Review: EQT Coilovers

[Raguvian]

I think it will need a bigger hole to access each of the four hex screws from the top, however, obviously plenty of room for the piston/adjuster. I don't think you want to get TOO crazy with the hole diameter though, but that's just me.

That said, you may be able to just undo the strut mount nuts on top and drop the whole unit down while it's still in the knuckle. Worst case, the whole unit comes out which is straight forward given their overall length (shorter than stock, and can obviously be adjusted).

@Will_, looking forward to hearing what the front camber ends up being!

Only issue is those bolts are one time use so it would suck to keep replacing them every time you want to change camber.

 

[acegp1]

Only issue is those bolts are one time use so it would suck to keep replacing them every time you want to change camber.

With coilovers like EQT and BC, they use studs with a washer and locknut at the top so they can be used over and over.

 

[Raguvian]

With coilovers like EQT and BC, they use studs with a washer and locknut at the top so they can be used over and over.

Pinch bolt should still be replaced every time, right?

 

[Hammersticks]

Pinch bolt should still be replaced every time, right?

Yes

 

[acegp1]

Pinch bolt should still be replaced every time, right?

Depending on your ride height, you probably won't need to pull the pinch bolt to gain access to the damping and camber settings.

 

[SonicBloom]

Hi Will, did you get the stock spring rates of 8k front and 5k rear? I always thought for FWD you want stiffer rear spring rates. Any feedback on this or are you waiting for track time?

 

[Will_]

Hi Will, did you get the stock spring rates of 8k front and 5k rear? I always thought for FWD you want stiffer rear spring rates. Any feedback on this or are you waiting for track time?

Yes I got stock spring rates. I have done one track day with them so far and very much enjoyed how the car handled. I may try stiffer rear springs in the future but at the moment have no issues inducing oversteer and am happy with the amount of body roll so don’t feel the need to.

I think a lot of people choose stiffer rear springs as it helps the car rotate more. I personally prefer to err on the side of a softer rear as I feel it makes the car more forgiving, ie. less likely to snap on me if I come off the throttle trying to induce lift off oversteer or have to correct after getting on the throttle too early. If I only did Autocross I’d go stiffer in the rear but some of the tracks I drive (Sonoma in particular) are very unforgiving and I’d rather not put the car into a wall.

 

[Raguvian]

Hi Will, did you get the stock spring rates of 8k front and 5k rear? I always thought for FWD you want stiffer rear spring rates. Any feedback on this or are you waiting for track time?

Stock spring rates are stiffer in the rear as well so that's what I ordered (not from EQT). I'm also not sure why the front spring rate is so much higher.

 

[xXDavidCXx]

Stock spring rates are stiffer in the rear as well so that's what I ordered (not from EQT). I'm also not sure why the front spring rate is so much higher.

The different balance between font and rear spring rates is because of the different mechanical advantage each end of the car has, called the motion ratio.

The front ratio is about 0.95 and the rear is about 0.55, so in the rear if the suspension compresses 1 inch at the tire, the rear spring is compressed only about 1/2 an inch, but the fronts compress about 1 inch.

For autocross I run 750 front and 1000 in/lbs rear, off race season I run OEM front springs and 400 in/lb rear springs.

For racing you want a large front rate because 2/3rds of the car‘s weight is over the front shocks/springs and braking and cornering puts a huge load on the front tires.

I also like a “stiffer“ rear so the rear reacts to bumps quickly so the car does not get unsettled, but must be matched to the correct damper and rebound force to counter the movement of the sprung mass.

 

[Raguvian]

The different balance between font and rear spring rates is because of the different mechanical advantage each end of the car has, called the motion ratio.

The front ratio is about 0.95 and the rear is about 0.55, so in the rear if the suspension compresses 1 inch at the tire, the rear spring is compressed only about 1/2 an inch, but the fronts compress about 1 inch.

For autocross I run 750 front and 1000 in/lbs rear, off race season I run OEM front springs and 400 in/lb rear springs.

