Author Topic: HKS Coilover info (Read 14604 times)

lil goat · « **on:** June 08, 2009, 10:00:39 AM »

I had a chance to talk to Rhys Millen and Eric from RMR about the HKS coilovers that they helped develop. Eric was a suspension tech on a road race team for many years before becoming Team manager for RMR. The HKS coilover setup for the Solstice is the first set ever designed by HKS in this country for our style of driving and roads. All previous systems were designed in Japan. We have much different roads and driving style here obviously. Eric told me a good place to start for the front setup is 11 clicks from stiffest and for the back about 12-14 from softest, or if you want a lighter backend add more stiffness with about 3 from stiffest being the setting for drifting. I am sure most of this translates to other coilovers as well. I can tell you from personal experience that out of the box the height setting of the HKS setup is very low, even lower than the Eibach springs. I raised mine and inch and I think I may come up even more. I was parked next to Dee's Coupe yesterday and it looked like a 4X4 it was so much higher. It is so easy to adjust just pop the tire off and it's a piece of cake.

lil goat · « **Reply #1 on:** June 11, 2009, 09:41:47 AM »

Last night I decided to take the advice of a Pro and adjust the dampening on my coilovers. I set them to 10 clicks back from all the way stiff, clockwise stiffer. I can tell a difference, I wasn't sure I would be able to the car comes set at 20 from stiffest. It really helped the car to not dip the nose in corners, more than I would have expected it still dips some but it is slower to dip and seems to recover faster. I am going to play with the rear settings this weekend and raise the car a little bit. These coilovers are fun.

Kelu · « **Reply #2 on:** June 11, 2009, 10:10:23 AM »

I read this carefully, I was thinking to buy Eibach lowering springs but I gave up to this idea.
My way will be for coilovers somewhere in the next months, still reading everything which is available and I read your post few times already.

Up to now from what I have seen there are some options:
HKS about $1800-$2000
KW V3 about $1800-$2000
BC Coilover cheapest $1000

Thank you for sharing the info, even you not get many replies there are many like me which are learning from the experienced owners.

Ben L · « **Reply #3 on:** June 11, 2009, 10:11:30 AM »

Interesting. Comparing notes . . . .

On the BCs, I am running 20 clicks in the rear (ten away from full stiff!) and 11 (19 away from full stiff) in the front.

Pushing is about gone, with no untoward oversteering tendencies.

Glad to know my trial and error experience agrees more or less with what a "Pro" said.

I still am resisting raising my ride height. When the Daytona Coupe is race ready, and the GXP is relegated to permanent street duty, maybe I will. Hopefully, I'll still have some air dam left. The bottom edge is getting ground pretty regularly, but not hitting anything metal. Very much.

Ben L · « **Reply #4 on:** June 11, 2009, 10:13:33 AM »

Quote from: Kelu on June 11, 2009, 10:10:23 AM

I read this carefully, I was thinking to buy Eibach lowering springs but I gave up to this idea.
My way will be for coilovers somewhere in the next months, still reading everything which is available and I read your post few times already.

Up to now from what I have seen there are some options:
HKS about $1800-$2000
KW V3 about $1800-$2000
BC Coilover cheapest $1000

Thank you for sharing the info, even you not get many replies there are many like me which are learning from the experienced owners.

Kelu -- For comparison, check out my posts on the BC Racing coilovers. . .

http://kappaperformance.com/forum/index.php?topic=1638.0

lil goat · « **Reply #5 on:** June 11, 2009, 11:12:59 AM »

The BC's look to be very similar to the HKS for less money if you can find some place that won't nail you on shipping. I got the HKS for $1250 I think from DDM, I don't remember it was 12 something.

I still have the factory setting on the rear dampers, I think it is 10 from softest. I have raised mine up and parked next to Dee's Coupe the car is still really low. If I stick a ruler in over my back tire it has to be flat, you can not get your hand in there, the top of tire is almost dead even with the fender, back is slightly higher than the front they come set up that way from HKS and that was balanced.

Eric from RMR does know the Solstice well, he setup the suspension on the Red Bull Solstice for drifting and played with the HKS's quite a bit on the Street Solstice they setup. He said the back is just what do you want it to do, want it to stick go softer, want it to break go stiffer. He liked the road race setup with the back end a little soft.

Koobie · « **Reply #6 on:** June 11, 2009, 03:26:48 PM »

Since we are on the subject of coilover settings... For those who are newbs to coilovers, everytime you adjust the height, do you have to take the car to get an alignment? I know when ever you change springs it is a huge must, but wasn't sure for coilovers!!

Ben L · « **Reply #7 on:** June 11, 2009, 04:56:01 PM »

I'd say it depends on how much you change things . . . Doesn't surprise me that changing springs (probably lowering springs; maybe differrent diameters and rates than the stockers) required a full realignment.

But coilovers are almost infinitely adjustable for height, so how dramatic the alignment changes are depends on how much you change the ride height.

For example, if I raised my current (low) front ride height not more than 1/4", I'd expect to lose some negative camber -- (or, put another way, gain positive) maybe two or three tenths of a degree. I probably would not feel a burning safety need to get it realigned, but I would slap the alignment tool on there to confirmed what happened.

For reference, before we installed the BCs, I had the stock factory camber settings, which are not terribly aggressive.

