I need advice. This is for my daily driver but I'm pushing the limits on my current set-up (tein s-tech springs).

I was really looking for the FLEX with EDFC, but somone has recently told me the HKS Hypermax II are a superior set if I can deal with adjusting them from outside the car. I have been told they are stronger and prefered by many of the more hardcore 350z drivers.

I do about 90% street driving, but I tend to spend a lot of time bombing our local SOCal canyons at high speed and now im going to start tracking the car more and entering SCCA events.

I don't mind adjusting the coilovers by hand, as long as when im doing it I know I got a superior suspension.

Thoughts, advice...greatly appreciated!!!!

J

My Team Transport Profile

 

I hear good thing about the hypermax II as well, if you are looking for track coilovers u can also check out endless, cusco, and JIC magic.

04 G35C 6mt/aero kit/nav/premium

 

I have a HKS LS+..... no regrets... very easy to adjust the stiffness, ride is awesome....

<font color=blue> DG 04 Coupe </font color=blue>

 

i have the flex w/edfc setup and i can't complain about it. since the ride stiffness is adjusted on the top of this setup, i think it's a pain in the *** to adjust without the edfc since the rear shock towers sit in an enclosed area, therefore u would either have to cut out an access area or remove the shock every time you wanted to change the stiffness. are the HKS setup the same way? in any case, my driving environment changes all the time, so it is pretty sweet that i can change the dampening at the touch of a button. this was a major selling point for me. as for ride quality, at the stiffest settings the suspension holds its own, i can attack the twisties much more aggressively now. on the softest settings, i feel that it is not much different than stock. if you want the best suspension for the track, then look into the other major players, HKS, Cusco, JIC. i believe they all offer monotube construction as opposed to the flex's twin-tube design. i have not rode or driven any car with any of those other seteups, so i have no clue as to how they compare to the flex. but i do feel that for a daily driven car the flex does offer a great setup.

04 DG/G/6MT/Premium/Nav/Clear Bra
Bone Stock...to be continued...
"You kill mah brodah, now I kill you!" - some old kung-fu flick

 

i was told one major advantage of the HKS was that you didnt need to remove the shock to adjust damper. Another adbantage was the monotube vs. twin-tube. That this makes the over all design stronger.

My friend said this:

the valving in the TEIN is not as strong so the EDFC system can work. This makes the TEIN very good for street driving and driver comfort but on the track, it is easy to blow out. The HKS is more adjustable then the TEIN and has much stronger valving... adjustment of damping is of 30 levels (softest is softer than stock and stiff is STIFF)... it is easly adjustable without removing any suspension components...

Looks like you guys are agreeing. Thats good, the HKS might be the way to go for me. I admit I will still desire the nifty EDFC, but in the end, im under the car enough that i'd rather have a better part and more elbow grease than a nifty gadget and a sub-par part (for my needs...i certainly don't mean to bash anyone who uses them).

My Team Transport Profile

 

I have the LS+, which is basically the same thing as the hypermax II and when it comes to adjusting the stiffness, I can do all four corners in less than one minute. For the front suspension you just ahve to pop the hood open and adjust the shocks with the included key and for the rears, you just have to slide your hand between the spokes and adjust a **** which is located on the lowest part of the shock. It rides perfectly. I think it was worth every single penny.

 

The HKS Hypermax LS+ isn't the same thing as the Hypermax II coilover. They are valved differently, and the LS+ transfers a lot of roll stiffness to the front, and it use's progressive rear springs. The LS+ is of course a improvement, but HKS has two different missions in mind and crafted both differently to accomplish those missions.

"Hipermax LS and LS+ are specifically designed for "Luxury-Sport Vehicles" where improved handling characteristics are achieved while maintaining maximum ride quality"

"The Hipermax II coilover suspension kits have been engineered to be track ready suspension that is still "streetable".

HKS LS+ (rear springs are progressive)
496/440 +58%front +29%rear
transfers 29% roll stiffness to the front


HKS II 504/504 +61%front +47%rear
transfers 14% roll stiffness to the front

HKS does offer another choice, the RS (performance nissan carries is, look under the 350Z). Spring rates are unknow to me, but it's likely stiffer then the II. It is ment to be for people more serious in tracking their car.

"The result of all this testing and development is a coilover suspension system that has been precisely valved to dramatically improve handling at a competitive track level, yet still be comfortable even on the harsh road conditions in the United States. HKS was able to achieve this versatility by using an F1 inspired single tube structure coupled with an oversized piston and dual oil and gas chambers. A shortened cylinder body allows suspension travel to be maintained when the car is lowered."

Kinda reads to me that it will have the ride quality like the 350Z Jics. I'll be the first to admit, I would not go with a system that stiff if that is the case.



"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

First thing that comes to my mind in a Hypermax II vs Tein flex discussion is that the II's use a more streetable spring rate. 504lbs vs 672lbs. However, if one was willing to wait 6 to 8 weeks you can order the JDM Tein flex for the same price as a USDM version and get a setup that not as stiff, 560lbs spring rates.

