2nd Generation GE8 Specific Suspension & Brakes Sub-Forum Threads discussing suspension and brake related modifications for the 2nd generation Honda Fit (GE8)

Has anyone had experience with Function and Form?

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 03-02-2010, 01:22 PM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
Has anyone had experience with Function and Form?

I've been riding around on these t1-r s coils for about 1500 miles now and don't really like them! I am interested in getting some coilovers for my ge and have been researching a little into what brands currently produce coilover systems! I wanted to know if anyone has had experience with function and form products/coilovers? Products | Function & Form Autolife They have a setup out for the 2009+ fit and it's reasonably priced at $900 shipped for the type II's! How are these comparable to the megan racing,k sport, d2, and tein basic coilover kits quality? I know you get what you pay for and don't want to buy a product that is not good quality! I'd like to see if and when skunk2 is making a coilover set for the ge and what the specs are so, if anyone has asked this question to skunk2 could you enlighten me as to what was said! I've tried calling skunk2 multiple times and been placed on hold each and everytime!

Thanks in advance!
 
  #2  
Old 03-02-2010, 03:33 PM
Kyle's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Anaheim, CA
Posts: 26
I installed a set of function an form coilovers on an Accord a couple years ago and I remember the overall build quality being pretty decent on them. The only thing I think is odd about them is that they have an excessive amount of adjustability and something else I can't recall atm. I'm sure someone here should have a set of these on their Fit.
 
  #3  
Old 03-02-2010, 04:34 PM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
I see! How was the ride?
 
  #4  
Old 03-02-2010, 04:42 PM
Kyle's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Anaheim, CA
Posts: 26
I actually didn't get to really drive the car since it wasn't my car. Just drove it around a little bit in a parking lot to make sure everything was seated right and there were no problems.
 
  #5  
Old 03-02-2010, 06:28 PM
zer0dds's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 597
Out of the ones you've listed, I've had first-hand experience with Megan Racing coils, Tein Basics and Function & Form. They weren't in my car but a few of my close friends all rocked one of these at some point.

Just like the Tein Basics, even though the Function & Form are listed that they are "trackable", I really wouldn't do any sort of serious tracking with them. Weekend warriors should be fine but my friend's damper's went boom after two track sessions and this happened again after the company rebuilt them. It might just have been a defective set. Who knows. The ride quality imo is better than the Tein's or Megan's and out of the three, I'd still go with F&F if you're just looking for coils that'll drop your car and allow you some excessive adjustability on the streets.

I'd advise against the Tein Basics. I had a set before for about two weeks before I flipped them on the forums. The ride quality was terrible, spring rates and dampening weren't paired correctly and it was just really uncomfortable. I would have rather gone with a good shock/spring combo.

Just my .02...good luck with making a decision.
 
  #6  
Old 03-02-2010, 06:39 PM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by zer0dds
Out of the ones you've listed, I've had first-hand experience with Megan Racing coils, Tein Basics and Function & Form. They weren't in my car but a few of my close friends all rocked one of these at some point.

Just like the Tein Basics, even though the Function & Form are listed that they are "trackable", I really wouldn't do any sort of serious tracking with them. Weekend warriors should be fine but my friend's damper's went boom after two track sessions and this happened again after the company rebuilt them. It might just have been a defective set. Who knows. The ride quality imo is better than the Tein's or Megan's and out of the three, I'd still go with F&F if you're just looking for coils that'll drop your car and allow you some excessive adjustability on the streets.

I'd advise against the Tein Basics. I had a set before for about two weeks before I flipped them on the forums. The ride quality was terrible, spring rates and dampening weren't paired correctly and it was just really uncomfortable. I would have rather gone with a good shock/spring combo.

Just my .02...good luck with making a decision.
Good info! I am not a fan of the Tein basics! Are you familiar with the b&g rs coilovers? My car is not a dedicated track car but I do plan on taking it down to Sebring every now and then for some track events! I am still trying to figure out wether or not I want a dual tube shock or a monotube shock assembly! I understand the monotube is more performance oriented where as the dual tube focuses more on the ride comfort/quality! The fit already has a rigid ride so i'm not too worried! I know you have to sacrifice ride comfort for handling in most cases so...
 
