Used this vid as a guide doing mine yesterday, thanks for the info 😁 Also for anyone looking, bought a pass-through socket set from HF for $35 that included an extension so I was able to use it on the front 🤙
Well done. Fun, quick install. I did some suspension excursion testing. Had car on jack stands, removed coilovers and detached sway bars and moved the suspension to maximum compression. 13 inches F and R from mid hub to fender. Knowing this I raised my car 3/4 inch as it felt like the suspension was getting too close to max excursion on track curbing. Much better now and improved lap times. Possibly helped with roll center as well.
Fantastic video!!! Thanks for taking the time to add the details like torque numbers. I also appreciate the honesty about the ride quality - rare to find these days on TH-cam 🤙
Hey Justin, hope that you are having a great weekend. If you have the chance to redo things again, would you add lowering shocks like the koni yellows or still use the stock shocks. I am trying to build an all around monster on the track. I am on the verge on buying the Eibach pro kit, just don't know if the shocks would be a worthy upgrade or waste of money
The shocks will be a good addition for sure. But, if you're going for a "monster on track" that sounds like want a fully adjustable coiliver setup. Springs and basic shocks are more of a budget setup. They work ok and do the job, but a nice coilover system will be mich faster.
No, lowering springs alone aren't going to amount to much faster times. Lowering springs + shocks will a bit, and a good coilover system will be even faster.
Looks incredible! I wanna do this too. Is the wheel spacer necessary to get the clearance, or is it more of a looks-upgrade at this point? Also, how much has this changed the ground clearance at the front bumper? Where I live there are a lot of steep entries to driveways/parking lots.. I'm already having to enter/exit at a sharp angle to not scrape the front bumper at stock height. I wonder if lowering it would severely impact this, or just slightly. Thanks!!
Wheel spacer not required, only for looks. If you do spacers you also need ARP extended wheel studs (see you other videos on how to install those). You lose about a 1 1/4" ground clearance on the front. It's not severe, but expect to scrape a little more often. More so if you have the front lip that I now have!
I was doing other stuff while watching and listening, so I might have missed it, but I don't think you said at the end that a re-alignment will be required (for others, I am sure you know this)? Just trying to help the toe-out gang / toe-tire wear! Nice vid!
Ideally you would get a basic alignment, especially if you also do the SPC camber bolts. The springs themselves don't change toe much if at all, according to my toe plates (I did check, just in case it was a big deal).
Justin, excellent video as always. Do you know of any stiffer springs that work with stock dampers that don’t lower the height? I’m more on the practical side and want clearance but also want a bit less wallowing for performance driving.
Hmm that's a good question. No I'm not sure of any aftermarket stiffer springs that retain the OEM ride height. That's off the top of my head though, might want to reach out to some vendors and see what they say.
Awesome! Yes the Trueno Blue color is pretty accurate in the video, no filters or anything on the still shots (or video for that matter). It is a pretty amazing color actually, really pops in the sunshine but can also look dark, almost purple'y, in overcast or dark conditions. I love it.
Great video. Question, I have 2 twins, my FRS is on Eibach Sportline springs, which looks great, but is a pretty rough ride. If I put like BC coilovers on my '23 BRZ instead, would the ride quality soak up bumps better, and feel more OEM than just lowering springs would?
Thanks! I haven't driven on anything with BC coilovers yet, but the price indicates they are a pretty budget setup ($1200 that I saw). They might ride ok, but in my experience that stuff in the $1k range is not great. I'd look at something like a RCE Tarmac 2 or KWv2 setup for good damping that will be close to OEM. Also to note, the older FRS OEM shocks are not nearly as good as the new gen2 cars, I used to have an FRS as well.
Hi Justin, thank you so much for all the wonderful informative videos. You make the most detailed videos. My question for you is how do you like the Eibach springs on the racetrack. How is the handling and responsiveness compares to the stock springs. If you have to do things over again, would you stay with the stock springs or install the eibach springs again, or install the springs with new lowering shocks? Any feedback is highly appreciated.
Hey thanks for watching! The handling is very much like stock with the Eibach springs, with a bit less body roll and maybe a tad bit more responsive. I would definitely do the springs again as they are a great, inexpensive alternative to going to a full coilover.
@@TheBTRGarage thank you so much for the reply. I really enjoyed watching your videos. You really do a great job explaining things to non mechanically inclined folks like me.
Thanks! Yea the rates are in the video, I'll put them in the description as well. GR86 stock springs 2.9 kg/mm front (162 lbs/in) 4.0 kg/mm rear (224 lbs/in) GR86 Eibach Pro kit springs 4.0 kg front (225lbs/in) 4.9 kg rear (279lbs/in)
How does it handle speed bumps after being lowered an 1-1/4"? That's exactly the amount I want to lower mine, but I've been hesitant due to the speed bumps in my neighborhood
It will clear most common speed bumps in my area going straight over. Some of the larger ones and driveway curbs I'll have to go over at an angle, or the front will scrape a tad. It's much easier to get around with this car than it was with my old BRZ, but I also had an STi lip on that car which reduced the front clearance by another 1" or so.
