Megan Coilover Review-NEW INFO-PLEASE RE-READ - Toyota Yaris Forums

Vanderkitten · 05-26-2007, 10:30 PM

NOTE: I came upon some info and settings that have changed my initial thoughts. A lot of my experiences are the same, but there have been significant, positive gains in other areas!! Some of the errors were mine, and took away from the performance of the shocks... see the italics below for new info!

Plunking down a grand on anything is never for the faint of heart... but throwing down on an unknown can be downright terrifying. This was my apprehension with the Megan's: Price and the unknown quality and handling characteristics.

When we received the shocks, I was very surprised by the quality. the CNC'd parts and anodize were very attractive and the parts seem reasonably light, sure to improve unsprung weight. We couldn't wait to install them on Mark's car, mine being second... which worked out well.

We put 17" MB Weapons on the cars with Falken ZE 512's. (not the best tire... but good for all-seasons) The goal was to mount everything up, the new coil-overs, etc... but we ran out of time to do my car which turned out for the better as we then had a "Control" for the experiment. Which is turns out we needed.

INSTALLATION- We plan on doing a more detailed entry on this.
There is nothing particularly tough about installing these vs. replacing springs, with the major exception of the piston rods being longer than the stock strut and a lack of clearance for the dampening adjuster knob. In fact, when we did the first attempt at install, the adjuster knobs were smashed up against the sheet metal above the shock mounts... and bending it upwards. We also could not find the instructions for the shocks... which were under the box (it was a box within a box). We found them at the end when we were breaking down the boxes for recycling. See the upcoming installation review and photos. Overall, it was not hard. We cut holes into our sheet metal to accommodate the adjuster knobs. There is an opinion that this was not necessary by Megan. The problem we could not solve is with the extremely limited clearance, how one tightens down the top nut on the front shock holding it with a 5mm wrench) with a 17mm box/crescent AND then can insert 3" adjuster shaft into the top pf the shock with less than a half-inch of clearance? I believe Megan recommended putting the adjuster in before you put the shock through the mounting, which we did, but as we lowered the car onto our level concrete floor, the adjuster knobs jammed between the top sheet metal and the top of the shaft?! I am sure if they say there is a way, there is... remember: We didn't find the assembly instructions until the end.

You reuse some stock parts like the TEIN's, and it's a good idea to take time and be patient setting the ride-height, knowing that it will settle a half inch or more. Make sure to locate the directions before starting. Mark's ride height was perfect for 2 days, then the shocks settled on a 20 mile trip on the freeway, he rubbed the whole way home... so he raised his up a bit in the front and said they are good to go.

The rear's go on easily, and it's just like replacing the stock shock and spring! The dampening adjusters are easily accessible from the back. On my car, it took us about 3.5 hours to do the whole thing (after having done Mark's). Also, DO NOT ADD PRELOAD to the FRONT springs, you will REGRET IT! They are plenty stiff to start out with!

First Impression-
STIFF!!! I knew right away these were not going to be as comfortable as the stockers. They call these the street series, and perhaps it's because they do not have piggy backs or remote resivoirs, but they have a VERY HIGH SPRING RATE.(IMHO- THESE ARE NOT STREET SHOCKS) The trip home to my house was 17 miles of rough freeway... and I thought I wasn't going to make it! It got better over the coming days... but I did hit some bumps so hard it TURNED ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS!!! The shocks do have suggested settings, I still recommend to start in the middle of the adjustment. This has since resolved the bottoming issue.

I could immediately feel the go-kart like handling improvement that eliminated all body-roll. The turn-in was nice but I felt like I had too much air in my tiresI absolutely had too much air in my tires. We were told they were "ready to mount". Tonight I was beside myself after writing this review and went and found 2 gauges in my garage: They were at 60PSI from the tire place!!! . (SEE UPCOMING REVIEW OF TIRES). The ride on the crappy freeway literally hurt at points. I thought after 10 minutes "there's no way I could ever live with this". This sentiment rang true until the next evening I was able to put the car through it's paces in the twisties of the Berekeley and Oakland hills... VIOLA!!! This thing RAILED!!! It was unreal the g's (or, .g's) I could pull! The car settled into the corner, and mid-corner adjustments were rewarding instead of sketchy. I was sold... almost.

