Installed Ksport Coilovers...One Week Review
03-18-2014, 03:21 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-09-2012
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 1,430
Installed Ksport Coilovers...One Week Review
Well I've had my Ksport coilovers on for a week now so I figured I'd write up a review of what I thought of them and the install process. Keep in mind that this is the first set of coilovers I've ever owned so I'm still a rookie when it comes to the terminology and lingo so bare with me.
I installed the coilovers with the help of another HHR owner (member here as well). It doesn't take two people to get the job done but it sure helps to have an extra set of hands especially on the front struts. The coilovers were actually easier to install than the springs I did a few years back because the coilovers come pretty much ready to install whereas when you do the springs you have to break down the struts to put the new springs on, etc. We started around noon and I finished up around 6:00. I was working super slow and we actually took my Canucks out and put them in his SS so we were doing both cars. I can pretty much break down the fronts in less than a half our per side now...the rears about the same. On a scale of 1 to 10...10 being hard I'd put this install in around a 6. Making sure you have the right tools is key.
Now the Ksports have some advantages and some disadvantages over the others. For the price ($1k) they same to be some of the best fully adjustable coilovers for the money next to the BC coils. The Ksports seem to get a little more drop than the BCs too which is why I went with them. On my initial install I had the fronts set to full low and the rears I had the two lock rings in but at the lowest setting. This is a late afternoon pic on an iPhones but this is how she looked...my camber severely negative (hard to see in pics) and my car hated it!!!
I drove about 5 mins down the road and turned around because my car was rubbing in all sorts of places up front. I came back and brought the front up a good inch and half or so.
I went on Monday (install was Saturday) and got an alignment. I had some noise coming from the front end even after the alignment and I was afraid I was having some sort of axle bind. I knew I needed new tires too so I was crossing my fingers that the tires needed replaced which is exactly what the noise turned out to be...negative camber plus crappy tires. I went back in on Thursday and had them look at my alignment again since I had dropped the drivers side about 1/4" to match the passenger side. I also got new wheels and tires installed and the ride was perfect! 225/40/18s Kuhmos with Enkei EV5s.
I wasn't happy with how the front sat yet so I talked to the guys at Kauffman and told him that I wanted to drop the front down a little more to accomodate the lower profile tires he talked me into getting. He told me to go for it and he'd readjust the alignment. I dropped it another 3/4" this past Saturday and was able to adjust the camber myself since these coilovers are fully adjustable and allow for camber adjustment. I also adjusted the front damper so be a little softer...the rears are another story...I'll get to that soon. I got my alignment done yesterday and everything is perfect again. I'm very satisfied with the overall look and ride.
Before the final drop I could put a finger in-between the fender and tire...now I'm tucking. I still need to adjust my rear damper...it's set to full stiff from the factory and it requires the shock to be removed to adjust...also they don't send a tool to take the top of the shock off and I've yet to find a 17mm or 11/16 wrench that's thin enough to get ahold of the nut so bumps are very unforgiving at the moment. I've got the front set about 10 away from full stiff to help with the rear bounce. Overall I'm very happy with the Ksports. Now that I've got my camber set, I could probably go another half inch in the front without any problem but I think she's sitting fine now. I've got no axle binding and like I said the front handles and rides great...once I get my rear damper adjusted it should ride much better. Would I suggest coilovers for someone that drives 40-50 miles to work and back on a daily basis? Nope. I think they are fine for a daily driver...I drive about 15 miles to and from work each day and maybe 10-15 miles total on the weekends.
I installed the coilovers with the help of another HHR owner (member here as well). It doesn't take two people to get the job done but it sure helps to have an extra set of hands especially on the front struts. The coilovers were actually easier to install than the springs I did a few years back because the coilovers come pretty much ready to install whereas when you do the springs you have to break down the struts to put the new springs on, etc. We started around noon and I finished up around 6:00. I was working super slow and we actually took my Canucks out and put them in his SS so we were doing both cars. I can pretty much break down the fronts in less than a half our per side now...the rears about the same. On a scale of 1 to 10...10 being hard I'd put this install in around a 6. Making sure you have the right tools is key.