It is a few hours with the right tools and if you know what you are doing. It's not trivial, but also not terribly difficult, definitely not 9.5 hours of work though. Maybe try a local performance type shop?
Yeah, I just gave up on any place around here and did it myself. I went with the no spring compressor method and also I didn't have to remove the struts out from the steering knuckle. It took about 1.5 hrs of actusl labor time. That was using a low profile jack, just two jack stands and a couple tools and torque wrench.@@TheBTRGarage
I know that you done a lot with your older BRZ I have a 2013 I haven’t done much to it yet I was thinking coil overs sway bars got any recommendations I did want to do some auto cross.
Do you have any specific goals in mind, casual autocross, competitive? Just want to lower the car for looks? I would hold off on sway bars unless you know what you want to get out of it. I like the Racecomp stuff like SS1's or Tarmac 2 for budget to mid-range coilovers. You need to know a little bit about shock setup though for that, but RCe has good customer support to help out.
A better damper, could be a Koni or Bilstein, or something in a more expensive coilovers kit. There are plenty of coilover kits out there that are crap though, so be cautious of that as well (most of the junk in the
@@TheBTRGarage Which would get between the two. HKS Hypermax S or RCE SS1? I was leaning more towards the HKS since those are developed specific to the GR86, while the RCE SS1 was setup for Gen1 BRZ.
I race the car a lot in time attack and autocross. It's primarily for grip and even tire wear from racing. Right now the outside edges of my OEM PS4 tires are bald.
@@udeshhhhhh if you want to maintain OEM alignment specs, you would need the camber bolts to adjust it back. Lowering the car will increase negative camber slightly, but nothing that will do any harm or excessive tire wear.
The Eibach springs are a fraction of the cost of a decent coilover. Plus, right now I was just wanted to improve the looks. Next phase of my development will be a full coilover system. My fenders have been shaved, but there is no clearance issues with stock wheels if not. When you go to wider wheels you might have to shave to fit.
Is there a particular reason you have to have to use the spring compressor with the longer shaft facing upwards at the top hats? Seems like you would have a lot more free range of motion for a ratchet or otherwise if the spring compressors were flipped 180.
It is usually easier to get an impact driver socket on the spring compressor bolts from the bottom, as the top hat is wider. Other than that, no particular reason, either way should work.
That might work for some shocks, but it doesn't on these (I tried), the shaft will spin. I prefer the manual way anyways, less impact trauma to the shaft/seals.
![[GR86·BRZ] Remove/Install Coilovers (By Yourself) #DIY](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nT-Sa6shh-c/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video! 16,000 subs is criminal. Should have way more!
Hey thanks! Appreciate that 💯
Used this vid as a guide doing mine yesterday, thanks for the info 😁
Also for anyone looking, bought a pass-through socket set from HF for $35 that included an extension so I was able to use it on the front 🤙
Well done. Fun, quick install. I did some suspension excursion testing. Had car on jack stands, removed coilovers and detached sway bars and moved the suspension to maximum compression. 13 inches F and R from mid hub to fender. Knowing this I raised my car 3/4 inch as it felt like the suspension was getting too close to max excursion on track curbing. Much better now and improved lap times. Possibly helped with roll center as well.
Thanks for the comments! Nice to hear when adjustmetns result in going faster :)
I wonder if the reduction in rear static camber ( by raising the rear ride height ) was the source of faster lap times ?
Fantastic video!!! Thanks for taking the time to add the details like torque numbers. I also appreciate the honesty about the ride quality - rare to find these days on TH-cam 🤙
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
Debating on Eibach Pro Kit or the RSR Superdowns.
Great video! I really liked how you included the before and after measurements.
Thanks! Hope it was helpful :)
Hey Justin, hope that you are having a great weekend. If you have the chance to redo things again, would you add lowering shocks like the koni yellows or still use the stock shocks. I am trying to build an all around monster on the track. I am on the verge on buying the Eibach pro kit, just don't know if the shocks would be a worthy upgrade or waste of money
The shocks will be a good addition for sure. But, if you're going for a "monster on track" that sounds like want a fully adjustable coiliver setup. Springs and basic shocks are more of a budget setup. They work ok and do the job, but a nice coilover system will be mich faster.
Thanks Justin. Do you believe that you were faster on track with the lowering springs compared to the stock springs.
No, lowering springs alone aren't going to amount to much faster times. Lowering springs + shocks will a bit, and a good coilover system will be even faster.
Great video, informative I'm lowering my son's brz tomorrow so it was great to watch and see exactly what I'm getting into .
