Best S13 Coilovers – The Complete Suspension Guide

by Staff | Last updated 30th June, 2020 | Posted in Guides

We review a range of S13 coilovers from budget to premium to find out which is the perfect fit for your 240sx build.

s13 coilovers slammed 240sx


In a hurry? Here is our S13 Coilovers summary

Budget Choice Best Choice Premium Choice
megan racing evii s13 coilovers kw v3 s13 coilovers fortune auto dreadnaught s13 coilovers
Megan Racing EZII KW Variant 3 Fortune Auto Dreadnought PRO
🔥🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Buy Now Buy Now Buy Now

work meister wheels

Are you looking to refresh your S13’s handling? Maybe you want to drop it onto some sweet new rims like the WORK Meisters above? Then you my friend, are going to need some coilovers – handily, this the the guide for you.

red overfender s13

With even the freshest S13 rolling off the production line over twenty two years ago (1998 Nissan 180sx Type-X), chances are any S13’s OEM suspension will be a little past it’s best…

vinyl wrapped s13

The reality is that most S13’s available today will have already been fitted with aftermarket coilovers, however, the aftermarket suspension market has been flooded with cheap, no-brand Chinese built coilovers in the last decade (looking at you wish.com) and if your S13 has a set of these fitted, this could be a good time to do a little research and maybe consider upgrading them.

nexen s13 drifting

Now I don’t mean to knock the Chinese for their craftmanship, more for a regional trend of manufacturers creating suspension that is built with a no-frills and extremely low budget in mind. Materials and components are cheaper, springs are not optimized and the longevity of the suspension is questionable.

Not to mention the copy-culture where brands no longer do their own R&D and instead rely on duplicating what has already been done. /Rant

s13 vs s15 drift battle

While it might do-the-job for one owner, when that car passes on to it’s next custodian, those cheap coilovers may no longer perform as they should.

hsd s13 coilovers

And so onto our guide, we have picked a selection of coilovers from different brands and different price points. While in a perfect world we would all be rocking premium coilovers, that isn’t always financially practical, so budget setups do have their place.

We have been careful to pick budget brands that we would run on our own S13s, you won’t find any trash or Amazon specials here.

At the end of the guide we will pick one set of coilovers that is our winner, this will be based on customer feedback, price point, value for money and features. You might not agree with that, and that’s cool, we are just making our best recommendations and we hope that you find them helpful.

If you are looking to fit a set of coilovers to your S13, we have you covered with our step-by-step coilover fitting guide.


slammed s13 sil80

Now, onto our S13 coilovers!

To find out more information about any of these products, just click on the title, image of purchase link and you will be directed to a vendor.

Stance XR1 S13 Coilovers

stance xr1 s13 coilovers

  • Manufacturer: Stance
  • Levels of damping adjustment: 16
  • Construction type: Monotube
  • Spring rate front: 8kg/mm
  • Spring rate rear: 6kg/mm
  • Fitment: Nissan S13, 240sx, 180sx, 200sx
  • Value for money: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
  • Purchase link: Buy your Stance XR1’s here

Our comment: The first of our S13 coilovers are the Stance XR1’s, a solid contender priced in the mid-range of our guide. The XR1’s are inverted monotube single way adjustable coilovers. Stance has been in the coilover suspension game for some time and the XR1’s have benefitted from constant development and many improvements over the years. The newly designed pillowball mounts and materials are designed for enhance both performance and longevity.

The XR1’s are 16 way adjustable, allowing you to set the ride quality from soft to stiff without tools. Stance also highlights the special anti-rusting process they use on their units, which should really help to prevent corrosion build up on the adjustment rings over time – a common coilover issue.

Manufacturer description:Stance XR1 Coilovers are our standard single way adjustable coilover. The XR1 is very similar to our Super Sport line, but due to the constant development of our products, has been improved in many ways. The build and material quality has never been higher. Newly designed pillowball and bushing materials increase longevity and performance.

