Just bought FK Coilovers....not what I was expecting

[Valve_Cover]

So I bought FK coilovers for the B7, mainly because I had a set a while back on another car and liked them for the money.
The set that I received looks waaaayyy cheaper than my original set. No cadmium plating, paint on the coils looks cheap, rear shocks not even the same color as the springs..
Anyone buy FK coilovers recently? Did you like them? Why do I feel like I've been had?

Any feedback appreciated, I didn't really shop around as FK used to be good stuff, but are they shit coilovers now? If so I'll return them and get something else..

[rhfosu]

If you buy $400 coilovers, you get $400 coilovers. I don't know what they used to be like, but it is not surprising they've gone down in quality. My guess is they went with a cheaper factory in China and this is the result. I would definitely return them for something else.

I have vogtlands, which I like for the money. People say good things about STs as well.

[Theiceman]

I dont know why people go with coilovers really unless you are a dedicated track rat and are dedicated to track setup before each session.
90% of people I woukd say don't touch them once they are on.
Why not just go for a fixed lowering kit ? B12 ?

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[vce1232000]

I dont know why people go with coilovers really unless you are a dedicated track rat and are dedicated to track setup before each session.
90% of people I woukd say don't touch them once they are on.
Why not just go for a fixed lowering kit ? B12 ?

Better imo then fixed lowering kit.

[Theiceman]

Better in what way? I guess I'm asking what is the end game ?.
What do coilovers give you that you will use ?.


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[vce1232000]

Better in what way? I guess I'm asking what is the end game ?.
What do coilovers give you that you will use ?.

when I around curves @ high rates of speed. they handle better then convention shock-spring set up. But thats just my opinion. Also coil overs allow you to custom set your height vs fixed that your stuck with whats set. for people that change tire & rim combinations. Me personally I have not touched my height since I my coil overs. They are set @ the maximize height. I just wanted them for the

[rhfosu]

Well, imo, if you are new to lowering, you might end up too low and regret it. Coilovers give you way more flexibility to perfect the look you want and/or correct rubbing/scraping/other after the fact.

[Brillo]

Well, imo, if you are new to lowering, you might end up too low and regret it. Coilovers give you way more flexibility to perfect the look you want and/or correct rubbing/scraping/other after the fact.

Good points. Personally, this is something I wouldn't do on the cheap. One of my Quattro buddies has top-of-the-line COs (cant remember the brand) and they do allow significant adjustability. He can't get them back to stock height for the winter months though. They mainly offer a lower CG for better corner handling but a significantly rougher ride. My other A4 buddy went with aftermarket titanium alloy springs. He's not lowered as much as COs, does have a lower CG though, less unsprung weight, and greater suspension compliancy. No adjustability but a noticably better ride. Even better than even the stock setup and never will rust.

[Jayz691]

I dont know why people go with coilovers really unless you are a dedicated track rat and are dedicated to track setup before each session.
90% of people I woukd say don't touch them once they are on.
Why not just go for a fixed lowering kit ? B12 ?

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I adjust for winter and summer. Also to dial in the height. Lowering springs sit where they sit. Like to be able to adj to where I want. But springs will usually ride better, unless you spend crazy money for CO's. So it all depends on the person, thats why they make both

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[EvolutionArmory]

Cheap coilovers will usually handle worse than a good set of springs and Bilstein shocks.

Cheap coilovers can be built by a factory that makes kits for 200 cars so the valving and spring rates might be way off for the vehicle weight because they also make kits for a Ford Focus.

Coilovers really only have a benefit over a spring and shock kit when you can adjust the dampening, which you usually won’t be getting with a cheap coilover kit.

And half the time people use coilovers wrong. They set them too low taking away any handling improvement because now your control arms are now positioned in a way that makes the car handle worse and your front alignment camber is way out of spec.

Just to be “slammed”.

[Theiceman]

great discussion.

I don't know enough about suspension geometry and all the effects of all the different load points as you change your coil-over setup so would rather leave to a kit designed by the pros. But i can see the advantage for those who do, to be able to dial in a specific height they are looking for.

[texasboy21]

I am a huge advocate for cup kits - matched shocks and springs designed to work in unison. The Vogtland cup kit is the bargain of the century, under $600 for a quality German made suspension, designed for our specific car, with a lifetime warranty. It completely transformed the car.

