BC racing spec VS Tein CS
06-16-09, 06:06 PM
#20
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Weight comparison:
BCR Front: 8.70 LB
BCR Rear: 8.95 LB
Stock Front: 13.50 LB
Stock Rear: 15.55 LB
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Product quality:
The coil overs came pre-assembled, hats, shock socks, coils, etc were already put together in one piece. Since I didn't have to salvage some parts from the OEM setup, this helped speed up on the install. The shock body does not appear to be powder coated as noted by other members, but the paint looked to be coated evenly. I did not find any signs of flaws.
The packaging however was a little disappointing. It felt like it was drop shipped from a third world country. It did not come with any documentations. I would expect these more pricier product to come with some well written installation manual, adjustment fact sheet, or even a warranty card. I checked their website, there are no mentioning any documents for downloads either. I was getting skeptical.
Not that this matter, the coil overs are made in Taiwan.
----------------------------------------
Install tips:
If you have done coil over install before, or if you are fairly mechanical, this job should be fairly easy for you. If you have done coil overs and have worked on the 2IS before, this job shouldn't take more than three hours.
With that said, here are some things to look out for:
1) Adjust the ride height before the install. The factory setting is somewhere between 2.5" to 3" drop. If that's not what you want, change it before you put them in the car.
2) For the front, be sure to do both sides at the same time. If you are not going to unbolt the sway bar end link, you will not have enough room to drop the lower arm enough to take out the OEM setup.
Because I didn't think ahead, I installed the coil over with the default setting ~3" drop. It did not take more than a few minutes before I realize I couldn't get out of my driveway. I spent a good 30 minutes to adjust to a suitable height ~2" drop. The stance is VERY nice and aggressive, there was a bit too much camber for my liking though.
----------------------------------------
Ride Quality:
I have a IS350 without SP, my expectation was to make it perform a bit more sporty, but without loosing the stock ride quality.
I have to say with these 8kg/7kg custom springs, I am very happy with the results. As far as comfort level, I would rate these on par with stock at the softer shock setting. I am currently running 14 clicks from soft in the front, and 10 clicks from soft in the rear, the handling is similar to the 3 series with SP. Don't expect the BCR to improve the steering feel though, it feels almost the same, if not even a bit lighter. Nose dive while braking is dramatically reduced. Overall, the BCR has improved the handling greatly.
Noise:
You will notice a slight chunk from time to time, especially on rough pavement. However 90% of the time, they are dead quiet. You will not be able to tell the car is lowered riding on the freeway. You will notice a few rattles from time to time though, but that is expected with any aftermarket setup.
I haven't had too much drive time after they were installed over the weekend, I still need to readjust the ride height, coil setting, and dampening. However if I were to do this again, I would probably go with a set that is slightly stiffer. Probably a 9kg/8kg setup. But this 8kg/7kg is my recommendation if you want to keep that comfort level, while adding a little fun factor to your ride.
BCR Front: 8.70 LB
BCR Rear: 8.95 LB
Stock Front: 13.50 LB
Stock Rear: 15.55 LB
----------------------------------------
Product quality:
The coil overs came pre-assembled, hats, shock socks, coils, etc were already put together in one piece. Since I didn't have to salvage some parts from the OEM setup, this helped speed up on the install. The shock body does not appear to be powder coated as noted by other members, but the paint looked to be coated evenly. I did not find any signs of flaws.
The packaging however was a little disappointing. It felt like it was drop shipped from a third world country. It did not come with any documentations. I would expect these more pricier product to come with some well written installation manual, adjustment fact sheet, or even a warranty card. I checked their website, there are no mentioning any documents for downloads either. I was getting skeptical.
Not that this matter, the coil overs are made in Taiwan.
----------------------------------------
Install tips:
If you have done coil over install before, or if you are fairly mechanical, this job should be fairly easy for you. If you have done coil overs and have worked on the 2IS before, this job shouldn't take more than three hours.
With that said, here are some things to look out for:
1) Adjust the ride height before the install. The factory setting is somewhere between 2.5" to 3" drop. If that's not what you want, change it before you put them in the car.