The ride on the highway continued to be unbearable. The rear springs settled more than the front and the car was losing traction and wandering as now the rear was LOWER than the front. This made the cross-winds seem even more dramatic and the handling degraded from Kart-Star to UNDERSTEER CITY. I started messing with the dampening adjusters, adding liberal amounts of dampening, but the rear (which needs slower rebound) adjuster lost touch with the adjustment screw inside the shock piston at what seemed to be 16 clicks in and I couldn't dial it back out (I need a T-Handle to reach it). So the front is taller, more damp, and the rear is less damp and lower. Handling is currently suffering. Tonight, after resetting my air pressures to 38 psi all around I found the Light. I took the car on the bumpiest roads in Berkeley, and it was AWESOME. FIRM, but NOT HARSH.

THE ROAD AHEAD
The shocks seem to do very well when the temperature is warm, and the oil in the shock (fluid) has a chance to warm up. This is VERY promising for the track and Auto X applications.

On June 5th I am doing a track day at Thunderhill with the Golden Gate Lotus Club (the Elise runs a Toyota motor, so we're practically brothers!). IT will be my first chance to really push the suspension and see what it's made of. In the hills it's a winner. On the bumps with proper tire pressure, it's firm but no longer HARSH and JARRING.. The light car and stiff springs are not the best street combo. Keep in mind the coil-overs only have 350 miles on them... so they are VERY NEW and need a lot more break-in!!

I did have a chance to drive the Audi RS4 that had aftermarket Ohlins coil-overs (which run about $5000 a set) on Tuesday. The car is 3400 lbs and makes 430HP and was running 19" wheels with 35 series tires. We did back-to-back runs in this and then the Yaris.. and the thing I noticed was how well the Ohlins absorb the bumps. Less stiction, more sophisticated valving, heavier vehicle. The Yaris felt good in the corners, and at about $15K with mods on the Yaris v. $100k for the RS4 with mods, I felt like it was a GREAT car. My friend could not believe the car only had 106HP... he thought it felt pretty quick once the revs were up (his car was ungodly fast)

So, I hope this updated review helps some of you with your decisions. I would recommend lowering springs for most people and being done with it... unless you are a SERIOUS road or track guy/gal or demand the finest and ride-height adjustment. Tomorrow we'll be re-setting the ride height and I'll probably add a follow-up.

PS: Tonight I learned the value of being thorough, and checking results. We have 2 cars to prevent these NOOB moves, but even I am guilty of making oversights. The clear explanation of our differences in experience is a shattering 20PSI difference in the tires! I can't believe my brain didn't kick in sooner about the stoopid pressure. Always double check!!

Anyhow, I feel this is the REVIEW that is fair to you for making a decision and more closely represents our experience (collectively).

Sorry if the initial review has turned you off, these are high quality units!

cleong · 05-26-2007, 11:06 PM

Thanks for telling a product like it is, rather than pushing it as perfect!

brickhardmeat · 05-27-2007, 12:20 AM

You make them sound awfully high maintenence and impossible to drive on
-not a nice sales pitch- but I guess these are things to consider. I am still NOT convinced that drilling is needed. Megan says NO DRILLING or CUTTING and other members who have installed agree.

GnomeBody · 09-17-2009, 12:23 PM

Good Review! I just received my Megan coilovers and plan to do the install this weekend. Hopefully I dont run into any huge problems.

thebarber · 09-17-2009, 02:46 PM

ive had megan coilover on all summer and hadnt had any of these problems.

doesnt seem to OP knew to take off the wiper assemblies, motors, and paneling to get at the top of the strut

16 is pretty effing firm. since my yaris is a daily driver, i run the fronts at 4 from soft and the rears at 8....its still plenty firm

markitect · 09-17-2009, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GnomeBody

Good Review! I just received my Megan coilovers and plan to do the install this weekend. Hopefully I dont run into any huge problems.

Good luck on your install!

While your at it would you mind telling me what pieces you use off the original suspension. I'm buying "the barber"s and I'm thinking about getting new parts that are reused so they are a "easy swap" as I will probably only run them in the summer.

Heck if your feeling ambitious do a Megan specific DIY.

GnomeBody · 09-18-2009, 11:00 AM

Quote:

While your at it would you mind telling me what pieces you use off the original suspension. I'm buying "the barber"s and I'm thinking about getting new parts that are reused so they are a "easy swap" as I will probably only run them in the summer.

Heck if your feeling ambitious do a Megan specific DIY.

I'll try and make a list and snap some pic's of the reused parts.