I do like the idea of the II's monotube construction.

The Flex's ability to adjust ride height independent from the springs is a nice feature to help in corner weighting. I do not believe that the Hypermax II or the RS has that feature. Jic's have the feature as does Buddy clubs Racing Spec coilovers.

In a discussion such as this, write off the Cusco coilovers, they utilize inferior spring rates, transfering a enormous amount of roll stiffness to the front of the car.
Cusco Zero 1&2
560/392 F+78% R+15%
Transfers +63% roll stiffness to front ( and they do not run their rear springs on the dampner body, oem location)

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

Gsedan35, you seem to have done a lot of research in regards to suspension, what kind of setup are you running? The JDM Flex?

 

Well in humble honesty, I had to suspend spending money on mods for the time being, I haven't had a chance to get what I really want, that will have to wait. I have the oem 350Z suspension as a stop gap measure.

I like the idea of the JDM Tein flex, but I don't know if I could wait that long to get it shipped from Japan. I really wish Tein offered their RA or RS coilover for the platform, I'd rather have them over the Flex. I've ruled out the Jics, for reliability reason's. No to Cusco's for the reason's I mentioned above, no to KW coilovers because I flat out will NOT do progressive springs (but the version 3 KW's do have seperate rebound and compression dampning adjustability), no to Tein CS, monotube, but too comfort biased. So, I'm most inclined to want the HKS Hypermax II's or the RS. I like the Buddy club racing spec coilovers more, but I take issue with their really high spring rates, and I need to figure out the actual rear spring rates with the springs being run on the dampner body.

Now what I would really love to have most of all would be the Moton Club Sport system, but $3200,.....ouch.

"All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke

G35 6mt

 

how about endless coilovers? From what I heard, HKS needs to be sent to Japan to be revalved. Not 100% sure if thats true.

04 G35C 6mt/aero kit/nav/premium

 

yea, the wait on the JDM flex is kinda ridiculous. the main reasons i went with Flex are the streetability and tuneability with the edfc. the roads in NYC are ridiculous. i live about 20 minutes outside of NYC, where the roads are pretty nice and have lots of mountain and twisties. i travel alot between the suburbs, NYC, LI, NJ, and CT(sometimes all of those in a single day). since the road conditions change within miles of each area, i didn't want to have to setup dampening b4 i set out each day. since i have aftermarket rims, i cannot reach into the wheel well and adjust settings so easily. i needed something i could adjust at the touch of a button and on-the-fly. the changeover time after selecting a setting is approximately 2-3 seconds on-the-fly. this is not really a novelty item for me, rather a necessity based on my driving habits and driving environments. i'm the type of person that changes driving moods in a heartbeat. i love that if i feel like pimpin around, i can use the soft setting, then if i feel like spirited driving, i don't have to pull over and adjust anything, but rather just adjust the edfc and keep on driving. let me use my commute to work as an example. there's construction right by my exit, so i use the soft setting so my fillings don't fall out and its a little easier on the rims. the highway is pretty bumpy for the next few miles until i get onto the Hutchinson pkwy northbound. now this is a 2 lane road that is very smooth and has nice bends and turns. the road basically begs to be driven hard on. plus its like 6 in the morning so there's no one on the road. i then select either medium or hard setting, depending on how i feel and do some spirited driving. when i catch my exit, there are again local roads that have nice bends and twists nice for spirited driving. when i get to work, there's again construction and a large incline on the parking lot i get into. i then select soft, and have no problems over the road plates and driveway. when i get out of work, its the same thing on the way home. now this is not the only time i use the edfc, but just one example. but my whole point is my car is truely a daily driver and maybe will see the track 2-3 times a year if that. if you will track your car often and want the most potential, i would say go with the HKS since it is monotube and built for the track. good luck in your decision dude.

04 DG/G/6MT/Premium/Nav/Clear Bra
Bone Stock...to be continued...
"You kill mah brodah, now I kill you!" - some old kung-fu flick

 

Profile4, you just sold me on the TEIN with EDFC. You and I have the EXACT same situation but only 1000 miles apart. I have construction near my house and would love to have a softer setting, but soon thereafter I have a 20 mile stretch of highway that is empty at 5:15 am. Having this adjustability would be real sweet and since I do not track my car, the TEIN sounds like the perfect choice!

 

Gsedan35, can you explain why the monotube design is desired considering the TeinCS is monotube based but design for comfort and the Flex is not monotube but designed for performance? It would seem that if monotube is preferable, Tein would have designed the Flex as monotube as well. Thanks.

 

well the reason why i mentioned that the ls+ suspension was basically the same as the hypermax II is because my experience with both suspensions. i've driven the hypermax II in my friends is300 (i know iknow its a different car) but the ride feels the same. I don't know much of the specs like gsedan but from how the hypermax II reacts to bumps and irregularities on the road is nearly the same as the ls+.