Looking for coilovers

I’ve got a 2005 GT that I’m interested in getting a set of coilovers for but I’m struggling to figure out what would be a good set for me. I daily drive the car and want it to be a comfortable ride especially around corners as it’s a little bumpy and not ideal on stock suspension, but like most of you I also like to go down back roads and give it the business so if my understanding of suspension components is correct I’d want something that would be stiff enough to get the power down as well. I’ve gone through a few websites and forums looking for good picks but with so many options and everyone having their own opinions and uses for their car that may give them reason to want a different coilover set than me I’ve had no luck in deciding on which ones to go with. If anyone has any recommendations I would very much appreciate it as well as anything I would need to know to install said coilovers as I’m trying my best to teach myself how to do everything I need to do on my own car.

Tjcob said:

I’ve got a 2005 GT that I’m interested in getting a set of coilovers for but I’m struggling to figure out what would be a good set for me. I daily drive the car and want it to be a comfortable ride especially around corners as it’s a little bumpy and not ideal on stock suspension, but like most of you I also like to go down back roads and give it the business so if my understanding of suspension components is correct I’d want something that would be stiff enough to get the power down as well. I’ve gone through a few websites and forums looking for good picks but with so many options and everyone having their own opinions and uses for their car that may give them reason to want a different coilover set than me I’ve had no luck in deciding on which ones to go with. If anyone has any recommendations I would very much appreciate it as well as anything I would need to know to install said coilovers as I’m trying my best to teach myself how to do everything I need to do on my own car.

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Qa1 is pretty good. See lots of auto cross guys run em. My dad has ridetech on his truck but they’re too basic

this is not a tech topic on this board.

Please read these

https://www.s197forum.com/threads/hawgmans-board-rules.133776/

https://www.s197forum.com/threads/a-s197-posting-etiquette-tutorial.89602/

https://www.s197forum.com/threads/tech-section-topics-please-read-new-guys-especially.30272/


https://www.s197forum.com/threads/n...eads-cant-post-in-here-read-this-first.61060/

stkjock said:

this is not a tech topic on this board.

Please read these

https://www.s197forum.com/threads/hawgmans-board-rules.133776/

https://www.s197forum.com/threads/a-s197-posting-etiquette-tutorial.89602/

https://www.s197forum.com/threads/tech-section-topics-please-read-new-guys-especially.30272/


https://www.s197forum.com/threads/n...eads-cant-post-in-here-read-this-first.61060/

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So why wouldn't a coilover discussion belong in the "Corner Carving Racing Tech Discussion" section? Stepping up to coilovers where cornering is specifically mentioned is really a performance mod with technical aspects, unlike threads such as "which springs will lower my car the most".

Assuming that forum traffic picks up a bit, suspension topics are likely to fall off the first page and never be seen by those who would be equipped to provide some help.


Norm

Tjcob said:

I’ve got a 2005 GT that I’m interested in getting a set of coilovers for but I’m struggling to figure out what would be a good set for me. I daily drive the car and want it to be a comfortable ride especially around corners as it’s a little bumpy and not ideal on stock suspension, but like most of you I also like to go down back roads and give it the business so if my understanding of suspension components is correct I’d want something that would be stiff enough to get the power down as well. I’ve gone through a few websites and forums looking for good picks but with so many options and everyone having their own opinions and uses for their car that may give them reason to want a different coilover set than me I’ve had no luck in deciding on which ones to go with. If anyone has any recommendations I would very much appreciate it as well as anything I would need to know to install said coilovers as I’m trying my best to teach myself how to do everything I need to do on my own car.

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Let me play devil's advocate.

You don't need to go to coilovers until you're running at the pointy end of some competition class that permits them.

Your 2005 GT is basically the same car as mine, and I'm telling you from personal experience that the OE-style "big spring" suspension is good enough to take the car's performance to a higher level than you're thinking. Plenty good enough to see you all the way up to the advanced run group at an HPDE track day, even. Need proof? Pay attention to the cornering speeds and g's in these little snippets from track day sessions, in the company of much faster cars, cars that had been far more heavily modified, and drivers with far more experience than me. Nice, almost relaxing drives actually.


Same track, different day, different camera angle


In both of those videos, my car was still running on its OE springs. It did, however, have performance-oriented shocks and struts (Koni yellows) and somewhat stiffer than OE sta-bars. Rear LCAs had been swapped out for poly/spherical units. But most of the performance improvement likely came from wider and better tires (285/35-18 Pilot Super Sports) mounted on really wide wheels (11") and about -1.9° camber on the front wheels. But it was still a stock-height car on stock springs.

Ride quality on the street was decent - about as good as you should actually expect from a performance car that does NOT feature IRS.


Norm

Norm Peterson said:

So why wouldn't a coilover discussion belong in the "Corner Carving Racing Tech Discussion" section? Stepping up to coilovers where cornering is specifically mentioned is really a performance mod with technical aspects, unlike threads such as "which springs will lower my car the most".

Assuming that forum traffic picks up a bit, suspension topics are likely to fall off the first page and never be seen by those who would be equipped to provide some help.


Norm

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Norm

reasonable point, I didn't read the post in detail, I saw it as a "what to buy" which is chat.

Yea, I have been amazed at my koni yellows and h&r super sport springs. Totally different ball game.

Very happy with my ST XTA coilovers, daily.