COILOVERS

Street driven 92 (except when NSXPO comes to Mid-Ohio – please come back!!) Currently with Eibachs, stock shocks/bars/Daves rear beam/toes. Down under 2700lbs now and no complaints whatsoever but pondering unsprung weight/total weight reduction/improved handling with coilovers - KW3’s/Ohlins/JRZ. I see lots of great user experience on this site(thanks to all), but there has been some mention of noise/rattling/squealing with these units and wondering where this is coming from? Of course I understand compromises are required for performance. Considering the cost of these units plus the set-up, just want to know what to expect. And perhaps I could mitigate these noises with custom spring interface absorbers? Do helper spring set-ups have significant drawbacks on the street? Thinking I’m looking to get stiffness something like the OE “S”set up while maintaining my current 1 3/8” lower ride height and drop weight if sensible. Thanks!

TANTO said:

Street driven 92 (except when NSXPO comes to Mid-Ohio – please come back!!) Currently with Eibachs, stock shocks/bars/Daves rear beam/toes. Down under 2700lbs now and no complaints whatsoever but pondering unsprung weight/total weight reduction/improved handling with coilovers - KW3’s/Ohlins/JRZ. I see lots of great user experience on this site(thanks to all), but there has been some mention of noise/rattling/squealing with these units and wondering where this is coming from? Of course I understand compromises are required for performance. Considering the cost of these units plus the set-up, just want to know what to expect. And perhaps I could mitigate these noises with custom spring interface absorbers? Do helper spring set-ups have significant drawbacks on the street? Thinking I’m looking to get stiffness something like the OE “S”set up while maintaining my current 1 3/8” lower ride height and drop weight if sensible. Thanks!

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All of the listed coils will deliver what you're after. I'd also add the MCS to the list- I love mine. Most of the squeaks from coilovers come from the use of spehrical ball top mounts, which are a race car setup using a nylon or metal ball sleeve to connect the shock to the body. Like any spherical bushing, they eventually start squeaking. Because race car. The KW, JRZ and the MCS can use adapters that fit the coilover springs and use the factory rubber bushings (read quiet). I got these from SOS. I'm not sure about the Ohlins.

My MCS uses a 8kg/6kg Swift 60mm spring setup with helpers, which is the spring rate of the NA1 NSX-R and S-Zero. They are silent. Any of these companies can set up the valving to work with the Type-S rates, which I believe are 6kg/5kg.



I've heard that the KW springs are noisy. Don't know about JRZ or Ohlins

The long stroke ohlins are quiet like oem.

Thanks guys, still studying the great legacy posts and will certainly use bushings up top (although those adjustable JRZ top mounts are SO sexy). Register MCS and LS Ohlins quiet- KW questionable. These helper spring set-ups are new to me and I was worried about those helper springs bottoming out every few seconds under load and making a slight impact noise. We old guys get a little testy about needing "helpers" he-he (pharma joke deleted). Stuntman comments about ride height/oversteer/front end loading under braking got my attention as well as Honcho's "driving style" valving. I remember a great test article where Mario/Danny Sullivan/others thrashed the car. Mario gave it a surprising compliment of "if you ask more of the NSX -it will give you more", Danny (who was a huge P-car guy) said something to the effect of "he would double" the front spring rate". Sounds like we may just have to run a stiff front end and live with it. Will likely get back with yous for proper shock/spring length down the road. So many expensive decisions (argh!). As a bit of an audiophile you may be familiar with the WAF (wife acceptance factor) that is always an important variable in our equation-he-he. Larry

Don't overthink the coilover solution. Unless you track your car, most of the major players will have an out-of-the-box solution that will work. If you track your car, then IMO, MCS is the only solution.

There are two types of secondary springs, Helper and Tender.

Helper Springs:

In simplest terms, a helper spring is a short, very thin, flat wire spring that sits above or below the main spring. The main purpose of the helper is to keep the main spring engaged with its upper and lower seat at all times through full suspension travel. When the damper is fully extended, the main spring can unload completely and become free floating. When the spring is free floating it unseats from its locating rings.

Helper springs are very common on many coilover setups and have no effect on the overall spring rate.

Tender Springs:

A tender spring is a stiffer spring than a helper spring and does not fully compress at ride height but acts as part of a dual rate spring system. Under low loads, such as normal road driving, the tender spring is used to provide a softer spring rate than if only the main spring was used. Upon compression such as cornering situations, the tender spring closes up becoming inactive, allowing the main spring rate to take over and increase the cornering stiffness of the vehicle and provide a more firm, stable cornering platform.

I can't wait for spring...

Is there generally a plastic/rubber piece where the main springs meet the helper/tenders to keep things lined up and quiet? Would these come from swift? or from the supplier that would do the valving. I don't think i will have trusted local folks and will likely end up buying scales and doing the set-up myself. Love those MSC green anodized adjustment. TIA

TANTO said:

Is there generally a plastic/rubber piece where the main springs meet the helper/tenders to keep things lined up and quiet? Would these come from swift? or from the supplier that would do the valving. I don't think i will have trusted local folks and will likely end up buying scales and doing the set-up myself. Love those MSC green anodized adjustment. TIA

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What you are referring to is a stacked spring adapter. These are available from a variety of sources including the spring manufacturer.



This example is from Swift, which BTW makes a great coil spring. Probably my choice over Hyperco or Eibach (I've used all three).

Pretty much every "helper" or "tender" spring is fully compressed at ride height. "Tender" spring rates are almost never high enough to not be coil bound at ride height.