Yellow Speed Racing Coilovers

[Keethos 842]

As some of you may know, I'm currently in the market for a new set of coilovers since my current set were only really a stop gap that I picked up on the cheap, but now that some issues are arising, I thought I'd go out and see what else I could get.

Now the easy choice would be to go Tein as so many have gone that route and have been very happy with them, but my only slight concern is that they might be a bit on the soft side for track use for my liking (then again, mine were a lil on the hard side [9kg/7kg] for Blyton this weekend, some fast corners were a bit on the bumpy side so softer would have been better....just not sure how soft) and I've read that they bottom out quite easily....plus....who doesn't like to be a bit different?

Now Jeff who has an impressive set of Moton's pointed me towards the ATS coilovers....but they're are waaaay too much for my liking, but he also pointed me towards a set of Yellow Speed Racing coilovers which instantly peaked my interests....well because they're yellow....but also because you can get their Club Performance coilovers with external reservoirs which allows for a two way adjustment for less than the Tein MonoSports:

http://www.yellowspeedeurope.com/manufacturer-selection/toyota/gt86/gt86-12/coilovers/yellow-speed-racing-club-performance-coilovers-toyota-gt86.html

They even do a Pro version for a extra couple of hundred more.....but no idea what the difference is.

Obviously the problem is, I've never heard of them, I've ready they've been great with the Honda owners etc but they are an unknown factor come GT86's.  So my question is, has anyone had any experience with Yellow Speed Racing coilovers before?  I think £1200 is about my limit, are there any other alternatives for someone who does a lot of driving and a decent amount of track days?

Thanks in advanced.

[GT86-Ian 351]

One option would be to get Tein to make you custom springs.

 

[long-gone 152]

Worth emailing their sales desk and asking for some references from satisfied GT86/BRZ customers?

websales@yellowspeedeurope.com

 

[Lauren 2259]

You can have Teins with 7/7kg springs if you want. External reservoirs would put you in the pro class for the TSS.  I'm not convinced a 8/6kg setup will really suit the car, so I'd want the same front and rear or greater at the rear. 

[Deacon 1357]

1 hour ago, Lauren said:

You can have Teins with 7/7kg springs if you want. External reservoirs would put you in the pro class for the TSS.  I'm not convinced a 8/6kg setup will really suit the car, so I'd want the same front and rear or greater at the rear. 

Only for this year on the external reservoirs altering the class. 

[Deacon 1357]

My concern @Keethos with the yellowspeed's is that they have too many features for the price and so the quality may not be the greatest. I'd also agree with @Laurenon the springs. 

[Ade 517]

If you budget is 1200 I would seriously consider tein monosports for a little more. 8kg/9kg rates but you can fit 6kg/7kg without needing to revalve. These are a monotube and aimed at road and track use.

I don't think it's spring rates thats the problem. I think 10-12kg would be fine at Blyton but it's the damping that is pushed and lower end stuff will struggle over rough surfaces when set firm so you have to soften them off. The TMG cup car runs up to 18kg on the back and 16kg on the front and that's a car designed for the nurburgring which is very rough. Difference is those cars have £7k worth of Ohlins ttx36 Motorsport dampers.

There are some good reviews of the tein Motorsport on the ft86club.

Another option is the hks coilovers but the 6kg/4kg setup will likely understeer a lot, so you could go 5kg all round but might be a bit soft IMO.

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[Deacon 1357]

I'd agree with @Ade - I think at this price the monosports look like a winner and I'd stay with the 8/9 especially as you're already used to a pretty firm ride. 

[Ade 517]

I'd agree with @Ade - I think at this price the monosports look like a winner and I'd stay with the 8/9 especially as you're already used to a pretty firm ride. 

They have a large damper range so can be set very stiff at smooth tracks or very soft at bumper circuits.

http://www.amber-performance.co.uk/product.php?xProd=25303

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[Lauren 2259]

Just to add, I went out in Mike's car with his Tein monotube setup and 6/7kg. I've been out on the road in it as well albeit only back from my local curry house. It felt a bit firm on the road, but was actually really good on the track. Better than mine which is more road orientated. His setup generated a lot of grip, was quite surprising. 

