So are these coilovers junk? There is a set on Craigslist for $300 that are supposedly "almost" brand new for $300 (I would try to talk him down since they are only $370 new). Are they worth even looking at? I need to replace the shocks on my Civic anyway...
I can't speak for the quality of them, but if they are anything like the megans, k-sports, etc I would run far far away.
They're much worse than Megans or KSports. (Which really are pretty decent for coilovers in that price range.)
The Ricelands are not worth looking at. ESPECIALLY since you're considering building an FSP car out of the Civic.
Not any more junk than another budget coil over system.
I'm of the opinion that cheap coilovers are great way of deciding if you want coilovers or not. My Escort wagon, for example, could use coilovers, not because I want "stance" but because I'd like the ability to tune the ride height depending on the season.
The "stanced" Miata however, had coilovers that were used in an inappropriate manner. Do not wind them the whole way down.
^Ride height adjustability is nice, but generic springs rates and valving typically ride like crap.
Swank Force One wrote: The Ricelands are not worth looking at. ESPECIALLY since you're considering building an FSP car out of the Civic.
Cool.
To be honest, I am going to probably going to end up running something Koni STR.R and Neuspeed springs for a couple year before I seriously start running FSP because it needs new shocks something awful and I already have the Neuspeed springs and I don't have the money to blow on coilovers right now.
That sounds like a much better setup than Ricelands anyways. 
Yeah I've heard of them, and they sure are junk. They're a very cheap way to get an adjustable spring seat, that's all they've got going for them.
I have a set of D2s (AKA Ksports, they're re-brands of each other). The big problem with them is that the 36-way shock adjustability works more like on/off. Also the front camber plates on mine cracked, but I drive on pothole-ridden moonscapes on a regular basis. Apart from that, no problems. They're good threaded coilovers with independent height adjustment and me and a buddy have had good results with them in autocross and stage rally.
Initial use of racelands in the wrx show that they are fairly comfortable, firm up he ride a bit/better handling, and best of all, are CHEAP.
up here in canuckistan, I was looking at over $140 per strut (by itself!), and then I'd have to take all of the old beaten rusty E36 M3 off the old struts and transfer them. Or, I spent under $500 and have brand new everything all around, the top mounts are solid (which isn't ideal, but whatever). Choice is pretty clear to me. The setup instructions are quite specific about how to set spring tension (no freeplay i the spring) and then use the adjustable strut ears to move everything up and down.
if you want the cheapest option that is sportier than stock and ride close to the same, its these. I wouldn't expect them to survive 100,000kms over potholes...
I had them on my Mk4 VW GTI and they were worse riding then OEM sport springs AND the Koni coils I replaced them with. I think if you don't go stupid low and/or don't care how they handle at the limit you might be satisfied.
From what I have seen, from friends that tried them, they are super stiff. you get what you pay for. they are used by super low hellflush people because they can be set super low, with very little travel. now this is in a lighter car. I have a feeling that they use many of the same parts on all setups, and are ok for some cars, but too stiff for others. so on a WRX they might be fine, but anyone that has driven a miata on them, knows that they are not set up for the lightness of a miata.
They're stiff mostly because usually they're on applications lowered enough to ride on bump stops.
The spring rates on Racelands on a Miata, for example, are HILARIOUSLY low.
Like... maybe lower than stock low.
I have them on my miata. The spring rates are in the 350/200 range. I went from konis with 550/350's and prefer the racelands. I also had a set of koni race with 660/400 springs on my other miata and preferred the racelands. I'mnot sire how long they will last, but iI've already got my money's worth. I think the koni and gc combo is faster for autox, but for a car that sees more street than autox, I would go with the racelands. People who drove the car with them were shocked how well it handled. I can't speak to the civic application, but I like the miata ones. You can ask my friend with an NC with jrz's, header, exhaust, and v710's how much he like being consistently beaten by my NA with racelands and r888's at autox :)
I have a $90 set of 370 / 275 lbs/in lowering springs mounted on my NB's stock shocks. I'd be really curious to see how the ride compares to the Racelands.
Stay away from them, they are junk. Fanbois buy them and say how great they are and one year later they're singing a different tune.
I don't consider myself a Fanboi but Ive run them about 30k miles between tWo different MKI VWs. I liked them fine for the adjustability and dampening for street driv
I don't consider myself a Fanboi but Ive run them about 30k miles between tWo different MKI VWs. I liked them fine for the adjustability and dampening for street driving; I doubt i would prefer them for autocross but for a street car they are fine. They aren't KW or H&R but they don't cost 1500 either. You always get what you pay for.
93EXCivic wrote: So are these coilovers junk? There is a set on Craigslist for $300 that are supposedly "almost" brand new for $300 (I would try to talk him down since they are only $370 new). Are they worth even looking at? I need to replace the shocks on my Civic anyway...
For under $300 you can go to Summit's website get four Allstar coilover sleeve kits (for a Honda you shouldn't need the uppers, so just get the sleeves and lower seats) and four QA1 springs of whatever rate and length you desire.
I just went through this for the front of my RX-7. The sleeves and lower seats were ~$60 out the door and the springs were $80.
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