Mojo Jojo from the microimage forums said "You'll need to re-use the stock strut bearing in front. You remove it and press it onto the Megan strut, tighten with stock nut, then put the stock rubber "donut" on. For the rear it's just the dust cover and bumpstop."

as for the DIY, I'll see what I can do.

thebarber · 09-18-2009, 11:45 AM

i had a list at one point....let me see if i can find it

05-26-2007, 10:30 PM	#1
Vanderkitten Drives: 2007 Yaris Hatchback Join Date: May 2007 Location: Berkeley, CA Posts: 243	Megan Coilover Review-NEW INFO-PLEASE RE-READ NOTE: I came upon some info and settings that have changed my initial thoughts. A lot of my experiences are the same, but there have been significant, positive gains in other areas!! Some of the errors were mine, and took away from the performance of the shocks... see the italics below for new info! Plunking down a grand on anything is never for the faint of heart... but throwing down on an unknown can be downright terrifying. This was my apprehension with the Megan's: Price and the unknown quality and handling characteristics. When we received the shocks, I was very surprised by the quality. the CNC'd parts and anodize were very attractive and the parts seem reasonably light, sure to improve unsprung weight. We couldn't wait to install them on Mark's car, mine being second... which worked out well. We put 17" MB Weapons on the cars with Falken ZE 512's. (not the best tire... but good for all-seasons) The goal was to mount everything up, the new coil-overs, etc... but we ran out of time to do my car which turned out for the better as we then had a "Control" for the experiment. Which is turns out we needed. INSTALLATION- We plan on doing a more detailed entry on this. There is nothing particularly tough about installing these vs. replacing springs, with the major exception of the piston rods being longer than the stock strut and a lack of clearance for the dampening adjuster knob. In fact, when we did the first attempt at install, the adjuster knobs were smashed up against the sheet metal above the shock mounts... and bending it upwards. We also could not find the instructions for the shocks... which were under the box (it was a box within a box). We found them at the end when we were breaking down the boxes for recycling. See the upcoming installation review and photos. Overall, it was not hard. We cut holes into our sheet metal to accommodate the adjuster knobs. There is an opinion that this was not necessary by Megan. The problem we could not solve is with the extremely limited clearance, how one tightens down the top nut on the front shock holding it with a 5mm wrench) with a 17mm box/crescent AND then can insert 3" adjuster shaft into the top pf the shock with less than a half-inch of clearance? I believe Megan recommended putting the adjuster in before you put the shock through the mounting, which we did, but as we lowered the car onto our level concrete floor, the adjuster knobs jammed between the top sheet metal and the top of the shaft?! I am sure if they say there is a way, there is... remember: We didn't find the assembly instructions until the end. You reuse some stock parts like the TEIN's, and it's a good idea to take time and be patient setting the ride-height, knowing that it will settle a half inch or more. Make sure to locate the directions before starting. Mark's ride height was perfect for 2 days, then the shocks settled on a 20 mile trip on the freeway, he rubbed the whole way home... so he raised his up a bit in the front and said they are good to go. The rear's go on easily, and it's just like replacing the stock shock and spring! The dampening adjusters are easily accessible from the back. On my car, it took us about 3.5 hours to do the whole thing (after having done Mark's). Also, DO NOT ADD PRELOAD to the FRONT springs, you will REGRET IT! They are plenty stiff to start out with! First Impression- STIFF!!! I knew right away these were not going to be as comfortable as the stockers. They call these the street series, and perhaps it's because they do not have piggy backs or remote resivoirs, but they have a VERY HIGH SPRING RATE.(IMHO- THESE ARE NOT STREET SHOCKS) The trip home to my house was 17 miles of rough freeway... and I thought I wasn't going to make it! It got better over the coming days... but I did hit some bumps so hard it TURNED ON THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS!!! The shocks do have suggested settings, I still recommend to start in the middle of the adjustment. This has since resolved the bottoming issue. I could immediately feel the go-kart like handling improvement that eliminated all body-roll. The turn-in was nice but I felt like I had too much air in my tiresI absolutely had too much air in my tires. We were told they were "ready to mount". Tonight I was beside myself after writing this review and went and found 2 gauges in my garage: They were at 60PSI from the tire place!!! . (SEE UPCOMING REVIEW OF TIRES). The ride on the crappy freeway literally hurt at points. I thought after 10 minutes "there's no way I could ever live with this". This sentiment rang true until the next evening I was able to put the car through it's paces in the twisties of the Berekeley and Oakland hills... VIOLA!!! This thing RAILED!!! It was unreal the g's (or, .g's) I could pull! The car settled into the corner, and mid-corner adjustments were rewarding instead of sketchy. I was sold... almost. The ride on the highway continued to be unbearable. The rear springs settled more than the front and the car was losing traction and wandering as now the rear was LOWER than the front. This made the cross-winds seem even more dramatic and the handling degraded from Kart-Star to UNDERSTEER CITY. I started messing with the dampening adjusters, adding liberal amounts of dampening, but the rear (which needs slower rebound) adjuster lost touch with the adjustment screw inside the shock piston at what seemed to be 16 clicks in and I couldn't dial it back out (I need a T-Handle to reach it). So the front is taller, more damp, and the rear is less damp and lower. Handling is currently suffering. Tonight, after resetting my air pressures to 38 psi all around I found the Light. I took the car on the bumpiest roads in Berkeley, and it was AWESOME. FIRM, but NOT HARSH. THE ROAD AHEAD The shocks seem to do very well when the temperature is warm, and the oil in the shock (fluid) has a chance to warm up. This is VERY promising for the track and Auto X applications. On June 5th I am doing a track day at Thunderhill with the Golden Gate Lotus Club (the Elise runs a Toyota motor, so we're practically brothers!). IT will be my first chance to really push the suspension and see what it's made of. In the hills it's a winner. On the bumps with proper tire pressure, it's firm but no longer HARSH and JARRING.. The light car and stiff springs are not the best street combo. Keep in mind the coil-overs only have 350 miles on them... so they are VERY NEW and need a lot more break-in!! I did have a chance to drive the Audi RS4 that had aftermarket Ohlins coil-overs (which run about $5000 a set) on Tuesday. The car is 3400 lbs and makes 430HP and was running 19" wheels with 35 series tires. We did back-to-back runs in this and then the Yaris.. and the thing I noticed was how well the Ohlins absorb the bumps. Less stiction, more sophisticated valving, heavier vehicle. The Yaris felt good in the corners, and at about $15K with mods on the Yaris v. $100k for the RS4 with mods, I felt like it was a GREAT car. My friend could not believe the car only had 106HP... he thought it felt pretty quick once the revs were up (his car was ungodly fast) So, I hope this updated review helps some of you with your decisions. I would recommend lowering springs for most people and being done with it... unless you are a SERIOUS road or track guy/gal or demand the finest and ride-height adjustment. Tomorrow we'll be re-setting the ride height and I'll probably add a follow-up. PS: Tonight I learned the value of being thorough, and checking results. We have 2 cars to prevent these NOOB moves, but even I am guilty of making oversights. The clear explanation of our differences in experience is a shattering 20PSI difference in the tires! I can't believe my brain didn't kick in sooner about the stoopid pressure. Always double check!! Anyhow, I feel this is the REVIEW that is fair to you for making a decision and more closely represents our experience (collectively). Sorry if the initial review has turned you off, these are high quality units! __________________ Dave V- Creator-Vanderkitten- Clothing for Women Who Kick Ass! Many thanks to our sponsors: Weapon-R http://weapon-r.com Megan Racing http://www.meganracing.com Les Schwab Tires http://www.lesschwab.com 317 graphics http://www.317graphics.com Last edited by Vanderkitten; 05-27-2007 at 02:23 AM. Reason: I EDITED THIS BECAUSE OF AN EPIPHONY

