Hyundai Tiburon Forums banner

SMA springs, OEM struts, new wheels/tires

3K views 5 replies 2 participants last post by  meotjaengi 
#1 · (Edited)
The wheels on my newly purchased Tuscani had the worst curb rash I had ever seen. (I am trying my best to refrain from making jokes about Korean driving habits here in Korea.) I also wanted to replace the two pairs of tires (different brands) before winter arrived. I figured while I am at it, I might as well replace the springs and struts too. Here is a "before" picture (OEM 17x7, +46 wheels, 215/45/17 tires):



I don't get excited about (cheap) coilovers, and am the type that prefers a well handling suspension that maintains proper suspension geometry. After much research and reading about suspension setups, and taking into consideration the general condition of Korean roads, I decided on a set of SMA springs.

After some exploring to find a good independent shop, I actually found SMA's website and soon realized that their shop is 13km from where I live. So, I paid them a visit. I met the owner and the techs. The owner is a nice guy who was/is heavily involved with racing teams throughout Korea. I soon realized that SMA is the real deal. They know Tuscanis/Tiburons (in addition to Genesis Coupes and Velosters) like the back of their hand.

After talking about my intentions, we decided on SMA springs, new OEM struts (other aftermarket struts that are familiar to us in the States are not available in Korea for this car), 17x7.5, +38, 67.1mm hub wheels, and 215/45/17 tires.

The drop was approximately 30mm front and rear (1 inch = 25.4mm). The springs are a progressive rate spring and suck up the bumps nicely while stiffening up adequately when pushed hard. I have no rubbing issues and would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for a comfortable riding performance spring with a reasonably mild drop. Here are the "after" pictures:





There are a few more closeup pics of how my wheel offset and stance look on page 42 of the "++++ List of What Width & Offset Will Rub and What Won't ++++" thread if you are interested to see them.

I've seen more than a few posts by people who are curious about SMA springs on this site and I hope I have been of some help in that regard.

Thanks for your time. ~Meotjaengi :3_shiny:
 
See less See more
3
#3 ·
Thanks!

I'm pretty sure it's up in Bundang, but I haven't checked it out in person yet. I emailed Jay asking if I could go to the Seoul office and if the Bundang location was still open, and he replied that I should should not go to the Seoul location and just order over the internet (which I already explained to him was not possible due to the PayPal terms of service).

So, I will continue to go to SMA. I've started to notice that the things SFR sells are things that other reputable shops in Korea can procure anyway...so finding and doing business with SFR is not high on my list of things to do anymore. But, their website is good for looking at parts and descriptions!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top