AST coilovers

[Crazylegs]

Has anyone heard of these before?

I've read that Lichfield Imports used them a lot on FD2's when they were imported, can't seem to find anything on them online for the DC5 or anyone having fitted them.

They do a fitment for the Teg as it's on their website.

 

[carl hammond]

Has anyone heard of these before?

I've read that Lichfield Imports used them a lot on FD2's when they were imported, can't seem to find anything on them online for the DC5 or anyone having fitted them.

They do a fitment for the Teg as it's on their website.

AST is a part of Aragosta (their uk side, Aragosta are the same but that‘s there name when sold in japan).

Very very good quality coilovers, the Aragosta are the ones I was looking at for the DC5 to replace my bilsteins but the ones I was looking at start at £4.5k

I don‘t know much about the low end stuff but quite a few of my friends actually compete using them (the expensive top end ones).

If you‘re not competing you‘re better off on B14 or B16 bilsteins tbh

 

[Crazylegs]

AST is a part of Aragosta (their uk side, Aragosta are the same but that‘s there name when sold in japan).

Very very good quality coilovers, the Aragosta are the ones I was looking at for the DC5 to replace my bilsteins but the ones I was looking at start at £4.5k

I don‘t know much about the low end stuff but quite a few of my friends actually compete using them (the expensive top end ones).

If you‘re not competing you‘re better off on B14 or B16 bilsteins tbh

Interesting, thanks for this info Carl. I've seen their name pop up regarding the FD2 but absolutely zilch on the DC5. I can't see any prices on their site for the Integra. I read that you were going to go for some Aragosta coilovers. Wonder why no one has gone for these for the DC5?


Been doing some reading into ways of improving the setup on the Teg should I keep it but I'm at a bit of a crossroads with it. The base is there for it to become a real weapon but the suspension is letting the car down massively imo.

 

[carl hammond]

Interesting, thanks for this info Carl. I've seen their name pop up regarding the FD2 but absolutely zilch on the DC5. I can't see any prices on their site for the Integra. I read that you were going to go for some Aragosta coilovers. Wonder why no one has gone for these for the DC5?


Been doing some reading into ways of improving the setup on the Teg should I keep it but I'm at a bit of a crossroads with it. The base is there for it to become a real weapon but the suspension is letting the car down massively imo.

AST and Aragosta are basically for competition use, the setup I was getting fell through as I was getting them cheaper and they were just o er £5k new, id still have them but the reason not many do (aside from 90% not even knowing of them) is mainly the price. They are big money and most want cheap Taiwanese Yellow speeds etc over bilstein let alone paying over twice bilsteins prices

I‘d have them if I was looking to compete (which was he plan) but it‘s all in gold until I‘ve got he new house sorted etc and the business up and running.

I‘d highly recommend bilsteins for the money, not cheap but a great setup. I‘ll WhatsApp you now

 

[Mark_teg]

I don't think they're that popular on fd2 these days either. I seem to recall reading an owner stating they require a rebuild/refurb every two years, though I don't recall the mileage they covered over that time period.

If I could buy bilsteins for mine, I'd get them in a heartbeat! I currently have new OEM front dampers to match new Koni rears.
I'm put off buying coilovers as I don't want the extra noise, etc from solid top mounts (though I wouldn't say no to Ohlins but price counts them out for me!).

 

[Crazylegs]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for this. Just a few questions while you're about as I'm contemplating an FD2 amongst other cars, main thing that's putting me off is how stiff they're renowned to be on UK roads.

The DC5 as you know already pulls about and drags you everywhere. Is the FD2 just as bad or is there any improvement in that respect?

I can take the stiffness to an extent lol as mine is rock solid at the momet but the Teg is just lacking in something and I think an FD2 would be better for me.

Are they brutal to drive on everyday roads? Also if you change the rears for the Koni's, does it lose it's multlink independent rear or does that still remain?

Thanks.

 

[Mark_teg]

Hi Marc,

I haven't driven a dc5 for a while now, so it'll be difficult to comment. I'd say they're probably quite similar to drive in that a Type-R will always require more concentration and effort to drive than an average car or even fast VAG cars. Having said that, my other half drives my car and doesn't complain about it pulling, she actually loves driving it and has used it without me being next to her.

With standard suspension it was kind of annoying as it always felt fidgety, the rear would never settle. Even with the koni rears fitted and set to full soft I find myself seeking smooth road and apologising when I have passengers, though it's fine when on my own. A negative of setting the rear dampers to full soft though is you lose some of the sharp turn-in but that's easily rectified with half a turn of the adjusters, reaching a nice compromise of a settled car and the sharp turn-in returns.

Fitting Koni rear dampers is simply a change of dampers, nothing else. The springs are separate so it's really easy too.

