Tanabe GF210s vs RCE springs... performance only

koreano10is · 12-18-2006, 07:10 PM

hey.. so i read that the gf210 ride is very harsh, but i was wondering which performed better on a track. please don't say rce just because you have it but if u can explain why, that would be greatly appreciated

i really wanna hear from ppl who've used both. i've read rce has better driveability but i'm not really looking at that... just the performance. thanks!

**Turninconcepts.com** · 12-18-2006, 07:50 PM

in track performance linear spring > progressive.

uncle lewie · 12-18-2006, 07:54 PM

Maybe talk to Ceaser aka Light Werkz. He has had both Springs, currently sitting on rce's. He gave a write up saying the tanabe's were not comparable at all to the rce's. Not only does he daily drive his car but also autox's quite a lot and does quite well.
Check his user journal.

AndrewSS · 12-19-2006, 02:10 AM

I dunno, havnt had both, I will say that its nice to have higher than usual rear spring rates (compared to the difference most other springs have) for rotation, and the rates are pretty high all around. However for comfort I am not sure I understand the whole these are more comfortable than stockers... I dont know what the whole bobble head thing is about, the car is MORE harsh with the RCE's IMO... but still not too bad IMO.

mtskibum16 · 12-19-2006, 08:29 AM

I've asked this question many times and I can never get a clear answer....everyone is too blinded by the "rce springs rule the world" thing and so you never get good feedback just rce is better, tanabe is too harsh.

**GTWORX.com** · 12-19-2006, 12:47 PM

Without getting too specific about the rates of the RCE's, the rear spring rate really does set them apart. There's nothing else like them out there, and it really does work. Performance was the priority when we set out to design these springs, and between all of us we had driven nearly every spring and coilover available for WRX/STI. So we knew what we had to beat.

But yes, read Lightwerkz journal/review. And look for the many other reviews from people who have gone from other springs and coilovers to RCE's and been very pleased with the results.

Also, all lowering springs are at least a little bit progressive, and for good reason.

- Andrew

Gami004pilot · 12-19-2006, 03:42 PM

mtskibum16 What makes you ask this question about the Tanabes vs RCE's? Every one like the RCE's for a reason.
I had the Tanabes on for a very long time before my RCE's and from honest experiance I would never get any other spring then the RCE's, its perfect for my driving style and I still haven't pushed the car around turns hard enough to feel it's maximum potential. The RCE's are more then enough for daily driving and some track days. Tanabes or RCE's are a great improvement over stock.

Well, I had spoken to all of the crew from RCE about the their springs before they had even came out. WHY? Well.... the day of the install of the Tanabes I had over tighten the top mount nut and snapped off the bolt and nut. So I called RCE because many here raved about their customer service so I ended up giving them a call. I told them about my problem and I ended up purchasing the Group N top hats. While on the phone I asked Myles his opinion on the Tanabes and he explained from his experiance about the Tanabes and other springs and then mentioned about the making of the RCE's. I have the first batch

I purchased the Tanabes because I wanted a nice drop and an increase in performance so I researched here (IWSTI) and many recommended the GF-210's at the time there was no RCE springs, By the way look at all the threads I made and asked questions/replied to before buying the Tanabes.

Well......
The Tanabes are nice but theres still alot of room for improvement and the spring rate is not a well match for the dampening of the stock struts.
The Tanabes have an awesome drop but its a little to low for a front lip.
The Tanabes still give off alot of body roll compared to the RCE's.
The RCE's are more harsh but give off great performance.
The RCE's don't have as nice of a drop but the give great perfromance.

The RCE are better quality from what was explained to me.

Hey call RCE, they can help you.....
Hope this help, I gotta go eat.

**Turninconcepts.com** · 12-19-2006, 07:23 PM

I was under the impression that the RCE's are linear. Am I mistaken?

**GTWORX.com** · 12-19-2006, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turninconcepts.com

I was under the impression that the RCE's are linear. Am I mistaken?

Slight progression. Kinda like a helper spring portion of the spring, that's nearly fully bound (but not quite) at rest.