The range and consistency of the XR1 damping forces is also greater than previous Super Sports. The most exciting advancement is our corrosion prevention. Our new dual coating process involves an initial Zinc binding finished with a super hard and ultra thin electrophoretically deposited protective layer. This process has taken our products far above and beyond our competitors in terms of corrosion and rust resistance.


KW Variant 3 S13 Coilovers

kw v3 s13 coilovers

  • Manufacturer: KW
  • Levels of damping adjustment: 14
  • Construction type: Twin Tube
  • Spring rate front: 340 (lbs/inch)
  • Spring rate rear: 230 (lbs/inch)
  • Fitment: Nissan S13, 240sx, 180sx, 200sx
  • Value for money: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
  • Purchase link: Buy KW Variant 3s at Enjuku Racing

Our comment: Okay, now it’s time to get serious – German serious! The KW Variant 3 coilovers weigh in at the premium end of the price point in this guide, but, reading customer feedback online – these coilovers are highly recommended.

Featuring a rugged and high quality build, a generous range of adjustment and a civilized ride quality these coilovers are a strong contendor.

The Variant 3 coilovers will be suitable to take your S13 on both street and track.

They are designed to flatter your driving skills when hitting the curves but without sacrificing comfort when you just want to cruise.

That is quite a magic trick without utilizing magnetic or air suspension technology from today’s supercars. KW make high quality suspension for all kind of brands and vehicles and their reputation in racing and enthusiast circles is enviable.

Manufacturer description:Ready for a driving experience as unique as your car? A KW Suspensions Variant 3 coilover set offer you the independent compression and rebound damping setup you need.

This unique, system has three adjustable components for maximum customization during low-speed driving, while at high speed, the engineer preset damping allows for optimal driving comfort. Smooth out your ride today with Enjuku Racing.

A KW Suspensions Variant 3 coilover set is a premium performance upgrade. If you are unsure about the installation or use of this part, consult a trained professional. Be sure to check the part’s fit before installation.


Megan Racing EZII Series S13 Coilover Kit

megan racing evii s13 coilovers

  • Manufacturer: Megan Racing
  • Levels of damping adjustment: 15
  • Construction type: Monotube
  • Spring rate front: 8kg/mm
  • Spring rate rear: 6kg/mm
  • Fitment: Nissan S13, 240sx, 180sx, 200sx
  • Value for money: 🔥🔥
  • Purchase link: Buy Megan Racing EZII’s at Enjuku Racing

Our comment: The Megan Racing EZII coilover kit is the cheapest set of suspension in our guide.

Megan Racing have put together a solid package of decent build materials and adjustability at a very low price point.

While it won’t compete with KW Variant 3’s for comfort, or Fortune Auto Dreadnoughts for track prowess, if you just want to replace your tired suspension and lower your car with a decent kit, the Megan Racing EZII’s could be just the ticket for you.

Manufacturer description:Megan Racing EZII Series coilover system is aimed towards the more budget oriented enthusiast to offer the most basic essentials from an after-market coil-over setup, yet makes no compromises for quality and performance.

15 Levels of Adjustable Damper Strength, Aluminum Brackets paired with rubber inserts, Rubber Dust Covers, Adjustable Ride Height, Conservative Spring Rates, Single-Cylinder Design – monotube, All coilover damper kits come with 1 year manufacture-defect warranty, All Hardware is Included.


Fortune Auto Dreadnought PRO 2-Way S13 Coilovers

fortune auto dreadnaught s13 coilovers

  • Manufacturer: Fortune Auto
  • Levels of damping adjustment: 24
  • Construction type: Monotube with external reservoirs
  • Spring rate front: Range of options available
  • Spring rate rear: Range of options available
  • Fitment: Nissan S13, 240sx, 180sx, 200sx
  • Value for money: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
  • Purchase link: Buy Fortune Auto Dreadnoughts at Enjuku Racing

Our comment: Calling all track rats – the Fortune Auto Dreadnought Pro coilovers are your new best friends.

Weighing in as the most expensive coilover kit in this guide, the Dreadnought Pro’s are designed for serious track users. They offer 2-way independant damping control with 24 step compression and rebound adjustment. They are specced with radial bearing mounts, Amsoil shock oil, Nitrogen gas filled dampers, high quality metal for mounts and camber plates and they include Swift springs as standard.

