davisharr
Go Kart Champion
Well, after a few years, I got sick and tired of the stiff and loud ride of the BC Racing coilovers. At first, they rode fine, and I was quite happy with them, but they have been making a clicking/clunking noise that annoyed me since the beginning, which is apparently caused by the design of the top hats and totally normal, and they have felt less and less predictable and planted over time as they aged. I was over it, the best roads in my area are windy mountain roads, which are rough, and to have fun on them, you need compliance from your suspension. I began looking for options, and settled on trying out the HPA Motorsports SHS Coilovers by KW. These are private label KWs, near identical to KW V1s, which HPA is public about and proud of. Spring rates and valving selected are for road use primarily, they are designed around the exact roads we have in my area because they are in my area. As a side note, I am no longer working for HPA for personal reasons and have moved back closer to my family, but I left on good terms, still love their product, and chose to order these right before leaving my time with them.
The design of this suspension re-uses OEM rubber mounts rather than providing camber plates or other mounting style, which was the style I wanted to return to to reduce in cabin noise and harshness. I purchased brand new OEM strut mounts, bearings, sway bar links, rear spring pads, and a few other items to freshen up while I was at it. I also thew on a brand new wiper cowl plastic to replace the faded cracked factory piece that at this point has been removed 4 times and was ready to start falling apart.
Out with the old!
And in with the new!
After messing with the height a few times, I settled on a height that is slightly higher than I had the BCs, I want a usable suspension and was having troubles making it into some parking lots at the height I was before, it's my daily driver, and I want it to be a pleasure to drive, not a stressful experience. That being said, I still like the low look, and I think I still have it overall. We will see how it settles over the next few days, the rear may need to go up a hair higher or the front down a bit from here perhaps.
The ride and driving experience is EXACTLY what I was looking for! I was a bit worried they would be too soft, but not at all, while noticeably more comfortable than the BC's, they are still aftermarket coilovers, they are sporty, but far from harsh. The suspension roll and movement of the car is still very controlled, and does not feel compromised for the comfortable setup. Finally, my confidence to throw the car around on any road is restored, and I find myself having to keep an eye on the speedometer more often to keep myself out of trouble as its so much easier to drive the car fast on any road surface now! The best part though, is the silence, no clicks and pops over bumps from the camber plate design, less tire noise as the rubber mounts seam to isolate the vibration a bit more or something. Its a pleasure to drive this car once again!
We will see how they settle and wear in and what I think in a bit, because I was happy with the BC's for a brief period of time as well, but I think these really are the suspension for me, my driving style, and my local roads!
The design of this suspension re-uses OEM rubber mounts rather than providing camber plates or other mounting style, which was the style I wanted to return to to reduce in cabin noise and harshness. I purchased brand new OEM strut mounts, bearings, sway bar links, rear spring pads, and a few other items to freshen up while I was at it. I also thew on a brand new wiper cowl plastic to replace the faded cracked factory piece that at this point has been removed 4 times and was ready to start falling apart.
Out with the old!
And in with the new!
After messing with the height a few times, I settled on a height that is slightly higher than I had the BCs, I want a usable suspension and was having troubles making it into some parking lots at the height I was before, it's my daily driver, and I want it to be a pleasure to drive, not a stressful experience. That being said, I still like the low look, and I think I still have it overall. We will see how it settles over the next few days, the rear may need to go up a hair higher or the front down a bit from here perhaps.
The ride and driving experience is EXACTLY what I was looking for! I was a bit worried they would be too soft, but not at all, while noticeably more comfortable than the BC's, they are still aftermarket coilovers, they are sporty, but far from harsh. The suspension roll and movement of the car is still very controlled, and does not feel compromised for the comfortable setup. Finally, my confidence to throw the car around on any road is restored, and I find myself having to keep an eye on the speedometer more often to keep myself out of trouble as its so much easier to drive the car fast on any road surface now! The best part though, is the silence, no clicks and pops over bumps from the camber plate design, less tire noise as the rubber mounts seam to isolate the vibration a bit more or something. Its a pleasure to drive this car once again!
We will see how they settle and wear in and what I think in a bit, because I was happy with the BC's for a brief period of time as well, but I think these really are the suspension for me, my driving style, and my local roads!
