Megan Racing coilover review

[Jeff240sx]

Hey everyone. Here is my ongoing review on the Megan Racing coilovers. The first two posts were put on Freshalloy and copied here (there was a thread inquiring about them, so I replied).

Day 1:
[Talk about whether or not Megan Racing coilovers are D2/KSport coilovers due to price similarities]
They 100% aren't the same.
Here's the Macpherson mount that Asad is talking about [Welded steel versus KSport's cast aluminum].


The MR coilovers make the KSports (which I currently have) feel like a toy. One of my KSports was bent (yea, seriously) [not the case.. explaination later], so I picked up this set of MR coils. Once installed I'll be writing a review on these things.
Here are some pros that I can gather just by look/feel.
Steel [macpherson] mounts. Pillowball mounts front AND rear. One springrate (8/6) to eliminate many of the poor-valving complaints of d2/ksport. A full dust cover versus my ksport's 1.5" dustcap. No aweful clip for the brake line getting bolted on (it's in the pic and attached to the mounting bracket). What *looks* like more height adjustment (which is good, because KSports wouldn't let me get back up to stock height if I wanted. I was tucking some 18s). Some of the better parts to these are the 32-stage dampener clicks 32 times, rather than the ambiguous turning of the ksports, and no definative notches. People started labling them as 3/3.5 turns from far left. And the dampner adjuster allen keys are always attached to the strut, rather than the 8" key that floats around, and you get sad when one bends, ala ksport.
Here's a couple more teaser pics. Sorry my camera sucks hard. When I do the review and install, I'll be using a friends camera.



I'm sure I'll get Matt's opinion of these, ride-quality wise, and probably a few other peoples. As well as a direct comparison to my KSports (not hard to beat. I'd rather have a spring/shock combo than those things), a friend's s14 with Tanabe somethings, and a friend's s13 with tien basics. Give me about a week for a full review.
-Jeff

Day 2:

The one issue that I had during the install was the lower macpherson strut mount bolt holes. Sadly, they were too close by 1/8", so I had to dremel out the hole into an oval to mount them up. I plan on calling up Megan Racing and Underground to inform them of this tomorrow morning.
Initial impressions of driving around are that they are very comfortable for 8/6 rates, with very little bounce. The KSport clunk is not in these coilovers, even when I severely preloaded the springs.
Also, the KSports claimed 0-4" drop. The 0" drop is a flat-out lie. I was a full 2" lower with the KSports maxed out. The Megan Racing coilovers, however, go to true 0", if not raising the car a bit. I'm no longer tucking wheels, and actually have some suspension travel.
The main issue I had with the KSports is that they have the camber adjustment on the mounting plate, and then a slotted bolt-hole on the upper spindle mount. This, on my driver's side, refused to stay in the correct, furthest out point, and always slid back, creating -4* camber on my driver's tire, and caused it to rub the spring. I ended up adding a spacer so when (not if) it happened, I wouldn't destroy the tire. I don't know why there were 2 camber adjustments on the KSports.. but it wasn't good in my opinion. Before I sell them to a friend, I'm going to find textured nuts for the macpherson mounts, and hopefully he won't get the same camber slide.
And you know I can't compete with Alex and his techno-toys [who in a month will shock-dyno these coilovers]. I'm just a regular guy with a car and a buttdyno.
-Jeff

PS: I'll be updating this as I continue to drive and compare, as well as get opinions of other suspension gurus. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

[SoCalS14]

Originally Posted by Jeff240sx

Some of the better parts to these are the 32-stage dampener clicks 32 times, rather than the ambiguous turning of the ksports, and no definative notches. People started labling them as 3/3.5 turns from far left.

You know when I was out at the Eibach meet, the R&D fella giving the tours said something that was real interesting. HE said that the #-way damping adjustments is, in most cases, just bells and whistles...That, in his own experience, putting various set-ups through the shock dyno reveals only a few (4-5) actual noticable adjustment differences...So what are we to think about 32-way adjustment? Do we actually gain or lose anything between 31 & 32? Or even 25 & 32? I would like to see some graphs...

