LOL! no harm done mate..

so still looking for more opinions here :P

 

The original post asks "Is it worth the price" and not "are coilovers worth the extra money over springs". The original post goes on to discuss the poor quality of PH roads, and that the car will be used for "casual spirited driving" and not track use. So it seems like the original post is seeking opinions on all options, including leaving the suspension stock.

I'm sure that's a great read, but no thanks.

 

Sabawballs, thanks for clarifying your original post.

Backing up a bit, can you explain why you want to lower your car? It doesn't sound like you will see much benefit for somewhat spirited street driving, and you run the typical risks associated with reduced ground clearance on not so great roads.

If it's predominantly for aesthetic reasons, great. It's your car and you should do whatever makes you happy. If that's the case, you should probably go with the cheapest alternative that achieves that goal.

 

Hi OP!

Coilovers are spectacularly efficient at what they do. But they require you to drive your FIT in extreme conditions to benefit from them. A good analogy is owning a Ferrari and never going over 60mph. You have this really good piece of engineering but you never use it to it's full potential.

Springs like Swifts are made specifically to work with the equipment Honda has provided you. That is to say the springs are matched to the dampers. People have reported that with a rear sway bar and Swifts springs the car now drives like it should. Steadier in curves, or during periods of high winds or even when passing trucks the car stays planted. Even on bad roads the ride is still nearly stock.

There are a number of other companies that provide springs for our FITs but they are not meant for the factory dampers. Meaning that they will not get their full potential and your dampers provided by Honda will break down sooner. In order to maximize the potential of non Swift springs you have to upgrade your dampers as well as purchasing the springs.

If your goal is to lower your car to the very max then coilovers are a good bet. But for a mild drop and for a boost in car's performance regarding handling, Swift springs are the way to go even if you have to order them from overseas and have to save your monies for a while longer.

To me this decision is clear and you don't have to count answers anymore.

Man with a recommendation like this Swift should send me a free set of springs eh?

Have a great day!

 

^ this is very helpful! so i guess if i won't get the swifts from overseas, i should get coilovers. Thanks alot man!

 

where do u intend on buying coilovers in the PH? i'm flying down there Nov. Was curious where i can go and buy some JDM stuffs.

 

I agree Sportlines are great...but given your road conditions I would just go with the Eibach Pro kit.

 

prokit is progressive rate = soft turn-in, sway. you'd need to get a swaybar to correct this.

get the swifts which are linear rate = correct setting. no need for sway bar unless you want it.

 

Coil overs have the advantage of adjusting ride height so you can custom set your ride and have better matched shocks..
Coils and just springs are pretty much the same in ride as long as the ride height is similar. When you lower the shock rod travel is reduced and that can be beneficial if you don't lower more than 25-30 mm.
The disadvantage to just coils, besides harder riude, is they can be mismatched to the shock absorber characteristics; most coil overs come with new shocks too and thats better. better naturally costs more.
that help?
good luck.

 

There are a lot of shops here in PH where you can buy coilovers. Though some shops sell their coils $100 more expensive. Really depends on the item.

 

was considering pro-kits as well. Though with 1.25" drop front and tends to settle at around 1.5". This drop usually have a rubbing problem paired with 205/45/17 if no camber bolts installed. I also tried one pro-kit on a GE. Though ride in front is superb, the rear tends to bounce too much for my liking.

 

banawe? i wanna hit up an area where they actually have stock on hand and a decent selection of stuff.

i'm not really looking for coilovers, more like mebbe intake/exhaust/rims, or whatever else i can stuff into my balikbayan boxes.

 

yep okay then. Though still thinking if i should go swifts because its $450 to be shipped here and that is very sad news for me. It is priced already more than half of the full coilover set. That is why i am considering tein htechs because of the price differential.

 

Yep! it helped. I was referring to the full coilover sets with the springs and shocks. At around $813, i think it is a good deal. That is why i was considering this as well. hmmm lots of thinking to do.

If i follow my "being practical side" i'd go with the springs. If "i want that ZOMFG" i'd go coilovers. Really still undecided but leaning toward coilovers because of the availability and easier warranty purposes since i can't get swifts locally.

 

Yeah banawe. There are a lot of shops there. One of our group members also owns a shop there so maybe we can hook you up.

For rims though, if you want to go for the original i think its better to buy there. If you opt for replicas (rota) then it is definitely cheaper here.

 

I'm on Sportlines and I ran 205/45/17 for a year and the only time I rubbed was when I had full passenger capacity....it really depends more on the offset, my offset was 42.

 

using +45mm but my wheels are 7.5" wide. Really sportslines with no rubbing?

 

buying expensive rims are way out of the budget for me. plus i'm too afraid of seeing my car on cinder blocks being only two town away from the carnapping capital of the USA. i wouldn't mind so much the rotas, they are pretty nice and for the price too.

 

Looking at the pricing, you looking at $800 coilovers, I am almost certain your stock struts/shocks mated with SWIFT Sport-Machs will handle better than whatever that cheap coilover setup is you're looking at. Why pay more money for something that is not as good quality or ride characteristic? The SWIFT springs are of excellent quality and as has been stated multiple times are matched to the capabilities of the stock components.

Add in a rear sway bar with the SWIFT springs and definitely have a much better handling ride over the suspension you are looking at for roughly the same price.

 

yeah rotas are cheap here. We also get some thai/taiwan copies which will be cheaper than rotas too. for 17s, it will cost you around $560 for a set.