To show how much faith Fortune Auto have in their Dreadnought Pro’s, they are offering a five year warranty on every set. Buying these coilovers is also a satisfying way to buy American – every set is built completely in-house in their facility in Virginia.

They are pricey, but very, very nice indeed.

Manufacturer description:Dreadnought PRO dampers are the foundation of a race winning suspension; designed and tested in the harshest environment possible- the race track. Offering top tier race technology and durable race proven components, Dreadnought PRO damper systems are the ultimate in performance and adjustability.

All systems are completely built in-house by our engineering staff in Richmond, Virginia. We insist on building bespoke suspension in order to offer some of the best quality control in the industry.


Fortune Auto 510 Series S13 Coilovers

fortune auto 510 s13 coilovers

  • Manufacturer: Fortune Auto
  • Levels of damping adjustment: 24
  • Construction type: Monotube
  • Spring rate front: Range of options available
  • Spring rate rear: Range of options available
  • Fitment: Nissan S13, 240sx, 180sx, 200sx
  • Value for money: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
  • Purchase link: Buy Fortune Auto 510s from Enjuku Racing

Our comment: Fortune Auto offers a second set of suspension for you to take a look at, this time it is the 510 Series of S13 coilovers.

The 510’s are a compromise between the extreme Dreadnought Pro’s and a regular road going coilover, featuring many of the high end features of the Dreadnought Pro’s but dropping the 2-way independant damping.

With high quality components used throughout, 24-way adjustability and backed by Fortune Auto’s five year warranty, these coilovers are a solid mid-range option.

Manufacturer description:Fortune Auto is proud to release the all new Generation 5 510 series dampers. The advanced suspension technology found in our new shock absorbers is derived from recent successes in World Challenge, One Lap of America, and Global Time Attack.

All systems are built completely in-house by our staff in Richmond, Virginia. We insist on building bespoke suspension in order to offer the best quality control in the industry.


BC Racing RM Series S13 Coilovers

bc racing s13 coilovers

  • Manufacturer: BC Racing
  • Levels of damping adjustment: 30
  • Construction type: Monotube
  • Spring rate front: 8kg/mm
  • Spring rate rear: 6kg/mm
  • Fitment: Nissan S13, 240sx, 180sx, 200sx
  • Value for money: 🔥🔥🔥
  • Purchase link: Buy BC Racing RMs at Enjuku Racing

Our comment: The second of our budget coilover sets, the BC Racing RM’s are a well regarded entry level coilover suitable for street driving and some track work.

These inverted monotube coilovers offer camber adjustment up front and 30 click adjustment for ride quality. Like the Megan Racing EZII’s, these should be a good fit for anybody looking to replace their tired coilovers or OEM suspension with something fresher.

Manufacturer description:The BC Racing RM series feature high quality damping adjustable mono-tube inverted dampers at the front or front and rear, depending on vehicle. The RM coilovers offer the majority of the features of the BR series but with the additional benefit of the inverted damper unit. Inverting the damper unit brings with it a number of advantages.


Our winner

So, we have reviewed our six sets of S13 coilovers and while they all look good, what suits your build will come down to what you want to use the car for and your budget.

If you are serious about track work and your have deep pockets, the Fortune Auto Dreadnought Pro’s are a great fit for you.

If on the other hand you are restoring your S13 and you just want to replace the suspension and set a nice ride height, the Megan Racing EXII’s should be a good fit for you.

In terms of picking an overall winner based on price point, quality, customer feedback and features we will award that to KW’s Variant 3 coilovers.

KW Variant 3 S13 Coilovers

KW Variant 3 Coilover Set

These coilovers are manufactured out of high quality materials, they offer excellent adjustability, are suitable for both street and track and they come in at a mid range price point. Reading feedback about these kits online shows that they have a huge following and are highly regarded. A well deserved winner of this guide then.

Thank you for reading our S13 coilover guide

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