PU.

iTrader: (10)

Is it possible to order a set of rear camber plates only, without the coilovers?
Would need those for a GC8.

Thanks.

Dake

@Bren Any chance to get an update on this?
https://www.scoobynet.com/group-buys...e-388-a-3.html

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

Glad you like them

Camber rear top mounts are £109 a pair. If you dont need a lot of camber adjustment then it might be worth going for camber bolts instead.

Updates coming very soon

lemonaid5

Just ordered a set of BR for a Hawkeye STi with 6/5 with camber and extenders.

Thanks for the great price!

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

1: wrx kenny - GDB BR Series 6/5
2: Shiver - GDB BR Series camber 6/5
3: shifty83 - GC8 BR Series camber 6/5
4: Riktee - GDB BR Series 6/5
5: SteveCMY97 - GC8 BR Series camber 4/3 extenders
6. Scooby Artur - GDF BR series 5/4
7. N_Scooby - GC8 BR Series 5/4
8. Brownface - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
9: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
10: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
11: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
12: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
13: scoobymoz - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
14: S55 CBY - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
15: mr flipstone - GC8 BR Series 6/5
16: dazzlers82 - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
17: mrmarc - GDB BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
18: Bomag - GC8 BR Series 6/5
19: lemonaid5 - GDF BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
20: graeme0109 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders

Arch

iTrader: (59)

Cracking price Bren
Mine worked very well at the first event I made this year, won the class both days so well happy

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

Good to hear

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

1: wrx kenny - GDB BR Series 6/5
2: Shiver - GDB BR Series camber 6/5
3: shifty83 - GC8 BR Series camber 6/5
4: Riktee - GDB BR Series 6/5
5: SteveCMY97 - GC8 BR Series camber 4/3 extenders
6. Scooby Artur - GDF BR series 5/4
7. N_Scooby - GC8 BR Series 5/4
8. Brownface - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
9: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
10: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
11: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
12: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
13: scoobymoz - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
14: S55 CBY - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
15: mr flipstone - GC8 BR Series 6/5
16: dazzlers82 - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
17: mrmarc - GDB BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
18: Bomag - GC8 BR Series 6/5
19: lemonaid5 - GDF BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
20: graeme0109 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
21: boboskins - GDB BR Series 5/4
22: rbroy - GC8 BR Series 4/3
23: stonejedi - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders

SCOOBY A

Just ordered mine, cant wait now,

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

1: wrx kenny - GDB BR Series 6/5
2: Shiver - GDB BR Series camber 6/5
3: shifty83 - GC8 BR Series camber 6/5
4: Riktee - GDB BR Series 6/5
5: SteveCMY97 - GC8 BR Series camber 4/3 extenders
6. Scooby Artur - GDF BR series 5/4
7. N_Scooby - GC8 BR Series 5/4
8. Brownface - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
9: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
10: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
11: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
12: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
13: scoobymoz - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
14: S55 CBY - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
15: mr flipstone - GC8 BR Series 6/5
16: dazzlers82 - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
17: mrmarc - GDB BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
18: Bomag - GC8 BR Series 6/5
19: lemonaid5 - GDF BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
20: graeme0109 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
21: boboskins - GDB BR Series 5/4
22: rbroy - GC8 BR Series 4/3
23: stonejedi - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
24: SCOOBY A - GC8 BR Series 5/4

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

A customer with a Nissan has just posted this review on another forum. The Apex branded Gen 2 units for the Nissans are the same as the BC Racing units.

If it helps anyone to asses the validity of my comments I want to give a little background to what I do for a living. I’m a senior mechanical development engineer by trade with a masters degree in engineering and over 5 years experience in the automotive industry. I get paid to deliberately break things, analyse faults and make suggestions as to how parts can be improved.

As far as I can tell the Apex gen 2 coilovers are top quality bits of kit. The fit and finish on the units is excellent. All the welds look good. They have no obvious shortcomings.

Ride quality is good. I still have a lot of adjustment to try on the dampers. For a start I set them ten clicks from soft all round. I the spent some time deliberately running my car over every pot hole, drain and manhole cover that I could find and the composure of the ride over these has been impressive. In fact it’s been so good that I’ve been wondering if I’ve made too soft a choice on the spring rates.

I’ve had no signs of excessive bouncing from the units that other people have commented on. No bangs or knocks either. No intrusive road noise.

For a second opinion I set them to 6 clicks from fully soft before taking a guy that I lift share to work for his first passenger ride since installing the coilovers. At the end of the trip (25 miles – mainly A-roads) I asked him what he thought of the ride. His response was that he thought that I had been driving more slowly than usual as he felt as though he hadn’t been bounced and thrown around in his seat as much as had previously been the case. I can definitely say that I was not driving more slowly than I had been before.

