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coilover questions/suggestions

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Ramona
#1
Was looking at Bilstein B14 PSS http://deadhookmotorsports.com/Bilstein-B14-PSS-Complete-Kit-for-Fiesta-ST but am still exploring other options because i wanna make the best decision before purchasing. Im looking for a setup that would work great for aggressive street driving but also lower the car. I found these guys http://edgeautosport.com/megan-racing-coilovers-ford-fiesta-st-2014/ and i was wondering if anyones got them on there car and could give me some insight. Still pretty clueless as far as mods go and I'm just looking to step up my knowledge and upgrade my car hah. Also if there are any other brands that could fit the criteria would really appreciate it. Also are the coiler kits usually just bolt on or is there additional adjustments that need to be made post install?
 


LilPartyBox

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#2
Focusing strictly on coils... Megan racing is a questionable entry level brand. Not bad just not the best out there. Bilstein is one of the best. You can look into ST, a subsidiary of KW, another very good brand. H&R is another great brand.

BC racing is OK. I run them on my other car and they've been a bit troublesome. But replacement parts are very cheap and support is top notch.

Those are the names I've researched for this car but there may be others with kits. Koni, FK (budget) , Vogtland (budget)?

I'm personally looking at Bilstein or a combo of Koni/H&R.

Coils do require not only adjustment post install but ongoing maintenance. I've always done coils but this is why I'm considering not doing coils on this car. Unless you intend to play with your height often, a good combo kit should suffice.
 


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Location
Metro Detroit
#4
As far as I've been able to gather so far:

*Reasonable quality and damping at a killer value: Bilstein B14
*Entry-level adjustability and acceptable quality with stock-levels of total stroke: ST XTA
*Mid-level actual quality dampers: KW V3


FYI: the ST XTA's are currently offering a $150 rebate for the month of April, making them quite attractive.


Naturally as with all coilovers, you'll need an alignment after installation, and it's assumed you have some fundamental knowledge about suspension setup to achieve rational droop vs. compression stroke ratio with the ride height. Just because the ride height is adjustable, doesn't mean it should be adjusted much beyond a narrow range, much narrower than they all advertise.
 


OP
jakep563
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Thread Starter #5
Focusing strictly on coils... Megan racing is a questionable entry level brand. Not bad just not the best out there. Bilstein is one of the best. You can look into ST, a subsidiary of KW, another very good brand. H&R is another great brand.

BC racing is OK. I run them on my other car and they've been a bit troublesome. But replacement parts are very cheap and support is top notch.

Those are the names I've researched for this car but there may be others with kits. Koni, FK (budget) , Vogtland (budget)?

I'm personally looking at Bilstein or a combo of Koni/H&R.

Coils do require not only adjustment post install but ongoing maintenance. I've always done coils but this is why I'm considering not doing coils on this car. Unless you intend to play with your height often, a good combo kit should suffice.
Been reading more and the megan coils seem to be pretty unreliable so that are out. I started looking into BC coils because they seem to be pretty well like and i talked to a couple people on my local st Facebook page but i think when i look over everything i will still end up with the bilsteins.
 


OP
jakep563
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Thread Starter #6
Sometime looking beyond the specs can help determine if the manufacturer stands behind their product. For example Bilstein is lifetime. This may or may not be important by I always consider this. There is a long discussion on them here:

http://www.fiestastforum.com/forum/threads/8316-Bilstein-PSS-B14-CoilOvers-vs-______
thankyou for the link, I've been considering bilstein for many reasons but it didn't even come to my mind that they have a facility about 30 minute from my house. So when i do have to have them rebuilt i can't take them here and not some other shop.
 


LilPartyBox

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#7
Been reading more and the megan coils seem to be pretty unreliable so that are out. I started looking into BC coils because they seem to be pretty well like and i talked to a couple people on my local st Facebook page but i think when i look over everything i will still end up with the bilsteins.
Like i said, questionable entry level lol I've also run into threads that claim Megan Racing are just a rebranded BC racing coils. I tend to believe it as the BC coils i put on my wife's car have been troublesome.

The shocks blow in about 5k miles - replaced under warranty. Then the height adjuster on the driver side strut spins itself loose, repeatedly. This was after SEVERAL applications of blue and then ultimately red thread lock. Not even the red thread lock kept the lock ring in place. I could always tell when it happened because the driver side would be way up lol.

Eventually the threads had taken damage from the weight of the car. At that point i beat the hell out of the lock ring with a 4lb sledge to get the coil back down as the ring fused the strut insert. That wound up locking the coil for good. BC wouldn't warranty it cuz i beat the shit out of it. I bought the strut separately for $175 shipped. I will say BC is GREAT with replacement parts and are relatively cheap. But do take weeks to arrive. And the replacements haven't been a problem in the last 20,000 miles or so.

In fact her coils are probably due for a rebuild. It's cheap enough that i might just buy new struts for both sides and just have a set on deck for the next rebuild time frame. Now that i think about it, maybe i will put BC on the FiST lol. I've never seen an entry level brand with replacement parts so easy to order and at a decent price. And they have aSwift spring option for most kits. Not for nuthin, when i finally got everything sorted, the coils ride nice and handle really well. The only real caveat was having to cut the towers to make room for the camber plate i never use lol. Idk if i wanna hack the FiST up

So it was the lower lock ring, NOT the double stack rings for preload.



Easy enough to take apart and repair tho.
 


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