  #7  
Old 03-02-2010, 07:10 PM
zer0dds's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 597
+1 on the Fit's stiff chassis straight from the factory. One of my favorite things about the car, hehe. At the end of the day, I always tell my friends it comes down to how much comfort you're willing to sacrifice for performance and vice versa. I still go to the supermarket in my Evo with 14kg/12kg spring rates and I find it perfectly comfortable for anything less than an hour drive. Then I have friends that just find coils for the comfort and adjustability.

I'm biased since I <3 suspension and footwork tuning so I'd always recommend a monotube over the twin-tube. I'm not sure how familiar you are with the two different designs but one thing I'd caution you about the monotube is...depending on how the roads are where you live and depending on which coilover you pick up with whatever spring rates, revalving them every once in a while could be a distinct possibility. They generally have more maintenance required. Plus, like you said, the monotube is more performance oriented with dampers generally designed for flat-surface circuit running with a shorter stroke length which directly translates to a pretty damn uncomfortable ride sometimes on the streets.

My friend has B&G coils in his GTi and all I know is that they can they drop super low without screwing up shock travel too much. I don't know much besides that though. I drove his car once to go grab lunch and the ride seemed to be on par with a good shock/spring combo in terms of comfort.
 
  #8  
Old 03-02-2010, 07:27 PM
beangrower's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Honolulu, HI
Posts: 620
what don't u like about the t1-r coils if you don't mind me asking? the ride? or the height? stiffness?
 
  #9  
Old 03-02-2010, 09:13 PM
MiniMiniVan's Avatar
New Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: StL
Posts: 12
I sent an e-mail to F&F asking about what the spring rates are, adjustability, etc. I'm also shopping for coilovers for my GE8. It's between F&F's, D2's, and Buddy Clubs. The F&F's are the most appealing due to their reputation in the Civic/Integra arena.

I'll post their response when I get it.
 
  #10  
Old 03-02-2010, 09:43 PM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by beangrower
what don't u like about the t1-r coils if you don't mind me asking? the ride? or the height? stiffness?
I am constantly riding on the bumpstops for one and I constatnly hear noises coming from the front! I know everything is tight but I still worry about the noises! I am coming from a 96 hatch with the koni/ground control setup and just feel if i'm going to lower the car i'm gonna do it the right way! I've never bought lowering springs before up until now I don't think I will after this set is replaced! I never had 1 single problem with both of my previous koni/GC setups!
 
  #11  
Old 03-02-2010, 09:48 PM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by MiniMiniVan
I sent an e-mail to F&F asking about what the spring rates are, adjustability, etc. I'm also shopping for coilovers for my GE8. It's between F&F's, D2's, and Buddy Clubs. The F&F's are the most appealing due to their reputation in the Civic/Integra arena.

I'll post their response when I get it.

Cool, post up what they say! They responded quickly to both of my emails earlier today! I was eyeing the buddy clubs also! I was unfamiliar with d2 up until earlier today so..... haha. I am waiting to get some quotes on the b&g coilovers! Skunk2 replied back and said that they have nothing in the works as far as coilovers are concerned for the ge fit!
 
  #12  
Old 03-02-2010, 09:56 PM
MiniMiniVan's Avatar
New Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: StL
Posts: 12
Got a reply already.

"The coilovers are height and damping adjustable. They damping adjustability will allow you to set the comfort of the car. We specifically design our coilovers for our customers to use daily. That is the beauty of the adjustability, in that you can change the settings as you please. The coilovers will lower the car approx 2 inches or so, maybe more. Just being conservative as each application varies in height. But you should have no problem getting the vehicle down at least 2 inches. The spring rates for the Honda Fit are 6/6kg. Our coilovers do come with a 1 year warranty as well."
 
  #13  
Old 03-02-2010, 10:01 PM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
Another company to check out is "stance", link GR+ they make a coilover set for the older gd3 fit don't know if they are developing the same setup for the ge! I'll email/call them tomorrow! They are more expensive than the function and form and comparable lower priced coilovers so.....
 
  #14  
Old 03-02-2010, 10:43 PM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by zer0dds
+1 on the Fit's stiff chassis straight from the factory. One of my favorite things about the car, hehe. At the end of the day, I always tell my friends it comes down to how much comfort you're willing to sacrifice for performance and vice versa. I still go to the supermarket in my Evo with 14kg/12kg spring rates and I find it perfectly comfortable for anything less than an hour drive. Then I have friends that just find coils for the comfort and adjustability.