I've tried the HKS setup with 6/4kg, it didn't really work, as it would just roll over on the rears, I wouldn't recommend those spring rates. 

[MikeB 79]

I looked into KW which were good but still went with TEIN with 5/5 kg Spring rate which works well on road and track. 8/9 will be to hard on the road and I would suggest going out in different set ups and try before you buy. 

TEIN Flex A's are good value for money and spend the money on getting car setup and balanced. Then you can get your brakes sorted so the whole set up works together rather than one upsetting the other.

[Ade 517]

Guys spring rates aren't the whole story when it comes to ride. The quality of the damper plays a big part in that. I didn't know Mike had the monosports. Would have liked to compare to my Ohlins.

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[Church 209]

For 10/12 rates .. i'd probably think of Tein SRCs. They are definitely out of mentioned budget, but certainly of great price/performance/quality relative to other middle-upper end offerings and well matched to stiffer springs.

[Ade 517]

31 minutes ago, Church said:

For 10/12 rates .. i'd probably think of Tein SRCs. They are definitely out of mentioned budget, but certainly of great price/performance/quality relative to other middle-upper end offerings and well matched to stiffer springs.

I wouldn't suggest those to anyone doing mixed road and track use, especially give the budget. I've actually been in a car running CSG spec SRCs. They are very firm and just go bouncy when you turn the dampnig down too far to look for comfort. 

@Keethos here the ft86 thread: http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64959&page=6

If you had 9kg on the front before then the 8/9kg setup may work. If it doesn't you have the option to lower rates by a couple kg at each end. 

Just a note on my findings from exploring spring rates. I tried 70N rear and 60N front with my ohlins and I didn't like it. It was just too unstable at the rear end. Some of that might be to do with the fact I am supercharged, but I found the car was a bit unstable when trail braking and I struggled to get the power down on corner exit. I switched back to the 60N/mm springs all round and found that although it understeers a little as I squeeze the throttle, its manageable and you can basically apply as much throttle as you need to push the car out of the corner. Also I can trail the brake much deeper into a corner.

It could be just driver skill, but I found it very uncomfortable at the limit. 

I did do a stead state corner test (slowly increase the speed around fixed radius until one end breaks away) and it was very neutral, but as soon as you left off the throttle the back end wanted to break away and as soon as you apply a tad too much throttle the back end breaks away. With 60N all round the front goes first but using trail breaking into a corner you can keep the nose tucked in and you just get under steer on corner exit. 

Spring rates arnt everything though. The damper curves and camber play a part as does the scrub radius and probably a million other things like bush deflection and tyre roll over, so what doesnt work for my setup might be fine for you. Even something like 20kg worth of amps and subs in the boot can affect the balance on the limit. With my setup I have +25kg at the front and a bit less at the back due to lighter exhaust, and I have -2.5deg camber up front and -2deg at the back. 

 

 

 

[Mike 458]

11 hours ago, Deacon said:

I'd agree with @Ade - I think at this price the monosports look like a winner and I'd stay with the 8/9 especially as you're already used to a pretty firm ride. 

6/7 monosports are pretty firm as it is, not sure I'd go stiffer!

@Keethos should have mentioned you were looking as you could have had a passenger ride on Saturday!

[Mike 458]

3 hours ago, Lauren said:

Just to add, I went out in Mike's car with his Tein monotube setup and 6/7kg. I've been out on the road in it as well albeit only back from my local curry house. It felt a bit firm on the road, but was actually really good on the track. Better than mine which is more road orientated. His setup generated a lot of grip, was quite surprising. 

Grip surprises me at times as well Peaked at 1.18 lateral G according to the EDFC on Saturday.

[Deacon 1357]

32 minutes ago, Mike said:

6/7 monosports are pretty firm as it is, not sure I'd go stiffer!

@Keethos should have mentioned you were looking as you could have had a passenger ride on Saturday!

