HKS Hipermax R coilovers installed

[cainen]

Yesterday I had some HKS Hipermax R coilovers installed as well as 15mm spacers. We didn't go too crazy on the height - just a nice subtle drop. On the way home I started experiencing a nasty kerthunking sound from the front so I had to take it back this morning - thankfully it was one of the spacers that was dodgy and not the expensive coilovers.

I was debating for months if I should get the HKS R's or S's. In the end the workshop had a pair of R's already en-route from Japan and had no ETA on the S's so I that made the choice easier.

I was worried the R's may be a bit too stiff but actually they are perfect - exactly how I wanted. The car is transformed. It's much firmer but still totally compliant and smooth. It's so much more predictable and stable. Turn-in is sharp, it sits flat in corners, doesn't feel like it's trying to kill you under hard acceleration and under hard braking it no longer does that thing where the rear starts to wobble and feel like it wants to overtake the front end. They're pricey, but worth it.

The ass-end is still my favourite angle

 

[jdm-rhd]

wowzer...that looks great

love the vanity plates too

 

[cainen]

I noticed after a couple of days of driving with factory settings the rear end was a bit bouncy over bumps which I expect could be pretty unstable at high speeds. So I had the guys that did my wheel alignment dial in the suspension for me and it's much better now. Pretty firm but handles bumps way better. It now drives as well as it looks - like an actual sports car. The tires also don't seem as crap now that it has a decent suspension setup.

 

[JDM Z]

Hi Cainen,

All of your mods are the exact same mods that I wanted to buy! ! ! HKS Hipermax R and HKS Dual Muffler exhaust!!! I just got my 2023 Nissan Z Proto manual 2 weeks ago (we have the exact same car!). I was also worried that the ride on the Hipermax R is going to be too stiff, because I will be daily driving this car in the summer.
How do you feel of the ride quality with the R during daily driving, is it comfortable driving over small potholes and bumpers? I know for sure the handing is going to be greaaat, just worried about the comfortability.
Also, for the HKS Dual Muffler exhaust, how do you feel about the sound level with just oem dp? I feel like the sound is not loud enough in the video with just stock downpipe, planning to buy a AMS lower downpipe to make it a bit louder. Please let me know what do you think? Thanks in advance!

 

[cainen]

Hi Cainen,

All of your mods are the exact same mods that I wanted to buy! ! ! HKS Hipermax R and HKS Dual Muffler exhaust!!! I just got my 2023 Nissan Z Proto manual 2 weeks ago (we have the exact same car!). I was also worried that the ride on the Hipermax R is going to be too stiff, because I will be daily driving this car in the summer.
How do you feel of the ride quality with the R during daily driving, is it comfortable driving over small potholes and bumpers? I know for sure the handing is going to be greaaat, just worried about the comfortability.
Also, for the HKS Dual Muffler exhaust, how do you feel about the sound level with just oem dp? I feel like the sound is not loud enough in the video with just stock downpipe, planning to buy a AMS lower downpipe to make it a bit louder. Please let me know what do you think? Thanks in advance!

Hey,

Sounds like you have impeccable taste I would say the ride quality is still pretty good. It's firmer for sure but it's not crashy or clunky or anything. No problems with small bumps or potholes. It's so much better to drive around even in traffic than it was stock. They're also adjustable so you can make it as hard, soft or high and low as you like. Mine is on the stiffer side now as I felt it was a bit bouncy in the rear end with the factory settings.

I'm very happy with the dual muffler too. It's opened up after a while and is louder than it was when it was installed. It's a nice tone without being over the top with minimal drone which is what I was going for. I've been tossing up about LDPs too. I reckon it would be pretty damn loud so you'd need to put the exhaust caps back on. I'd love to hear one with LDPs and the dual muffler but I haven't seen anyone that's done it. I've also already had my car tuned so it would need to be retuned if I went the downpipe route.

 

[JDM Z]

Coooool!!! I guess I will just get only the HKS catback for now and see how I like it before adding an lower downpipe.

Another small question: how do you adjust the front damping for the HKS Hipermax R? Can you open up the hood and twist the little thing there? or do you have to go to a shop every time to adjust the damping level? how to adjust the damping for the rear? And which damping level are you currently running? which spacers are you running? whats the brand?

I will be tracking this car, what I thought is that I could adjust the damping to a bit stiffer at the race track, and adjust it back softer before driving back home, so I can enjoy a comfortable ride back home after the tiring track day.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[cainen]

Another small question: how do you adjust the front damping for the HKS Hipermax R? Can you open up the hood and twist the little thing there? or do you have to go to a shop every time to adjust the damping level? how to adjust the damping for the rear? And which damping level are you currently running? which spacers are you running? whats the brand?

The fronts you can access from under the hood easily enough with a hex key. The rears you're meant to actually make a hole above the wheel wells (with a plug or something when you're not using) to access the adjuster. I didn't want to do this though so when I got my suspension adjusted they ended up pulling part of the interior out to do the adjustment. If you're tracking regularly and want to make quick adjustments it'd be easier if you had the hole.

The spacers are from TFI Racing which I think is an Australian brand.

 

[JDM Z]

What did you mean in the previous post that HKS Dual Muffler has minimal drone? So it does still have drone during certain rpm? Did you feel any during torque lost during low speed?

Thanks in advance

 

[cainen]

What did you mean in the previous post that HKS Dual Muffler has minimal drone? So it does still have drone during certain rpm? Did you feel any during torque lost during low speed?

Cruising at freeways speeds with very little throttle input there's basically no drone but if you have to accelerate up a hill or something you'll hear a bit. It's totally fine and probably better than anything else on the market.

 

[Landon]

When installing the HKS Hipermax R, did the car drop 1" lower or did you have to install lowering springs to lower your car?

Did you install the HKS Hipermax R yourself? Where did you take your car to have the HKS Hipermax R installed?

Thanks!

 

[cainen]

When installing the HKS Hipermax R, did the car drop 1" lower or did you have to install lowering springs to lower your car?

Did you install the HKS Hipermax R yourself? Where did you take your car to have the HKS Hipermax R installed?

Thanks!

They're height adjustable, you don't need any additional lowering springs.

I got them supplied and installed at Yakuza Motorsports here in Sydney but most decent mechanics should be able to install them.