Not considering the prices on these units, I just wanted to hear peoples' opinion on these two units for the FC.

There has not been a direct comparison between these two coilovers, so I'll like to know why (if you were considering between these two) would you pick one over the other?

 

I was seriously considering the BC D1's, but I'm 99% sure that they do not use camber plates. Instead they use slotted holes in the top shock to hub mounting hole for camber adjustment. This is bad because it'll slip over time (especially with sticky tires and aggressive driving), and it'll compromise wheel and tire clearance when more negative camber is needed. To me that's a serious design flaw and I've since stopped considering them as an option.

Now I'm not 100% sure that's how it's done on the FC, but that's how it's done on the RSX (the N+, which is what they call the Honda/Acura version) which is also a McPherson strut car. I'd immagine it'd be the same with the FC, as it's all on the same page on the BC website and the prices are comperable.

 

hmm, does anyone else have anything to add? personal opinions (on the coilovers)? doesn't seem like many people run these on FCs

 

I know a fair number of FD owners use the Flex's, as do many Miata owners, including my dad. They're a little on the soft side for coilovers, but they can handle stiffer springs, and for rougher roads and street tires, softer is usually better anyway, besides, it'll give a better ride quality. My dad's car's got stiffer front springs in it and the ride is pretty good. It's definetely stiff, but it's not terribly jarring or anything. The damping on them is pretty good too. I've seen shock dynos and it's pretty impressive for a twin tube shock.

They're not the best coilover out there, but they've got good durability, are servicable in the US, they can be revalved to suit different springs, and are a very good choice for a dual duty car.

If I wasn't set on getting monotube coilovers I'd probably get some Flex's and another set of front springs to put them at 7/5, rather than the stock 6/5 for spring rates front and back.

 

Thank you Black91n/a for all your inputs. I'll take your words into deep consideration.

What is your choice for a good monotube coilover?

 

It depends on the budget and the intended application, they go from under $1k to well over $5k for the high end custom race stuff. If the Mono Flex is available for the FC by this summer I'll probably get them, otherwise I'll probably get the Buddy Club Racing Spec Dampers (RSD), as they're pretty good, and not terribly expensive. There's a shock dyno of it here: http://www.honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1104049 It doesn't have the best curve, but it's got a very big range of adjustment, so it should be able to handle a wide range of springs, and they're reasonably consistent side to side which is good, and they can be rebuilt with different valving. I've read several glowing reviews of them from racers, which is important for me because in a year or two my FC will be retired from DD status and converted into a track car.

For more high end stuff look at Zeal, apparently their stuff is very good. If you're really into performance and don't mind rebuilding shocks every year or two (they're not super durable, but you can rebuild them yourself), then some Advance Design coilovers would be good, they're double adjustable, made by Ground Control, but they suffer from a limited range of adjustment, so you'd better get your spring rates right the first time.

I'd stay away from JIC, as they've got a history of reliability and service problems. I'd also stay away from D2, Megan, K-Sport and the like, all those new companies selling cheap coilovers with all the features of the more expensive, established ones. I'd not trust them to have good valving and good reliability.

If I had about $5k to spend I'd get some Koni 2812's for the rear and 2817's for the front, but that'll take custom work to make them fit.