I was surprised by the difference that I found with the units 6 clicks from soft compared to 10 clicks from soft. The units have 32 steps of adjustment available to the rebound damping so was expecting a drop of 4 clicks to be barely noticeable – I was wrong. 6 clicks from fully soft gives a lovely smooth ride with ample composure. I would be happy to put my two daughters in child seats in the back with the damping set like this – I doubt that they’d notice the ride being any harsher than it was with the standard suspension fitted.

I’ve spent way too much time looking at the damper dyno results that Bren posted for the Apex coilovers on a previous post (before and after damping rate reduction for the comfys). It is my opinion that some of the people who have given a negative evaluation of them coilovers have been running them too soft. The measured damping characteristics show very little low speed rebound damping when the units are set fully soft. Low speed damping is responsible for reducing free oscillations of the body (if you’ve ever seen what happens when you push down and then let go of a car with blown shocks you’ll know what I’m on about – the car will slowly oscillate up and down roughly once every couple of seconds with the size of the oscillation only slowly reducing). The result would be that the car feels bouncy.

So fully soft = little low speed rebound damping = bouncy.

On the other hand if you want a smooth ride over a bumpy road surface you actively want less high speed rebound damping. In order to do this you set the damper soft. You end up with a very smooth ride over poor road surfaces but with the trade off being a sort of bouncy/floaty ride due to the corresponding low speed rebound damping.

Fully soft = little low speed rebound damping = less high speed rebound damping = bouncy but good ride over rough road surfaces.

Purely from looking at the data I wouldn’t recommend running the dampers fully soft. This is why I started from 10 clicks from soft – here the damping curve for the Apex units should be close to linear and I don’t get this trade off between low and high speed damping.

I set all the springs with 5mm of pre-load (as recommended). I’m not interested in having may car ‘totally slammed’ and with softer springs (compared to the other available spring rates) you need more clearance in the arches to allow for the wheel travel.

Before fitting the coilovers I’d decided that I was only after a small reduction in the ride height, -12mm from stock at the rear, - 25mm from stock at the front (same as the NISMO S-tunes I believe).

I have been able to do this with the comfy’s – but only just at the rear. I don’t think that there is any way that I could have safely maintained stock ride height (there would not have been enough thread engagement on the height adjustment to do this). I believe that this is down to the spring rates.

If you start off with 2 sets of coilovers (with all spacings set the same prior to fitting) then an S14 on 8/6 coilovers will sit 22.5mm higher at the front and 25mm higher at the rear than one on 5/4 coilovers (these are approximate values based on 300kg of load on each wheel). This is due to the greater spring compression with the softer springs.

Not a big problem I know – most people will want to go lower than stock (and there is enough adjustment available to go very, very low). I imagine what has happened is that the adjustment lengths for the coilovers were designed around the stiffer springs (they appear perfect for them – allowing you to start from a little above stock ride height and then go significantly lower if desired).

I can’t find any other way to fault them. The brackets for the brake pipes and wheel speed sensors at the front were in exactly the right place. I even like the colours. I suppose the only other downside is that now I’ve fitted them to my car that they are hidden away where no one can see them.

To give you some idea as to how much I like them – the first roundabout that I came to since having the 4 wheel alignment done I hit the rev limiter in 2nd gear on my way off it and I haven’t done that for years.

Spring rates
I measured these at work. For the front apex units I measured 4.9635 kg/mm, for the rear I measured 3.9414 kg/mm. These figures are a very close match to the 5/4 rates that the coilovers were advertised as.

I also measured the old stock parts from my car – keep in mind here that they had covered 60,000 miles and that they were not in what I would call showroom condition any more.

Old stock front: 2.08 kg/mm
Old stock rear: 2.41 kg/mm

The old stock springs were linear and there is nothing special about them (they had stood the test of time very well though and there was very little in the way of corrosion on them).

Weights
Apex front: 5.5225 kg each Old stock front: 8.0215 kg each
Apex rear: 4.2025 kg each Old stock rear: 5.0400 kg each

The weights for the old stock parts include a few grams worth of road grime and dirt

So fitting the Apex Gen 2 coilovers gives a total weight saving of 6.7kg on the car compared to the stock parts.

Just for completeness the old stock parts had the following pre-load on the springs:
Front: 66mm (equal to 137kg)
Rear: 20mm (equal to 48kg)

When I fitted the coilovers I also did the following:
Fitted bushed rear adjustable camber arms (bushed rear adjustable toe arms had already been fitted).
Fitted a sub frame locking kit.
Fitted an Apex rear anti roll bar (a Whiteline front ARB had been fitted previously)
Fitted new rear pads.

