Swift which is made by Tohatsu is on top of the spring game in quality here in Japan. In fact there is really only 1 better spring and that would be NOVA. This is speaking in regards to springs for coilovers. There SportMach line is very, very nice. In fact, when I replaced my stock springs on the 5R Teggy with SportMachs, the very next day I went out on a gymkhana run with my Honda mechanic friends and my motor told me to phuck off as cylinders 2 & 3 decuded that the journals tasted too yummy and ate 'em up. The springs created so much more lateral grip that the oil pickup couldn't pick up any oil as it all resided up the left side of the motor (notorious for the K series, get a baffled pan if you have one and like to drive the piss out of your car). The drop was only about 20mm, but SWIFT caters the springs to the stock suspension so as to not overwork the stock struts. The spring rates are perfect with the drop provided. This is one thing Tohatsu really R&Ds. In fact, you will see they don't make springs for every damn car on the road.

So they came out with some for the GD and GE? The last I checked they didn't have any for either chassis. I wish they would make a stabilizer bar set for the GE, I later put these on the Teggy also and the ride improved even more. This is when I would take people out for some fun runs at gymkhana and they couldn't believe the car was a FF chassis.

 

I meant that I was and still am waiting for a coilover kit. I wanted to drop the ride height a little anyways so it would look and handle just a bit better while i'm waiting to buy a set of coils. So my REASON FOR GETTING THEM was to drop a bit, and handle better....until coils come. I have seen, read and heard how great swift springs are, so i didn't hesitate to purchase them at all.


Actually, most of the spring kits out there seem to be cheaper than the swift springs. For instance, the tanabe springs, progress springs, t1r s coils, eibach prokit...i believe all cost less than swifts. i never said they're price wasn't competitive either, but they certainly aren't relatively cheap.

 

there's no "best" riding springs....its all subjective

 

you know what though. swift has a really good reputation for their coils.
from regular coils to coilover springs.
i have rode in 4 cars that have swift and they are fabulous. they are just not low enough for me, hence why i dont have them. but eibach has a good reputation aswell.
to each his own. i love eibach and H&R. they are one of the lowest out of the group of springs, so its really what height your looking for.

i have a set of t1r's at my house that im debating about slapping on, but i know its not going to be the height i like...so i might just sell them.

 

what height are you looking for? I have t1r's and the height was exactly like I wanted.

 

great info here. several months later, how are these springs treating you guys that own them?

 

riding on tanabe df210's. the drop is 1.3" in the front and 1.8" in the rear. some scraping every now and then but nothing major *knock on wood*. the ride is a lot stiffer around corners too.

 

I have a good question pertaining to the matter of springs and not coils. For people like doctor1foot and myself who appreciate their ride height as it is, what ARE some options for aftermarket shocks and struts? My first car was a 93 civic hatch with skunk2 race springs matched with kyb agx gas shocks (4 or 5 way adjustable i cant remember). I was always compimented on the ride height, the ride quality, and the cars cornering ability. Has any company such as : tokiko, kyb, or even koni done r&d for the GE8?

 

My take on Swift SportMach...
Not so dramatic of a drop but significant. Kept my same daily driving style with no issue. Handling is better and the low to ground feel is noticeable. Ride is top notch with smooth tight controlled rebound without a hint of harsh. Springs settled in nicely.

 

i got Progress Sport Springs for the same reasons, being a daily driver, but i havnt put them on yet

 

As with any vehicle, when you lower it, it is going to be a compromise on ride quality. Unfortunately with the limited choices on dampers, we are only dealing with part of the suspension equation. Dampers can make a huge difference in handling and comfort. I'm in the same boat as many of you...springs now? or wait till I can afford a decent coilover set.....or when Koni Yellows are ever available! ARRRRGH!!!

 

Have to agree. Not a big drop but just enough to close up the gap without affecting the ride much. Hey the ride was rough to begin with.

 

springs now, replace the struts once they blow = no more waiting on koni

 

Johnkimble - that sounds like the best option as I would love to get this thing lower. However, the stock dampers already are pretty lousy with the stock springs....I know, I can't have it all...but I can dream...

 

i was happy with my skunk2 springs. wait is this ge section?

 

I've had my Tanabe DF's for over a year and a half. Other than railroad tracks and crazy chopped up roads I don't feel any difference in ride quality. I do notice a big difference in stability and handling all the time though. IMO well worth the slightly rougher ride 10% of the time.

Example: We had real bad wind storms and rain 2 weeks ago. I was driving down interstate 71 (which cuts through corn fields) and the winds were blowing all the other vehicles all around. I even saw another Fit pulled over on the side of the road because of the wind. But I was trekking fine rolling 65 mph down the highway. Before I lowered my car, it would have been impossible to drive even 40 mph in those kind of winds. I would have been on the shoulder with the other Fit. Lowering has helped this car tremendously from a stability standpoint. No matter what anybody says lowering was the best mod I've done to this car.

 

Committobefit08 - it is interesting and encouraging that lowering the Fit helped your stability. Those are two things that I really want...lower the car AND increase the highway stability.

Thanks for sharing!

+rep for you sir.

 

I would have left my suspension completely stock if the Swift Sport Mach springs hadn't made so much sense on paper.... They are as good if not better than I expected after my experiences with other suspension products on other cars.... They do not sacrifice ride quality or handling or provide the low rider Vato look... If you are into the East LA look you won't like the Swift springs but if you are into improving your car you can't do any better without spending 3 to 5 times the money.

 

how come you decided to go with the DF210 and not the gf210? the gf is a little stiffer with not as much drop but it seems that this would be a little more stable at higher speeds. Correct me if i'm wrong.
Tanabe USA Inc. - Springs

 

I don't know why such an old thread, that's unrelated to this forum, is up, but I'm bored so here's my opinion...

I agree with this statement. Ride quality is largely subjective. The fact remains that, all things being equal, just increasing the spring rate will increase the amount of vibration transmitted to the driver's seat.

Coilover kits are not necessarily giving you a more "comfortable" ride, especially since they use linear spring rates, but they are giving you the benefit of having dampeners that are matched to the spring rate. The more complete the suspension, the more effectively it will work. Even if you only change one part, it will still affect every other component in the system.

So the bottom line is, if you want to maintain the "stock" ride, then maintain the stock set-up. If you want a "stock-like" ride, then you better be able to afford to change out most, if not all, of your suspension components with parts that were all designed to be used together.