Suspension - Testimonials please

[Veloc]

I thought it would be good if we can have a thread to share experience in using suspension. Many suspension including OEM nowadays do not last. And for some of us, we love to just compare many different ones and get the best one. But that is an expensive hobby! So let us share here. Details to share are:

Car:
Brand and model: (suspension brand and model)
Durability: (no of years it served you before soften or scrapped)
Roads used on: (smooth, bumpy, gravel etc)

*Optional
Comfort:
Handling:

---------- Post added at 06:21 PM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 06:18 PM ----------

Let me start...

Car: Toyota Corolla AE111
Brand and model: APM Performax rear abs with stock springs
Durability: 6 months :( Didn't scrap but got soft after 6 months.
Roads used on: Mostly city drive with occasional bumpy roads. No gravel.

*Optional
Comfort: When new, not too soft and a little bit stiff. Just nice balance for comfort and handling.
Handling: Nicely, slightly stiff.

 

[g4i8y0t]

Car: Civic SO4
Engine: SOHC 1.6 Manual
Brand and model: Tokico OEM shock with original spring
Durability: I bought them brand new about 2 years ago and have covered about 50,000km. Recently could feel them going a bit soft and my front wheel hit the wheel arch when taking fast corners and hitting bump at the same time.
Roads used on: Highway (50%), kampung roads (30%), town (20%)

Comfort: 7.5/10
Handling: 2/10

*I was thinking of getting APM Performax to replace my Tokicos but after reading your review I'm changing my mind...

 

[GasPedal]

Car: Toyota Corolla EE90 1991 1.3carb [convert 4age 20v BT]
Brand and model: GAB coil with stock kayaba absorber
Durability: already 1 year [till now still feel like new]
Roads used on: paved road around sungai petani kedah

*Optional
Comfort: not very comfy, but not as bad as coilover/adjustable suspension
Handling: good, give u confident around bend, and during cilok2 at 5000rpm :)
mechanic said handling will be better if match with GAB damper, but stiffer.

 

[ae92 corolla]

Hi sifu, sorry to use this thread...

I am thinking of buying APM performax sport spring for my

Car model : AE92 (1989 model)
Description : 4AFE engine (no modification), using 195x50x15R tyre

Currently the distance between body and tyre is 3 figure... and im using stock absorber and spring, its Monroe gas absorber (just found out last week when i clean my wheel arch)...

Question:

1) How low will my car be if i use the APM Performax spring for all 4 corners? (How many fingers)
2) How is the durability? Will it spoil my existing absorber?
3) Where can i get it changed? Any recommended worskshop?

Thank You

 

[Veloc]

Hi sifu, sorry to use this thread...

I am thinking of buying APM performax sport spring for my

Car model : AE92 (1989 model)
Description : 4AFE engine (no modification), using 195x50x15R tyre

Currently the distance between body and tyre is 3 figure... and im using stock absorber and spring, its Monroe gas absorber (just found out last week when i clean my wheel arch)...

Question:

1) How low will my car be if i use the APM Performax spring for all 4 corners? (How many fingers)
2) How is the durability? Will it spoil my existing absorber?
3) Where can i get it changed? Any recommended worskshop?

Thank You

First of all, you have one of the best absorbers around Monroe GT gas is stiff thus good for handling. And are you sure your car comes ori with Monroe? Nobody changed it? Toyota AE normally use KYB.

To ans you, I only have experience on apm performax absorbers and not springs. But I have heard testimonies around.

1.) It will usually be lowered to 3 fingers. SInce your car already 3 fingers, maybe it will be the same
2.) I don't think so because it is not a self chopped spring. The travel and rate has been calculated to work with stock absorbers. However, since it is APM and most people reported that it is prone to go fast, then perhaps it will put more load on your absorbers.
3.) Don't know... Need to ask people in your area.

Please share you experience of suspension here please. This suppose to be opened in a different thread.

 

[ae92 corolla]

Sori bro, but thanks for the info... im nt sure whether it had been changed previously or not (cause i bought from my uncle who is a second buyer) .... i will share my experience here...

Car : Toyota Corolla AE92 (4AFE 1.6 liter Carb engine)
Brand and model : Monroe gas absorber with stock springs (says made in Australia)
Durability : Using for more than 13 years (if i remember correctly, car was passed to me by my uncle). Still feel okay as i carry four adults passenger before..
Roads used on : Town and highway

 

[DanzEterna]

Car: Proton Perdana 6a12TT
Brand and model: hotbits hi lo adjustable suspension
Durability: quite soft, thinking of changing to GAB hi lo/ soft hard.
Roads used on: tarmac.