Awesome, glad to hear the video was helpful! Get the right tools and it is an easy job.
awesome video Justin! love the GR86 mod videos! i got the eibach pro kit on my gt86 and absolutely loving them!
Nice, thank you! The Eibach set is definitely great for the $!
Looks incredible! I wanna do this too. Is the wheel spacer necessary to get the clearance, or is it more of a looks-upgrade at this point? Also, how much has this changed the ground clearance at the front bumper? Where I live there are a lot of steep entries to driveways/parking lots.. I'm already having to enter/exit at a sharp angle to not scrape the front bumper at stock height. I wonder if lowering it would severely impact this, or just slightly. Thanks!!
Wheel spacer not required, only for looks. If you do spacers you also need ARP extended wheel studs (see you other videos on how to install those).
You lose about a 1 1/4" ground clearance on the front. It's not severe, but expect to scrape a little more often. More so if you have the front lip that I now have!
@@TheBTRGarage gotcha. Thanks for the fast reply and the info!! I love your car's stance.
I was doing other stuff while watching and listening, so I might have missed it, but I don't think you said at the end that a re-alignment will be required (for others, I am sure you know this)? Just trying to help the toe-out gang / toe-tire wear!
Nice vid!
Ideally you would get a basic alignment, especially if you also do the SPC camber bolts. The springs themselves don't change toe much if at all, according to my toe plates (I did check, just in case it was a big deal).
Awesome. How does it drive now? Do you recommend them?
It drives pretty good, with some caveats. I talk about it later in the video. Basically, near OEM ride quality on good roads, gets worse on bad roads.
Good Video, Personally i would have got MudFlaps instead of the OEM mudguards because you wouldn’t have to drill holes.
I prefer the looks of the OEM ones, holes aren't that big of a deal.
Justin, excellent video as always. Do you know of any stiffer springs that work with stock dampers that don’t lower the height? I’m more on the practical side and want clearance but also want a bit less wallowing for performance driving.
Hmm that's a good question. No I'm not sure of any aftermarket stiffer springs that retain the OEM ride height. That's off the top of my head though, might want to reach out to some vendors and see what they say.
Hello, informative video. I was wondering, how much did your rear camber change after the spring install?
I didn't have it checked, but roughly -2°. When I had it aligned, after installing rear LCA's, it was a similar fit dialed to -2.5°.
Thank you for the reply. Much appreciated 😊
thinking about picking up an 86 myself - is the color of the car true to life in the video?
Awesome! Yes the Trueno Blue color is pretty accurate in the video, no filters or anything on the still shots (or video for that matter). It is a pretty amazing color actually, really pops in the sunshine but can also look dark, almost purple'y, in overcast or dark conditions. I love it.
Great video. Question, I have 2 twins, my FRS is on Eibach Sportline springs, which looks great, but is a pretty rough ride. If I put like BC coilovers on my '23 BRZ instead, would the ride quality soak up bumps better, and feel more OEM than just lowering springs would?
Thanks! I haven't driven on anything with BC coilovers yet, but the price indicates they are a pretty budget setup ($1200 that I saw). They might ride ok, but in my experience that stuff in the $1k range is not great. I'd look at something like a RCE Tarmac 2 or KWv2 setup for good damping that will be close to OEM. Also to note, the older FRS OEM shocks are not nearly as good as the new gen2 cars, I used to have an FRS as well.
Hi Justin, thank you so much for all the wonderful informative videos. You make the most detailed videos.
My question for you is how do you like the Eibach springs on the racetrack. How is the handling and responsiveness compares to the stock springs.
If you have to do things over again, would you stay with the stock springs or install the eibach springs again, or install the springs with new lowering shocks?
Any feedback is highly appreciated.
Hey thanks for watching! The handling is very much like stock with the Eibach springs, with a bit less body roll and maybe a tad bit more responsive. I would definitely do the springs again as they are a great, inexpensive alternative to going to a full coilover.
@@TheBTRGarage thank you so much for the reply. I really enjoyed watching your videos. You really do a great job explaining things to non mechanically inclined folks like me.
@@patrickhingston Awesome! That's why I make the videos so great to hear the feedback!
Great content and I appreciate the details and work that went into it, kind sir!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 😊
Great review, your car looks perfect. Do you know what is the spring rate of those Eibach ?
Thanks! Yea the rates are in the video, I'll put them in the description as well.
GR86 stock springs
2.9 kg/mm front (162 lbs/in)
4.0 kg/mm rear (224 lbs/in)
GR86 Eibach Pro kit springs
4.0 kg front (225lbs/in)
4.9 kg rear (279lbs/in)
@@TheBTRGarage really appreciate your kind response. Thanks
How does it handle speed bumps after being lowered an 1-1/4"?