I hope that helps, but I'd hate for you to part with extra cash for you to experience the same drawbacks.

 

[ekchris139]

Have driven my friends type 25 litchfield impreza and these came as stock on them.

Great on the roads but havent driven them on track yet. There is only 5 adjustability settings on his which is all you need really.

AST are well regarded in the suspension industry but are not cheap at all. Last time I priced them they were over 4k sterling for the same ones on the litchfield.

Nearly sure KW can be made fit the DC5. Not overly priced either.

As for the so called Taiwanese rubbish, I run Meister R CRD+ on my teg and have been for the last year and a half. Do alot of mileage per year as well as track days and I dont really have any bad things to say from them.

Have driven a few cars with Bilstein suspension (imprezas, dc5, focus st's, s2000, starlet gt, b4 legacy) no matter the geometry they all felt a bit boaty.

Maybe thats something you are after but I didnt like it. With the Meister's I can make the teg handle like a boat or be razor sharp. Obviously the harder you go the more twitchy the car will get on rough roads.

There are plenty tracking, dailying and competing on so called cheap suspension and they perform really well.

 

[carl hammond]

It's not that Taiwanese stuff is rubbish at all, it's simply down to the quality of the parts, £ per unit and durability of the items. There is a reason things cost more than others and this is as they are not manufactured in a cheap country using cheap labour and cheap parts with a 10 year out and his mum in a sweat shop doing all the work. The level of R&D is far lower, even in some cases more than likely non existent than some reputable brands and so on.

Meister I actually think look and sound great and I have considered them myself (the higher end models that are circa £1800). I think that Jerrock (I believe his name is) offers a great customer service and so on and the GT1's I believe they are look amazing. Saying that the life of an item like Yellow speed will be far less than a Bilstein, Gaz, AST/Aragosta, Nitron and so on (and understandably as the item costs less to manufacture).

The reason many people use the cheaper alternatives for race series etc is simple (replacement £ per unit costs if something goes wrong). For example how many race teams in Civic Cup, Clio Cup, Tin Top Challenge etc do you see running Rays, Work, Enkie wheels etc? In reality they mainly run cast rims (Bola, Rota or similar) copy or cheaper wheels as if something breaks or gets damaged the replacement costs are far less (sometimes up to around a 1/4 of the price of a forged wheel that's also very very hard to come by.

The same goes for suspension, how many top end companies in BTCC, Le-Man and so on do you see running Yellow Speed, BC etc? The reason they don't is simply the fact that they can afford the replacements of higher end quality made and tested items.

It all comes down to budget and ones needs. Bilstein B16 PSS9's imo are an amazing all rounder, they offer high quality £ for pound and are a reputable brand, fully tested and far from boaty as you say, mines solid as a rock a smooth with no body roll under full acceleration and cornering with my geo.

I cannot comment on AST low end items but I know the ones I was looking at would make my car unbearable on the road

 

[Fez]

Nearly sure KW can be made fit the DC5. Not overly priced either.

As for the so called Taiwanese rubbish, I run Meister R CRD+ on my teg and have been for the last year and a half. Do alot of mileage per year as well as track days and I dont really have any bad things to say from them.

Have driven a few cars with Bilstein suspension (imprezas, dc5, focus st's, s2000, starlet gt, b4 legacy) no matter the geometry they all felt a bit boaty.

Maybe thats something you are after but I didnt like it. With the Meister's I can make the teg handle like a boat or be razor sharp. Obviously the harder you go the more twitchy the car will get on rough roads.

There are plenty tracking, dailying and competing on so called cheap suspension and they perform really well.

Totally agree, the bilsteins are great for road, but too floaty for track.
When i looked at kw‘s a few people said they were too soft too.


Problem with the more expensive suspension set ups, not many people will spend £5k +/- on coilovers for a car thats worth £5-10k, when realistically, will they notice the difference? are they good enough of a driver to warrant the £4k difference over sub £1k coilovers? Will they last 5times longer? Will they be 5 times faster on track? Will the car ever actually see the track? 😅

 

[carl hammond]

You need to be competing to justify the more expensive suspension set ups which is what I was looking to do but a few things have delayed it, no idea what you guys mean by bilsteins being too floaty for track, any video footage of such to try and explain it as I have had all kinds of suspension in my time full custom, Gaz, Nitron, Bilstein and none have ever felt floaty and the B16's deff don't on the DC5.

THe spring rates are not much diff to the Yellowspeed track ones so I wonder how they are deemed as floaty?

 

[lewis87]

Crazylegs if you are looking for something stable and fast to use on the road have you considered a WRX STI or an Evo?

They are very fast and planted with no drama going down an uneven road at speed but this didn't make it more fun for me which is why I came back to an Integra.

