Coilover options and other suspension issues

nima

nima

Member
Car
2010 FX50S
After using the search option and Google search extensively, I started this thread to gather comparison info on coilovers for 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Gen FXs (mine is a 2010 FX50S) in one thread more or less and to weigh my options with another issue I’ve been having.

I’ve been contemplating the coilover option. My goal is better handling and ride comfort, don’t care for how much I can drop the ride as camber issue is more pressing and I know there’s almost no camber solutions for 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] Gen FX. I never track, but am a bit aggressive with the car on the streets. And the streets in Toronto have potholes the size of moon’s craters especially during/after winters when massive chunks of asphalt go missing from the middle of the road.

At the moment the rear end of the car feels like its all over the road when I go over potholes at average city speeds or higher (over 50kph) and it doesn’t go over road bumps and potholes gracefully; kinda feels like its sliding on ice at times. I’m going to get the bushings checked; is there anything else I can look out for on the rear AND front? The tires have plenty of meat on them. Any and all advise on this is appreciated. This is the reason I’m considering coilovers as well, to kinda overhaul the suspension.

So here are my questions:
- Which coilover to go with? BC (ER series, BR series ?), Megan (EZ, EZII ?), Fortune Auto
https://www.infinitiscene.com/search/1/?q=20948-Coilovers-for-2nd-gen?p=441384#post441384

I’ve read so many different reviews on so many forums and the more I read the harder it is to choose. I’ve heard Megan quality of material is better than BC as BC uses recycled metal, so Megans last longer and resist corrosion better (it gets extremely salty on the roads in winter in Toronto, so I want the damn thing to last). But also BC uses better welds than Megans.. or some things of that nature lol pardon what sounds like ignorance, its what happens when I’ve read a lot of conflicting info on forums.


- Is there any pillow ball joint/rubber ball joint or any other accessories as such to make the ride more comfortable and reduce the metal clinking noise (if any).

- Is there any accessory or anything else (sprays, rubber cover, boots, etc) to help protect the parts from road salt and other stuff on the road and make the part last longer? I do rustproofing (Krown spray) every year.

- Is it true that the Megans and/or BCs comes with camber plates for the front, meaning I can adjust the front camber freely and eliminate any camber issues on the front?

- Does the SPC rear camber kit (or any other camber bolt) help eliminate the camber issue for the rear? I know these bolts give you minor adjustability, +- 1 or 2 degrees which I’m hoping is enough considering I’ll drop no more than 0.5inches in front and rear. Whats involved in getting it installed?

- What is the recommended spring rating for an aggressive joe? Lol (is 12kg front and 11kg rear ok?)

Thanks!
 
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BC/Megans are pretty much the same quality. They're built in factories near each other. I think the differences are mild, BC may have a slightly different rear damping adjustment than Megans. But side by side without labels, it would be hard to tell the difference. Recycled metal makes no difference, once you melt it down and reform it, there's no differences. Most metal gets recycled, I doubt Megan is having fresh iron formed into steel for them. The finish on both BCs and Megans is pretty much identical, they're anodized and powdercoated. Fortune Auto appears to be higher quality but they're also more expensive.

Both BCs and Megans come with camber plates, but that's only on first gens. The 2nd gen runs wishbone suspension so there is no camber plate for it and therefore no adjustment. 1st gen runs strut so you can use a camber plate.

SPC bolts do work on the 2nd gen and give you some adjustability.

Typically the spring rates in rear are higher than in front due to suspension design, but that's on the 1st gen. I don't know how the 2nd gen front suspension works with regards to spring rate. I would just go with whatever BC/Megan/Fortune specs or go up one level/rate. On the first gen, BC specs 8/12 which is pretty soft. I went to 12/14.
 
So I emailed Fortune Auto to inquire about their coilovers and received this response:



Hello Nima,

Thank you for your inquiry! I apologize but we do not offer any suspension for the FX50S so unfortunately we cannot recommend an optimal setup for you. Our current 500 series application list can be found here: http://www.fortune-auto.com/500series.htm

Regards,
Chris
www.fortune-auto.com
877.227.0260
Fortune Auto North America Inc.

---------- Post added at 10:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ----------

Looks like I have to go with either Megans or BC. So I guess that settles that argument.
Now I have to find out about the cause of the other issue with the vehicle feeling unstable over potholes. Dropped it off at the dealer this morning and waiting to hear back.
 