2) For the front, be sure to do both sides at the same time. If you are not going to unbolt the sway bar end link, you will not have enough room to drop the lower arm enough to take out the OEM setup.
Because I didn't think ahead, I installed the coil over with the default setting ~3" drop. It did not take more than a few minutes before I realize I couldn't get out of my driveway. I spent a good 30 minutes to adjust to a suitable height ~2" drop. The stance is VERY nice and aggressive, there was a bit too much camber for my liking though.
----------------------------------------
Ride Quality:
I have a IS350 without SP, my expectation was to make it perform a bit more sporty, but without loosing the stock ride quality.
I have to say with these 8kg/7kg custom springs, I am very happy with the results. As far as comfort level, I would rate these on par with stock at the softer shock setting. I am currently running 14 clicks from soft in the front, and 10 clicks from soft in the rear, the handling is similar to the 3 series with SP. Don't expect the BCR to improve the steering feel though, it feels almost the same, if not even a bit lighter. Nose dive while braking is dramatically reduced. Overall, the BCR has improved the handling greatly.
Noise:
You will notice a slight chunk from time to time, especially on rough pavement. However 90% of the time, they are dead quiet. You will not be able to tell the car is lowered riding on the freeway. You will notice a few rattles from time to time though, but that is expected with any aftermarket setup.
I haven't had too much drive time after they were installed over the weekend, I still need to readjust the ride height, coil setting, and dampening. However if I were to do this again, I would probably go with a set that is slightly stiffer. Probably a 9kg/8kg setup. But this 8kg/7kg is my recommendation if you want to keep that comfort level, while adding a little fun factor to your ride.
06-19-09, 04:23 PM
#25
Hey the car looks awesome!
They usually come with an instruction manual, but I think when you got the custom rates put in, they may have forgotten to put them back in the box. Oops, let me see what we can do for you.
Glad you are so happy with them.
If anyone wants any info or pricing just shoot us a PM
They usually come with an instruction manual, but I think when you got the custom rates put in, they may have forgotten to put them back in the box. Oops, let me see what we can do for you.
Glad you are so happy with them.
If anyone wants any info or pricing just shoot us a PM
06-23-09, 06:42 PM
#27
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07-18-09, 11:11 PM
#28
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Hey folks, it's been about a month I've been riding on these BCR, and things are so far so good. There are some slight clunking when the weather is cold, especially in the morning commute. They are almost factory quiet when the temperature is back up to the norm, awesome for the evening commute.
I noticed they have settled in about 1/4 of a inch, so I had to raise the car back up to compensate. A surprising discovery was that in order for the ride height to be the same on all four corner, I had to adjust the length of the coil-overs very differently between the drivers side, and the passengers side. I think it was as much as an inch of difference. I guess this is because the car is more driver side heavy, even without me in it.
I purchased a set of G35 19" from GC86, and they fit great. They do rub the fronts with my current ride height, but that's pretty much due to the tires are oversized. I am using tires that are spec'ed for the G35, not for the 2IS.
Check out these pics, I think the offsets on these rims are as good as they get, without having the need to roll the fenders or run the risk of damaging anything.
I noticed they have settled in about 1/4 of a inch, so I had to raise the car back up to compensate. A surprising discovery was that in order for the ride height to be the same on all four corner, I had to adjust the length of the coil-overs very differently between the drivers side, and the passengers side. I think it was as much as an inch of difference. I guess this is because the car is more driver side heavy, even without me in it.
I purchased a set of G35 19" from GC86, and they fit great. They do rub the fronts with my current ride height, but that's pretty much due to the tires are oversized. I am using tires that are spec'ed for the G35, not for the 2IS.
Check out these pics, I think the offsets on these rims are as good as they get, without having the need to roll the fenders or run the risk of damaging anything.
07-19-09, 12:49 PM
#30
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Wow....that must be a really stiff setup. Btw, how is the F's steering response compare to the IS350? I can't imagine tracking the car with how passive the steering feel is.