Currently I am running a Stasis cup kit which uses Eibach springs and Koni shocks that are valved specifically for the B7 A4. Compared to the ST coilovers (with Hyperco springs) that came on the car when I purchased it, the cup kit is superior in every way.

[rhfosu]

Cheap coilovers will usually handle worse than a good set of springs and Bilstein shocks.

Cheap coilovers can be built by a factory that makes kits for 200 cars so the valving and spring rates might be way off for the vehicle weight because they also make kits for a Ford Focus.

Coilovers really only have a benefit over a spring and shock kit when you can adjust the dampening, which you usually won’t be getting with a cheap coilover kit.

And half the time people use coilovers wrong. They set them too low taking away any handling improvement because now your control arms are now positioned in a way that makes the car handle worse and your front alignment camber is way out of spec.

Just to be “slammed”.

Again, adjustable height. Period. I didn't care about damping or rebound adjustment. I did not want to be slammed either. Your argument about the mfger making kits for "200 cars" also applies to cup kits. I wanted to be able to set my height *exactly* where I wanted it, and, when the ass of the avant inevitably sags after the car settles, raise the rear to compensate. All things only coils offer. Cup kits are fine, but you are stuck wherever you end up. In the end, I went with Vogtlands because they weren't Chinese junk and were relatively affordable, I also trust they put considerable thought into valving and spring rates specific to my car.

[Jayz691]

Cheap coilovers will usually handle worse than a good set of springs and Bilstein shocks.

Cheap coilovers can be built by a factory that makes kits for 200 cars so the valving and spring rates might be way off for the vehicle weight because they also make kits for a Ford Focus.

Coilovers really only have a benefit over a spring and shock kit when you can adjust the dampening, which you usually won’t be getting with a cheap coilover kit.

And half the time people use coilovers wrong. They set them too low taking away any handling improvement because now your control arms are now positioned in a way that makes the car handle worse and your front alignment camber is way out of spec.

Just to be “slammed”.

Exactly whay he said adj dampening is nice, but not necessary if you just want to dial in a height. Adjustability is the advantage, but don't buy $400 CO's, lol.

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[EvolutionArmory]

Again, adjustable height. Period. I didn't care about damping or rebound adjustment. I did not want to be slammed either. Your argument about the mfger making kits for "200 cars" also applies to cup kits. I wanted to be able to set my height *exactly* where I wanted it, and, when the ass of the avant inevitably sags after the car settles, raise the rear to compensate. All things only coils offer. Cup kits are fine, but you are stuck wherever you end up. In the end, I went with Vogtlands because they weren't Chinese junk and were relatively affordable, I also trust they put considerable thought into valving and spring rates specific to my car.

Sure, Bilstein probably makes shocks for 200 cars too but I’d trust that the Bilstein shock for my B7 is actually valved right for the car over a sub 500 dollar coilover.

And the sag look all of our cars have is due to the wheel arches in the front being different than the back. If you took your car on a totally flat surface, chances are it would be more level than you think and the droop in the back is just an illusion.

To cure this I bought HR springs which are lower in the front. My looks level but in reality, the front is lower.

[Chris@EPL]

FKs have always offered some very cheap coilovers and on older lighter weight cars they may have been fine. They also used to offer more of their upgraded coils with Koni inserts and stainless bodies. You may have had some Silverlines or something before.

Coilovers are also nice if you do not adjust them due to most quality ones having a warranty as well. My old STs were replaced under warranty after a few years.

[rhfosu]

Sure, Bilstein probably makes shocks for 200 cars too but I’d trust that the Bilstein shock for my B7 is actually valved right for the car over a sub 500 dollar coilover.

And the sag look all of our cars have is due to the wheel arches in the front being different than the back. If you took your car on a totally flat surface, chances are it would be more level than you think and the droop in the back is just an illusion.

To cure this I bought HR springs which are lower in the front. My looks level but in reality, the front is lower.

I'm aware of the sag illusion. It's one of the reasons I bought coils. Still, over the course of a year, the rear has settled an additional .25"+.

[vce1232000]

most quality ones having a warranty as well. My old STs were replaced under warranty after a few years.

