coilovers?

[gem24]

hey everyone...first time posting so bare with me. i have a 2000 mazda protege es, and i am wanting to lower it before summer. ive seen really cheap coilovers on ebay (ranging from $40 to $200). i was wondering if anyone has ever bought coilovers for that cheap, and how the ride was after intalling them. one more thing, i just want to lower my car for the looks (not handling or anything else) and i was wondering if i should just get springs rather than coilovers.

[qcoffey]

I wouldn't go with E-bay coilovers. If you are looking for a sleeve setup, Ground-Control or Skunk2 are good brands to go with. I installed Ground-Control's on my buddy's '92 EGT and his '03 P5. The car rides nice and gives you the adjustability on ride height without too much effort. Ground-Control also uses ERS(Eibach Race Springs) in their setup. THis means that you can order custom spring rates. So if you are an Auto-x'er or road racer you have a lot of options.

[95ProLeila]

don't expect very good ride quality with coils. my recommendation would be just to get springs and struts.

[jurgs01]

hey everyone...first time posting so bare with me. i have a 2000 mazda protege es, and i am wanting to lower it before summer. ive seen really cheap coilovers on ebay (ranging from $40 to $200). i was wondering if anyone has ever bought coilovers for that cheap, and how the ride was after intalling them. one more thing, i just want to lower my car for the looks (not handling or anything else) and i was wondering if i should just get springs rather than coilovers.

If they are 40-200 dollars they are not coilovers. Coilovers are an integrated spring/strut that are usually adjustable. Quality ones are $1000+. If you just want to drop your car get lowering springs.

[1FastMP3]

If they are 40-200 dollars they are not coilovers. Coilovers are an integrated spring/strut that are usually adjustable. Quality ones are $1000+. If you just want to drop your car get lowering springs.

He's right! I had Skunk2's on my car, thinking that they would help to improve the performance by lowering the car, and it just sucked. The ride overall was okay for the street, but if you plan on doing any competitive racing (ie, track days, auto-x, road races) you really do need a performance coilover set like Teins or JIC Magic's. Springs are matched with the strut so they compliment each other. If for show and street only, Skunk2's or Ground Controls will be fine. If you decide to go that route, I have my Skunk2's for sale, low mileage, and asking $150.