Now the Ksports have some advantages and some disadvantages over the others. For the price ($1k) they same to be some of the best fully adjustable coilovers for the money next to the BC coils. The Ksports seem to get a little more drop than the BCs too which is why I went with them. On my initial install I had the fronts set to full low and the rears I had the two lock rings in but at the lowest setting. This is a late afternoon pic on an iPhones but this is how she looked...my camber severely negative (hard to see in pics) and my car hated it!!!
I drove about 5 mins down the road and turned around because my car was rubbing in all sorts of places up front. I came back and brought the front up a good inch and half or so.
I went on Monday (install was Saturday) and got an alignment. I had some noise coming from the front end even after the alignment and I was afraid I was having some sort of axle bind. I knew I needed new tires too so I was crossing my fingers that the tires needed replaced which is exactly what the noise turned out to be...negative camber plus crappy tires. I went back in on Thursday and had them look at my alignment again since I had dropped the drivers side about 1/4" to match the passenger side. I also got new wheels and tires installed and the ride was perfect! 225/40/18s Kuhmos with Enkei EV5s.
I wasn't happy with how the front sat yet so I talked to the guys at Kauffman and told him that I wanted to drop the front down a little more to accomodate the lower profile tires he talked me into getting. He told me to go for it and he'd readjust the alignment. I dropped it another 3/4" this past Saturday and was able to adjust the camber myself since these coilovers are fully adjustable and allow for camber adjustment. I also adjusted the front damper so be a little softer...the rears are another story...I'll get to that soon. I got my alignment done yesterday and everything is perfect again. I'm very satisfied with the overall look and ride.
Before the final drop I could put a finger in-between the fender and tire...now I'm tucking. I still need to adjust my rear damper...it's set to full stiff from the factory and it requires the shock to be removed to adjust...also they don't send a tool to take the top of the shock off and I've yet to find a 17mm or 11/16 wrench that's thin enough to get ahold of the nut so bumps are very unforgiving at the moment. I've got the front set about 10 away from full stiff to help with the rear bounce. Overall I'm very happy with the Ksports. Now that I've got my camber set, I could probably go another half inch in the front without any problem but I think she's sitting fine now. I've got no axle binding and like I said the front handles and rides great...once I get my rear damper adjusted it should ride much better. Would I suggest coilovers for someone that drives 40-50 miles to work and back on a daily basis? Nope. I think they are fine for a daily driver...I drive about 15 miles to and from work each day and maybe 10-15 miles total on the weekends.
04-10-2014, 01:47 PM
#7
Platinum Member
Join Date: 05-09-2006
Location: "Upland" Mesa, Arizona
Posts: 6,805
Very nice indeed!!!
I like your final ride height more than the initial/first. The first made the car look as if it was squatting from being overloaded (kind of like the old Caprices). Could have been an illusion from the black rims and tires. But the last height is just outright fantastic.
Again, very nice !!
I like your final ride height more than the initial/first. The first made the car look as if it was squatting from being overloaded (kind of like the old Caprices). Could have been an illusion from the black rims and tires. But the last height is just outright fantastic.
Again, very nice !!
04-11-2014, 08:24 AM
#8
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: 03-09-2012
Location: Atlanta
Posts: 1,430
Hey thanks guys...I'm getting used to the ride since this is my daily driver. Not going to lie...the ride is rough but it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. I'm getting a nice squeak from the back and I believe the culprit is rubber on rubber friction from the bottom seat of the rear spring perch. I'm going to get it up on the jack this afternoon and pull out my rear springs and try to fix that problem (nice thing with these is that the springs are so small in the rear that all I have to do is jack it up and reach under the car and pull out the springs...no need to remove anything!). Once I get rid of that squeak I should be set!
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