Coilovers VS Shocks & Springs with Goodwin Racing

Summary

In this video, Ryan from Good Racing discusses the nuances between shocks and springs versus coilovers, highlighting their features, differences, and considerations for vehicle upgrades. He clarifies misconceptions, emphasizing that coilovers aren't necessarily easier to install despite being a complete assembly. Ryan also addresses the importance of spring rates and shock tuning, cautioning that budget coilovers often compromise on shock quality for ride comfort. He suggests that for street cars prioritizing ride quality, high-end coilovers or a combination of shocks and springs might be more suitable.

Takeaways

• 🔧 Shocks and springs are interchangeable with factory parts, allowing for piecemeal upgrades over time.
• 🌟 A coilover is a full assembly that replaces the entire shock and spring assembly, providing a more integrated system.
• 🔩 The adjustable features of coilovers, such as threaded bodies, allow for infinite ride height adjustments.
• 🚗 The installation of coilovers can be more involved due to the need for fine-tuning the ride height and shock settings.
• 🏎 Coilovers are designed for improved handling and performance, often with stiffer spring rates than factory setups.
• 💸 Budget coilovers may compromise on shock quality and tuning, which significantly impacts ride quality.
• 🛣 For street use where ride comfort is a priority, higher-end coilovers or a combination of shocks and springs may be more suitable.
• 🔨 Installing shocks and springs requires a spring compressor and can be a more straightforward process compared to coilovers.
• 🔄 Adjustable shocks allow for personal preference in terms of stiffness and can be easily adjusted without major installation hassles.
• 🏁 On a track, budget coilovers can provide a fun experience, but their ride quality may suffer on regular roads.
• ⚖️ The choice between shocks/springs and coilovers should be guided by the car's intended use and personal preferences for ride and handling.

Q & A

What is the main difference between shocks and springs versus coilovers?

The main difference is that coilovers are a full assembly that replaces the entire shock and spring assembly on a car, while shocks and springs are interchangeable with factory parts and can be upgraded piecemeal.

Why are coilovers sometimes referred to as 'shocks and springs' in the older car community?

In the older car community, 'coilovers' might refer to a different setup where the shock is in one place and the spring is somewhere else in the suspension system, unlike modern coilovers where the spring is over the shock.

What is the advantage of having a removable spring perch on shocks?

A removable spring perch allows for adjustments in ride height by moving the perch to different grooves on the shock body, providing some control over the ride height that is not typically available with just shocks and springs.

How does the adjustability of coilovers affect the installation process?

The adjustability of coilovers means that during installation, the car will need to be raised and lowered multiple times to achieve the desired ride height, making the installation process more involved compared to shocks and springs.

Why might coilovers come with stiffer springs than factory springs?

Coilovers are designed to improve handling and performance, and stiffer springs help with cornering, reducing dive and nose-dive under braking, which are essential for performance driving.

What is the misconception about budget coilovers that the video script aims to clarify?

The misconception is that budget coilovers are suitable for street cars that are not used for racing, as they are thought to be sufficient for occasional spirited driving. However, the video explains that budget coilovers often compromise on shock quality and tuning, which affects ride quality on the street.

Why are higher-end coilovers recommended for street cars where ride quality is a priority?

Higher-end coilovers, like Öhlins, are recommended for street cars because they offer better shock tuning and quality, which translates to a better ride quality despite having stiffer spring rates.

What is the role of bump stops in a suspension upgrade and why are they important?

Bump stops prevent the suspension from bottoming out, and they are important to replace when lowering a car, as worn-out factory bump stops can be harsher than new ones. Replacing them at the same time as shocks and springs avoids the need for additional work.

What is the purpose of the threading on the body of a coilover?

The threading on the body of a coilover allows for infinite adjustability of the ride height by threading the bottom cup and lower spring perch up or down the shock body.

Why might someone choose shocks and springs over coilovers for their vehicle?

Someone might choose shocks and springs over coilovers if they prefer a simpler installation process, want to maintain the ability to use factory parts, or if they are looking for a more straightforward upgrade without the complexity of adjustable components.