Thought yours were the 8/9 @Mike Maybe stick to the 6/7 rates Mike has then @Keethos? 

[Deacon 1357]

2 hours ago, MikeB said:

I looked into KW which were good but still went with TEIN with 5/5 kg Spring rate which works well on road and track. 8/9 will be to hard on the road and I would suggest going out in different set ups and try before you buy. 

TEIN Flex A's are good value for money and spend the money on getting car setup and balanced. Then you can get your brakes sorted so the whole set up works together rather than one upsetting the other.

A lot is to do with the damper valving rather than just the spring rates as @Ade has said @MikeB - my Motons are now on a 9/11 spring rate but the ride is not too dissimilar to the flex a's I had on which were 6/6. Even the 9/14 rate I tried previously with slightly stiffer damper valving wasn't too bad. 

[Mike 458]

12 minutes ago, Deacon said:

Thought yours were the 8/9 @Mike Maybe stick to the 6/7 rates Mike has then @Keethos? 

Steve originally had 8/9 but deemed them too stiff so dropped down to 6/7 that are on now.

[Deacon 1357]

A useful article on the tein jp site discussing mono tube and twin tube pros and cons which may add to the discussion here 

https://www.tein.co.jp/e/special/ni_toryu/

[Church 209]

2 hours ago, Ade said:

I wouldn't suggest those to anyone doing mixed road and track use, especially give the budget. I've actually been in a car running CSG spec SRCs. They are very firm and just go bouncy when you turn the dampnig down too far to look for comfort.

Imho it might be also due what settings had been dialed in. I recall CSG Mike posting, that he had others in passenger seat, that complimented ride and wouldn't believe the spring rate car had, and that with quality damping and damping well matching spring rates ride can be rather compliant even outside track. Still, no doubt, that for hybrid use even with higher class shocks such spring rates might be too much, and i mentioned SRCs mostly because such spring rates were brought up

[Ade 517]

14 minutes ago, Church said:

Imho it might be also due what settings had been dialed in. I recall CSG Mike posting, that he had others in passenger seat, that complimented ride and wouldn't believe the spring rate car had, and that with quality damping and damping well matching spring rates ride can be rather compliant even outside track. Still, no doubt, that for hybrid use even with higher class shocks such spring rates might be too much, and i mentioned SRCs mostly because such spring rates were brought up

They were CSG spec running CSG Mike recommenced street settings. They were firm, no two ways about it. My Ohlins are like butter compared and not bouncy at all at 12 clicks from full firm. People buying tein SRC expect a firm ride and then impressed that it not as firm as they expected but doesnt mean its not still firm compared to a 6kg setup. 

As much as I think 10kg/12kg would be okay with good damping at Blyton, its not going to give a good ride on pot hole covered roads in the UK no matter what the damping setting. 

 

[Church 209]

Thanks for insight. Nothing better then in person experience & comparison from having a go with both. BTW, Ade, have you been in any twin with Bilsteins?

[MikeB 79]

Separate compression and rebound adjustability is what I am used to from motorbike background where I used Ohlins / Ktech and have learnt the hard way with the GT as went down the wrong route with 'Litchfields Handling Kit'.

I understand it is not just down the spring rate but the damper and even the to oil weight etc. Which is why I wanted to start from scratch on a re-buildable damper which can be revalved to suit the spring rate.

I cannot adjust rebound/compression myself which is why I have EDFC Active with Street Advance which adjust both rebound/compression with the one rod. In the future I can upgrade to full system which can adjust rebound/compression separately.

Which is why you need to match everything together with tyres, brakes etc to get the benefit.

[Ade 517]

31 minutes ago, Church said:

Thanks for insight. Nothing better then in person experience & comparison from having a go with both. BTW, Ade, have you been in any twin with Bilsteins?

No I havent but i've been in a few cars with B6 dampers (before and after) and they transform the car. The B14/B16 kit looks very nice for the GT86 as an affordable road and track package. I think @Keethos is after something more track focused which his why I didnt mention them.