Cheap coiloverish question but new

[Daggerty]

So I was searching eBay for new control arms and other suspension bits when this popped up.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Full-Set-For-BMW-E36-3-Series-91-98-Coilover-Damper-Suspension-Strut-Kit-/262660301308?hash=item3d27c621fc:g:25kAAOSw-CpX9cyi&vxp=mtr

the thing that I'm wondering is these actually have rear shocks that you can adjust to the spring height, so are they good or are they just current with the times and not that great because they have weak spring rates?

[Earl]

I would not trust those whatsoever. The cheapest coilover that I would go with would be Racelands or Solowerks. Ebay coilovers like you posted have been known to fracture on the mounting bracket and that could be very bad depending on where you are and how fast you're going at the time.

[straight6pwr]

plus the shocks are going to be terrible, wear out fast, and I can only guess they don't have replacements meaning you'll have to buy an entire 2nd set of coilovers once they go.   you'd be better off with some new good quality shocks and used lowering springs.

it sucks for the wallet, but shocks are just one of those parts that as they get cheaper, they get a lot worse.

[Earl]

In general you usually don't want to cheap out on any suspension components that are welded structurally because the quality just isn't there. There is a reason why these are $300 and a set of BC's is $900. It isn't just the name brands charging a premium so they can make money hand over fist. They use higher quality components and have much better processes implemented for production. 

If you want a cheap coilover for the sake of just lowering the car on a budget I would recommend Raceland Ultimos. They aren't the best coilovers in the world and won't last anywhere near as long as more expensive brands, but they will not crack or break under normal driving conditions.

[Jdesign]

Crazy how cheap China parts are becoming. I would suggest Racelands over these for sure. And I bet if you were to contact that company and ask what the spring rates were they wouldn't even know what that meant.

You: hi I was wondering what the spring rates are for your coilover suspension system you are selling?

7 year old Chinese translator: Yes, coilover spring allow adjusted vehicle of height. We recommend professional install. Thanks for your question.

[straight6pwr]

Jdesign said:

7 year old Chinese translator: Yes, coilover spring allow adjusted vehicle of height. We recommend professional install. Thanks for your question. 

LOL.

[Daggerty]

I'm not in the market for coilovers just thought this was interesting because a few years ago everyone was saying good coilovers have shocks that adjust to the height lmao.

[straight6pwr]

Daggerty said:

I'm not in the market for coilovers just thought this was interesting because a few years ago everyone was saying good coilovers have shocks that adjust to the height lmao.

yes that's true, having the shock length adjustable to remove preload and retain full travel is a good feature for coilovers. its just not the most important thing.