1USBISF

Hello,

I have a 2011 IS-F with about 45k miles with OEM suspension except for swift springs installed 5 months ago (front only) to close the huge gap between fender and wheel to look similar to the rear. It looks perfect but rides too rough and I'm looking at suspension options. Can someone give me some recommendations for a softer ride? I have no intentions to ever track the car, thanks in advance.

FFM

semnosNSX

I'm in the same boat and have been researching coilovers myself. From what I gather so far, it looks like KW's are the way to go in terms of a good balance of comfort and performance.

3nergiz3d

You bet. KW's will always be a more comfortable ride because of it's softer springs and retention of OEM top hats.

semnosNSX

Exactly!!!

jdmSW20

iTrader: (12)

I have the Greddy x KW coilovers and I love them. They are 15k/10k spring rates so they are more stiff than the KW V3 but not to the point its jarring like the stock 08 suspension, anything feels better than stock 08 suspension though.

But if comfort is your goal, I would say the KW V3 are going to be it. Excellent quality and the type ride you are looking for

msgs350

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the feedback on the GreddyxKW. Do you think you could make them softer if you wanted to or are they not as adjustable as the V3s?

FFM

Jz39

iTrader: (2)

OP - what aspect of the ride is too rough? Is it because you have lowering springs with OEM shocks and the shocks are not able to handle this?

Doing springs without matching the shocks is a recipe for poor ride quality, period. I'm going with the RR Racing Road and Track shocks next Tuesday. I went this route because I did not want to deal with trying to match up springs with shocks and try to get that correct. There are a few people on the site that have installed the Bilstein shocks with Swift springs, but interestingly I don't think there have been any in depth reviews of the combination post-install??? My experience with Bilsteins is that they tend to be valved similar to oem, so, I'm wondering if those that installed these were disappointed and if this is why there are no real reviews.

Anyways, I'm putting my trust in RR Racing. More than any other company out there, they do direct testing of their products on the specific vehicle and have first hand knowledge if something is great or stinks, and they don't release the stuff that stinks.

On my G Coupe, I installed Fortune Auto coilovers according to their "recommended" spring and valving rates, Now, I really like the coilovers and the service and price have been great. HOWEVER, their "recommended" rates I'm guessing were never actually tested because they were WAY too soft, especially in the rear. So, I've now replaced the rear springs up 2K and that didn't do it. So, they did send me new springs and shock inserts at cost, which is great, and now I have to do yet another swap to see if this works out. Then, if the balance isn't great front to rear, then I will need to do the same to the front.....that's just too much work.

So, you can appreciate why this time around I'm going with Rafi, trusting that his testing is going to end up with some awesome coils for the F. Keeping my fingers crossed.

jw669

iTrader: (8)

So, finally got around to installing the bilstein B6 shocks paired with Tein H-techs. Figured I'd post my initial impressions here, since there were very few reviews on this forum, despite them being mentioned so often.

Bare in mind, I've only put about 30 miles on them. I've driven on the OEM 2008 w/ the same H-techs for about 15K miles.
Only other suspension related mod is the USRS.

Initial impressions driving out of the shop is that they ride very similar if not the same as (2008) OEM on paved roads. After a few miles and a few bumps and crossing train tracks, I noticed that they absorb bumps wayyy better, and seem to do it more quietly as well. If I had to rate the comfort level (for a sports car), I'd give 2008 OEM/Htech combo a 4/10, and this B6 / Htech combo a 6.5/10. Which, in my mind is a very good compromise and very "streetable", and is also almost exactly what I expected from this combo.

I'll report back after some more miles - but so far, I am happy with the shock upgrade, and feel that the ISF (08-10 at least..) should have came from the factory this way.

Meraki Autoworks

iTrader: (8)

I had KW on mine and loved them. Great ride and handled better..

BC w/ Swift is very popular as well..

Contact us for pricing.

-Josh

FIGS

iTrader: (11)

We have personally been testing shocks on the ISF platform since 2009 when we worked with BC to develop the first spec rates for the platform. We can provide anything from shock and spring combos to full 4-way competition packages serving any budget and performance level. Swift springs are spec'd to be right at the critical damped range of the factory dampers, but due to the variance between years, the 2011 shocks may pair to be slightly rougher but that also has to do with the dampers that were used on that year. With the heavier weight of the car, we have found it performs well with a monotube shock design. The KWv3 has always been a great shock setup if you were not modifying other aspects of the vehicle. When changing tire sizes, adding more brake or power or high load/temperature tires, it will overpower the spring rates chosen by KW.
Just keep in mind, springs do not always dictate the ride, it is almost always the damping settings that produce a jarring sensation. Springs just set the gross load limit that the suspension can tolerate and the valving dictates how quickly the shock is able to react to road conditions.

If you plan to keep the car stock for the most part and ride quality is your number one goal, then a BC setup or a KWV3 would work well for the application. The Greddy setup is based on the ST suspension lineup, which favors a steel body vs stainless to reduce cost. It will be valved more aggressively for higher performance but still has the twin-tube design like the v3. You lose the 2-way adjustment, but most people do not know what to adjust on the compression side anyway and it's not very user-friendly to do so on the v3 in the first place.

So define what you want most, your budget and long-term goals for the car and you should be able to sort out which solutions will fit best. If you need help, hit us up and we will walk you through the process. Thanks, Mike