WhiteLine swaybars to go with it. I think it might not be a bad idea to steer clear 'drifter Z uses X brand', because most drift cars are built on a tight budget, and to be honest, as skillful as it is, I think car setup is often negated. I've yet to see a compeditive racecar use china coilovers, and I think there's good reason for it. To me, a race car is a much better representation of what works and what doesn't than a drift car, because how a car handles defines if you win or loose, not how far you can hang it sideways and get on the boost. (not that I'm bagging drift drivers, some of them have some mighty skill...)

Just my 2c...but maybe don't use entry-level drifting as a benchmark...

RM.

[mc68]

you get what you pay for, honestly....

ever noticed how cars with cheapo coilovers have pretty much NO travel? yah tops

[freddo__1]

i figured they'd probably be rubbish, but you know, china is pretty good at making high quality replicas of top brand stuff for a fraction of the cost in other markets...

Anywho, as for running monroes with chopped springs... i'd rather cut off my own balls before doing that...

I run Koni yellows all round on my AW11. with whiteline control springs... the konis are good, however, i'm rather disappointed with the Whiteline springs, they're damn stiff, which provides good handling, but the back sits down way more than the front, and looks retarded.... Everybody else who rides in the car complains about how stiff they are... They're a progressive rate spring, but i think the soft bit is already compressed under the weight of the car!

I think i'll run Koni inserts in custom made struts with adjustable spring lands when i get round to it....