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Coilover debate

1K views 18 replies 15 participants last post by  ROCKILLER 
#1 ·
I just want to know which coiover is best for strictly rockcrawling i know that the kings and bilsteins are the most expensive but from everyone ive heard there more expensive because of all of the valving and there great for high speed racing but just for rockcrawling the sway a ways are best because there cheaper and work just as good in the rocks as all they others just without the valving i would like to know others oppinions
 
#3 ·
in my opinion NONE. think about what coilovers and what they are designed for. high speeds. jumps. desert racing. does that sound anything at all like what a rodkcrawler does? not really. I'm not saying that they dont work, tons of guys use them but there is nothing to control droop. if you watch a rig with coilovers wheel without limitings straps it can get scary. a little lean turns into a big lean in a hurry. Again, they can be made to work like on Bob Roggy's rig (with limiting straps) but I'd much rather have a suspension the provides resistance up and down like coils attached at both ends or 1/4 eliptic. OK you guys can tell me how dumb I am now. I'm ready
 
#4 ·
As far as brand goes it is more a matter of what you need for travel and spring rate that might steer you one way or another on just a rock crawler. My opinion is the Kings, I have used them in off road buggies for years and yes we don't crawl like you drive a off road buggie but the valving does come in to play. Valving is what keeps them from being a pogo stick. With out thr right valving you will be a tank or a pogo stick. What King has perfected is keeping the fluid cool and consistant for the hard abouse of off road. And as for the way scarry lean this is a matter of getting the spring rates correct. Once this is done and assumeing the suspention is built right to start with a coilover car will be much smother and out flex and handle most others!
jm.02
 
#5 ·
You're dumb. Yep, coilovers suck...that's why everyone that competes is running them! Not saying that other ways dont' work, leafs have worked forever and always will, but coilovers are just pimpin and the truth is that half the magic in a coilover suspension is the link geometry. With a crappy link system, a coilover suspension will blow chunks. So will 1/4 ellip springs. But it boils down to the fact that coilovers are compact, the shocks are of excelent quality, and with a well designed link system they work.
 
#6 ·
As far as valving goes, the Sway a ways are the same as Kings, Bilstein or Fox. If you took all of them apart, they have the same parts inside and all work the same way. As far as performance goes, it all depends on getting the valving right for your vehicle and driving style. You can get each one of the aformentioned shocks to work the same way.
 
#7 ·
GOAT1 said:
As far as valving goes, the Sway a ways are the same as Kings, Bilstein or Fox. If you took all of them apart, they have the same parts inside and all work the same way. As far as performance goes, it all depends on getting the valving right for your vehicle and driving style. You can get each one of the aformentioned shocks to work the same way.
what he said.....
 
#8 ·
i like it all but with 1/4 eliptic you limited on how much you can stretch the wheelbase and with leaves you cant really extend the wheelbase without making the frame longer and there all ways smakin the rocks but with coilovers and a link suspension you can stretch the wheelbase pretty far and the links are thet only thing exposed but they can easily be beefed up im leaning towards sway aways because there cheaper and i dont think i would i need all the high speed valving and i priced a bilstein 9100 series and it was $700 each and your basic king was $550 loaded with springs and a sway a way was like $430 with springs
 
#11 ·
I would advise anyone to stay away from the Sway Aways, I have heard nothing but bad things about them.
A buddy of mine ordered some and after a month and numerous "they're on their way" stories, he found out that they had never been sent.
The problem is with Sway Away, not the distributors.
He ended up ordering from Fox and had his shocks within a week.
They are all very similar internally and all use Eibach springs.
 
#13 ·
badassjeepguy said:
I will be going with FOX RACING SHOX, they have a great reputation........... and there prices are good too... ill let you all know how they work come end of september
Let us know... You can be the test platform for me! :)
 
#14 ·
so which one is cheapest so far?
out of all those companies?
i havent done any research yet.. and am wondering.. cannot afford it right now but would like to get it eventually

also how long do they last.. before u need to rebuild them..
aprox just comparing getting coils and shocks to coilover..
 
#15 ·
Hey guys,

Sorry to chime in on your conversation but I went thru all this about nine months ago. I researched all the brands and whether or not to go remote res. or emulsion. The remote reservoir provides better cooling and more volume. I ended up buying the sway-a-ways for the price and overall quality. I've had them for almost a year and have had no problems. The sway-a-ways in 2" use there own coils, not eibach. The only problem i found is that you need a tender coil(third coil) to help at full drop to keep tension on the other coils. I did have a long wait on the coilovers because swa-a-way was having trouble getting parts but it was worth the weight.

As far as how coilovers do againest other suspensions. Have you ever had your buddy in his springover rig bouncing three feet in the air and breaking parts. TRY A COILOVER! I can stand on the throttle and not start hopping. The motion to keep the wheels on the ground is awesome. I'm not an expert but I'm now spanking all my buddies on up hills. As for the scary leaning, TRy the currie anti-rock on the rear(works great!).

Just my 2 cents!
 
#17 ·
rokcrln said:
As far as brand goes it is more a matter of what you need for travel and spring rate that might steer you one way or another on just a rock crawler. My opinion is the Kings, I have used them in off road buggies for years and yes we don't crawl like you drive a off road buggie but the valving does come in to play. Valving is what keeps them from being a pogo stick. With out thr right valving you will be a tank or a pogo stick. What King has perfected is keeping the fluid cool and consistant for the hard abouse of off road. And as for the way scarry lean this is a matter of getting the spring rates correct. Once this is done and assumeing the suspention is built right to start with a coilover car will be much smother and out flex and handle most others!
jm.02
bravo you no your stuff.this guy is talking about facts.
 
#18 · (Edited)
lt1wrangler said:
Hey guys,

Sorry to chime in on your conversation but I went thru all this about nine months ago. I researched all the brands and whether or not to go remote res. or emulsion. The remote reservoir provides better cooling and more volume. I ended up buying the sway-a-ways for the price and overall quality. I've had them for almost a year and have had no problems. The sway-a-ways in 2" use there own coils, not eibach. The only problem i found is that you need a tender coil(third coil) to help at full drop to keep tension on the other coils. I did have a long wait on the coilovers because swa-a-way was having trouble getting parts but it was worth the weight.

As far as how coilovers do againest other suspensions. Have you ever had your buddy in his springover rig bouncing three feet in the air and breaking parts. TRY A COILOVER! I can stand on the throttle and not start hopping. The motion to keep the wheels on the ground is awesome. I'm not an expert but I'm now spanking all my buddies on up hills. As for the scary leaning, TRy the currie anti-rock on the rear(works great!).

Just my 2 cents!
where you at monteagle at the last sports in the rough ride.
 
#19 ·
valving has nothing to do with the lean except for the speed at which the rig will lean. The problem with coilovers is that there is nothing to control droop until you hit the limiting strap. I ;ove the ride of coilovers but without having the springs actually attached to the ends of the shocks nothing stops the downward movement of the suspension (or up and over movement of the rig.) its simple if you think about it, most springs work both ways. leafs resist movement up and down, coilovers when attached resist up and down but coilovers dont. thats the reason that they are the PERFECT solution for suspensions that some people seem to think they are. And for that matter, just because everyone is doing it then that makes it a good idea? the reason wheeling has come sofar in the last couple of decades is because people like us question things and try to do things different.
 
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