Nissan 240SX S13 and S14 Coilovers

This article was written by Coilovers.com Owner and Principal, Lou Tortola.

For 240SX coilovers, start with the chassis. We list separate S13 (1989 to 1994) and S14 (1995 to 1998) kits from six brands: BC Racing, KW, Fortune Auto, Feal, TEIN and Ksport. Pick the coilover kit by chassis, then by how you use the car.

The S13 and S14 have been drift staples for decades. Plenty of them are still daily drivers, street builds and weekend track cars too. Whatever yours is, the suspension decides how it feels. This guide covers what we list for each chassis, how to read the listings and a sane starting point for a drift-oriented setup.

240SX Coilovers: S13 and S14 Are Separate Kits

The S13 and S14 share a name in North America, but brands treat them as different chassis. Every kit we list for the 240SX names one or the other. Some also name the Silvia or 180SX, which are related home-market versions.

Know which one you have before you shop. A 1989 to 1994 car is an S13 in our listings. A 1995 to 1998 car is an S14. One KW S14 listing starts at 1994, so if your car sits on that edge, check with us first. Swapped front ends and imported Silvias muddy the water too. If yours has been changed, give us the VIN and tell us what was swapped.

What We List for the S13 (1989 to 1994)

BC Racing also lists an S12 200SX kit that "Requires S13 Knuckle Swap". That one is for a different car, so do not confuse it with the S13 listing.

What We List for the S14 (1995 to 1998)

If you have an S15 Silvia, BC Racing, TEIN and Ksport each list a separate S15 kit as well. Fortune Auto covers it in the S14 and S15 kit above.

Picking a Brand for Your 240SX

Each brand on these chassis serves a different kind of build. None of them is the only right answer.

Ask yourself one question first: what does the car do most weekends? A daily driver with the odd meet points one way. A car that lives on tandem days points another. Our article on drift coilovers covers what drift use asks of a damper.

A Drift-Oriented Starting Point

There is no single drift setup. Drivers, tires, power and courses all differ. What follows is a baseline to start from, not a finished tune.

Ride height and travel

Drift cars hit curbs, ruts and transitions at odd angles. They need travel. Slamming an S13 or S14 for looks and then drifting it puts the car on its bump stops mid-corner, and the handling turns snappy. Leave room to compress.

On full-length kits like BC Racing and Fortune Auto, you set ride height at the lower mount, and the spring perch sets preload. That lets you lower the car without changing preload or using up the damper's stroke. Tighten every locking collar once height is set.

Steering angle and clearance

Many drift builds add steering angle. More lock means the front tire swings closer to the strut body, spring perch and inner fender. Check clearance at full lock with the suspension compressed before you send it. If the tire touches the coilover, change wheel offset, tire size or angle before the next session.

Damping and spring rate

Start from the damping setting in your kit's manual. Click counting and direction differ by brand, so do not copy a setting from a different kit. Change one end at a time, and write down every change.

Spring rate sets how much the car rolls and pitches. If you have a specific rate in mind, ask before you order. BC Racing builds custom rates on most fitments, and Fortune Auto and Feal custom-valve their kits.

Alignment and corner weights

Every height change moves camber and toe, so align after the height is final. If you plan to corner balance, do that before the alignment. The goal is about 50 percent cross weight. Our guide to corner balancing walks through the process.

Weight that moves with the wheel

Unsprung weight is the mass the springs do not carry: wheel, tire, hub, brakes and knuckle. A heavy wheel and tire package makes the damper work harder over every ripple. Swapping the coilover kit alone does not cut it. Lighter wheels do.

Street, Track and Daily 240SX Builds

Not every S13 or S14 is a drift car. Plenty are clean street cars, and some see more autocross cones than tandem lines. The same listings cover all of them. What changes is how you set the kit up.

For a daily driver, comfort and clearance come first. Keep the drop modest, so the car clears driveways and speed bumps with passengers aboard. A street spring rate and a softer starting damping setting keep the ride livable on rough pavement. TEIN's Street Basis Z, with fixed damping and adjustable height, is built for exactly that kind of owner.

For autocross and track days, the priorities shift to body control and repeatability. Adjustable damping earns its keep here, because you can firm it up for the event and soften it for the drive home. Heat matters too. Long sessions warm the damper oil, and a damper that sheds heat well holds its damping longer.

Whatever the use, the old-car rules apply. Measure your ride height at all four corners before and after the install. Keep a log of settings and changes. Small, recorded changes beat big guesses every time.

Prepping and Owning a 240SX Coilover Setup

These are old cars now. Before the new kit goes on, look at what it bolts to. Worn bushings, tired ball joints and rusty mounts all undo good performance suspension. Our guide on prepping your drift car covers the checks. Our piece on how to build a drift car covers the rest of the build.

After a drift day, check the coilovers. Look for oil on the shaft or body, which can mean a leaking seal. Make sure the collars have not moved. Clean the threads before you adjust anything.

Plan for service. Damper oil and seals are wear items on any kit. Fortune Auto publishes its own rebuild schedule, and track-only use calls for a rebuild every 1,000 miles under that schedule. Other brands set their own intervals, so check your kit's manual.

Frequently Asked Questions