APEX Coilovers Review & install guide

[Fast Guy]

Is there anything that needs altering on these prototypes before I can sell them as a new product?

I've seen no mention of the rears in this thread, so I'll add my 2p's worth.

Biggest problem with fitting these was getting the old ones off.:doh: Everything was abit rusty after not being touched for about 4years or so. When the old ones came off, the apex rears went on a piece of cake. The drop link is abit of a pain to get in, but seemed to sit straighter in the Apex than it did in the Teins I removed.
One thing to note is there's no seal on the top mount like on the Tein, so you might need to use a new OE gasket or it might start getting abit messy on the top mount inside the car.
The little brakcet for the brake hose is the only problem. It sits on a collar around the damper higher up than the braket welded to the body of the Tein, so the bracket is abit redundant as you can't get the brake hose onto it without straining it too much.
I removed the 90degree elbow and managed to get the hose to attacth direct to the collar. I'm not 100% happy with this as the brake hose now sits abit too close to the drop link thread for my liking. If it starts rubbing on it, it's only a matter of time before the brake hose blows.

Left picture is rear fitted. Right picture is front on the left, rear on the right.

 

[Sunny-D]

Fast guy how do you find the ride in comparison to the teins?

 

[Fast Guy]

I've only been for a quick run, but I can't notice any difference on the rears. I'll fit the fronts tomorrow if I have time.

 

[CanadianR]

those drop link bushings look nice and dry.:lol:

can you get whiteline bushing kits for them (rear and front?)

 

[Fast Guy]

I have then for the front, but not the back. I got all the others, so I either missed them or they didn't do them.

 

[Kev@Apex]

The little brakcet for the brake hose is the only problem. It sits on a collar around the damper higher up than the braket welded to the body of the Tein, so the bracket is abit redundant as you can't get the brake hose onto it without straining it too much.
I removed the 90degree elbow and managed to get the hose to attacth direct to the collar. I'm not 100% happy with this as the brake hose now sits abit too close to the drop link thread for my liking. If it starts rubbing on it, it's only a matter of time before the brake hose blows.

Comments noted, and will be sent off to the manufacturers shortly.
Hopefully this part can be sorted quickly.

Am I right in assuming that what the brackets needs is to be extended downwards by 2" from where it currently sits, so as not to strain the brake line.

 

[youngsyp]

I have then for the front, but not the back. I got all the others, so I either missed them or they didn't do them.

If you're after a set, they're about £10 from www.superflex.co.uk.

Incidentally, Superflex have their bushes made in the same factory as Whiteline do !

Nice bit of kit there ! ;-)

Paul

 

[Fast Guy]

Comments noted, and will be sent off to the manufacturers shortly.
Hopefully this part can be sorted quickly.

Am I right in assuming that what the brackets needs is to be extended downwards by 2" from where it currently sits, so as not to strain the brake line.

Without going and measusing it on my car, this is the Tein set up. A small right angled bracket with a captive nut is welded onto the damper body. Not practicle on the Apex due to the threaded body.

The centre of the captive nut is about 2.5" above the droplink platform or 3.5" above the centre of the top damper lower mounting hole. There's 10mm clearance between the bracket and damper. As long as they could get a mounting point near this position it should be OK. (ignore the upward slant of my bracket, the bolt was seized and eventually the captive nut made a bid fro freedom:lol

I think the easy solution would be a flat piece of metal with the holes appropriately spaced at each end (and a captive nut) and then a 90 twist put in the middle of the piece of metal. Then it can hang vertically from the current collar on the damper, instead of the supplied 90degree angled bracket.

 

[Kev@Apex]

I'm trying to get my head round this.

From my measurements our coilovers match the Tein ???

 

[Fast Guy]

Strange..... I couldn't get my hoses onto your clip. It might be that your clip is spaced out quite abit further from the damper body than the Tein bracket, which is welded to it. It just seemed too high on my car for the hose to reach comfortably.

I'll see if I can have a look on the car tomorrow.

 

[gunmetalgtir]

I might be being a bit thick here but the measurements are not the same, the centre of the hole that Carl marked at 9" isn't at 9" on the apex coilovers. It's more like 9.3".

 

[Kev@Apex]

3mm isnt going to make a great deal of differance, I would have thought?