- Andrew

***Turbineguy*** · 12-20-2006, 04:12 AM

Went from the stockers to the Tanabe. Wanted to cure the bobble head (which they did) and improve the ride (which they did) but did notice that they seem to allow a little more body roll. My car is a daily driver and I just started to auto-x this month so I'll keep the 210s until my driving doesn't suck anymore and I quit getting lost in the cones.

Then I'll look at some RCEs with more performance potential esp after I get a beater to flog daily so the STI can be just a toy.

***Parker*** · 12-20-2006, 11:52 AM

when you say that RCE are more harsh, what are you referring to?

Gami004pilot · 12-20-2006, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parker

when you say that RCE are more harsh, what are you referring to?

The ride is more stiffer and harder.
After driving your STi for a while, go into a Lincoln Continental and you'll understand what we mean by harsh (stiff, doesn't absorb bumps smoothly, aburpt).

GT Worx? Whats the difference in quality of the RCE's compared to the Tanabe's?

**RaceComp Engineering** · 12-20-2006, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gami004pilot

GT Worx? Whats the difference in quality of the RCE's compared to the Tanabe's?

Well, I can't speak about for the Tanabe's, as I honestly don't really know where they are produced or if someone else produces them for them.

But ours are made by a very reputable suspension manufacturer that is known throughout the racing world. That is all I'm allowed to say

.

- Andrew

***Parker*** · 12-20-2006, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gami004pilot

The ride is more stiffer and harder.
After driving your STi for a while, go into a Lincoln Continental and you'll understand what we mean by harsh (stiff, doesn't absorb bumps smoothly, aburpt).

I understand that it is more harsh than a Lincoln Continental but compared to the stock setup, how harsh is it? I find the stock suspension harsh but that is mostly due to the bobblehead. I thought that when you get rid of the bobblehead it gets smoother.

mtskibum16 · 12-20-2006, 07:15 PM

Well the RCE springs are my first choice due to the stiffer rear rates. However, the Tanabes are WAY cheaper...almost half and seem to be a good spring!

12-18-2006, 07:10 PM	#1
koreano10is Professional STI Driver Car: 05 Subaru WRX STI Location: Tacoma WA Posts: 402 IWSTI Addict since: Nov 2006 Trader Rating: (0)	Tanabe GF210s vs RCE springs... performance only hey.. so i read that the gf210 ride is very harsh, but i was wondering which performed better on a track. please don't say rce just because you have it but if u can explain why, that would be greatly appreciated i really wanna hear from ppl who've used both. i've read rce has better driveability but i'm not really looking at that... just the performance. thanks! This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

12-20-2006, 07:15 PM	#15
mtskibum16 Professional STI Driver Car: 05 Subaru WRX STi Location: Montana Posts: 461 IWSTI Addict since: May 2006 Trader Rating: (1)	Well the RCE springs are my first choice due to the stiffer rear rates. However, the Tanabes are WAY cheaper...almost half and seem to be a good spring! This ad is not endorsed by this member. Please register or login to hide this ad.

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12-18-2006, 07:50 PM	#2
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Car: 04/08STI 95SVX 86E30 Posts: 5,321 IWSTI Addict since: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (53)	in track performance linear spring > progressive.

12-18-2006, 07:54 PM	#3
uncle lewie Spec C Club Car: 06 Aspen White w. Go Fav Mod: teH Muff Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,098 IWSTI Addict since: Apr 2006 Trader Rating: (7)	Maybe talk to Ceaser aka Light Werkz. He has had both Springs, currently sitting on rce's. He gave a write up saying the tanabe's were not comparable at all to the rce's. Not only does he daily drive his car but also autox's quite a lot and does quite well. Check his user journal.

12-19-2006, 02:10 AM	#4
AndrewSS S204 Racer Car: 05 Subaru WRX STi Fav Mod: RCE T2 Coilovers Location: Columbus, OH Posts: 4,643 IWSTI Addict since: Jun 2005 Trader Rating: (21)	I dunno, havnt had both, I will say that its nice to have higher than usual rear spring rates (compared to the difference most other springs have) for rotation, and the rates are pretty high all around. However for comfort I am not sure I understand the whole these are more comfortable than stockers... I dont know what the whole bobble head thing is about, the car is MORE harsh with the RCE's IMO... but still not too bad IMO.