Outlines

00:00

🔧 Understanding Shocks, Springs, and Coilovers

Ryan from Good Racing discusses the differences between shocks and springs versus coilovers. He clarifies misconceptions and explains the pros and cons of each, advising on what to consider for one's own vehicle. The conversation starts with the semantics of 'coilovers,' explaining that on older cars, the spring and shock are separate, but on newer models like the Miata, the coil spring is over the shock, making it a coilover. The video aims to provide clarity on these terms and their applications in aftermarket car modifications.

05:02

🛠️ Features of Shocks and Springs

The script explains that shocks and springs are interchangeable with factory parts, allowing for piecemeal upgrades over time. It highlights the importance of replacing factory bump stops when lowering a car. The video showcases specific products like Koni Sport shocks and Eibach springs, emphasizing the compatibility and upgradeability of these components. A unique feature of some shocks is the removable spring perch, which allows for ride height adjustments without changing the spring itself.

10:03

🌟 The Advantages of Coilovers

Coilovers offer infinite adjustability in ride height due to their threaded design, which is a significant feature over traditional shocks and springs. The video points out that coilovers always come with stiffer springs than factory setups, designed to improve handling and performance. It also mentions that the shock in a coilover system is tuned for the specific spring rate, ensuring optimal performance. However, the script warns that the ease of installation is not a benefit of coilovers, as they require fine-tuning and adjustments to achieve the desired ride height.

15:04

🚗 Choosing the Right Suspension Upgrade

The script advises against choosing coilovers for the wrong reasons, such as ease of installation, and emphasizes the importance of understanding one's driving needs. It discusses the misconception that budget coilovers can provide both performance and comfort, explaining that compromises are often made in shock quality and tuning at lower price points. The video suggests that for street cars where ride quality is a priority, higher-end coilovers or a combination of shocks and springs might be more suitable. It concludes by encouraging viewers to contact the company for personalized advice on choosing the right suspension components for their specific vehicle and usage.

Keywords

💡Shocks and Springs

Shocks and springs are critical components of a vehicle's suspension system. Shocks, also known as dampers, control the speed at which the suspension moves and help in absorbing road shocks. Springs provide the elasticity needed for the wheels to move up and down over bumps. In the context of the video, the discussion revolves around the differences between shocks and springs versus coilovers, and how they affect a vehicle's performance and handling.

💡Coilovers

Coilovers are a type of suspension system where the spring and shock are combined into one unit. This setup allows for greater adjustability in terms of ride height and damping characteristics. The video script explains that coilovers are a more comprehensive solution compared to individual shocks and springs, as they replace the entire shock and spring assembly on a car.

💡Pros and Cons

The script discusses the pros and cons of using shocks and springs versus coilovers. The 'pros' refer to the advantages or positive aspects of each type of suspension, such as adjustability and performance, while 'cons' refer to the disadvantages or limitations, such as complexity of installation or potential impact on ride comfort. The video aims to clarify misconceptions and provide a balanced view for viewers considering these upgrades.

💡Ride Height

Ride height refers to the distance between the bottom of the vehicle and the ground. In the context of the video, adjusting ride height is a key feature of coilovers, allowing for fine-tuning the vehicle's center of gravity and handling characteristics. The script mentions that coilovers provide infinite adjustability for ride height, which is not possible with standard shocks and springs.

💡Spring Perch

The spring perch is the part of the suspension system where the spring is mounted. The video script highlights a feature of some shocks where the spring perch is removable, allowing for adjustments to the ride height without changing the spring itself. This is contrasted with coilovers, where the entire spring and shock assembly can be adjusted to alter ride height.

💡Bump Stops

Bump stops are components that prevent the suspension from compressing too far and potentially causing damage. The script emphasizes the importance of replacing bump stops when upgrading to performance shocks and springs or coilovers, especially if the car is lowered. This is because the original bump stops may no longer provide adequate protection against bottoming out.

