Time to Talk Suspension! Coilovers and Bushings

What's the best coilover?

Ask that question on a forum or social media and just sit back and watch the show! Everyone has an opinion, and everyone feels the need to voice that opinion.

There are few topics quite so driven by opinion as coilovers. Yet very few people get to test and play with all the options out there. Most people get to try one or two, and then settle on their selection.

I have had the luxury of getting to test lots of different set-ups (by no means all, but quite a few), and we've landed on our favorites.

So why Silver's?

For a street and autocross setup, these are really hard to beat. I haven't been nearly as happy with any other coilovers in this price range. (Yes, I've tested others that I liked better, but they were double the cost—or more.)

Over the past year, I have competed in 30+ autocross events and taken a 1,500-mile road trip on these shocks—in addition to driving them to work every day. They have held up wonderfully and are still propelling the #15 car to victory (when the driver doesn't let it down 😊).

I have been running the off-the-shelf 8k/6k spring rates, and for street driving and autocross in a street tire class (STS, STR, LMC), they are perfect! Very comfortable on the street, and very nimble and sharp on the track.

For track use or race tire classes, they can be custom-ordered in any spring rate. Usually, something around a 14k/9k setup is what we recommend for a full-time track car.

If you have questions or want more info, give us a call! We love to talk suspension! Whether you're building a track-eating monster or a comfortable canyon carver, we can help you get a setup that's perfect for your needs.

So the next topic: bushings!

I have long been an advocate of getting the correct stiffness into a car. If a car is a weekend cruiser, keep the bushings OEM to retain the comfort, quietness and enjoyment in the ride.

However, if we're pushing lap times...

The original bushings have some issues. One problem is that they are 20+ years old. In the picture above, you can see what is becoming very common on the cars we work on. The old rubber has started to get hard, and it has pushed out of the control arm. With each race, with each hard-braking zone, with each clutch-dump start, the bushings are suffering.

Enter the world of polyurethane!

Now, poly is not a cure-all, but it does have some advantages. Less flex means more direct suspension inputs. The shock is able to more fully control the wheel motion and keep contact with the ground. Poly makes the car feel sharper, more predictable. And it's easier to tune the suspension.

And it's a lot more cost-effective than new OEM bushings. If your car is like mine, you don't need to replace every bushing—just the critical ones that are costing you lap time. So we've compiled kits to give you only the bushings you need.

Need parts to complete your ride? We have everything you need! Don't see something on our website? Just ask!