For racing you want a large front rate because 2/3rds of the car‘s weight is over the front shocks/springs and braking and cornering puts a huge load on the front tires.

I also like a “stiffer“ rear so the rear reacts to bumps quickly so the car does not get unsettled, but must be matched to the correct damper and rebound force to counter the movement of the sprung mass.

Thanks for the info. I know about the motion ratios, but that just makes me more confused. With having such a large discrepancy in f/r rates from stock and having a motion ratio of almost 1 in the front, isn't 10k super stiff (or 6k very soft)? With a lower motion ratio in the rear I'd think you'd still want a higher rear rate to keep the chassis balance similar to factory.

IIRC factory spring rates are around ~3k front and ~4k rear. I went with 7k front 9k rear partially to keep a similar ratio, and also because I have a wagon and the rears sag quite a bit loaded up. My car is also a street car only so I'm not looking for the perfect setup, but figured the stiffer rear spring rate was a good way to not have to get a rear bar for more rotation.

 

[Coogles]

Thanks for the info. I know about the motion ratios, but that just makes me more confused. With having such a large discrepancy in f/r rates from stock and having a motion ratio of almost 1 in the front, isn't 10k super stiff (or 6k very soft)? With a lower motion ratio in the rear I'd think you'd still want a higher rear rate to keep the chassis balance similar to factory.

IIRC factory spring rates are around ~3k front and ~4k rear. I went with 7k front 9k rear partially to keep a similar ratio, and also because I have a wagon and the rears sag quite a bit loaded up. My car is also a street car only so I'm not looking for the perfect setup, but figured the stiffer rear spring rate was a good way to not have to get a rear bar for more rotation.

EQT choosing 8 Fr & 5 Rr seems very strange relative to what comes stock on these cars. 034's springs are 210 front & 280 rear, for example, so a 33% higher rate in the rear. That's pretty close to 7k Fr & 9k Rr, which is ~28.5% higher in the ear.

 

[Raguvian]

EQT choosing 8 Fr & 5 Rr seems very strange relative to what comes stock on these cars. 034's springs are 210 front & 280 rear, for example, so a 33% higher rate in the rear. That's pretty close to 7k Fr & 9k Rr, which is ~28.5% higher in the ear.

Yeah a soft rear spring rate and stiff rear bar seem to be the go to, which seems like a band aid setup to me, to be honest. Even stock cars with a stiffer rear rate benefit from a rear sway bar so I'm not sure how it helps to swing the other way and have a very stiff front rate. A race car/track setup might have different dynamics that I'm not aware of, but I'd still think at least an equal spring rate or slightly higher rear spring rate would be favorable, especially on an FWD setup.

 

[xXDavidCXx]

Yeah a soft rear spring rate and stiff rear bar seem to be the go to, which seems like a band aid setup to me, to be honest. Even stock cars with a stiffer rear rate benefit from a rear sway bar so I'm not sure how it helps to swing the other way and have a very stiff front rate. A race car/track setup might have different dynamics that I'm not aware of, but I'd still think at least an equal spring rate or slightly higher rear spring rate would be favorable, especially on an FWD setup.

You all are just scratching at the surface here, but @Raguvian made a good observation at the end.

 

[billbadass]

any thoughts on the EQT coilovers now that you have more miles on them? still quiet and comfortble and shocks dealing with california potholes? I'm also planning to take my 450whp mk7 GTI to a track day at sonoma this summer so would be rad to see you there too! MK7 FTW

 

[Will_]

any thoughts on the EQT coilovers now that you have more miles on them? still quiet and comfortble and shocks dealing with california potholes? I'm also planning to take my 450whp mk7 GTI to a track day at sonoma this summer so would be rad to see you there too! MK7 FTW

Yep, everything seems to be holding up well. Still pretty comfy and good on track. Only thing I’ve had to do is re-tighten the passenger side collars at one point because they were making a little noise.

The biggest benefit so for me is the adjustable camber and damping, really made a huge difference over my old fixed spring/shock (APR/B8) combo. The better ride quality was an added bonus.

I believe I have around 5k miles and 5-6 track days with these.