*Optional
Comfort: 7/10
Handling:3/10

 

[g4i8y0t]

any more reviews?

 

[shawnzz]

Car: Suzuki Swift Sport
Brand and model: Titan Hi Lo
Durability: used for 9 month, cant comment
Roads used on: City roads/highway port hole

Comfort: 5/10 (subjective, i find it comfortable, my friends find it stiff)
Handling:8/10 (rear tends to over oversteer, But i like it)

 

[Izso]

Car : Wira Aeroback SE 1.5
Brand and Model : Improve hi/lo + 8k front 6k rear springs
Durability : dunno. Too stiff and changed it after 3 months.
Roads used on : KL roads + track
Comfort : (0/10) Hell no. Not at all. Bouncy and jiggly. Good if you have well endowed female friends you want to make fun of.
Handling : (6/10) You rely super heavily on good tyres. Otherwise it's flat cornering (zero body roll) and your physical body will roll more than the car. If you have rubbish tyres expect to oversteer a lot.

Brand and Model : Improve Comfort semi adjustable rear and fixed front + stock springs
Durability : 1 year.
Roads used on : KL roads
Comfort : (7/10) Very comfy. Feels like stock except slightly stiffer.
Handling : (3/10) Very wishy washy, slow to respond when cornering and all. Does not like fast direction changes. But then again the name says it all - "Comfort" so can't really complain.

Brand and Model : Hotbits Silver Hi/Lo + 4.5k front 4k rear springs
Durability : still using
Roads used on : KL roads + track
Comfort : (5/10) Ok la. For height-adjustables this is considered comfy. You still feel every bump on the road but it's not bone jarring. Going over speedbumps doesn't break your back either but when going over a bump you get that extra 'jump' after passing through the rear. I don't like this as it makes my custom rear board and contents of my boot jump if I'm just a little too fast over the bump.
Handling : (7/10) Has some bodyroll but it makes the car more easier to predict and control. Stiff enough to allow me to plough through corners faster than I'm normally comfortable without being unpredictable. Reaction time is fast it holds its place quite well when under pressure. Quite good if you ask me.

 

[YYC]

Car: Proton Iswara 1.3 2001
Brand and model: KYB RS & G|A|B sport spring
Durability: 21 months and still rock.
Roads used on: City and highway


Comfort: 7/10. Used to be 5/10 before I installed front spring cushions, added cushions because car too low.
Handling: 5/10. Spring cushion no good for handling, not as sharp as it should be.

 

[ACQ2305]

Car : Wira 4g91
Brand : GAB Hi : Lo , 2005 model..
Durability : Use it for 6 years, squeezed the life out of it. Was not absorbing the bumps anymore.. hahaha
Roads used : 1 year in KL roads, 5 years back in Sarawak, i would say, highway and some rough roads, bumpy and uneven..
Comfort : 4-5/10 Kinda harsh, does rattles the inside of my car, but it does not bother me back then..
Handling : 7.5 / 10 ?? Find it planted with minimal body roll.. Only had a front stabilizer bar and 17in rims..

Brand : DII (RED), not D2 (Purple).. tight budget
Durability : Since 2011 March till present..
Roads used : 50 - 50..Smooth, and uneven surfaces..
Comfort : First 3 months, was ok.. Seem to get a bit bouncy since then.. if compared to GAB 5 / 10
Handling : 5 / 10 A bit more body roll if compared to GAB.. Soft, but better in terms of comfort.. Might go for a change,depends on priority..

 

[DareDan]

Car: Myvi 1.3
Brand and model: KYB RS Pro Hi/Lo
Durability: 9 months so far so good
Roads used on: City, highway and Industrial road with lots of hole...

Comfort: 7/10.
Handling: 6/10.

 

[nadziad]

CAR; satria neo cps
Brand:sdw d2 adjustable
Durability:1 year+
Road use: rural place, city place
Comfort:7/10 better than stock suspension
handling:9/10 haha taking corner during hi speed

 

[zuruzuruz]

Car: kia spectra
Brand: Titan Hi Lo
Durability: been using it for 5 years aledi, the moderate comfort that it used to hv hv gone
Road use: rural area 20%, city area 80%
Comfort: 6/10 new (4/10 after 5 years)
Handling: 10/10 I can take any corners that i want anytime anywhere, provided with some good tyres... last time i whack my car on a corner, it was with a mugen rr, it felt like i was at par with him :P