- When it comes to aftermarket parts for your car,
some components are a little more important than others,
meaning that you probably
more than likely want to get it right the first time
and suspension is definitely one of those parts.
We get questions all the time
about aftermarket suspension,
you know, about the differences
between one coilover versus another coilover,
or whether or not we would recommend
coilovers or air suspension for their car.
So we wanted to make this video
to help out anyone out there
who is looking at picking up
some aftermarket suspension
for their car for the first time.
To save you the heartbreak
of having your parts show up
and then not being exactly what you imagined.
I'm Gels from Fitment Industries.
And before we go ahead and get into it,
don't forget to subscribe.
And once you know,
all the things that you need to know
about aftermarket suspension,
after watching this go ahead
and hop on over to fitmentindustries.com.
Where we have a ton of suspension options
for pretty much any vehicle out there.
The first thing that you're going to want to know
or figure out is what type of suspension
you are going to be going for
and to start weighing out your options.
Basically, there are three main types
of aftermarket suspension
that you're going to be able to choose from.
And that's lowering springs,
coilovers and air suspension.
Now lowering springs
are going to be your most affordable option
that will get your car lowered
and still offer a decent ride quality.
Lowering springs are great for someone
who doesn't really want to ditch
their entire OEM suspension
or really start messing with all that kind of stuff
but still want a lowered look,
not break the bank,
and they don't wanna sacrifice
any drivability of the car.
As typically we see lowering springs,
lower the car,
right around just a few inches or so,
depending on the spring brand.
And we tend to see a lot of newer cars
get the lowering spring treatment
versus a coilover
since there are a lot of new cars
on the market that come with an active suspension.
Where you're able to change
the driving mode of the car,
which either stiffens or softens the suspension.
And by swapping out the entire OEM suspension,
you in turn also ditch those features.
Now coilovers would be the next step up from there.
I guess you could say is they offer
a lot more adjustability and features
versus a lowering springs.
For coilover system you're able to adjust
not only the ride height
but also the amount of damping
and sometimes even camber,
if you get the adjustable camber plates upfront.
They are typically the go-to suspension choice
for anyone who's looking to dial
in their suspension for what they're looking for.
And they are a great choice
for both performance and looks.
And then we get to our third option,
which is air suspension.
Now, as you could have probably guessed
air suspension
is going to be the most expensive option here
out of the three.
Is that it's just...
There's just a lot more
that goes into an air suspension setup.
An air suspension system
consists of four replacement struts
with an airbag in replacement
of a coilover spring.
An air management system which includes;
an air compressor,
a tank, valves, airlines, and an ECU
to control the whole thing,
controls the amount of pressure in each bag
in turn, determining your cars ride height.
Now air suspension offers a feature
that no other suspension option does
and that is being able to actively adjust
your cars right height
and the ability to basically lay frame one part
and then be able to get over the speed bump
when leaving the parking lot.
So like I said,
the first thing that you're gonna want to do
is decide which route
you're going to be going for with your car.
And once you have that figured out,
the next thing you're gonna want to do
is start to understand the brands
and the differences between
not only the brands but the differences
in their lines of suspension that each of them offer.
And this generally is going to be majorly controlled
by what your price range is.
And this is where it can get a little bit tricky.
And one of the places
where we tend to get most of our questions,
one thing you definitely
don't want to do is underpaid for your suspension
and end up with a kit
that doesn't ride well and doesn't last.
Suspension is a major factor
into how your car feels.
However, the same time it's important
that you don't overpay either.
And you're probably wondering
what do I mean by that?
Let's take a step back here
and look at it for a minute.
Remember when I said
it's important to know the brands
and their lines of suspension?
Well that's because
if we look at companies
like Tein or BC Racing, for example,
they offer plenty of coilover options.
That range from your entry-level enthusiast,
to someone who spends
every day and night on the track
and that is shown in the price.
You can see it.
Now, typically you would think
the more expensive the coilover
the better it is,
and you would want to go for that.
And while that's technically true,
it might not be the best option for you.
A suspension brand would create
different lines of coilovers for different purposes.
BC Racing does this extremely well
with their most affordable coilover
being the BR Series
coming in right around a thousand to $1,100.
They offer everything
that a regular enthusiasts like you and myself
would need and expect out of a coilover.
But when you compare that to let's say
the ZR Series,
which is quite a bit more expensive
to say the least,
while it does offer
a lot more adjustability and technology
with it, it's not something
irregular enthusiast would ever need.
These types of coilovers
are meant for one thing and one thing only
and that is we push
to the absolute limits on the track.
And they are meant to be extremely
adjustable in tuneable.
So the driver can get their car
extremely dialed in just the way that they want.
And this also ties into being mindful
of different brands that are on the market.
The biggest thing here is you get what you pay for.
If you're paying $400 for a set of coilovers,
I wouldn't expect to be blown away
by their quality or performance.
A lot of feature of coilovers
is that a lot of companies
allow you to get customizable with them
companies like BC Racing, Fortune Auto
and even Silver Suspension offer the option
to select different spring rates and custom valving.
Now, this comes in real handy
if you're looking to have your cars
set at a really low ride height,
usually the lower the car
and the tighter the Fitment you're going to go with,
you're going to want a higher spring rate.
Now this will make the suspension stiffer.
As the spring takes more pressure to compress,
which causes the suspension
to travel less through normal use,
meaning that with really high spring rate
and correct valving and all that sort of stuff,
you can achieve a really tight slim Fitment
without bashing your wheel into the fender.
Now, this is going to require a little bit of research.
If that is a route that you're looking to go.
The good news is however that a lot of these companies
have a calculator that they use
for different vehicles to help you determine
what you should go with for your spring rate.
And if they don't have the exact number for you,
that you wanna do it in your stance car
while they can at least give you a good baseline
to start off.
And then the last tip we have for today
is to take some time and watch some reviews.
And even installation videos of said suspension.
This will give you a first-hand look
in what other people's experiences
with certain suspension options.
By watching installation videos,
you might find that you may need additional parts
like sway bar end links or lower control arms
to help dial in your fitting
because the car is going to be too low
and the wheels that you have,
aren't gonna fit anymore.
Obviously YouTube is a great resource for that.
And we even have plenty of videos of our own
talking about different suspension brands
and even installation videos as well.
And if you want to see
what certain suspension options
would look like on your car,
we also have it in massive Fitment Gallery,
over fitnessindustries.com
where you can see exactly
what certain cars look like
on different suspension setups.
It's not only a fantastic tool
for wheels and tires but suspension as well.
So there you have it,
hopefully this helps you out on your journey
to pick up some new suspension for your car.
And like I said,
feel free to check out all the other videos
that we have as well over on our channel
and our Fitment Industry's Garage Channel,
of course, check out what we have available
over our fitmentindustries.com
for suspension options
and all that sort of good stuff.
Thank you guys so much for watching.
I'm Gels.
We'll see you later. Peace.