My St's have been well for over 7 years now

[Valve_Cover]

I dont know why people go with coilovers really unless you are a dedicated track rat and are dedicated to track setup before each session.
90% of people I woukd say don't touch them once they are on.
Why not just go for a fixed lowering kit ? B12 ?

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Honestly I think (as many have mentionned here) a good cup kit is much better than a cheap coilover setup dollar for dollar.
I always put coilovers on all my cars anyways for the 2 following reasons:
1- I'm in Canada, so a low car in winter kinda sucks. I always lift the car for winter and put it back down in spring
2- Cup kits, although great value, tend to sag more in the rear than the front (as do coilovers btw). I'm deathly allergic to reverse rake, so I like being able to lift the sagging rear after the coils settle

This is a daily hauler, so track performance or whatever doesn't come into the mix for me, but if you're building a budget track build, cup kit all day for sure.

Update: I guess the FK's aren't as bad as I thought after looking at a few reviews. Will toss them on and report back with my opinion on them.
I've had ST's and KW's before, so I'm expecting something significantly worse than that. Probably Solowerks-ish or ground control?

We shall see!

[vvenom800tt]

I run ST Coilovers and have for about 5 years now.

I have Josh Owens custom rear spring plates and Hypercoil 750lbs/in linear springs.

The ride is "sporty" and firm. But its no where near jarring or uncomfortable. My
gf doesnt mind them at all.

The valving is also matched to the springs so its a good ride considering.

The rear springs i think are probably 100 or 150 pounds firmer than what came with the coilovers. But i haven't had any issues at all.

The only issue i had was that my rear spring adjusters seized on me so i bought new ones from some other company and they work fine. I set my ride height a little higher than i had it before (rear was flush) and i never plan on touching them again.

I run 1 finger gap all around.

Coilovers cost me $715 to my door from a vendor on here 5 years ago.

Springs were $90
Spring seats were $100
New rear spring perches were $50

So $955 total

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[Valve_Cover]

Alright so a quick (long overdue) update on the FK's I installed as they don't seem to be a very popular option on here.

Install: kind of weak. They are quite hard to crank up and down, you want to dial these in right they first time around lol

Adjustability: Front is great, lots of play either way, but the rears are wayyy low. I have them cranked up all the way right now and I'm slightly tucking the OEM 17s

Ride: I'm quite surprised honestly, they do ride quite nicely for a low quality kit.
Pros: Body roll is all but gone, they do a great job handling wise, the car feels much more planted vs. S-Line suspension.
Cons: they are a tad bouncy, even for coilovers this low. They are actually much better in warmer weather, but I ran them through the winter here in Canada and they get significantly bouncier in the cold.

Quirks / other: The fronts have a wierd squeek to them when going over speed bumps, like a rubber on rubber type squeek. Could be just a bad sway bar bushing I guess, but it only started with the coilovers installed, I may eventually get fed up and investigate.


So overall for the money they are actually very decent. By no means a high end kit, but I would recommend to anyone looking for a cheap option to go low with very acceptable ride quality

[Valve_Cover]

I run ST Coilovers and have for about 5 years now.

I have Josh Owens custom rear spring plates and Hypercoil 750lbs/in linear springs.

The ride is "sporty" and firm. But its no where near jarring or uncomfortable. My
gf doesnt mind them at all.

The valving is also matched to the springs so its a good ride considering.

The rear springs i think are probably 100 or 150 pounds firmer than what came with the coilovers. But i haven't had any issues at all.

The only issue i had was that my rear spring adjusters seized on me so i bought new ones from some other company and they work fine. I set my ride height a little higher than i had it before (rear was flush) and i never plan on touching them again.

I run 1 finger gap all around.

Coilovers cost me $715 to my door from a vendor on here 5 years ago.

Springs were $90
Spring seats were $100
New rear spring perches were $50

So $955 total

Sent from my SM-G981U1 using Audizine mobile app

I actually ran ST's on my B6 and they were awesome for the price, but I had tons of problems with the rear shocks in winter. Had them replaced twice under warranty due to leaks.
The FK's I got are a more budget oriented set of coilovers, and honestly they do great for the price, I guess I'll now find out if they hold up better than the ST's in our harsh Canadian winters!