The skeptic.

Good show on the write-up however...

[Jeff240sx]

As I said. Alex will shock dyno these things in a month. I'm just the guy that realizes one can spend money on crap, and admit it. So here I am.. saying these coilovers aren't crap. I'm rather pissed that I needed to "Customize" the bolt holes on the macpherson strut mount, but that would be easy to change.
-Jeff

[SoCalS14]

Thanks for the report from the "buttdyno"...hahaha

[S14DB]

Link to the other thread? Pulease?

[Jeff240sx]

http://forums.freshalloy.com/ubbthre...c=1&PHPSESSID=

[nightwalker]

can't wait to see the shock dyno

[RBS14]

Originally Posted by Jeff240sx

What *looks* like more height adjustment (which is good, because KSports wouldn't let me get back up to stock height if I wanted.

you're fucking joking right? You got coilovers and are worried about not being able to run stock ride height? If this isn't a joke, you need to have your priviliges as a mod revoked immediately. I guess this is in keeping with a bajillion dollars into your engine first, without a quarter that much into suspension.

to each their own I guess.

[sLiDewAys]

yeah i want to see this dyno as well./ hoping for them to be pretty decent

[Jeff240sx]

[QUOTE=RBS14]you're fucking joking right? You got coilovers and are worried about not being able to run stock ride height? If this isn't a joke, you need to have your priviliges as a mod revoked immediately. I guess this is in keeping with a bajillion dollars into your engine first, without a quarter that much into suspension.[QUOTE]

You're a fucking idiot. And for "you need to have your priviliges as a mod revoked immediately", you should have your priviliges [sic] as a member revoked. And I can do that for you.

Since your head was up your ass, and you refused to read the freshalloy link, or ever what I've written in full, KSport coilovers have a rear suspension height issue.
"The thing that I'm curious about is if these have the same rear shock travel issue that the D2's have. If not then I may have to pick them up." and
"On S14s the rear shock body (or the lower mount, depending how you look at it) is too short, and even when raised quite a bit, the rear is still very low."
I've gotten the Megan coilovers 3" higher than the KSports, and still had 2" worth of threads left. I've raised my car 1.5" in the rear versus what I had with the KSports.
So, oh one who speaks without thinking, KSports have an issue of dropping your car 3" at full extension in the rears. While advertising 0-4" drop. Either say 3-10" drop, or simply advertise nothing specific at all. Megan Racing don't have this "problem."
Yes, I'm lowered. No, I don't care what you think. But if you lash out at my ability to write a comparison on coilovers, and somehow think that my praise of actual full-height adjustment somehow interferes with my abilities to moderate.. I'm going to pink you.
-Jeff

[crioten]

hes not pink yet...??

so....back on topic:

would YOU recomend these to other people? (or should i wait for that answer until you have compared them to other setups?)

good review by the way...imho more people should do this (but at the same time, most people are idiots and cant really give a good informativ review)

[240Stilo]

Then again some people don't like to let others know that their cars have aftermarket parts for fear of asshole theives.

[Ghettokracker71]

Hah hah! I read this thread,and was surfing around eBay and this guy had a set for sale,in the item description it had something about 'look at this email I got from a recent customer : Jeff E. ,Moderator, Zilvia.net boards. '

Thought that was funny

[HyperTek]

I think a budget coilover shoot out is due..
-Tein SS
-KTS/SPL Parts
-D2
-Mookeeh
-Ksports
-Megan Racing
and whoever im forgeting..

[Ghettokracker71]

I'll be in....so long as somebody sponsors my coilovers and testing lmao

[sr240mike]

Damn he's using Jeff's celebrity to sell product without his approval. Tiger Woods is suing a yacht company for 30 million in damages for using his name to slang boats. You better get some scrilla for those coilovers if not get another set for free.

