In the strictest technical sense, a "coilover" suspension is a system that has a shock absorbers strut inside the cylinder of a coil spring. That means that while a 350Z /G35 has a coilover front suspension setup, the rear is not. By common usage, however, a kit that replaces the shocks and springs is still referred to as a "coilover kit". And buying springs and shocks separately doesn't make the setup any less of a "coilover".
Few shocks offer height adjustment, and those that do generally lack the granularity of control. Some use rings on the strut body to attach a circlip, which means to adjust the height the strut has to be removed and there are only so many settings available. Springs don't offer height adjustability either, so the height drop offered is all you will get.
However, the biggest gain is the time and effort the company has gone to when engineering their product. The performance of springs and shocks need to be matched to each other, as well as to the weight and weight distribution of the car.
You could buy springs and shocks from the world's best manufacturers of such products, but the best ingredients do not neceesarily make the best cake. You still need a chef to put the ingredients together in the right amounts. With individual springs and shocks, the "chef" is the purchaser. Which is not an issue if the purchaser is a suspension guru and has experience with the two specific products or the resources to mix and match springs and dampers until they find something that works. But for most of us, we don't have the expertise nor the time and money to keep swapping parts and testing them in a controlled environment until we find two that are "just right" for each other as well as provide the ride / handling compromise we are after.
With a coilover kit, you know that the company has tested their product. They have found a spring rate that suits the weight of the car for their advertised purpose (whether it be for street, rally, drag or circuit use) and shock absorber valving that matches the spring rate. If the shocks are adjustable, then the range of adjustment will suit the springs. So you can rely on the manufacturer's reputations for getting these setups right in the past as well as their build quality, rather than just the build quality that individual components manufacturers offer, and then your own reputation (or lack of it) for their suitability to each other and the intended application.
Aragosta
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube, forged aluminum
- Damper Adjustment: 12-way adjustable
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size: 46mm
- Notes:
- Aragosta
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Bilstein PSS
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: none
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 370 (+18%)
- R Spring Rate: 240-420 (+23% max, progressive)
- Roll Transfer: +5% stiffness to rear
- Piston Size: 46mm
- Notes: dampers are performance valved, possible to swap rear springs for linear, 5" O.D.
- Bilstein
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Bilstein PSS9
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: 9-way adjustable
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 370 +18%
- R Spring Rate: 240-420, (+23% max, progressive)
- Roll Transfer: +5% stiffness to rear
- Piston Size: 46mm
- Notes: dampers are performance valved, Possible to swap rear springs for linear, 5" O.D
- Bilstein
|
Blitz
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Blitz
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Buddy Club
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: Adjustable
- Height Adjustment: Full adjustment
- F Spring Rate: 748
- R Spring Rate: 280
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Full-length adjustment and height adjustment for separate setting of the height and spring preload
- Buddy Club
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Central 20 Race
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment: Full adjustment
- Height Adjustment: Full adjustment
- F Spring Rate: 12kg/mm
- R Spring Rate: 7.5kg/mm
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Original Design with Quantum Dampers, ODM Sprint springs
- Central 20
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Central 20 Street
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment: Full adjustment
- Height Adjustment: Full adjustment
- F Spring Rate: 10kg/mm
- R Spring Rate: 8kg/mm
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Original Design with Quantum Dampers, ODM Sprint springs
- Central 20
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Cusco Zero1
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: none
- Height Adjustment: Full adjustment
- F Spring Rate: 560 +78%
- R Spring Rate: 392 +15%
- Roll Transfer: +63% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Full-length adjustment and height adjustment for separate setting of the height and spring preload, Rear springs in OEM location
- Cusco
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Cusco Zero2
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment: 5-way adjustment
- Height Adjustment: Full adjustment
- F Spring Rate: 560 +78%
- R Spring Rate: 392 +15%
- Roll Transfer: +63% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Full-length adjustment and height adjustment for separate setting of the height and spring preload, Rear springs in OEM location
- Cusco
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D2 Racing
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube Aluminium
- Damper Adjustment: 36 positions
- Height Adjustment: yes
- F Spring Rate: 840 +168%
- R Spring Rate: 728 +113%
- Roll Transfer: 55% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- D2 Racing
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Esprit
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment: Full adjustment
- Height Adjustment: Full adjustment
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: designed to run evenly on the street and circuit, Piston and shaft designed by HKS
- Esprit
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GAB
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- GAB
|
HKS Hipermax II
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: 30-way adjustment
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 504 +61%
- R Spring Rate: 504 +47%
- Roll Transfer: +14% stifness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: HKS most aggressive setup
- HKS
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HKS Hipermax LS
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: none
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 448 +43%
- R Spring Rate: 448 +31%
- Roll Transfer: +12% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: comfort ride system
- HKS
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HKS Hipermax LS+
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: adjustable
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 448 +43%
- R Spring Rate: 448 +31%
- Roll Transfer: +12% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Tuned more aggressively than the LS, but not to the RS level, in spite of the RS actually using softer spring rates. Special Note: This 350Z version does not transfer as much roll stiffness to the front as the G35 version, but does use softer valving specs in it's dampeners
- HKS
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HKS Hipermax RS
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: 30-way adjustable
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 448 +43%
- R Spring Rate: 448 +31%
- Roll Transfer: +12% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Marketed as HKS’s track coil over with a good street ride, it is more aggressive then the HKS LS+ and does not transfer as much spring stiffness to the front.
