Whether you're building a drift car, time attack monster, or just want to dial in your street setup, coilovers are one of the most important suspension upgrades you can make. But what exactly are coilovers, and why do serious drivers rely on them?
This guide explains what coilovers do, how they work, and why they're a must-have for performance-focused builds.
What Is a Coilover?
A coilover (short for “coil spring over shock”) is a suspension unit that combines a shock absorber and coil spring into one adjustable assembly. It replaces the traditional separate spring and strut setup found in most stock vehicles.
What makes coilovers special is that they allow the user to fine-tune:
- Ride height
- Damping (shock stiffness)
- Preload (spring tension)
- Sometimes even camber or caster (with adjustable top mounts)
Why Use Coilovers?
Coilovers are used for one simple reason: control. They let you tune your car’s suspension to match your driving style, your setup, and your surface. Whether that’s a racetrack, drift event, or just your daily commute with aggressive wheels, coilovers give you the adjustability factory components can’t.
Benefits include:
- Lower center of gravity for better cornering
- Less body roll and dive under braking
- Better balance and stability through turns
- Support for aggressive wheel fitment
How Do Coilovers Work?
Inside the damper is hydraulic fluid and a piston. When your car hits a bump or turns, the shock absorbs the motion and controls how fast the spring compresses and rebounds. With coilovers, you can often adjust that damping stiffness manually to match track grip or road comfort.
The threaded body also allows for ride height adjustments without affecting spring preload. This means you can go low while keeping proper shock travel and suspension performance.
Coilovers vs Lowering Springs
Lowering springs are fixed-rate springs that replace your stock ones to drop ride height. But they don’t offer adjustability, and they rely on stock shocks that aren’t tuned for stiffer spring rates. That leads to a harsh ride or blown dampers over time.
Coilovers solve this by giving you matched spring/damper tuning and full adjustability for height, rebound, and compression—ideal for serious driving and proper suspension geometry.
Who Should Run Coilovers?
Coilovers are ideal for:
- Drift builds requiring dialed-in front grip and squat control
- Track cars chasing lap times and balance
- Street cars with aggressive wheel fitment or show setups
- Drivers who want precision alignment and stance adjustability
If you care about how your car handles, corners, launches, or looks—coilovers should be on your list.
SLRspeed Drift Spec Coilovers
SLRspeed offers drift-spec coilovers engineered for real-world track and angle kit abuse. Designed with proper valving, spring rates, and adjustability, these aren’t off-the-shelf rebadged parts—they’re purpose-built by drivers, for drivers.
- Monotube dampers with drift valving
- Custom spring rates per chassis and use case
- Threaded bodies for independent preload and height
- Compatible with extreme angle, control arms, and sway bars
Final Thoughts
Coilovers give you full control over how your car feels and performs. From ride height and damping to spring rates and alignment—no other mod has this much influence on your handling. Whether you’re getting sideways or hitting apexes, coilovers make it happen.
