510 rear coilovers T3 or Ground Control?

[jbcottrell]

Hi Guys.

 

Let me preface by saying I already have T3 front struts/coilovers/Konis.  They are beautiful but T3 doesn't make Konis for the rear.  They only offer KYB AGX and after years of having them on other cars, I would really rather have Konis.  Plus they match the fronts. 

 

Ground control makes a Koni rear, which are actually cheaper than the KYBs from T3!

 

Any feedback on the 2 brands?

[datzenmike]

The prices are beautiful you mean. Just how many times a week do you need to adjust your ride height anyway?

 

Get the one that rides and handles the best for you. If not sure, is someone else's opinion really going to dictate your comfort and handling? Flip a coin, you won't get better odds than 50/50. Or go for the shiny ones.

[Ranman72]

I have the t3 ones and I am very happy with them 

[banzai510(hainz)]

I have Konis also and like them the old orange D type. So I use a S/T stock type spring in the rear

[DISLEXICDIME]

I have afco rears and I like them. I really liked my qa1's I had

[heywier427]

I think the AGX's even on the stiffest setting is still a comfortable ride.  Thats a bad thing...

 

Always ran/run Koni's on my vw's and the tokiko illuminas are also pretty great.  

 

I think i will get illuminas for the rear when the AGX's get even softer :)  Theyre stiff setting was pretty much a piece of wood for a shock!

[carterb]

For the rear, I have a great recipe for for coilovers:

 

QA1 ADJUSTABLE SHOCK BODY DS602

 

 

 

PLUS QA1 UPPER SHOCK MOUNT CONVERSION KIT SS110SDM

 

 

 

PLUS 12" EIBACH SHOCK 1200.250.0250 (or pick a different rate if you like)

 

 

 

(note - you can save a few bucks by using QA1 springs instead of Eibach)

 

AND WALLAH!

 

 

This whole setup can be purchased from Summit Racing for $525/pr ($473/pr using QA1 springs)

[Dolomite]

I doubt you could go wrong either way. Both t3 and ground control are highly trusted companies. Probably boils down to which brand of shock you like. I like the GC design with the inverted shock for less unsprung weight.

[fivetenguy]

I've got that same set up as Carterb on my bubble flare 510 but with the 200lbs QA1 springs. It's pretty good, I guess. Haven't really driven the car too much. On my other 510 I have Troy Ermish rear coilovers (QA1 with special valving). With those I'm quite happy with the ride quality.

[q-tip]

I have the non adjustable dampening rear coil overs from GC, no issues what so ever and the perform well.

[Icehouse]

I have the T3, they are okay.  I don't like how they only dampen on rebound. This makes my car squat tons through the slalom and kinda tricky to control.  They came with 185 lbs springs which made the diff almost hit the ground, I swap those out for some 500 lbs ones.  Yeah way to stiff.  Now I have some 300 lbs which is tolerable.  I have a set of Megan S13 coilovers I adapted to fit another 510.  Once I free up the adjuster they are for sure going on my car.  

[heywier427]

Does anyone else's 2.5" springs rub the body in the back?

 

I think they need to be 2.25 od.

[q-tip]

Does anyone else's 2.5" springs rub the body in the back?

 

I think they need to be 2.25 od.

That's why the gc's are inverted, I have clearance problems with the ermish ones I had before but the gc's are fine.

[AtomChurch]

It all just depends on how you personally are driving that car.

Maybe you are only going to race around left hand circles?

 

Adjustment can be fun. Or just find a guy who drives like you and ask.

 

I like to choose people who do, through red light, burnouts. And drifts onto freeway on ramps.

Might not be the type of driving you are going to actually do.

[G8KeaPoR]

I know sorry for the resurrection.   Anyway from my experience when I worked at Autothority (The USA one not the knock off one in Australia.) Porsche pitstop which merged to later become Autothority pitstop. (For reference we were at one time the number one source for chips etc for everything Deutch.  We were also the guys that built the Grey Porsche in the car and driver tuners challenge that lost by 1/10th of a point to lingenfelter but unlike lingenfelter who blew his engine we drove not trailored our 996 back home cross country which sadly went bankrupt after Minh died...  Sorry not meant to be a brag session here just wanted to preface my experience. 

 

Anyway from my experience every single ground control product is junk.  There are many reasons from causing damage to the car to giving a poor ride to actually performing worse on skidpad tests than the factory.. yes factory.. suspension but the most important of all due to their use of mass produced often chinese manufactured strut there is no guarantee that all two or 4 coil overs will have the same or repeatable bound/rebound.  This is important because it can cause you to lose control of your car in a corner.  I don't normally diss people by calling out the parts they choose to use on their car but, for using ground control I make the exception.  They are garbage and a waste of money.  If you happen to be that 1% of ground control users that had a great experience then I commend you for being in the extreme minority.  for the rest save your money and buy a real suspension.  (There is a reason why high end tuners tend to use Bilstein, KW, etc products.  Sure ground control may be cheap but you get what you pay for and do you really want to put your life up for grabs just to save a buck?

 

Regardless of what you did or what anyone plans to do just make sure at a bare minimum that you get a coilover that uses the lower mounting perch and NOT the spring perch to adjust ride height UNLESS the coilover has helper springs.

 

EDIT - I may be a 510 novice but I have built many a 150k modification cost street cars (mostly 996 and 997's) and full tube framed race  cars.  So I may just be snobbish when it comes to my beliefs given my history but even if that is the case I assure you it comes from a good place.

Edited August 27, 2018 by G8KeaPoR

[paradime]

Not the first time I've heard negative feedback on Ground Control products. I have T3 COs on my 510 and will give my full endorsement to their high quality and feel.