adjustable coilovers, do they ruin or improve the vehicle?

[Wireman1987]

Coilovers will get you lower center of gravity for less roll but doesn’t mean you’re improving handling all together. When I wanted to improve my f-150 handling I replaced front sway bar bushings with polyurethane installed a rear bell tech sway bar that came with polyurethane bushings did shocks all around and a polyurethane 1.5” equalizer lift in the front. Also went with aluminum rims and HT tires truck had tremendous grip especially the tonneau cover ribs helped bed rigidity. Very fun and capable for a 8ft bed truck. You have to build a handling package not just make it stiff and low.

 

[Revving2Redline]

Coilovers will get you lower center of gravity for less roll but doesn’t mean you’re improving handling all together. When I wanted to improve my f-150 handling I replaced front sway bar bushings with polyurethane installed a rear bell tech sway bar that came with polyurethane bushings did shocks all around and a polyurethane 1.5” equalizer lift in the front. Also went with aluminum rims and HT tires truck had tremendous grip especially the tonneau cover ribs helped bed rigidity. Very fun and capable for a 8ft bed truck. You have to build a handling package not just make it stiff and low.

My 9th gen civic had Tein dropped 2",both strut bars, eibach sway bars, bigger endlinks, rode like it was on rails. Was fun till winter came and then it was horrible

 

[Carmudgeon]

I've driven a car with a Bilstein setup that was actually more supple than the stock suspension.

But to set it up properly, it should be corner weighted, and it also suffered from marginal suspension travel for a daily driver street car.

The flexibility that adjustable suspensions offer are often wasted on drivers who install them, set them up (if even that) and then forget about them.

Many of them belong to a class of owners where modding the vehicle is the true goal, not actually improving anything related to driving or performance.

It's "better" because the marketing tells them it is, and it feels better because it's not the "stock" setup that they're accustomed to. A more extreme form of sticker HP gains, body kit parts, and conversely, lift kits.

 

[Jetronic]

Lowering a car, raises the roll center (different than center of gravity). Unless you install components to compensate. It can help with aero inspite of suspension negative impacts.

lowering reduces both the roll center and center of gravity height, but not in the same proportions. and how much depends on the suspension setup. By lowering the roll center more than the center of gravity you could create more roll, but stiffer springs often mask that to the driver.

 

[bowlofturtle]

Ive had Tein and Megan Racing Coilovers and got that out of my system. I just put premium strut bars on and call it a day now. My favourite two suspension modifications are upper strut bars and sway bar/bushings.

Do strut bars really do much on modern cars?

Back in the day, strut bars were first mods besides intake/exhaust because they were cheap and very easy to install. I never did one mystlf. But i've done the Tein springs and Megan racing coilovers. Both of those have their place. There is some performance along with visual gains. Past the early 2000s i dont see aftermarket strut bars much anymore. Some cars like BMW have bracings but many OEM kinda stopped using them. Maybe the chassis is strong enough.

 

[Wireman1987]

Do strut bars really do much on modern cars?

Back in the day, strut bars were first mods besides intake/exhaust because they were cheap and very easy to install. I never did one mystlf. But i've done the Tein springs and Megan racing coilovers. Both of those have their place. There is some performance along with visual gains. Past the early 2000s i dont see aftermarket strut bars much anymore. Some cars like BMW have bracings but many OEM kinda stopped using them. Maybe the chassis is strong enough.

They help. Stiffened up my sister’s old Corolla s a bit.

 

[Rust_Belt_Pete]

Unless its a weekend project car and you know how to tune suspension leave it alone.
Your stock strut mounts are probably nice rubber ones, coil overs are them solid bearings, it makes a big difference in NVH/comfort.

A lot of times guys install coilovers on their cars and their cars feel and handle like poo.
Why?
1. They don' know how to set and adjust the suspension.
2. (often overlooked) You put in "stiff and lowered" suspension in your car with old busted rubber bushings. rear control arm bushings front control arm bushings, sway bar bushings, shock/strut mounts and so on. You basically get the worst of both worlds when you put in coilovers on older car. You get NVH issues and poor handling because there is so much slop and play in suspension it acts like a bi-polar schizophrenic.

You have guys spending hours upon hours in research and thousands of dollars in coilovers only to stick them in 15-20 year old project car with "bluetooth" rubber bushings.

 

[CarlB]

lowering reduces both the roll center and center of gravity height, but not in the same proportions. and how much depends on the suspension setup. By lowering the roll center more than the center of gravity you could create more roll, but stiffer springs often mask that to the driver.

Most cars do not lower roll center from lowering ride height.

Shortening the spring will raise the lower control arm, this will raise the roll center.

 

[f355spider]

I have found Bilstein PSS and KW coilovers to make the biggest improvement in handling and road feel over any other modification, next to tires. Larger Anti roll bars, stress bars, and various chassis stiffeners help, but really only when cornering quite hard. Coilovers improved the handling even with lightly "spirited" driving on mountain and country roads. They also make the car feel much more confident at higher speeds.

 

[Jetronic]

Most cars do not lower roll center from lowering ride height.

View attachment 296156

Shortening the spring will raise the lower control arm, this will raise the roll center.

actually, no. the lower control arm will become more horizontal, or even be tilted the other way. This will drop the instant center, and that results in a lower roll center, could even go underground.

 

[CarlB]

actually, no. the lower control arm will become more horizontal, or even be tilted the other way. This will drop the instant center, and that results in a lower roll center, could even go underground.

This is why companies like whiteline sell extended ball joints. This will lower the lower control arm back to the correct location after installing lowering springs or lowering via coilovers.

 

[Jetronic]

This is why companies like whiteline sell extended ball joints. This will lower the lower control arm back to the correct location after installing lowering springs or lowering via coilovers.

yes , but that wasn't part of the original deposition. And those have their own set of issues, like introducing more bump steer and often being significantly weaker.