On the subject of suspension, I actually removed a set of Bilsteins on a previous car and switched to the supposed cheaper alternative MeisterR and found them to be much better all round! If I ever go coilovers on my DC5 I will probably go straight to MeisterR.

 

[ste01]

🤣 FFS how does it always come back to "Taiwanese rubbish" v expensive shit.
I see some people use Hardrace on their cars... Maybe their unit costs are higher 😂 🐒 🎣 Fake News? Haha

Crazylegs I think you need to get in your head what you want from a car and the direction to take it. I'd draw a line under what you've done, and really think about whether you want to throw more money at it.

Like people say there a plenty of cars that are effortlessly quick on the roads without the twitchy feeling you get from a lighter, more agile car.

 

[Crazylegs]

Hi Marc,

I haven't driven a dc5 for a while now, so it'll be difficult to comment. I'd say they're probably quite similar to drive in that a Type-R will always require more concentration and effort to drive than an average car or even fast VAG cars. Having said that, my other half drives my car and doesn't complain about it pulling, she actually loves driving it and has used it without me being next to her.

With standard suspension it was kind of annoying as it always felt fidgety, the rear would never settle. Even with the koni rears fitted and set to full soft I find myself seeking smooth road and apologising when I have passengers, though it's fine when on my own. A negative of setting the rear dampers to full soft though is you lose some of the sharp turn-in but that's easily rectified with half a turn of the adjusters, reaching a nice compromise of a settled car and the sharp turn-in returns.

Fitting Koni rear dampers is simply a change of dampers, nothing else. The springs are separate so it's really easy too.

I hope that helps, but I'd hate for you to part with extra cash for you to experience the same drawbacks.

Thank you for this Mark, that has really helped.

I think I need to take one for a drive but I'm struggling to find an owner near me in North Wales, a lad from the North West that used to be on here had one but he's sold it for an FK2.

Do you know of anyone in the North West that would be happy to take me out in one at all?

 

[Crazylegs]

Crazylegs if you are looking for something stable and fast to use on the road have you considered a WRX STI or an Evo?

They are very fast and planted with no drama going down an uneven road at speed but this didn't make it more fun for me which is why I came back to an Integra.

On the subject of suspension, I actually removed a set of Bilsteins on a previous car and switched to the supposed cheaper alternative MeisterR and found them to be much better all round! If I ever go coilovers on my DC5 I will probably go straight to MeisterR.

Hi mate,

Not overkeen on Evo's but I like Impreza's, only problem is the missus can't stand them so that's a no go.

I'd like an import STI if I could but there's so much choice, which blocks were weak again - was it the 2.5?

Do you own a Scoob?

 

[Crazylegs]

FFS how does it always come back to "Taiwanese rubbish" v expensive excrement.
I see some people use Hardrace on their cars... Maybe their unit costs are higher Fake News? Haha

Crazylegs I think you need to get in your head what you want from a car and the direction to take it. I'd draw a line under what you've done, and really think about whether you want to throw more money at it.

Like people say there a plenty of cars that are effortlessly quick on the roads without the twitchy feeling you get from a lighter, more agile car.

Hi Ste

Appreciate the advice mate, tbh it's looking like the route I might be going down once we've sorted our own house. I did Anglesey yesterday and the car although better than last time I was on track just didn't feel right for me and how I drive. I'm not confident pushing it at all you know as it feels unbalanced.

I don't think the DC5 is the car for me as this is the second one I've had and I can't gel with it, maybe I need something a bit more placid that is planted and doesn't move around so much. The Integra is a nightmare at times. See with it being lighter, I'd have thought if anything it wouldn't move around.

I've got a test drive in an i30N on Sunday which I'm really looking forward to, it's getting excellent reviews the Huyndai. I've also been in touch with my local Honda dealership re a test drive in an FK8 but they've just sold their demo car so I need to wait for another to come in, they're going to call me next week but I've heard that the FK8 have been suffering from engine failures of late which has put me off getting one a bit.

 

[lewis87]

Hi mate,

Not overkeen on Evo's but I like Impreza's, only problem is the missus can't stand them so that's a no go.

I'd like an import STI if I could but there's so much choice, which blocks were weak again - was it the 2.5?

Do you own a Scoob?

There is a ridiculous amount of different Impreza versions and differences over the years but the 2.0 is the one to have and is the only engine they put in the JDM Imprezas, even when they started selling the 2.5 over here.

Something like a JDM WRX STI newage car 2001-2006 is a fast and very capable car, or a WRX STI Spec C is the top of the line most focused model.

I had a very low mileage STI that I was a bit too precious with so I ended up selling. They are super planted and have loads of torque so they are very different to a teg ha.