I'm biased since I <3 suspension and footwork tuning so I'd always recommend a monotube over the twin-tube. I'm not sure how familiar you are with the two different designs but one thing I'd caution you about the monotube is...depending on how the roads are where you live and depending on which coilover you pick up with whatever spring rates, revalving them every once in a while could be a distinct possibility. They generally have more maintenance required. Plus, like you said, the monotube is more performance oriented with dampers generally designed for flat-surface circuit running with a shorter stroke length which directly translates to a pretty damn uncomfortable ride sometimes on the streets.

My friend has B&G coils in his GTi and all I know is that they can they drop super low without screwing up shock travel too much. I don't know much besides that though. I drove his car once to go grab lunch and the ride seemed to be on par with a good shock/spring combo in terms of comfort.
I am all about the handling of the car first and foremost! I am not worried about what people have to say about the ride if they don't like it then we can take their car instead of mine, simple! In your opinion how often is often to revalve the monotube shocks? The car will hopefully see some track time so I want something that will be more geared towards the street side of things but also able to handle a track event here and there! Do you know if the stock ge fit shocks are monotube or twin tube? I tried looking on honda's website but there is nothing in the specs! I believe b&g is a European brand! For the most part the Europenas make good products from what i've heard/seen!
 
  #15  
Old 03-02-2010, 11:16 PM
zer0dds's Avatar
Member
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: SoCal
Posts: 597
Most companies have a general rule of thumb for revalving/rebuilding their coils. For example, I think Tein normally calls for them around 50k. My friend had HKS Hipermax's on his G35 and they ended up blowing and when he called in to get them fixed, HKS told him that since he exceeded the rebuild/revalve mileage, they wouldn't do anything to help him out. Kind of lame, lol.

I get my coils rebuilt around 15k miles but my set-up is on the more extreme side in terms of stiffness, rebound settings, etc. I guess my original point was just pointing out that a lot of people either decide to get cheaper coils and then complain when something goes wrong or they get expensive coils and they don't know how to properly maintain them, beat on them and eventually something fails. The posts got more complicated then I meant, heh, sorry.

I really don't like cutting corners on something as important as suspension. Tein isn't a bad company but the Basics are a bit 'ehhhhh'. Go a few steps up and their stuff is pretty decent. Same goes for a lot of other companies out there.

I'm not sure if the stock ge fit shocks are monotube or twin tube, actually. I don't actually have a Fit...I'm just a huge fan and looking to get one, lol. I've just ran a lot of different suspension set ups before or driven on them so I was just sharing from my point of view.
 
  #16  
Old 03-03-2010, 12:30 AM
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Norwalk, CA
Posts: 244
i've also been looking into the F&F coils for a awhile but just haven't gotten around to ordering yet since i've been focused in gettting other parts, but i know showstoppers were offering a good price to me for a set when the coils first came out
 
  #17  
Old 03-03-2010, 10:48 AM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
Originally Posted by jdmsneakerhead
i've also been looking into the F&F coils for a awhile but just haven't gotten around to ordering yet since i've been focused in gettting other parts, but i know showstoppers were offering a good price to me for a set when the coils first came out

What price were they offering them at?
 
  #18  
Old 03-03-2010, 01:56 PM
ej96hatch's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: The Sunshine State
Posts: 204
Found out bilstein makes a coilover set for the European jazz! It's the b14 series, i'm waiting to hear back from a few vendors about pricing/availability! Are there any differences in the suspension from the Euro and USDM fit's? Correct me if i'm wrong but don't the Euro's come with rear disc brakes? Here are some links to the bilstein coilovers:

http://www.bilstein.de/de/bilstein-erleben/stories/jazz-we-can.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAM4Hzqppcw
 
  #19  
Old 03-10-2010, 07:05 AM
clay7160's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Abbeville, Louisiana
Posts: 146
I contacted bilstein usa about this setup, they were unable to bring it into the united states, and did not have any plans on bringing the kit in.....I found a Asian translation, showing that it dropped the fit 30mm front and rear...
 
  #20  
Old 03-10-2010, 08:51 AM
MiniMiniVan's Avatar
New Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: StL
Posts: 12
In my eyes, a 1.18" drop would not warrant the price that setup would cost. I'm sure it would ride nice, but still.

Still waiting on somebody with F&F coilovers on their GE to chime in.
 


Quick Reply: Has anyone had experience with Function and Form?



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:44 AM.