AMS Coilovers??

Due to the time constraints for the AMS parity sale! & the skid being sent to Oz!.......just wondering if anyone can provide info (good or bad??) on their coilovers?

http://www.300zxclub.com/showthread.php?t=179720

They look the goods!.......& the sale price is excellent! .........but how do they perform?

I like the fact they offer custom spring rates too!

 

wasn't that sale price just for walk up customers at their zcon stand? The price on their website is still $1399.

dont think you'll get much info on them here though, there's at least half a dozen people with them on 300zxclub so might be better off asking there.

 

Thanks Tim! - I was hoping some of the regular visitors to 3ZC from our forum may have read some info on these that they could pass on??........I'll go & search myself but due to tight time constraints on a decision I was trying to fast track getting some info in them!

 

I'm really just trying to find out how they would compare to the TEIN Monoflex??.......as everyone I know who has fitted Monoflex love them!

 

I dont think you should be trying to compare them to monoflex. Monoflex are a mid level coilover coming from a company with a solid reputation & a significant amount of R&D behind them. Your also comparing something that sells for close to $3k with something that can be done for under $1k on special. It's chalk & cheese mate.

You should be considering these against BC, isc, hsd & the numerous other brands that source their gear out of china/taiwan/korea/etc.

Why not just look at the powertrix or spl offerings? Powertrix are possibly also sourced from god knows where but at least theres a ton of info on them & thousands of guys on the U.S. forums that have run them for years without a drama. They're also wrapping up a group buy at the moment.

Spl are actually kts coilovers which are made in japan & again have an excellent rep.

Otherwise if your happy to source second hand then jump onto yahoo auctions & start hunting, I've imported 2 sets of hks coilovers (now on hipermax 2's) & its pretty cost effective. Just got to wait for the right set to come up.
Also dont forget to search for 'r32' as any of the gtr ones are interchangable with a slight modification to the pillowball mount.
If you decide to explore this route & want more info shoot me a pm.

cheers, tim

 

Thanks Tim!

I've always had my mind set on a new set of TEIN Monoflex!.......so I think I'm just going to stick with my initial choice!

 

IIRC I read on 3ZC that AMS coilies are just rebranded, but can't remember what...

 

good choice

 

Good to know!

 

correct, as are the powertrix & spl. AMS have never mentioned where they source their coilovers from but they look identical (minus the bright blue) to a few of the other brands that come out of china/taiwan/korea/etc.

I agree with black beast, excellent choice.

 

I just got myself a set of tein flex coilovers haven't really driven the car hard to really test them out but certainly look the goods.

I originally wanted tein mono's but I was a bit put off by the slight stiffer spring rates and that on their softest setting it is still quite firm. Also my tein flex were $500 less so i can buy camber arms and tension rods.

 

Just to answer alot of the questions directly

All the AMS kits are made to order based on our specifications. Based on our sources the region of manufacturing are Powertrix (China), SPL (Korea) and ours Taiwan (makes for several established companies). We utilize Japanese Pillow ball mounts which add quite a bit to the cost and offer all the various parts seperately for full serviceability (sleeves, shocks, mounts etc). We based them on the HKS Hyper II's which we ran on our Corporate Z for years and now our own AMS units. The manufacturer we have used for our presitige line-up as well due to their quality which includes the Porsche 996T and Aston Martin which will be released after SEMA.

It all comes down to specifications desired and quantities ordered. Larger volume buying equals savings for clients. many of the smaller vendors run GB's up front and collect money then order the units after collecting 50% deposits. We stock these as we order up front and no wait times and immediate savings.

We have run the Tein's on several Z's with no complaints so either selection is fine albeit spending alot more on units that you will notice no real differences in

Regards,

Vuk@AMS

 

This might be a good time to bring up my observations on the AMS 32 Way Race Coilovers. Sorry I didn't step up sooner Russ.
http://www.300zxclub.com/showthread.php?t=155254