Due to this I can’t say in isolation which mod is responsible for the changes that I have experienced. What I can say with some certainty is that this work has given a very positive improvement to the handling.

Initial turn in is far more positive.
Body roll is greatly reduced.
The car holds its line much better once it has settled into a corner.
The front/rear balance is much improved. The car was prone to understeer previously and this appears to have been rectified.
Breakaway is much more progressive – you can feel when you are approaching the limits of grip.
Higher cornering speeds in low speed corners (the reduced understeer really helps here).

In all the car just feels ‘right’.

The downside to all these positives are:
Slightly more road noise – barely noticeable.
Harsher ride at low speeds over bumps/potholls, road imperfections and speed bumps (at high speeds it’s just as good as it ever was).
More intrusion of engine noise/vibrations into the cab.
An audible ‘clunk’ from the drivetrain every time a new gear is engaged under load.
I can now hear the rear discs rubbing against the brake pads so I know that there is a greater level of noise transmission into the cab.

It is the sub frame locking kit that is responsible for the ‘clunk’ when engaging each gear. The drivetrain lash that had previously been taken up via movements of the rear subframe on its bushes are now being transmitted into the cab. This noise isn’t pleasant but it’s not too intrusive (it’s certainly not unbearable). The greater intrusion of engine noise is also a result of what I expect to be increased transmission of vibrations from the engine and drivetrain into the rear of the car via the subframe. Its most noticeable with the engine at low revs (e.g. 30mph in 4th with the engine not quite labouring but not far off). I’d originally mistaken this as the additional road noise via the coilovers but it pretty much disappears when the clutch is pressed or when you lift off the throttle and it gets worse when you start accelerating. Once the revs rise a bit it pretty much disappears (maybe because other sources of noise start to become dominant). I’ve probably only picked up on it because I’m actively listening for it (it’s amazing what you find when you actually start looking for things).

This means is that the additional road noise into the cab via the coilovers is even less than I had initially thought – impressive stuff.

My experience would suggest that the harder rubber subframe mounts are the right way to go rather than fitting the locking collars. Thing is, even accepting that fact, I don’t know if I’d fit them by choice given the comparative ease of fitting of the collars. Replacing the bushes in the rear subframe is a time consuming job, fitting the locking collars was one of the easiest mods that I have done. You end up with a choice between the reduced transmission of noise and vibrations for the rubber vs. lower cost and easier fitting for the collars – take your pick.

In summary the Apex Gen 2 units have pretty much made the all of the positive changes that I had been expecting without any nasty shortcomings. I know that it is early days yet – I still have a lot of adjustments to try on the damper settings and a lot of miles to do before I can assess their durability. What I can say with certainty is that in my (subjective) opinion is that I made a good move when I purchased the Apex comfys.

MaDaSS

Wow. Thats one good write up! Very informative. I really must pick the bloody phone up! LOL. Bren, i will phone you sometime this week, i need some more info before i blitz the plastic. One simple question, the BR kit, how much lower than standard would the car be, with these coil overs at their Highest setting? I dont want a slammed car in any way. I need higher than my Eibachs are now.

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

You tell me what height you want to run. The default kits can run near standard height. If you want to run at or above standard height then we can produce a custom kit to meet your needs

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

Im just browsing the net and came accross this review. An Evo owner swapped his original equipment 6000 mile old Bilsteins for ER Series BC Racing coilovers and went from the bottom of the pack in Autocross to 5th.

http://forums.evolutionm.net/service...mr-no-56k.html

dazzlers82

iTrader: (3)

have you a rough date on these yet bren ????????

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

Ill update tommorrow

Scooby Jonni

Can you put me down for some GC8 5/4 BR coilovers. Will ring to confirm soon

cptcaveman

Just give us some warning before you close the offer, I'm still praying to the god of credit cards....

Just curious why no-one seems to be going for RM series, i've been looking at them for ages, in my simple head it seemed like replacing inverted for inverted was the way to go. Is it just that you can't get extenders on them, and they'd be a PITA to adjust.

Hmm brakes and coilovers in one month, can the plastic take it

boboskins

Quick query for those more knowledgeable (I am noob in Scoobies)...

Have placed order for BC coilovers (and hearing excellent things) but note that my order has been put down down as GDB. The car is an MY06 Hawkeye WRX - I thought this was a GDG. For the purpose of the BCs are the two chassis's the same?

Bren - I have been recommended to go for the 6/5 and to get the extenders - would there be a problem changing the order? Do you need me to phone in to confirm? or can you amend my current order?

Bob

Steve Whitehorn

iTrader: (13)

Hi Bren
You need to stick my name down on the list as I have ordered GC8 BR 5/4
Steve

skydiver

Hi Bren,
Please add my name down for a BR set GC8 5/4 with extenders
And take a look to your pm's

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

Theyre the same kit, we just call kits for all 2000-2007 new age Imprezas bar the 05+ STi GDBs for ease. Ill alter your order for you

Updating now.

