Skunk2 Pro-S Full coilovers.
Posted: Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:02 pmOk, now that I have a little more time on my suspension I'll give you a quick review.
I've owned a couple of different suspension setups which include stock, heated stock, Eibach Pro kits/Tokico blues, Koni Yellow/Skunk2 sleeves, and Koni Yellows/Eibach Pro Kits (with and w/o Skunk2 Rear sway bar). Plus I've driven/ridden in a lot of different setups from friends cars.
Honestly, I didn't expect much out of the Skunk2 Pro-S coilovers. I hated my skunk2 sleeves, even with my Koni shocks. The ride was overly bouncy even with the shocks cranked all the way down. However, that was several years ago shortly after the whole "sleeve" epidemic started. Skunk2 and GC were the only two companies that were making the sleeves at the time, atleast that I had seen.
When I bought the Del Sol, the suspension needed immediate attention. The previous owner heated the coils which actually bent some of the shock rods in the process. The car handled horribly, and I'm a suspension Nazi when it comes to hacking up suspension. I started out looking for stock suspension just to fix the initial issue, but I really wanted coilovers because I like the ability to adjust ride height to find that satisfactory blend of comfortable daily driving, good looks, and handling. I was looking at cheaper coilovers like Omni Power, K-Sport, etc. I didn't NEED adjustability since this is mainly just a street car. When I came across the Skunk2 Pro-S coilovers for $569 shipped I decided to give it a try.
Upon arrival I pulled them from the packing and was impressed with build quality. They seem really well made, but they had no assembly instructions. However, Skunk2's tech support is very good and they will quickly email you the instructions if you call or send them an email.
Contents of the box:
Adjustability is basic, no rebound or compression just height (preload). You can adjust the height without taking the wheels off of the car. Just jack it up and use the spanner wrenches. The only side thats a bit of a pain is the rear passenger because the exhaust makes it a little tight, and hot if they car isn't cool. I burnt my arm on the exhaust, guess it wasn't as cool as I was hoping it was. The valving works well for the street. The ride is very good, not overly stiff. You only feel the harshest of bumps a little. I trimmed two of the smallest parts off of the bumpstops to ensure that I have enough suspension travel without bottoming the shock out. This allows me to run the car pretty low and still have ample suspension travel.
The handling of this setup is unbelievable. The spring rates are 8Kg in the front, and 6Kg in the rear. These rates are higher then the Tein Basics, but not as high as some of the other brands out there. IMO, this setup is just about perfect for the street. If you want higher spring rates you can order different springs from Skunk2. The car stays flat during high speed maneuvers. Way more then my Koni/Eibachs ever did even with the rear sway bar. Body roll is almost non-existent the only bars I'm running is a cheap front strut bar, and a stock front sway bar.
As you can tell, I'm highly impressed with this setup. As long as the shocks hold up, I'll highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good budget suspension setup without busting the checking account.
This picture was before I cut the bumpstops.
I've owned a couple of different suspension setups which include stock, heated stock, Eibach Pro kits/Tokico blues, Koni Yellow/Skunk2 sleeves, and Koni Yellows/Eibach Pro Kits (with and w/o Skunk2 Rear sway bar). Plus I've driven/ridden in a lot of different setups from friends cars.
Honestly, I didn't expect much out of the Skunk2 Pro-S coilovers. I hated my skunk2 sleeves, even with my Koni shocks. The ride was overly bouncy even with the shocks cranked all the way down. However, that was several years ago shortly after the whole "sleeve" epidemic started. Skunk2 and GC were the only two companies that were making the sleeves at the time, atleast that I had seen.
When I bought the Del Sol, the suspension needed immediate attention. The previous owner heated the coils which actually bent some of the shock rods in the process. The car handled horribly, and I'm a suspension Nazi when it comes to hacking up suspension. I started out looking for stock suspension just to fix the initial issue, but I really wanted coilovers because I like the ability to adjust ride height to find that satisfactory blend of comfortable daily driving, good looks, and handling. I was looking at cheaper coilovers like Omni Power, K-Sport, etc. I didn't NEED adjustability since this is mainly just a street car. When I came across the Skunk2 Pro-S coilovers for $569 shipped I decided to give it a try.
Upon arrival I pulled them from the packing and was impressed with build quality. They seem really well made, but they had no assembly instructions. However, Skunk2's tech support is very good and they will quickly email you the instructions if you call or send them an email.
Contents of the box:
Adjustability is basic, no rebound or compression just height (preload). You can adjust the height without taking the wheels off of the car. Just jack it up and use the spanner wrenches. The only side thats a bit of a pain is the rear passenger because the exhaust makes it a little tight, and hot if they car isn't cool. I burnt my arm on the exhaust, guess it wasn't as cool as I was hoping it was. The valving works well for the street. The ride is very good, not overly stiff. You only feel the harshest of bumps a little. I trimmed two of the smallest parts off of the bumpstops to ensure that I have enough suspension travel without bottoming the shock out. This allows me to run the car pretty low and still have ample suspension travel.
The handling of this setup is unbelievable. The spring rates are 8Kg in the front, and 6Kg in the rear. These rates are higher then the Tein Basics, but not as high as some of the other brands out there. IMO, this setup is just about perfect for the street. If you want higher spring rates you can order different springs from Skunk2. The car stays flat during high speed maneuvers. Way more then my Koni/Eibachs ever did even with the rear sway bar. Body roll is almost non-existent the only bars I'm running is a cheap front strut bar, and a stock front sway bar.
As you can tell, I'm highly impressed with this setup. As long as the shocks hold up, I'll highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for a good budget suspension setup without busting the checking account.
This picture was before I cut the bumpstops.
Yes, I love this setup compared to the rest. The Koni/Pro Kit with rear sway bar was good, but this setup puts it to shame. I can't wait to get a rear sway bar and some tie bars for it. 
