Sooner or later every real enthusiast wants to improve their pride and joy. A lower centre of gravity, better road holding and a more aggressive, sporty look are often at the top of the wish list. And when we come to choosing for a suspension upgrade, we quickly face an important dilemma: just sports springs, or invest in a complete coilover system, colloquially known as “Gewinde”?
Although both solutions serve a similar purpose – lowering the car and improving how it drives – they differ greatly in design, price and end result. In this article we look at the advantages and disadvantages of both options and help you work out which is right for you.
What are sports springs and what are their advantages?
Sports springs are the most common and most affordable entry point into suspension modification. These are shorter and slightly stiffer springs that replace your factory ones. They usually lower the car for 20 to 45 millimetres, which immediately takes care for a better look.
Main benefits:
- Cenovna dostopnost: Changing only the springs is significantly cheaper than buying a whole new system.
- Easy installation: The replacement process is for an experienced mechanic it is quite quick.
- Retained comfort: If you choose a reputable brand, your car will often keep much of its factory comfort despite being lowered.
Sports springs do have some limitations, though. The biggest one is that the drop is not adjustable – what comes out of the box is what the car gets. Sports springs are also fitted to the existing, factory dampers. If they are already old, or the drop is too big (more than 40 mm), the factory dampers can wear out faster.
If you are looking for a cost-effective way for improving the looks, check our extensive range in the category Lowering springs.
What are coilovers (Gewinde)?
Coilovers, or “Gewinde” (from the German word for thread) is a complete system in which the damper and spring are designed as one fully matched unit. The outside of the damper is threaded, with a collar that moves along it and supports the spring. This allows the ride height to be set precisely, to the millimetre.
Main benefits:
- Full height adjustability: You can lower the car by exactly as much as you want. Ideal for those who want the car as low as possible in summer and a little higher in winter.
- Outstanding road holding: Because the spring and damper are made for each for other, the damping is optimal and body roll minimal.
- Extra adjustments: More advanced systems even allow damping (rebound/bump) and camber adjustment.
The main downside of coilovers is the higher initial cost and slightly more demanding fitting and setup (a wheel alignment is mandatory afterwards). If you are ready for uncompromising driving and full control, the right choice is for you Coilovers.
Who are springs alone right for, and who needs coilovers?
The choice depends largely on how you use your car and what you expect from it.
Sports springs are ideal for you if:
- You use the car every day (commuting, shopping).
- You only want to improve the look slightly (get rid of that awkward gap between tyre and arch).
- You have a limited budget for modifications.
- Your factory dampers are still in excellent condition.
Coilovers (Gewinde) are essential for you if:
- You are a perfectionist about ride height and love the stance scene.
- You regularly attend track days and need maximum suspension response.
- You want to lower the car so far that the factory dampers could no longer cope.
- You want components that are fully engineered to work together.
The effect on comfort and everyday driving
With any suspension modification you have to accept a trade-off between comfort and sportiness. Sports springs, especially with smaller drops (up to 30 mm, say), keep a surprising amount of comfort. The car will be a little firmer over bumps but still suitable for family trips.
With coilovers it all comes down to the setup. Some entry-level coilovers can be quite firm and unforgiving on poor roads, as they are made primarily for smooth tarmac and corners. Even so, top manufacturers offer systems with adjustable damping, where you can soften the suspension for city driving and stiffen it for weekend drives on twisty roads.
Technical inspection and type approval (TÜV)
Do not forget the law! Whether you go for sports springs or coilovers, you are modifying a part vital to your car’s safety. To pass the technical inspection and avoid police fines, your modification has to be legal.
This means both springs and coilovers must have TÜV certification proving the components have been tested and are safe for your specific model. After professional installation and a wheel alignment, you must use the TÜV certificate and the proof of professional installation to have the modification approved and entered in the vehicle documents. With coilovers, the distance from the wheel centre to the arch edge is usually entered in the documents – which means the ride height at an inspection or a police check must not differ from the recorded figure, even if the suspension technically allows further lowering.
Conclusion
Choosing between sports springs and coilovers is not a question of which product is better, but which is better for you. If you want a moderate improvement in looks and handling at an affordable price, springs are an excellent choice. But if you want full control, an extreme drop and top-class handling, investing in coilovers is the right way to go. Just don’t forget correct installation and the mandatory type approval!
Read also
- Lowering a car with sports springs – is it really a cheap modification?
- Cheap or expensive coilovers – what are the differences?
- Eibach springs: Pro-Kit and Sportline compared
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