Hi all , I'm about to embark on replacing my air shocks with Fortune Auto coilovers .
The set of low milage air shocks that I sourced from Yahoo Japan are all on the car now and have been for some time , I certainly do not want to get caught out with a failed air shock as that's a disaster !!
So Fortune Auto coilovers are the choice with Swift springs and remote reservoir's to give me separate rebound and compression dampening adjustment .
Having come from a bike racing background I know how much difference it makes to have the ability to adjust rebound and compression dampening separately .
I would very much like to hear from anybody who has fitted Fortune Auto coilovers with or without Swift springs .
The spring rates you chose and how you have set them up and your thoughts on the result and day to day results would be great to know .
At this stage I'm looking at 9kg rear and 15kg front .
I actually have a front and rear stock springs and I'm going to get them tested to see what the stock spring rate is .
If anybody has that info that would be great .
I have 5 bulging disc's in my lower back and my cervical spine is a train wreck so I cannot have the set up harsh , any info will be gratefully received !!

 

Personally if I were you, with all the back problems, I would leave the air shocks as long as possible. They are pretty easy to swap out so I wouldn't call it a disaster if one fails suddenly. I would even have no problem changing one out in a parking lot, especially if you have one of those air ride controllers from Japan. You could set the remaining three working shocks to go as high as they possibly can, slide a jack under the center lifting point of the end with the failed shock, then have the shocks air down until the car levels out and is sitting on the jack evenly. Then lift that end of the car with the jack. That may not be practical with back problems though so I can appreciate that you want to be proactive.

From what I have read and experienced on the matter, 15kg is very stiff for the front end and usually only used by people who want to lower their car a lot and limit wheel movement to avoid rubbing. BC Racing is a popular choice for the LS430 and their base rates are 10k/8k for these cars. My friend had them on his first LS430 and it rode very nicely. I would put it on par with a newer BMW with stock low profile tires. There wasn't any harsh bouncing and it handled body control very well. Tein CS is/was another popular choice, especially for people who wanted to retain a stock soft ride quality, and those came with even softer springs at 7k/4k according to what I've read.

My friends second LS430 is a UL and the air ride is very much like riding on a cloud with the stock 17 inch wheels. So much so that he wouldn't realize he had hit bumps and manhole covers that he used to avoid with his previous car. I also notice a less obvious difference compared to my current car, an 01 LS430 with factory steel springs. There is virtually no difference between them on smooth roads and even on small bumps, but the air ride really shines when it soaks up the larger impacts like sunken manhole covers, and also there is less sharpness felt when entering driveways with that V shaped concrete gutter. Even though my car has 16 inch wheels with "thicker" tires than his car, his still handles the impacts better. Anyways, just some observations and some numbers to add to your decision making. Unfortunately, I've never seen stock spring rates posted anywhere, not even on aftermarket springs.

 

Ive got the FA Muler line which comes with Swift springs. I went with their recommended rates which I believe are 12 and 8. My car is low but not super low. Very smooth ride overall, I did switch from 20s to 19s recently to have a little more sidewall. Not that it was a bad ride, just hard on the wheels themselves.

 

The air shocks are done , once the dampening is gone they will leak not long afterwards , I have plenty of experience with air shocks , not my first rodeo .
I do want about 10% more stiffness than the air shocks have at the moment , a bit stiffer and harshness are two different things and that's why I want separate rebound and compression adjustment .
It seems that no one I can find in an extensive search has fitted coilovers with a remote reservoir on an LS430 ??
So it looks like my own experience will have to do , coilovers that are 1 way adjustment that adjusts both rebound and compression together just don't ever give you enough rebound .
It hard to explain the difference to someone who hasn't actually experienced it .
Without knocking BC coilovers anybody who sez they are anything more than a good shock for the price has never experienced great coilovers as the two are very far apart .
I used to rebuild my own forks and shock absorbers including altering the shim stacks so I know what I'm about , I'm no expert by any means but once you come off bikes way back when you had high and low speed adjustment plus you could alter the leverage ratio as well and then you go back to cars it all seems stone age like and yes I know that was available in cars but back then it was big big money to have that on a car .
Like almost 100,000 dollar budget whereas in bikes it was affordable on street level bikes .

