Lowering GTT Coupe / Coils & Springs

[MikeR34GTT]

Lowering GTT Coupe / Coils & Springs

Alright gents, I need some genuine advice on something that must've been covered 1,000 times and I'm still hearing two arguments after doing some reading for the past two hours.

Objective: lower my stock R34 GT-T to maximum legal limit (legit, it's like a patrol at the moment)

Budget: $800-$1000 including install

Want: lowered look with comfort but not wanting race-quality stuff. Car is a daily and I do a lot of highway driving

Conflict: springs are cheap and will lower to what I want but will kill my shocks. Coilovers are great but don't necessarily want to spend 2k on suspension just for a daily

Really really unsure which way to go here, but I see a ton of lowered 33's around my town and they all go springs/shocks and have no complaints. I'm smart enough to know that the poor man pays twice so I need some suggestions with the above information.

Is there an in the middle option between spending bugger all on lowered springs to achieve what I want then getting smashed around and paying later for it, and entry level coilovers that'll probably do things I don't necessaryily need them to do? Thoughts?

 

[Duncan]

If you just want it a little lower for looks, have a small budget, and aren't taking it racing, just put in lowering springs.

It won't "kill" your shocks, they just won't be matched perfectly to the springs anymore.....although in any case since it left the factory the springs will have sagged and the shocks will be slowly dying just from age so they aren't exactly what nissan intended any more anyway

[GTSBoy]

Kings or Lovells or just about any equivalent coil springs.  Easy.

Best choice for dampers is a set of Bilstein B6s, especially if bought from SydneyKid as he sets them up to suit Skylines fairly well.  But....this will blow the budget, as the dampers are >$1k on their own.

So, read the damper thread again,

and then decide if you're happy to compromise on price and buy something that has twin tube innards, or if you want to stretch a bit more money for something single tube.  Your options include KYB and even some of the lower end Bilsteins.  It is my firm opinion that there has never been a decent damper manufactured here in Australia, so do not be tempted by Monroe, or Gabriel, even though they're probably no longer made here anyway.  Cheap shit is cheap shit no matter where it's made.

[MikeR34GTT]

Solid feedback! Thanks guys! I'll look st those options and see how I go

 

Merry Christmas!

[niZmO_Man]

KYB and your choice of off the shelf springs.

[MikeR34GTT]

8 hours ago, niZmO_Man said:

KYB and your choice of off the shelf springs.

Don't supposed you could link me KYB'a for a 34/GT-T?

KYB part locator wasn't helpful and an eBay/net search gets me as close as an R33.

Im looking into a set of TEIN S lowering springs from the UK instead of the Kings.

[GTSBoy]

If you're going to buy imported springs, I would go Eibach before all else.

[KiwiRS4T]

I got Teins from my local suspension specialist. You can get them from Fulcrum Suspensions.

Eibach from http://www.eibach.com.au/catalogue/

[GTSBoy]

Sadly the Eibach catalogue is of no use as they don't list any Skylines.  You have to ask someone which spring from some other application does the job.....and I sadly don't know the answer or who specifically to ask (besides perhaps SK or random googling).

[Jordy32]

You can probably find a set of nismo S-tune shocks and springs for pretty cheap these days.

I run them all round, low-ish, comfortable and stiff enough for twisty roads, you'll feel the limit of them at a track day though but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after so I'd add them to the list of options to consider.

[MikeR34GTT]

20 minutes ago, Jordy32 said:

You can probably find a set of nismo S-tune shocks and springs for pretty cheap these days.

I run them all round, low-ish, comfortable and stiff enough for twisty roads, you'll feel the limit of them at a track day though but it doesn't sound like that's what you're after so I'd add them to the list of options to consider.

Still achieve the lowered legal limit and be okay handling-wise for what I need?

Might look into this if so!

NB: Teins from the UK we're gonna set me back $300 + $160 postage

[niZmO_Man]

Get Jesse Streeter to bring in something from Japan?

(open in Chrome)

http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?n=100&p=er34&ei=UTF-8&oq=&auccat=2084198619&s1=cbids&o1=a&tab_ex=commerce&slider=0

[V28VX37]

Get Jesse Streeter to bring in something from Japan?
(open in Chrome)
http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?n=100&p=er34&ei=UTF-8&oq=&auccat=2084198619&s1=cbids&o1=a&tab_ex=commerce&slider=0

Yep Jesse will do springs but can get exxy with shipping because heavy metal

[Duncan]

just buy local on this, it's not a top line motorsport application, just a slightly lower car. Kings, Lovells, whoever has them at your local repco....

[niZmO_Man]

Springs are easy, dampers might be a bit harder.

[MikeR34GTT]

29 minutes ago, Duncan said:

just buy local on this, it's not a top line motorsport application, just a slightly lower car. Kings, Lovells, whoever has them at your local repco....

That'll do the trick on stock shocks for now? I was thinking about springs on stock shocks for a month or two, then fitting some aftermarket shocks (KYB I'm yet to track down for a 34)

[Duncan]

for sure, and even KYB is just an OEM replacement.  If you buy a set of specific shocks you will get the springs to match (or vice versa, but the point is they come as a set once they move too far outside standard parameters).

I ran lowered springs on stock shocks then KYBs for years on my 33 GTSt including track days and it was fine for a cheap upgrade. In fact probably better than most $1000-1500 spring and shock sets because they tend to use really cheap shocks and overly hard springs.