Coilovers and Suspension

Hi guys,

Just starting to chew on the idea of upgrading my suspension with a coilover kit. Two primary questions. First, is this a DIY or is it best left to my indie mechanic? Second, if I get a coilover kit, are there additional parts that will need replaced that would not come with the kit? For example, would it be wise to replace tie rods, etc (basically, replace it all at once), or is it not necessary.

People who have coilovers, did you have a better ride both in terms of handling as well as road noise dampening when you installed them?

What are some of the better kits...DDM, TC Kline, Ground Control, etc? Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!
NicB.

Yes this is a DIY and not hard at all. It all depends on the kit you get, You may or may not need RSM. When i did mine i replace the entire tie rod. Going with a sportier suspension will never be smoother. What are you looking for. Comfort or good performance. DDM i wont comment on. TCkline is great. GC is an awesome handling suspension but pretty harsh on the street. KW is great, AST is also great.

I want an adjustable coilover kit so I can set it to a "softer" setting for the street and an aggressive setting for auto-x. Anymore, it seems like my car takes bumps pretty harshly. I am guessing this is because the shocks have 125,000 miles on them. Seems like any type of new suspension setup should help smooth out the ride quality somewhat, even if it is a coilover kit? Am I mistaken?

What about the PSS9/10 kits? Any good?

The PSS10 kit is a solid setup, I ran the predecessor kit, the PSS9s, on my E46 and was happy with the comfort. It is a softer coilover and does not have as large range of adjustment like the KW V2s which I now run on my 135. I would go with the KWs if you want something that you can adjust and ride on daily. I drive my car daily and am happy with the level of comfort and improvement in performance. I prefer the KWs over the PSS10 system because it performs better and actually rides smoother, based on my experience, when cruising.

I'm very pleased with my setup. My v2's can easily be as soft as my oem sport. But you will want to crank them up when you get them. The height range is plenty for most. I could prob keep my oem height but why not go lower! I love how I can drop just the way I want. I'd consider any bushings (rtab and fcab) and probably control arms too and new rear mounts if you have yet to replace any. You should be able to install everything yourself if u don't mind a little work. Rtabs only if your brave and know exactly what your going to need to perform the job.

thats pretty cool.. make sure your bushings and control arms are doing well

If you want adjustable dampening get KW V2s. Get some new Rogue RSMs and some Turner shock mount reinforcement plates.