Drift Tengoku — September 2004 · Page 245
Page 245 — English translation
Thank you for choosing me as a test user. I bought my 180SX completely stock and fitted coilovers immediately, but they weren't independently height-adjustable and bottomed out when lowered. I then got used full-length-adjustable coilovers from a friend, but their dampers soon failed, causing awful ride quality and noises.
I had been considering replacements. Expensive coilovers were out of reach, so KTS's affordable product with adjustable damping and length interested me from launch. My friend Yoshida and I fitted them.
At the front, we removed the brake hose from the bracket and…
…to the softest setting too. After checking tightness and fitting the wheels, the rear tires tucked under the fenders and looked great. For road testing I used a familiar route.
Bumps that once jolted the car were absorbed well, and on the pass the front tires felt more firmly in contact. Even at the softest setting, third-gear entries didn't produce concerning roll and were enjoyable. I'd recommend this performance to beginners and anyone unhappy with current coilovers.
Now that the suspension is improved, I plan to reinforce the body… [Historical owner's impressions]
Captions and page details
D
Report [fragment]
…removed the two bolts. My car…
…was [preceding clause damaged]. Regular retightening seems advisable. Then we loosened the three upper-mount bolts and removed the old coilovers…
…them [fragment].
We used the old coilovers as a reference and set the new ride height with the supplied wrench, initially choosing the softest damping. Installation reversed removal, with bolts tightened properly using a torque wrench. At the rear, we aimed for the lowest height that wouldn't leave the springs loose, and initially set damping…
REPORT
Takatsuki, Osaka
Tomoyuki Tamatani
Ride height was based on the previous coilovers. Their used dampers had failed and ride quality had become very poor.
A word from the manufacturer
of
The biggest feature is the price. From the outset, our concept was a sub-¥100,000 kit with ¥200,000-level specifications. We believe the resulting performance satisfies too. It's designed to enjoy both street and circuit driving with one setup, so drive it plenty! We'll continue developing good products at lower prices. KTS: Hanaki .
KTS: 048-285-8871
July issue test product
KTS SC Damper System β
Completely satisfied: performance matched expectations!
Full-length adjustment and 15 damping settings broaden setup possibilities!
Two people make the job much easier: one holds the coilover below while another handles the upper-mount bolts. Rear installation is particularly difficult alone.
The bracket fasteners need regular tightness checks. They seem prone to loosening and were slightly loose before installation. [Historical owner's observation]
It's easier to roughly set ride height before fitting. I went as low as possible and used minimum damping front and rear, planning to adjust while driving.
RPS13 180SX owner Tomoyuki Tamatani's ratings: would buy with own money / ease of installation / contribution to drifting / others' reactions
There's no brake-hose bracket, so it is secured with cable ties [historical installation report]. Excellent comfort for both drifting and street driving! The blue anodized finish looks cool! Performance and front/rear balance are superb!
One star followed by four hollow stars ; this performance at this price is worth buying!
Satisfaction
243
About this issue
ドリフト天国 (Drift Tengoku), September 2004, is a Japanese drifting magazine. This archive preserves 316 scanned pages in their original right-to-left reading order, including the covers.
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