 

That's a bit harsh, and comes off as rude as well. I'm not sure if that's what you were going for or not, but I was just trying to offer information I have from personal experience with these cars, even if it's not precisely what you asked for because you did say "any info will be gratefully received !!"
I do actually have experience with dampers that have separate rebound and compression adjustment. I have rebuilt them myself as I do all of the servicing on my bike myself. I am familiar with shim stacks, re-valving and all that. In fact, I intend to go through the fork on my bike again soon because it's about due. I never said BC Racing components were anything at all. I only commented on how they rode with 10k/8k springs in the LS430 compared to factory air ride and compared to factory steel springs since I've driven LS430s with all three. However, I will gracefully bow out of the conversation now in favor of someone who has more specific and applicable info.

 

I have had bc's with swift springs multiple different kg springs 10/8, 12/8, 14/12 and 16/14. The 430 is very heavy and the high kg spring helps the car a lot. It is not super harsh. My coilovers where put on a car with solid 90a poly bushings, billet bushings, all ultra racings chassi braces as well as heim joints, So your stock 430 should not be harsh at all even if you go with a high kg spring set up. I currently have my just rebuilt bc's 1167 miles on them with swift springs if your interested.

 

Yes a bit harsh but not meaning to be or rude for that matter so apologies and I changed it up a bit .
Very interested 518 to what spring rate you have now with the BC's ??
You mention several spring rates but not how they felt say between the 12/8 and the 14/12 as I'm pretty sure the 16/14 would be too stiff for me .
It seems the stock seems to be about 12/8 so with Swift springs I might go 13/9 .
So Mr Dr how was the ride on 10/8 Swift springs seeing as how the stock Fortune rate is 12/8 ??
How much is the Fortune 12/8 done to try and please all !!
It's going to be informative when I get the stock springs tested I think .

 

I am currently going with 16/8 for my current project.
I believe the coilovers now have 16/14 they rode really good like an M5 or amg merc kinda. The car felt very planted and was not that harsh techs would comment on how they where surprised at how nice the ride is. Keep in mind like I said this is with heim joints, a slew of chassis braces, billet and 90a bushings etc. So on a stock chassis 430 I think it would give it a sporty but smooth ride. .

I kept changing the spring rate because the car was not where I wanted it handling wise. A lot of people get the normal 10/8kg, or 12/10kg springs and wish they went higher kg wise. The 430 is a heavy long car so the extra stiffness is much needed in my opinion.

 

Hmmmmm , I need it to be not harsh at all , I think Swift springs in a 13/9 might be the go for me .
I can use the dampening adjustment to control it .
I want the wheels to move up and down , I just need it to be in a controlled manner , separate rebound adjustment will help a lot with this .
Thank you 518 .

 

have you tried asking Fortune Auto what they think?

 

I keep telling myself that when my current set of Sport shocks starts leaking, I'm going FA mullers and buying 19s haha.

 

It really is an ideal combination, for me anyway. You will not be disappointed if your goal is to have a good look and a nice ride.

 

I have emailed Fortune Auto and was told I would have to go to the Pro 2 coilovers if I wanted separate rebound and compression dampening ??
I don't quite understand as I thought the 500 series was upgradable with the remote reservoir ??
That just makes them way to much for me and then freight to Australia on top !!
Looking at a set of Ceika brand coilovers instead .
I can upgrade to a remote reservoir shock for an extra $800 which is what I thought I could do with the F.A shocks .
Has anybody done this with the 500 series F.A shocks ??
https://ceika-store.com/collections/...30_xf30_-00-07
The research goes on !!

 

15kg and Lower back problems are not compatible from health perspective. The ride will be harsh and overly sporty. Depends on your interests, but with information you provided, anything above 10 kg or even I would say any aftermarket coil overs (except for discounted tein ss comfort) will not make it any better for your back.

 

Well it's definitely going to Ceika coilovers but will pull the pin and get 3 way so I have high and low speed compression adjustment to go with the separate rebound adjustment .
I will go with their standard 14/8 front rear spring rate and if I don't like them will fit Swift springs .
Going tp get some stock springs tested first just to see what the stock spring rate is .
Will update when I have them .