As above, updating now

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

If anyone wants us specifcially to phone them to warn them payments about to be taken then no problems but we wont by default contact everyone one by one. This is important!

The normal BR Series are great, they work really well so theres little need to pay more for inverted.

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

1: wrx kenny - GDB BR Series 6/5
2: Shiver - GDB BR Series camber 6/5
3: shifty83 - GC8 BR Series camber 6/5
4: Riktee - GDB BR Series 6/5
5: SteveCMY97 - GC8 BR Series camber 4/3 extenders
6. Scooby Artur - GDF BR series 5/4
7. N_Scooby - GC8 BR Series 5/4
8. Brownface - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
9: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
10: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
11: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
12: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
13: scoobymoz - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
14: S55 CBY - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
15: mr flipstone - GC8 BR Series 6/5
16: dazzlers82 - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
17: mrmarc - GDB BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
18: Bomag - GC8 BR Series 6/5
19: lemonaid5 - GDF BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
20: graeme0109 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
21: boboskins - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
22: rbroy - GC8 BR Series 4/3
23: stonejedi - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
24: SCOOBY A - GC8 BR Series 5/4
25: Wolfie28 - GDF BR Series 5/4 extenders
26: AH1 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
27: Steve Whitehorn - GC8 5/4

RobWRX

What a coincidence, I was just talking to Xtreme Scoobies today about coil over kits and the BC kit was recommended (for £650 of course), looks like I need to make a decision and fast...

cptcaveman

Bren, you smooth talker you've got me convinced, I'll book to confirm tomorrow. probably a stupid question, but what are your opening hours (I have to sneak out of the office to make calls, poxy mobile is on the way out)

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

We are here 9-6pm

1: wrx kenny - GDB BR Series 6/5
2: Shiver - GDB BR Series camber 6/5
3: shifty83 - GC8 BR Series camber 6/5
4: Riktee - GDB BR Series 6/5
5: SteveCMY97 - GC8 BR Series camber 4/3 extenders
6. Scooby Artur - GDF BR series 5/4
7. N_Scooby - GC8 BR Series 5/4
8. Brownface - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
9: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
10: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
11: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
12: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
13: scoobymoz - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
14: S55 CBY - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
15: mr flipstone - GC8 BR Series 6/5
16: dazzlers82 - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
17: mrmarc - GDB BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
18: Bomag - GC8 BR Series 6/5
19: lemonaid5 - GDF BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
20: graeme0109 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
21: boboskins - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
22: rbroy - GC8 BR Series 4/3
23: stonejedi - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
24: SCOOBY A - GC8 BR Series 5/4
25: Wolfie28 - GDF BR Series 5/4 extenders
26: AH1 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
27: Steve Whitehorn - GC8 BR Series 5/4
28: jdel - GC8 BR Series 6/5 Camber
29: Scooby Jonni - GC8 BR Series 5/4

chris_bobuk

iTrader: (1)

Placed the order today, newage 6/5, extenders and rear top mounts

bren@apex

iTrader: (20)

1: wrx kenny - GDB BR Series 6/5
2: Shiver - GDB BR Series camber 6/5
3: shifty83 - GC8 BR Series camber 6/5
4: Riktee - GDB BR Series 6/5
5: SteveCMY97 - GC8 BR Series camber 4/3 extenders
6. Scooby Artur - GDF BR series 5/4
7. N_Scooby - GC8 BR Series 5/4
8. Brownface - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
9: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
10: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
11: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
12: C-R-A-Y - GC8 BR Series 6/5
13: scoobymoz - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
14: S55 CBY - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
15: mr flipstone - GC8 BR Series 6/5
16: dazzlers82 - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
17: mrmarc - GDB BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
18: Bomag - GC8 BR Series 6/5
19: lemonaid5 - GDF BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
20: graeme0109 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
21: boboskins - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
22: rbroy - GC8 BR Series 4/3
23: stonejedi - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
24: SCOOBY A - GC8 BR Series 5/4
25: Wolfie28 - GDF BR Series 5/4 extenders
26: AH1 - GDB BR Series 6/5 extenders
27: Steve Whitehorn - GC8 BR Series 5/4
28: jdel - GC8 BR Series 6/5 Camber
29: Scooby Jonni - GC8 BR Series 5/4
30: chris_bobuk - GDB BR Series camber 6/5 extenders
31: skydiver - GC8 BR Series 5/4 extenders
32: RobWRX - GDB 6/5 extenders

RobWRX

Placed order today for 2004 WRX - GDB BR Series 6/5 + extenders, cannot wait!