Power and torque are among the first thoughts when it comes to car modifications, but suspension plays an equally important role in the way a car handles. Coilovers are a popular choice as an aftermarket upgrade compared to OEM components because of their flexibility.
In this article, we’ll be covering coilovers, and everything there is to know about them. You’ll find answers to what they are, what are the pros and cons of fitting them to your car, and their effects on ride quality. Hopefully, all this information will help you make the right choice on whether coilovers are a good solution for your needs.
What Are Coilovers Anyway?
Coilovers are in essence the same as shock absorbers, but with a few differences. In coilovers, the coil surrounds the strut, and it’s sitting on an adjustable perch, allowing you to manually adjust the ride height of your car.
Coilovers are used for two main purposes – aesthetics and performance. The aesthetic aspect of coilovers is that they allow manual ride height adjustment, making your vehicle look sportier. When it comes to performance, a lowered car has a lower center of gravity, making handling and grip better. The downside to driving a lowered car is that it takes away comfort.
Aside from lowering cars, coilovers can be also used to increase the ride height compared to factory settings. This comes in handy when daily driven SUVs and 4x4s are driven offroad occasionally.
Benefits of Fitting Coilovers
Coilovers basically do the same thing as struts, however, coilovers offer a number of additional options. Two basic benefits can be easily noticed – improved handling, and adjustable height.
A car’s handling and grip greatly depend on the vehicle’s center of gravity. This is why most race cars are wide and slammed to the ground. This benefit isn’t very clear when you lower your daily driver because the stock suspension is meant to keep your car on the road under normal circumstances and conditions. Any type of sportier driving requires better handling and grip, which is where coilovers come in very handy.
Adjustable height is an amazing feature that not only allows you to lift or lower your car, but lets you choose the ideal ride height for different situations. If you’re using your daily driver as a track car as well, being able to adjust the height is a great way to save time and money in the long run. During the work week, you can lift your car to its standard height and enjoy driving comfortably, but when you need to go to the track or a car show, you can lower your car to the desired height in less than an hour.
Lastly, a small, but notable benefit of installing coilovers to your car is improved resale value. This is especially important if you own a performance car, or a highly sought-after model, and decide to sell your car to another enthusiast. High-quality aftermarket parts and equipment usually tend to increase the resale value of a car, but only in case the parts are from a reputable manufacturer and are installed and maintained properly.
Coilover Disadvantages
Coilovers are an amazing upgrade to any car, but there are a few disadvantages to using coilovers compared to stock suspension components.
The first, and most notable disadvantage is a stiffer ride. Coilovers are known to reduce ride comfort, but those who have tried the most affordable coilovers, and a more expensive kit, know that not all coilovers are made equally. More commonly, cheaper coilovers are far stiffer than a set from a reputable manufacturer.
The second disadvantage of having coilovers on your car includes faster wear of other suspension components. Although you’ll enjoy a better look of your car, and better handling, you’ll need to replace suspension parts more often.
The last disadvantage of having coilovers is the price. Entry-level coilovers don’t cost too much, however, because they’re of lower quality, they shouldn’t be used on track cars, and it’s possible for them to fail after a while. Higher-quality coilovers can set you back a few thousand dollars, which is significantly more than stock suspension, or just having lowered springs.
Installing Coilovers
Installing coilovers can be done by professionals, but if you like getting your hands dirty, and you have the right set of tools, you can do it yourself. You’ll need some basic tools to work on your car, as well as jack stands for safety.
The process itself is pretty straightforward but can be different from model to model. Most coilover kits include preassembled components, making it much easier to install and remove them. Once your car is safely lifted onto jack stands and the wheels are off, you can remove the strut together with the coil springs. Installing coilovers is just a reverse process.
Adjusting the coilovers is also pretty easy and includes turning the adjustment ring clockwise, or counterclockwise, depending on the height you’re adjusting to. You’ll need to lower your car from the jack stands for this, but once you find the ideal height on one corner, it’s just a matter of adjusting the other three corners to the same height.
Are Coilovers a Good Choice For a Daily Driver?
Knowing both the pros and cons of having coilovers fitted to your car, it’s safe to say that this upgrade can be a good choice even for a daily-driven family car. One of the main reasons why a lot of people consider this aftermarket addition a good one is the improved safety it provides. Some vehicles are powerful enough to slide out easily, and that feeling of grip and traction can go a long way.
Even if the car with coilovers is driven to car events once every few months, coilovers are a great addition because they allow the driver to manually adjust the height of the car. In the automotive enthusiast’s world, lowering a car is a huge thing, and being able to drive your car on a day-to-day basis with its factory height, and being able to lower it in a short amount of time means a lot.