That's exactly the amount I want to lower mine, but I've been hesitant due to the speed bumps in my neighborhood
It will clear most common speed bumps in my area going straight over. Some of the larger ones and driveway curbs I'll have to go over at an angle, or the front will scrape a tad. It's much easier to get around with this car than it was with my old BRZ, but I also had an STi lip on that car which reduced the front clearance by another 1" or so.
@@TheBTRGarage thank you for the info! Now I'm off to work on my budget! 🤣🤣🤣
@@rhkean Hah! Thankfully the Eibach springs are pretty budget friendly :)
Do you have a rough guess that it took to install all 4 springs? Dealer is giving me 9.5 hrs labor...so well over $1000 to install.
It is a few hours with the right tools and if you know what you are doing. It's not trivial, but also not terribly difficult, definitely not 9.5 hours of work though. Maybe try a local performance type shop?
Yeah, I just gave up on any place around here and did it myself. I went with the no spring compressor method and also I didn't have to remove the struts out from the steering knuckle. It took about 1.5 hrs of actusl labor time. That was using a low profile jack, just two jack stands and a couple tools and torque wrench.@@TheBTRGarage
Nice work!@@jaybutterfield1281
@@jaybutterfield1281 Bro. Plan to do this in your way. Can you show me the video you followed?
I know that you done a lot with your older BRZ I have a 2013 I haven’t done much to it yet I was thinking coil overs sway bars got any recommendations I did want to do some auto cross.
Do you have any specific goals in mind, casual autocross, competitive? Just want to lower the car for looks? I would hold off on sway bars unless you know what you want to get out of it. I like the Racecomp stuff like SS1's or Tarmac 2 for budget to mid-range coilovers. You need to know a little bit about shock setup though for that, but RCe has good customer support to help out.
@@TheBTRGarage thanks
Would coilovers be more comfy?
A better damper, could be a Koni or Bilstein, or something in a more expensive coilovers kit. There are plenty of coilover kits out there that are crap though, so be cautious of that as well (most of the junk in the
@@TheBTRGarage Which would get between the two. HKS Hypermax S or RCE SS1?
I was leaning more towards the HKS since those are developed specific to the GR86, while the RCE SS1 was setup for Gen1 BRZ.
@@jl5731 I don't think you could go wrong with either of those. You might get better support from the RCE side for install, setup, etc.
Why add camber? Just for looks or does it have an advantage on the road? You'll wear out your tires on one side more than on the other.
I race the car a lot in time attack and autocross. It's primarily for grip and even tire wear from racing. Right now the outside edges of my OEM PS4 tires are bald.
@@TheBTRGarage Alrighty thank you
Is it essential to have camber bolts to match the OEM alignment specs? I'm still confused whether or not we need camber bolts for this kit
No, you don't need camber bolts at all. It just helps with tire wear.
@@TheBTRGarage Hmm so does that mean I won't be able to be within OEM wheel alignment specs without camber bolts if I install these springs?
@@udeshhhhhh if you want to maintain OEM alignment specs, you would need the camber bolts to adjust it back. Lowering the car will increase negative camber slightly, but nothing that will do any harm or excessive tire wear.
@@TheBTRGarage thank you! Appreciate your help. I'll run without camber bolts and see how I go then with the Eibach pro kit 🤞
Why not use coilovers instead? Also, did you have to roll the fenders? Does it rub at all?
The Eibach springs are a fraction of the cost of a decent coilover. Plus, right now I was just wanted to improve the looks. Next phase of my development will be a full coilover system.
My fenders have been shaved, but there is no clearance issues with stock wheels if not. When you go to wider wheels you might have to shave to fit.
@@TheBTRGarage K, thanks
Is there a particular reason you have to have to use the spring compressor with the longer shaft facing upwards at the top hats? Seems like you would have a lot more free range of motion for a ratchet or otherwise if the spring compressors were flipped 180.
It is usually easier to get an impact driver socket on the spring compressor bolts from the bottom, as the top hat is wider. Other than that, no particular reason, either way should work.
@@TheBTRGarage makes sense, thank you!
Once you got an alignment did your opinion of the springs change?
All manual home alignment still!
@@TheBTRGarage Nothing wrong with strings and plates.
No race suspension?! Sad
Not yet, but eventually! Taking the slow roll mod route with this car and doing a lot of testing/data collection during the process.
Does the handling change?
Not really, other than it's a little more bumpy on imperfect roads. I talk about it later in the video.
17:05 and for that reason, I'm out. New England roads have never been worse
Yea, these springs would be rough back in Denver when I lived there. It was fine with a good coilover system.
No fancy tools needed. Just zip that top nut on\off with that impact gun on the lowest power setting. Nothin to it.
That might work for some shocks, but it doesn't on these (I tried), the shaft will spin. I prefer the manual way anyways, less impact trauma to the shaft/seals.