12-19-2006, 08:29 AM	#5
mtskibum16 Professional STI Driver Car: 05 Subaru WRX STi Location: Montana Posts: 461 IWSTI Addict since: May 2006 Trader Rating: (1)	I've asked this question many times and I can never get a clear answer....everyone is too blinded by the "rce springs rule the world" thing and so you never get good feedback just rce is better, tanabe is too harsh.

12-19-2006, 12:47 PM	#6
GTWORX.com Authorized Vendor Car: 06 B-SPEC Legacy wit Fav Mod: AP Pedals and Motons Location: SEE the NEW SITE www.GTWO Posts: 1,120 IWSTI Addict since: Oct 2005 Trader Rating: (3)	Without getting too specific about the rates of the RCE's, the rear spring rate really does set them apart. There's nothing else like them out there, and it really does work. Performance was the priority when we set out to design these springs, and between all of us we had driven nearly every spring and coilover available for WRX/STI. So we knew what we had to beat. But yes, read Lightwerkz journal/review. And look for the many other reviews from people who have gone from other springs and coilovers to RCE's and been very pleased with the results. Also, all lowering springs are at least a little bit progressive, and for good reason. - Andrew

12-19-2006, 03:42 PM	#7
Gami004pilot Senior STI Driver Car: 05 WRX STI Fav Mod: Just having an STI is good enough. Location: Central Florida Posts: 392 IWSTI Addict since: Jul 2005 Trader Rating: (0)	mtskibum16 What makes you ask this question about the Tanabes vs RCE's? Every one like the RCE's for a reason. I had the Tanabes on for a very long time before my RCE's and from honest experiance I would never get any other spring then the RCE's, its perfect for my driving style and I still haven't pushed the car around turns hard enough to feel it's maximum potential. The RCE's are more then enough for daily driving and some track days. Tanabes or RCE's are a great improvement over stock. Well, I had spoken to all of the crew from RCE about the their springs before they had even came out. WHY? Well.... the day of the install of the Tanabes I had over tighten the top mount nut and snapped off the bolt and nut. So I called RCE because many here raved about their customer service so I ended up giving them a call. I told them about my problem and I ended up purchasing the Group N top hats. While on the phone I asked Myles his opinion on the Tanabes and he explained from his experiance about the Tanabes and other springs and then mentioned about the making of the RCE's. I have the first batch I purchased the Tanabes because I wanted a nice drop and an increase in performance so I researched here (IWSTI) and many recommended the GF-210's at the time there was no RCE springs, By the way look at all the threads I made and asked questions/replied to before buying the Tanabes. Well...... The Tanabes are nice but theres still alot of room for improvement and the spring rate is not a well match for the dampening of the stock struts. The Tanabes have an awesome drop but its a little to low for a front lip. The Tanabes still give off alot of body roll compared to the RCE's. The RCE's are more harsh but give off great performance. The RCE's don't have as nice of a drop but the give great perfromance. The RCE are better quality from what was explained to me. Hey call RCE, they can help you..... Hope this help, I gotta go eat.

12-19-2006, 07:23 PM	#8
Turninconcepts.com Authorized Vendor Car: 04/08STI 95SVX 86E30 Posts: 5,321 IWSTI Addict since: Jul 2003 Trader Rating: (53)	I was under the impression that the RCE's are linear. Am I mistaken?

12-20-2006, 04:12 AM	#10
*Turbineguy* Non-Reformed Meth Addict Car: '06 WRB Fav Mod: A laptop and tuning software. Location: Swampbilly Central Posts: 2,420 IWSTI Addict since: Feb 2006 Trader Rating: (8)	Went from the stockers to the Tanabe. Wanted to cure the bobble head (which they did) and improve the ride (which they did) but did notice that they seem to allow a little more body roll. My car is a daily driver and I just started to auto-x this month so I'll keep the 210s until my driving doesn't suck anymore and I quit getting lost in the cones. Then I'll look at some RCEs with more performance potential esp after I get a beater to flog daily so the STI can be just a toy.

12-20-2006, 11:52 AM	#11
*Parker* Sooper Moderator Car: 06 SGM STI Fav Mod: Stage 1 Location: San Diego Posts: 3,879 IWSTI Addict since: Mar 2006 Trader Rating: (7)	when you say that RCE are more harsh, what are you referring to?