Setting the front ride height so the bottom edge of the plastic air dam is about an inch off the deck when the car is sitting on the suspension ended up giving me 2.6 degrees negative on the driver's side -- just about where we wanted it! But a little adjustment on that side and more the passenger side was definitely needed. And those changes in camber affected caster, and even toe a little.

Unless you have an alignment tool and turnplates and like playing with it (we do), I'd set your ride height at a good compromise for the street and whatever competition use you are going to make, then go get a good four wheel alignment then, and just leave it alone.

lil goat · « **Reply #8 on:** June 12, 2009, 07:05:19 AM »

I had a Z0K alignment before I put the coilovers on, I have not yet done a realignment but I am still playing with the height so I am waiting, The car handles VERY well, especially after I stiffened up the front damping, I can feel the paint strips in the road if I drive over them now. The rears are still the HKS factory setting of 10 from soft. I think I will tighten these up to about 15 as I like a looser rear, but the new Z0K sway bar should loosen things up too.

SeLFMaDE · « **Reply #9 on:** June 14, 2009, 02:39:55 AM »

Where did you buy the HKS's from?

Critterman · « **Reply #10 on:** June 14, 2009, 07:24:55 AM »

Goat and I both got the HKS from DDMworks, a vendor on this site.

lil goat · « **Reply #11 on:** June 15, 2009, 06:48:45 AM »

The HKS rock, I just raised mine another 3/8 on an inch. Try that with a set of Eibachs.

kennysabarese · « **Reply #12 on:** September 03, 2009, 02:06:15 PM »

I don't see HKS on the DDM website. They only have BG and KWv3s

Dave@DDMworks · « **Reply #13 on:** September 03, 2009, 02:25:12 PM »

We have them, just give us a call. With all of the new stuff we are getting put together over here, and moving into the new shop Ivy has not got everything up on the website. We can get them for you though. 864-907-6004

Thanks,
Dave

kwtoxman · « **Reply #14 on:** September 03, 2009, 02:50:45 PM »

I've got the KW V3's. I love the independently adjustable compression and rebound.

kennysabarese · « **Reply #15 on:** September 03, 2009, 04:26:35 PM »

Yeah looks like HKS and KWv3 are the same price now. I'm really jealous of anyone who got the HKS for 1,300ish

Wonder if anyone has some for sale

kennysabarese · « **Reply #16 on:** September 03, 2009, 04:27:05 PM »

Anyone have a set of these near NJ so I could come for a ride?

lil goat · « **Reply #17 on:** September 04, 2009, 07:42:53 AM »

Quote from: kennysabarese on September 03, 2009, 04:26:35 PM

Yeah looks like HKS and KWv3 are the same price now. I'm really jealous of anyone who got the HKS for 1,300ish

Wonder if anyone has some for sale

There was a reason I jumped on the HKS deal when Dr. Love had them at that price. It was terrible timing for me financially but something I knew I wanted to do eventually so I just did it, no regrets. It was very cool to see Rhys Millen in NJ and ask him about how to set them up as he helped develop them on the Solstice for HKS. I have them set the way his suspension tech told me to. I am not sure they are any better than the BG or BC coilovers and will admit there was a certain amount of I want them cause Rhys helped develop them in my decision. I would absolutely trust whatever Dr. Love recommends otherwise.

kennysabarese · « **Reply #18 on:** September 04, 2009, 07:50:34 AM »

I spoke with Dave yesterday and he highly recommends HKS and KW over BC or BG because of higher quality valving. I dunno what that means but I trust him.

If the HKS were 1,300 I'd get them. But since the sale is over and they are now the same price I might as well get the KW's and get the dual adjustment. I really want to be able to get more street softness when plowing straight down the highway fast. Gotta eat up the bumps and potholes like a Towncar

The additional cost would be because they take a little more time to install and you have to spend more time on corner weighting because I don't think they come preset for the car like the HKS does.

lil goat · « **Reply #19 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:10:33 AM »

Yea it was very surprising the HKS's out of the box were dead on on the corner weighting, but DAMN they were low. I have them at max height now, they still work great and speed bumps aren't so hard to take, my lower lip on my front bumper is trashed

Critterman · « **Reply #20 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:12:54 AM »

I keep my HKS's set very soft on the highway, and stiffen them up for autox. I sit a little lower than goat now, and have had to cut 1/2" off my front mud guards (hope it is enough). I will primer them this weekend and put them back on to see if it is.

kennysabarese · « **Reply #21 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:27:45 AM »

Is max height still lower than stock?

Critterman · « **Reply #22 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:30:32 AM »

I can get 2 fingers between my tire and the wheel well, goat can get 3. Or maybe it's one and 2 I forget.

kennysabarese · « **Reply #23 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:32:53 AM »

Stock is like 4 fingers or more. I'm suprised

lil goat · « **Reply #24 on:** September 04, 2009, 08:51:08 AM »

I can now lay my hand flat on my tire and the back of my hand touches the fender well, at one point I could not get my hand between the outer fender and tire, the fender lip was below the top of the tire. I compared my car to Nolanb's he has the Z0K springs. I am still quite a bit lower than he is and he is a good bit lower than stock. I believe stock I can put my hand between the fender and tire sideways, four fingers. So yes I am still much lower than stock even at max height on the HKS.

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Author Topic: HKS Coilover info (Read 14604 times)

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