I've had the coilovers on for almost 17 months now and must say that I had some nervous trepidations about coilovers in general prior to having the AMS Coilovers installed. I thought that perhaps I may be sacrificing right comfort in an effort to achieve maximum handling characteristics. At least that's the general flavour I take away when I do any reading on the subject.
In my case, I was not starting from a situation like most other coilover newbees start. I already had some great suspension bits in place prior to the coilovers so this assessment will be based on that perspective. Prior to the coilovers I was using the reliable/traditional KYB AGX adjustable shocks mated to Eibach springs. Don't get me wrong, that combo always seem to be a good solution to those replacing their worn out oem suspension bits.
Anyway, the install went quite smoothly as I was the second customer to receive and install these new coilovers. Initially, to have a base line start, we measured the lengths of the newly removed KYB/Eibach shock/spring combo and duplicated those measurements to the new coilovers even before installing them. Once installed Vuk and I took the car out for a quick drive just to get an initial feel. When we returned we adjusted slightly the spring preload. Once that was done we went about to set the ride height. This is where having a set of wheels with compatible tire sizes and offsets can be a factor. We did a final tune after that by doing a corner balance. We settled on what you see in the pics provided and as a matter of fact, I'm still on that current ride height setting today. It took some getting used to after they were first installed as there was a significant change to ride height from before. In the weeks that followed, I started to notice the various nuances that made these stand out from the previous suspension parts. I didn't get the usual body lean in corners like before nor did I get the sudden jerk to the drivers seat from highway expansion joints while at speed. There was a noticeable difference in the behaviour when treated to various road imperfections that left me a bit more re-assured in comparison to the other suspension that at times gave me the perception that they coildn't handle certain road conditions. My pre-conception of loosing the comfort factor while on highways was gone. I settled on a setting of 7 front and 7 rear and have fiddled with other settings when I was on more demanding territory like the "Tail of The Dragon" in North Carolina as part of the annual ZDayZ event.
I thoroughly enjoy these new coilovers as they have given me a better feel for road conditions, they don't get the car in an ugly state when adverse conditions arise and I'm able to accomplish all of that and still set whatever ride height I choose and not compromise any of the compression/rebound settings and ride comfort.
If someone was upgrading from worn out oem suspension parts, they'll find an unbelieveble difference that might be a handfull to take in all at once, but will quickly begin to love all the perks/aspects a good coilover can offer. I opted for the better package with the pillowball mounts as well. I also paid a heck of a lot more than what the current GB price is and thought I was getting a great deal at my price anyway. This new GB price is deffinitely something to seriously consider.
Have I put this suspension through it's paces?
Answer - I believe I have. The week following the install I made the nearly 4000km round trip to the Tail of the Dragon last year. Following that, I did the almost 7,000km roadtrip to the ZNationals in Georgia at the Z1 facility which was back to back to the 2009 ZCon held in San Antonio Texas. So I basically went from north of Toronto, to Atlanta Georgia to San Antonio Texas and then home again. Google map that and tell me that wouldn't be a long-ass haul in a Z32.
All I can say as the coiovers did not take anything away from those roadtrips. The comfort and smooth ride on the highway to the rigorous demands of some of the best twisty roads the USA has to offer and through it all the AMS Coilovers came through with flying colours.
It's reassuring to know that if for any reason I encounter any issues with the coilovers, there'll be replacement parts to rebuild them. FWIW, I got the recommended spring rates of 8 front and 6 rear.
Thanks Vuk for a great product.


AMS 32 Way Race Spec Coilovers with Pillowball Mounts




Out with the old;




In with the new;








Anyone notice the new AMS Tension Rods? I thought i'd throw them in there since I've had them for so long.



Missing the adjusters on top;







Put her all together and see what she looks like;







Of course I had to install new 350Z rotors as well along with some new AMS 350Z Carbon Ceramic Pads.

And I have this guy to thank for help making all of this happen;
Vuk Zivic

 

Just a quick question where does this (green arrow) bolt up to now? thanks. Nice calender girl pics btw!

 

Zip ties are your friends as they are with several kit's on the market

Regards,

Vuk@AMS

 

ok, cool!

 

i've had them for quite a while now, actually, quite some time before they were released. they perform like champs and you can't beat the price/quality (bang for the buck) of these units. whatever anyone wants to say about where stuff's made from for various companies, whatever. don't believe the negative hype. more expensive is not always better.

 

A special thanks to all the Canadian members who have shared their thoughts & experiences with the AMS coilovers!.........now I'm undecided again thanks to all of you!