💡Adjustable Shocks

Adjustable shocks are those that allow the driver to modify the damping force, which affects how the suspension responds to road inputs. The video script explains that while adjustable shocks offer a range of tuning options, they are not as complex to set up as adjustable coilovers and can be easily fine-tuned to the driver's preference.

💡Threaded Body

In the context of coilovers, a threaded body refers to the design feature that allows for the adjustment of the shock's length and, consequently, the ride height. The video script points out that this is a key区分 feature of coilovers, providing a wide range of adjustability that is not available with standard shocks and springs.

💡Budget Coilovers

Budget coilovers are more affordable options that still offer some of the adjustability and performance benefits of higher-end models. However, the script cautions that budget coilovers often involve compromises, particularly in terms of shock quality and ride comfort. The video suggests that for street-driven cars where ride quality is a priority, it might be better to consider higher-end options or alternative suspension upgrades.

💡Ride Quality

Ride quality refers to the comfort and smoothness of a vehicle's ride. The video script discusses how stiffer spring rates in coilovers can affect ride quality, making it a critical consideration for street-driven cars. It contrasts the ride quality of budget coilovers with higher-end models, which are designed to provide a better balance between performance and comfort.

Highlights

Discussing the differences between shocks and springs versus coilovers.

Explaining the misconceptions about shocks, springs, and coilovers.

Defining coilovers and their components.

The importance of compatibility with factory parts.

The benefits of piecemeal upgrades over time.

The necessity of replacing bump stops when lowering a car.

The adjustable feature of Koni shocks and its impact on ride height.

Threading on coilovers for infinite adjustability of ride height.

The inclusion of stiffer springs with coilovers and their impact on handling.

The misconception that coilovers are easier to install than shocks and springs.

The importance of shock tuning for different spring rates.

The difference between adjustable shocks and coilovers in terms of installation and adjustment.

Why budget coilovers may not be the best choice for street cars.

The gold standard for ride quality with performance shocks.

The analogy between budget coilovers and Porsche ride quality.

Recommendations for street cars considering ride quality and handling.

The importance of understanding the compromises made in budget coilovers.

Offering assistance for specific car recommendations through the Contact Us page.