05-27-2007, 12:20 AM	#3
brickhardmeat Lonesome Cowboy View User's Garage Drives: 2007 WHITE HATCHBACK Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Inner City, Dallas Posts: 2,995	You make them sound awfully high maintenence and impossible to drive on -not a nice sales pitch- but I guess these are things to consider. I am still NOT convinced that drilling is needed. Megan says NO DRILLING or CUTTING and other members who have installed agree. __________________ SPONSORED BY

09-17-2009, 12:23 PM	#4
GnomeBody AD&D Dork Drives: 07Liftback/07sedanS Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: US-V.A. Posts: 83	Good Review! I just received my Megan coilovers and plan to do the install this weekend. Hopefully I dont run into any huge problems. __________________ Mods: K&N filter, Megan Coilovers, Ultra Racing 19mm rear sway bar, Sun tachometer, Window Tint.

09-17-2009, 02:46 PM	#5
thebarber daily driver View User's Garage Drives: the #wrecho Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,877	ive had megan coilover on all summer and hadnt had any of these problems. doesnt seem to OP knew to take off the wiper assemblies, motors, and paneling to get at the top of the strut 16 is pretty effing firm. since my yaris is a daily driver, i run the fronts at 4 from soft and the rears at 8....its still plenty firm __________________

09-18-2009, 11:45 AM	#8
thebarber daily driver View User's Garage Drives: the #wrecho Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Grand Rapids, MI Posts: 5,877	i had a list at one point....let me see if i can find it __________________

05-26-2007, 11:06 PM	#2
cleong Parallel Parking Pro View User's Garage Drives: Yaris 1.5 Manual Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Singapore Posts: 590	Thanks for telling a product like it is, rather than pushing it as perfect!