- HKS
|
JIC FLT-A2
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: 15-way adjustable
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 560 +78%
- R Spring Rate: 672 +98%
- Roll Transfer: +20% stiffness to rear
- Piston Size: 40mm
- Notes: Full-length adjustment and height adjustment for separate setting of the height and spring preload. This setup is known for it’s street ride harshness, but also for good track performance.
- JIC
|
JIC FLT-A2 RS
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- JIC
|
K-One
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: ohlins dampers
- K-One
|
Kei Office
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- KEI Office
|
KW Variants
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:485-525 (progressive)
- R Spring Rate: 240-548 (progressive)
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: V1: non adjustable dampening, V2: adjustable damping, V3: separate adjustability for compression damping AND rebound damping and is the only product of it’s kind at this time.
- KW
|
Kg/mm
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 840
- R Spring Rate: 280
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: JDM only. Use rear springs on the rear coil over bodies AND a progressive spring in the oem location. Closest translation is that the progressive spring adds 200lbs to the rear rate.
- kgmm
|
Megan Racing
- List Price: 900$
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: 32 ways
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 10kg
- R Spring Rate: 8kg
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Megan Racing
|
Mines
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:F: -25mm R: -20mm
- F Spring Rate: 6.12kg/mm
- R Spring Rate: 7.34kg/mm
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Mines
|
Nismo S-Tune
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Twin Tube
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment: none (-20mm fixed)
- F Spring Rate: 8.1kg/mm +43% (progressive)
- R Spring Rate: 8.9kg/mm +48% (progressive)
- Roll Transfer: +5% stiffness to rear
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Includes pillowball upper mounts. All rates tuned specific for Z.
- Nismo
|
Ohlin
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Ohlins
|
Pros Engineering
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Pros Engineering
|
Quantum
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Quantum
|
Racing Gear
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Racing Gear
|
Tanabe Sustec Pro S-OC Type 1
- List Price: $1100
- Damper Design: Twin Tube
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F: +.25,-1.75 in
- R: +0,-1.5
- F Spring Rate: 10kg/mm, 560lb/in
- R Spring Rate: 8kg/mm, 448lb/in
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Uses helper springs, adjustable rear spring
- Tanabe
|
Tanabe Sustec Pro S-OC Type 2
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Twin tube
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F: +.25,-1.75 in
- R: +0,-1.5
- F Spring Rate: 10kg/mm, 560lb/in
- R Spring Rate: 8kg/mm, 448lb/in
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: No helper springs, adjustable rear spring
- Tanabe
|
Tanabe Sustec Pro S-S Type 1
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Twin tube
- Damper Adjustment: F: 4-way R: 8-way
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Uses helper springs
- Tanabe
|
Tanabe Sustec Pro S-S Type 2
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Twin tube
- Damper Adjustment: F: 4-way R: 8-way
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: No helper springs
- Tanabe
|
Tein Basic
- List Price:$890
- Damper Design: Twin tube
- Damper Adjustment: none
- Height Adjustment: continuous
- F Spring Rate: 504 +61%
- R Spring Rate: 504 +43%
- Roll Transfer: +18% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Tein
|
Tein CS
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: adjustable
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 392 +25%
- R Spring Rate: 392 +15%
- Roll Transfer: +10% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: comfort ride
- Tein
|
Tein Flex
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Twin tube
- Damper Adjustment: 16-way adjustment
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 672 +114%
- R Spring Rate: 672 +98%
- Roll Transfer: +16% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Full-length adjustment and height adjustment for separate setting of the height and spring preload. Harsh ride noted by many. Carefully read reviews, since JDM and early versions have softer springs. Other spring rates can be obtained from Tein.
- Tein
|
Tein Flex JDM
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Twin Tube
- Damper Adjustment: 16-way adjustment
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 560 +78%
- R Spring Rate: 560 +64%
- Roll Transfer: +14% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Original specs offered in U.S.Now spring rates on USD version is 672/672. Full-length adjustment and height adjustment for separate setting of the height and spring preload.
- Tein
|
Tein SS
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Twin tube
- Damper Adjustment: adjustable
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 392 +25%
- R Spring Rate: 314-392 +15% (progressive)
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Tein
|
Tommy Kaira
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes: made by Bilstein
- Tommy Kaira
|
Veilside Pro
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Veilside
|
Veilside Standard
- List Price:
- Damper Design:
- Damper Adjustment:
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate:
- R Spring Rate:
- Roll Transfer:
- Piston Size:
- Notes:
- Veilside
|
Zeal Function V6
- List Price:
- Damper Design: Inverted Monotube
- Damper Adjustment: 6-way adjustment
- Height Adjustment:
- F Spring Rate: 560 +78%
- R Spring Rate: 448 +31%
- Roll Transfer: +47% stiffness to front
- Piston Size:
- Notes: Full-length adjustment and height adjustment for separate setting of the height and spring preload
- Endless
|
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