Transcripts

it is Ryan with good racing and we're

going to talk about shocks and springs

versus coilovers we're going to kind of

cover the features and the differences

between both the pros and cons of each

and most importantly what you might want

to consider for your own vehicle if

you're trying to decide between the two

there are a lot of misconceptions that

we see when people are talking about the

pros and cons of these so we'll try to

set that straight and cover those in

this video

now talking about coil overs wouldn't be

complete if we didn't start with at

least covering a bit of semantics if

you're talking to somebody who maybe

works more with muscle cars or someone

who's a little more old-school if you

say coil overs they may be thinking

something a little different than what

you're talking about

on a lot of older cars trucks to this

day etc you have a shock in one place on

the vehicle and you have a spring

somewhere else in the suspension system

they are not together but on a Miata the

spring the coil is already over the

shock this is effectively a coil spring

on shock assembly it's a coil over so

rocky here at Rocky's me automotive

anytime somebody comes by and says that

they're thinking about putting a coil

over on their Miata

he likes to have it a little bit of fun

and he says well me out has come with

coil overs and he's right mostly he's

just having fun being ornery but he is

absolutely right but in the aftermarket

world and the vocabulary used in the

aftermarket this is still a shock and a

spring this is a coil over coil over is

sort of shorthand to refer to a full

assembly that replaces the entire shock

and spring assembly on your car so with

a coil over you're getting the shock

body you're getting the spring the bump

stop assembly all the little hardware it

mounts to the bottom of the suspension

and usually it comes with the top hat as

well there are some cases where you're

going to reuse a factory top hat but for

the most part you're looking at a full

assembly okay now when we're talking

about the features of shocks and springs

the important thing to sort

keep in mind is that these are all

interchangeable with the factory parts

that are in the suspension already so

this shock can just replace a factory

shocking will work with the factory

Springs or you can replace these factory

Springs with some aftermarket lowering

springs like this and those can go right

on a factory shock because of that inter

compatibility with your factory parts

you can piecemeal this over time you can

do shocks now on factory springs and

then upgrade to your progress Springs

later something like that the other

thing is that as you are shopping for

stuff you are piecing together the parts

that you've decided you want to put

together as a kit so these are our

popular very popular coney sport shocks

and these are our progress springs these

are our bump stops that we sell on the

site very important to do bump stops

when you're doing shocks and springs if

you lower the car at all then you don't

want to use factory lanes bump stops

also the factory bump stops at rubber

and usually once you've got some miles

on the car they will have worn out and

so they'll actually be harsher than they

were when they were when the car was new

so bump stops are a good thing to

replace at the same time because it's no

extra work when you have those out of

the car to just put the new bump stops

on whereas you don't want to do it as

its own job because you have to remove

the entire shock and spring to replace

the bump stops now on the Kony's and

this is a feature that does not it's not

available on all companies but on some

of the companies you will see that there

are and hopefully you can see this there

are additional grooves on the body of

the shock now lots of replacement shocks

will just have a lower spring perch that

is welded to the shock body and at that

point you're just married to whatever

ride height the spring that you choose

gives you that's the right height that

you get kind of a cool feature with some

of the Kony's is that the perch is

removable and there's this c-clip which

clips into that groove so you can pull

the c-clip off of the shock body and you

can actually move it to one of these

other grooves that effectively means

that the shock I'm sorry the spring

perch will sit lower on the shock body

and that lowers the right height we do

have for the generations of Miata that

this is available on the Kony's we do

have notes about you know what those

different groove positions will get you

in terms of changing ride height but

that's kind of a really cool feature

because at least you get a little bit of

control over your ride height which you

usually don't get when you're dealing

with just shocks and springs now when

we're talking about coil overs there's a

lot going on here

but ultimately the main feature that

separates a coil over from a replacement

shock is going to be that the body of

the coil over is all threaded and

hopefully you can also see that in the

video here but the reason for that

threading is that this bottom cup which

has the lower mounting point that mounts

to the suspension this is threaded

inside so you can loosen this lock

collar and this entire cup here

will thread up and down on the shock

body similarly the lower spring perch is

also threaded on the inside so you can

loosen to the lower lock color that's

here and then by hand you can just turn

this entire spring perch and lower it or

raise it on the shock body which both of

those effectively change the ride height

of the vehicle and so because you've got

this this long threaded area you now

have a huge range that you can play with

to adjust your ride height also changing

the shock length or the entire shock

overall length has some other benefits

we won't it's a little too complicated

to get into here but you can actually

set your your total bump travel and

things like that by way of changing your

your overall shock length and so that

infinite adjustability within that range

is what you get with a coil over that

you don't get with shocks now another

thing to keep in mind is the coil overs

are always coming with much stiffer