Fortune stopped making them due to lack of demand, but IIRC when I spoke to a rep they said they could build a set, it would just be costly as they still had the schematics ($3k+) I also did not like the Idea of using BC or megan - especially after riding in an FX35 '11 with a set of BCs on it. Didn't like the ride at all. I was even contemplating going air because I want to keep more of a luxury feel to the car - last FX, I lowered it and got all the chassis bracing, felt like I was in a drift missile.

even now I think my suspension is a little too harsh for the car (09FX50 non-sport, but compared to a 2010 FX50S in my family my suspension feels like when you have the 50S in sport mode, but all the time) It's fun in the corners but not driving over NYC area roads...

The camber issue was also a concern for me, as the 21" tires aren't cheap and wasn't feeling making their life even shorter than they already are.

So, I am in the same boat. Your "ice" issue - how low are your tires? miles on the car?
psi / tire? it sounds like how mine drove when the tire shop overfilled the tires to 40psi once when I brought them in for balancing....
 
If you get BCs, look into getting Swift springs. Supposedly it rides way better at a given spring rate. The coils are thinner and there's more space between them so they don't pack up as much. And BC may have the option for custom valving, they do it for lots of applications. IMO, BC's are undersprung out of the box, the spring rates are only slightly higher than what they use on a G35 even though the FX is significantly heavier.
 
I've made sure the tires are always at 33psi (cold), I measure it using a pen pressure gauge and check the TPMS reading to see if both numbers match. The tire wear seems a bit uneven towards the inside of the tire. The dealership didn't find anything wrong with the suspension and said my tires need to be replaced and I need alignment. But I know alignment is most likely not the issue.
I got these tires in 2012, probably has about 55000km (35k mi) on it. I'll check the thread depth and find out for myself; never trust the stealership. I had to fight them to replace the throttle bodies when the car was under infiniti warranty (they didn't know how to clean it and I wasn't going to do it when its under warranty) - that took about a month of back and forth and they finally did it.
Will report back on tire wear in 5hrs and post my alignment results.

Jordan so are you riding on stock suspension on your FX50 or do you have coils? which bracings did you install (I saw the front strut DYI, just bought mine and going to follow it, and installing the rear lateral brace (GT SPEC part 1391) - thank you)

The BC set comes with 12F 11R spring settings by default. as Jordan said, I'm really not looking to make the ride any harsher with coils though. I'll contact BC or one of the vendors on this forum to inquire about custom valving but that'll take a while probably and cost significantly more as with any custom products.
-------

I need new tires after checking threads, about 25-30% left, not sure why that would make the car feel like its skipping and sliding over the road when hitting potholes apart from the fact that tires have less grip. would it make that much of a difference?
 
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There is no extra charge for custom valving. Custom spring rates are no extra charge with BC Racing coilovers. PM me for more details.
 
So after a second inspection at a different shop I found out the rear right lower control arm bushing is pretty much destroyed so that the control arm and cam arm are sitting on each other, same with the front stabilizer bar bushings. I went back to the dealer all pissed off and they agreed to change all the parts (front stabilizer bar, rear control arm and all the bushings/nuts/bolts) under extended warranty, but they dont cover alignment which is BS..
I also replaced the tires and did an alignment a few days ago (where I found out about the issues that the dealer missed) which improved things; hoping the parts replacement will make it go back to the normal way that it was. Car is at the dealer until tomorrow afternoon.


@Ed, I might have to give you a shout to get the rear SPC camber bolts - will find out how badly they're needed next week once all the work is done and the GTSPEC rear brace goes in. Would appreciate it if you could give me a quote shipped to Toronto M2N 6Z6. Also, whats the bare minimum drop on the BC coils (I really want to keep the height the same as stock for obvious reasons if I decide to go with c/o).

@Jef, thanks for your email. I sent Ciprian an email regarding the lights a day after your email, but received no response. Will try again.

The suspension setup that Lerry has for sale on this forum is friggin awesome; with the exception that there is no front camber correction or else I'd go for it. Also the springs maybe a bit stiff for my liking. I wish somebody would come up with the front and rear solution soon, lots of talk about it everywhere but no products..
 
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