[S14DB]

Jeff wrote him an email saying how he loved the product.

[OptionZero]

I'm serious, maybe we can get with FreshAlloy to find cars and members to do the testing, I'd love to see it. Any magazines out there wanna capitalize on the 240 fetish and pay for the equipment? =P

[sLiDewAys]

lol that would be productive! les doo ittttt

[Jeff240sx]

Originally Posted by crioten

hes not pink yet...??

so....back on topic:

would YOU recomend these to other people? (or should i wait for that answer until you have compared them to other setups?)

good review by the way...imho more people should do this (but at the same time, most people are idiots and cant really give a good informativ review)

I'm thinking I'll do a one week review, because coilovers break in. Like today.. day 3, they are softer and less bouncy than previously.
I'll write day 3 tomorrow, and compare and contrast. I'm tired tonight. Was doing stuff. Look for another thread by me tonight
-Jeff

[Jeff240sx]

Originally Posted by sr240mike

Damn he's using Jeff's celebrity to sell product without his approval.

I wrote an email saying they were nice looking. I simply recieved them, opened the box, and wasn't dissapointed. Loved is a strong word. I had no knowledge that my email would be put into an Ebay auction.. if I did, I certainly would sound more like the educated person I am, rather than the 21 year old that just got things from a guy I'm on a first-name basis with.
-Jeff

[justinhustle]

he prolly had the option on that puts all emails and replies into the auction for that item(s)

meanwhile, its about time someone man'd up and bought those, cant wait to hear/see the results

[Jeff240sx]

I'd definately recommend them to anyone that needs budget coilovers. At $700 for D2/ksport (please, don't think about this option), $800 for Tien basics, a 3/2 kg/mm (IIRC) coilover with zero adjustability, or $900 for the Megan Racing, I'd say man up and buy it. Even my buddy with the nicer Tanabes ($1000 range) has no adjustability. He owns the basics and the tanabes that I'm going to do an direct comparo to, and he's drooling on these MR coilovers. I'll tell you right off the bat.. for comfort, the Tien Basics are so close to stock, it's insane.
-Jeff

[nightwalker]

not to dog on you, but the KTS, which has been well received, and many members own already, are only 200 more.

Gotta get those shock dynos!

[OptionZero]

Yeah...but these are red.

Everyone knows red is the fastest color....though SPL blue is a nice second

[umsports]

Jeff,

I really appreciate you testing these out...

Besides the bolt-holes..(Which I am going to email Calvin today about)

What else did you find negative?

Hearing about the good, which I already know, is really positive...

I have the Apexi N1 Pros on my car, and I would be willing to pit the MR's against them...

But is there anymore negative to them? I am more interested in this as I don't want to recommend anything bad to my customers...

And by the way, for you Zilvia.net guys, I will offer the same deal as I did yesterday to the NICO guys: $849.99 plus shipping on the MR's..

Hopefully that will help challenge the rest of the "budget coilovers"..

[cali240sxdrifter]

when does it end? I don't get my next paycheck in 2 weeks and I want to get these, let me know. anything on a GB?

[umsports]

$845 is, I GUARANTEE OR WILL REFUND THE DIFFERENCE, the cheapest you are ever going to find them...

I marked them $50 lower than I was told was the bottom selling dollar from MR to basically serve as a GB price...

At that price, there is no profit margin and no markup..

Basically I'm giving them away to help the 240SX community...consider this a Christmas present from UM...

[TokyoNights]

Are these rebuildable?Does MR offer that service?

[Jeff240sx]

Originally Posted by nightwalker

not to dog on you, but the KTS, which has been well received, and many members own already, are only 200 more.

Gotta get those shock dynos!

Why are you dogging me? But $1129 is a far cry from $850. That's $300 more, and $450 over the budget coilover low-end.
-Jeff