springs than your factory Springs

there's a huge range of what spring

rates they may come

each manufacturer picks different rates

and you know it depends on what the

coilover is sort of aimed at doing and

where it's supposed to be used you know

it's offensive full race setup then you

may be doing with massively higher rates

if it's something that's supposed to be

sort of straddling between track and

street use it may be not too extreme but

it's always going to be significantly

stiffer than factory spring rates and

the key is that the shock then at least

with quality coilovers the shock is

going to be tuned for that spring rate

so whereas a shock that was really

designed around working with a factory

spring with that you can go a little bit

stiffer on the spring but not massively

you can't do four times the stiffness or

something like that the shop won't

really work right with that spring on a

coilover it will it will work for

whatever spring rate it is designed for

and so you have coilovers that have

significantly different spring rates

than the factory and it works it's all

designed as a unit to work together now

something that we see occasionally

people talk about wanting to do coil

overs because it's a whole assembly and

they figure it's going to be an easier

install with a coil over versus a

assembly where they have to carry over

some factory parts and that is not the

right reason to be deciding between

shocks or coil overs and here's why with

a shock and spring replacement yes

you're gonna have to take the factory

spring and shock out of the car and

you're going to need a spring compressor

which is a little extra step because

you're going to need to disassemble that

assembly and move some of the factory

parts over to your new assembly but

don't be afraid of that if the shotgun

spring is the right thing for you and

how you're using the car that's just

what you need to do the coil over while

it may seem appealing that hey it's it's

a full assembly top-to-bottom I don't

need to rent that spring compressor to

because I don't have to disassemble my

factory spring and shock

because I don't have to carry anything

over to it there's a whole separate side

of things that come with adjustable

coilovers that make the install more

involved not less so the adjustability

the infinite adjustability that you get

on a coil over here this is a

double-edged sword it's a great thing

from the perspective of you can dial it

in to be exactly what you want and a lot

of people are looking for that but ease

of install isn't something that it's

trying to accomplish I have never seen

somebody take a coil over install it on

their car put the car in the ground and

just go it's perfect it doesn't happen

we've got three and sees out there and

every one of them if you put the same

coil over on and you set it on the

ground it's going to sit as a slightly

different height and that's for a lot of

different reasons different weights

between different cars with different

configurations

you know the bushings different ages on

the bushings they bind a little bit more

a little less every car is gonna sit a

little differently you're going to have

to take that coil over install it in the

car put it on the ground step back take

your measurements of your ride height

and you go okay that's you know I want

to change this by a half inch here and a

quarter inch there you're gonna put it

back in the air you're gonna make some

adjustments you put it back on the

ground

you're gonna go okay that's closer but

it's still not there you're gonna have

the car up and down up and down several

times during the installation process

that is just that double-edged sword

that comes with a lot of adjustability

on a coilover if you're one of those

guys who says you know what that's more

than I want to deal with you just want

something that you install in the car

and put it on the ground and forget

about it and just go enjoy the car shock

and spring might be the right choice for

you on that same note the adjustable

shocks I like to cover sometimes I hear

people echoing that same sentiment they

want something that's just an install

and forget it and they're sort of scared

of the adjustable shock that you get

with like a coney where you can make it

stiffer or softer

I try to emphasize to people that that

is not a bad thing it's not quite the

same as the adjustable ride height where

you really have to sit there and spend

time with it and to get it right for

your car with the shock I usually say

set it to the middle and basically the

midpoint in the range between stiff and

firm stiff and firm between stiff firm

and soft and then go drive it you drive

it one time you're going to immediately

see what it feels like and you're going

to say I wanted a little stiffer I want

a little softer and you can just reach

in there turn that knob and if you're

the type of guy who wants to pick a

setting and just forget about it then

you can you may never have to adjust

that shock after day 1 day 1 you do a

couple of test drives you find the shock

setting that you like and then you leave

it forever but the cool thing about

having the adjustable shock that you

don't get with a shock that's not

adjustable in that regard is that you

can dial it in to your your taste your

preference everybody's you know got a

different version of what's right it's a

lot like exhaust we always say you know

one guy's version of too loud is the

next guy's version of too quiet same

with shocks one guys version of too

stiff is the next guys version of too

soft you know one guy wants this car to

feel like a race car and one guy wants

something that's you know rides really

nice so having that adjustability lets

you dial it in for what you want the car

to feel like so don't be afraid of that

adjustment it's certainly not the

Pandora's box that can be the the

adjustable threaded body on a coilover

now while we're talking about reasons

that one or the other might be the right

way to go for you there's another

element to definitely mention and that

is that the coil overs as I said always

come good bit stiffer on spring rates

than your factory setup or then most of

yours you know lowering springs are

