Tanabe springs (NF210 vs GF210), is +30% spring rate worth better handling? Options

[malpaso]

I have been thinking about those springs for my celi. There are many articles about which springs are good or bad. That's not my point. I would like to have Tanabe NF210 or Tanabe GF210. Both has same drop, same price. Only difference is rate. One has +5% than stock and other +30% than stock.

NF210
almost like stock rate, only +5% (front: 2.9kg/mm, rear: 2.3kg/mm)
(rate, drop, use)


GF210
much harder spring rate, +30% than stock (front: 3.5kg/mm, rear: 3.0kg/mm)
(rate, drop, use)


now facts:
- higher rate means you feel every road ruggedness (holes, crossings, etc) but handling and grab are better...
- we have not good roads in my country (cobblestones are normal in cities, road patchiness is high, road holes everywhere, bad crossings... etc)
- I have 7AFTE engine (176hp/225Nm for normal drive)
- I have been using 205/50R16 tires
- I would use stock shocks with them (for a while)

now... which one would you recommend? Is +30% too hard for daily drive on bad roads? Is that worth that better grip and handling? Thanks for comments and votes...

This post has been edited by malpaso: Feb 21, 2007 - 10:45 AM

[doGGy]

Simply - NO.

Go with the Teins - IMHO - most common choise of everyone - and i had best impressions with them. Price is cheaper too.

BTW - if you want Teins - let me know - i have a dealer in UK on them.

[Bigmeanbulldog55]

I actually used Dropzone springs for my car. I wouldn't have done this, but I drove a Celica with them before hand. They have a stiffer ride to them, but it's worth it. You'll need some good tires to go with the stiff springs, otherwise you're just wasting money.

[Hanyo]

i would go with NF210 (+5% spring rate), the main reason is my celica (when i decide to start modifying) will only see the track once or twice in my its life. I will not need to use such stiff springs. Plus I think the extra stiff-ness of the suspension rattles loose the bolts through out the car.

But!!! there has been rumors and what not about soft springs destroying the shocks. The same theory applys to those people who cut their springs. The idea is :

"3.A reduction in ride height is normally coupled with a proportionate increase in rate to offset the reduced bump travel. We need to slow down the compression of the spring enough to make sure we don't punch through to the shock at high velocity. A properly designed lowered spring will have a rate increase sufficient to offset this bump travel reduction." -whiteline

So its up to you to decide. Do you trust tanable to design springs that will keep your shocks healthy?

[airfron]

i'd say go with the GF210's i have the DF210's and they feel pretty good, but think that a firmer spring would suit my driving style better. but if you only drive around the city and don't drive the twisty's hard or at high speeds i'd say the nf210's though.

I haven't had any problems with my tanabe springs and i have put close to 20,000 miles on them, and i drive a lot of curvy mountain roads pretty aggressively.

[malpaso]

Simply - NO.

Go with the Teins - IMHO - most common choise of everyone - and i had best impressions with them. Price is cheaper too.

BTW - if you want Teins - let me know - i have a dealer in UK on them.

Thanks for re, my reason why those springs are three:

1. dropping nose more than rear
2. lower only 0.9inch in the front (0.9"/0.6")
3. compares spring rate with stock springs

I have found only one springs from TEIN meets my conditions here:



But I have not found anywhere how much they costs or where to buy them...

[doGGy]

Martit - ussualy the drop with the Teins S-tech is about 3.2 cm in front and about 2.8 cm in the rear. Its not much at all - i had S-tech on my ST and now i have S-tech on my SS - and im more then happy with the driving height (and we have way too many bad roads here).

S-tech cost about 120-140 euros here in EU, ans for the H-tech's - if you want i can get you a price.

Heres the info on S-tech
http://www.tein.com/ti/l36.html