Does anyone have any experience with the different coilover companies? I'm going to purchase a set and wondered what the differences are with the QA1, LG and Pfadt systems. Prices are a huge difference and if they're OK then probably going with the QA1.

 

Same question goes for me... thanks OP!

 

One extremely important thing to keep in mind when looking at coilovers is you really do get what you pay for. With our latest FeatherLight Generation Single Adjustable Coilovers you can be assured your purchasing the absolute best single adjustable coilover on the market today. There is a premieum price associated with these units, but with Pfadt Race Engineering expertise and custom Corvette specific engineering that comes only with the FeatherLights the price is absolutely worth it.

Features unique to our FeatherLight Generation Single Adjustables:

• Inverted shock design for less unsprung weight than a traditional coilover.
• BOA (Ball On Axis) upper mount system ensures maximum articulation range with minimal friction. This keeps both performance and durability high.
• Adjuster mechanism convienently placed at bottom of the shock.
• No Drilling or fabrication necessary to properly install.
• No more clumsy coilover wrench. Our unique spring perch system requires just one supplied wrench for height adjustment.
• CIRC (Concentric Integrated Remote Canister) System provides all the extra gas volume benefits of an external canister shock package, without the need to mount an external canister.
• Each unit features our proprietary damper rates specific to Pfadt Race Enginering.
• Spring Rates provided are extremely versatile. They can be tuned for street comfort, increased track performance or optimized for drag racing based on where the adjustable dampers are set.
• Custom Spring Rates Available.
• FeatherLight Generation Singles are serviceable by our Engineering Staff should problems arise in the future.
• Each unit is 100% hand assembled, valved and verified on our in house shock dyno before shipping.
• 100% Designed, Engineered, Verified, Tested and Assembled in the USA

With a list of features like this we feels strongly that we have the coilovers that will help you reach your performance goals, what ever they may be. We can safely say that these are the most durable, best performing and most advanced coilovers we've manufactured to date.

Check out the videos we've made demonstrating some of the key features of these coilovers. The first video is a demonstration of how the BOA Upper Mounting system works. The second video is one of our Single Adjustables passing 1/2 Million continuous cycles on our damper durability tester. This testing rig we've built allows us to simulate thousands of miles of wear under the worst conditions possible to help us verify that our designs will last a long time when they are installed on your Corvette.

If anyone has any questions please give us a call. We can be reached at 1-888-972-2464, or I can be reached personally at jarrett@pfadtracing.com if you have any questions about our products.

 

from my experience, buy the most you can afford from a reputable manufacturer with direct Corvette experience -- that's very different from someone selling something that fits a Vette

the post above is one such

talk to the tech guys with whichever company(s) you are interested in buying from about how you plan to use the car (daily driving only, mix of track and DD, track only) and your tolerance for stiff ride

buy shox matched to the spring rates and sway bars you will use, and get their alignment recommendations for your use

again, someone like Pfadt knows what goes with what and works together without you having to become a suspension engineer

also talk to people who own/use the product you tentatively decide upon

be sure there aren't hidden issues (a friend bought expensive brand name shox then discovered he needs to constantly add gas pressure and rebuild almost annually -- doesn't seem to matter which rebuild vendor he uses, he's constantly having to mess with them)

just my.02 from 35+ years of autocross and track

 

Although I haven't used the other manufacturers, I just installed a set of the PFADT SA coil overs and I love them. They are a work of art. The install was straight forward and I've had zero issues.

 

LG G2's>*

 

It seems the majority of the coilovers are designed for HPDE/road race events.

I'm looking for a coilover I can take to the drag strip, DD and a few HPDE's a year. But mainly straight line acceleration. I think the AFCO coilovers and the QA1's would suit my needs best ??

The other question is single or double adjustable ?? Pro's and con's of both ??

And whats the advantage to the inverted style ??

LG
PFADT
QA1
AFCO
??



Thanks..........

 

How does one change the spring on the Pfadt FeatherLights?

Steve A.

 

I'm with LSOHOLIC...

I just put a set of 345 Nitto Invo's on the back of my car and I still spin the tires hard at anything above half throttle.

My current suspension is:

Bilstein sport shocks
C5 FE1 springs (standard stock)
C5 Z06 sway bars front and rear.

I just want to hook up when I punch it. This car is a DD with semi-annual drag strip adventures.

I want the single solution... get [this] and presto, grip!

 

if you want a good daily all around coil, get the GT2's from LG. Vendors here have them for 1700$ shipped. pretty cheap

 

I run LG GT2's. Run them tight all the time but for the strip, back the front dampening way down for better weight transfer. I run 345x30x19 PS2's on the back and just this evening Mrs. WKMCD told me "I really with you wouldn't spin the wheels and go sideways with me in the car".

I was just merging...

 

Mine has just refused to ride with me anymore.

 

I gotta be honest. Coilovers seem like black magic. There is crazy low/high prices all over. I cant make heads or tails of it all.

I'm not interested in corvette ones right now, but when shopping for my subaru they go as low as $500 and as high as $2000 (okay some are like 4k).

Some of the real low end ones don't allow some adjustments, missing major features (but can be very useful, soft springs, easy to lower, inexpensive, fits a niche) . Some cheaper ones come with very stiff springs that will provide a harsh ride (but might be perfect for racing). Seems like most of them offer a harsh ride.

All of the words and videos will never really tell you how they feel, until you drive one. That's the bummer part.

 

Exactly, that's why I asked what everyone's experience was with the different brands. There's anywhere from $700 to $3000 dollars difference in price and with any of them it's a lot of work and money to spend without having a clue what the outcome will be. I'm looking for something all around but not full on race. I don't want to ride like a wagon. I currently have a stock bottom end LS1 with A&A kit, headers, etc running around 540 RWHP and still don't have a clue what to do.

 

Sometimes talking to a real applications guy (or girl, on rare occasions) at each of the most recommended companies will provide valuable information, especially if that person has had hands-on experience. If you will track your car, companies like LG have a ton of experience and can reveal why they designed their coilovers the way they did.
I don't think you've find many C5 owners who have tried a variety of COs, primarily because of the cost. This is somewhat like asking people the best cams or superchargers. Few owners swap those things out all the time unless they have large mod budgets and not much else to do with their money.

 

^^^
Wish I had that problem.

 

QA1 doesn't allow much for lowering in the rear. I bought them and test fitted the rears and then sold them. Here is what you get bottomed out.



You won't get the car low like the cars with LG and Pfadt coil-overs can get low. At least, not without riding the bump stops where you might as well just keep the shocks you have and ride their bump stops.

Also, there was big post in the C6 section with someone having issues with noisy rears and the upper bushings being damaged.

I did email them but got very vague answers. I asked where they recommended I set the ride height and how much compression and extension travel were available at that height. The aswer was that they were made to work with the car 3/4" lower. I would fully expect that someone at Pfadt or LG could tell you what the frame measurements were for 3/4" lowered or 1" or whatever they recommend and they'd also know how much travel you get when the coilover is properly setup.

Finally, no-one from QA1 has been here trying to sell them. You have both Pfadt and LG representatives you can message and get info from here. There was a direct work email and phone number given above.

I hate to break it to the guys wanting traction but coilovers won't be a huge help in adding straight line traction. They can help with "wheel hop" and can help with weight transfer, but there are limits.