going to be offered in now a coil over

is designed for improving the handling

of the car and making it corner flatter

and dive nosedive less under braking and

all of that things that when you're

doing performance driving though

things that you want so the the stiffer

spring rates are an important piece to

that puzzle but it's important to keep

in mind that it's very difficult to make

a stiff spring ride well now that's not

to say that it can't be done

the öhlins that i've got right here this

is what we consider the gold standard

for ride quality with a performance

shock

well lynnes does a phenomenal job this

is a dual flow valve that actually soaks

up harsh it's better than most of the

competition this rides really nicely and

it's surprising that it can ride as well

as it does for the supreme rates that it

comes with but you kind of get into a

trap when you start looking at budget

coilovers and so that brings up a point

that i think is really important to

cover and perhaps the largest

misconception that we hear all the time

go something like this we'll be talking

with somebody and they'll say hey i'm

shopping for coilovers i don't know

which ones i should be picking can help

and so we'll always ask what are you

doing with your car what's your priority

and we do that because how you're using

your car dictates what the right tool is

for the job and they'll reply with

something like this very often well it's

my street car and i have fun in the

twisties now and again but it's my

street car I'm not racing I'm not going

to the track so I figured a budget

coil-over is going to do everything that

I need I don't need something super

fancy and while that makes sense on the

surface that's actually completely

backwards and here's why when you look

at a coilover assembly that's a lot of

pieces and I'm just talking about

individual components not even

mentioning the R&D all the R&D that goes

into making a good coil over that all

works cohesively now if we're talking

about a budget coil or something in the

thousand dollar $1,200 range this is a

lot to try to make for a retail of $250

you know a thousand dollar coil over is

for coil overs so you have to do this

entire thing for a retail price of 250

bottom line is you can't

do that and achieve everything that's

something like the olan's here achieves

now that's not to say that all budget

coilovers are bad but budget coilovers

must make compromises somewhere and

usually where we see the greatest

compromise is being made is in the shock

the quality of the shock the tuning of

the shock and the shock is the key to

ride quality and so the higher end stuff

while it also performs well on the

racetrack better the big difference is

that it's gonna ride a lot better it's

going to be able to handle bumps better

now I can go to the racetrack on a

budget coil over and I can have fun all

day long at the racetrack I'm not

worried about rag quality I don't care

if fun is the number one priority then I

can have a blast on a budget coilover

it's a little you know it's stiffer it

gets the car lower and so a lot of those

things that you need for just kind of

the car not feeling out of place at a

racetrack a budget coilover will be able

to deliver that have a ball at a

racetrack on a budget of coilover now if

we're talking about racing some sort of

competition something we're lap times

mattered then obviously a higher end

coil-over is going to again be what's

important because that better shock and

the better shop tuning is going to all

be able to keep the tire on the ground

and connected with the ground better

than a lower end shock but for fun

factor you can have a ton of fun with a

budget coil over at a racetrack but when

you take that same budget coil over and

you drive onto a regular road now ride

quality is a big you know priority now

on the regular street as I'm going over

potholes and railroad tracks and hitting

bumps that is going to be disappointing

and that's where the disappointment of a

budget coilover comes in or shows itself

the most

so that is why particularly for a fun

street car we recommend the öhlins

almost every time the ol ends are gold

as I said gold standard for ride quality

these ride

really well for having the sticker

spring needs now even that even the old

ones it should be noted is not gonna

ride like a Cadillac they do have

stiffer spring rates but I'd like to

draw the analogy and that it's kind of

like a Porsche

you know it's firmer but it's not harsh

and that's the key the more budget

oriented stuff is going to be harsh now

we do have some great budget coilover

options and that's not to say that those

may not be the right thing for you it's

just important to understand that there

are compromises that are made as you

look at different tiers and different

price points so for a street car where

ride quality is one of the top concerns

and you also want good handling and all

of that you actually really want to be

considering either on the lower end for

for budget you either want to do the

shock and perhaps a vinyl lower in

spring that will ride beautifully and

there are a lot of combinations of the

different perch height so in the

different Springs that you might pick

that might get you the right height that

you want or you want to skip over the

budget coilover block and really be

considering something in the upper end

because that's going to deliver the ride

quality that you're looking for in a

street car now between different

generations of Miata there are various

features of different coil overs and

what certain parts can give you and

which lowering springs are available for

that year and and all of those things

and this video isn't about trying to

cover all those different details across

the generations this video is already

long enough as it is but that's why we

have a Contact Us page on our website

we've got our phone and our email there

give us a ring shoot us an email we'll

be more than happy to go over your

specific car with you how you're using

it and help you find the right tool for

the job so that you can have the most

fun with your car possible so look

forward to talking to you soon and have

a great day