Broadway Static (Fortune Auto) Coilovers

[Junior2552]

This review is for the Fortune Auto 500 coilovers for our cars (E46). I opted to go with the Broadway Static edition coilovers, and I'll explain what those are in a few moments.

Customer Service:
Wow. Kielan and Jaze at Broadway Static are awesome. I have both of their phone numbers and either of them are willing to talk business whenever you need to. There were some complications with Hurricane Sandy coming through and destroying the East coast, which ended up slowing response time and delivery time due to emails going down at Broadway and such. But, as I stated before, Kielan gave me his phone number to make up for the complications in order and communication. The staff at Broadway is awesome to deal with, and anybody that needs coilovers for their BMW will be hearing a recommendation for Broadway from me. They put up with my anal retentiveness and provided a coilover that is absolutely the best suspension I've owned thus far. Props to those guys.

After Kielan and Jaze sorted out what happened with my order and got everything back on track with Fortune, the coils were here in a few weeks; they are built to order, so they take some time. I cannot say enough good things about the guys over at Broadway. I can't wait to see them grow.

Product Quality:
Broadway uses a shortened Fortune Auto 500 shock body and Swift linear springs of your choice to create these. I went with a 16kg/18kg linear spring rate and yes..they're stiff. 24 levels of dampening helps the oversized internals do some serious work. The pistons inside these shocks are 57mm (I believe). These coils are clean. The green anodized finish on the bodies is brilliant, and the Swift springs really look good. They're corrosion-resistant, but I still wouldn't drive on them if there is snow or salt on the ground. Keep the slammed cars in the garage for the winter, gents.

The welds look great, the hardware is clean, all accessories are awesome. You get new hardware with your coils (where applicable) and I was told that endlinks are included if you need them. We do not, so no worries there. The pillowball mounts are exceptional, and the coilovers are solid; very solid. Of all of the brands I have owned, these impressed me the most out of the box.

Performance:
Oh. My. God. I know some of you are thinking that 16kg and 18kg spring rates are excessive, but remember: spring rates and dampening match one another. These coils are on shortened shock bodies for those of us (you) that like going low. The reason for the shortened bodies is to help keep ride quality even being that low. No, they're not bouncy, no, the ride is not harsh; it feels like a stiffer version of the stock suspension. It's truly amazing.

Overall:
I think for the money (same price as KW V2s), this is by far the best coilover on the market. The linear springs definitely beat the KW, Bilstein, etc. progressive springs. Since there is no sacrificing preload to go lower, they ride incredibly comfortably. There is a warranty on all individual parts which is nice, and there is a troubleshooting department at Fortune that deal with any issues. I'm excited to be trying this new product on my ZHP and I love that I'm repping a new company. I like these better than my KWs and my Bilsteins and I'm not afraid to say it. Big brand names don't mean a thing to me. With these, I get camber adjustment, pillowball mounts, Swift linear springs, and track-quality performance.

Some Pictures:
http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/E46%20DIY/photo-13_zpsb2c09559.jpg

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/E46%20DIY/photo-14_zps113eff39.jpg

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/E46%20DIY/photo-10_zps50ab1edd.jpg

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/E46%20DIY/photo-15_zps90bef96f.jpg

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/E46%20DIY/photo-16_zps3bca8f1d.jpg

[Vas]

Pictures on the car please.

Can't wait to get my hands on a set of coils like this

[Junior2552]

I can't post pictures of the car! She's on winter stockers and she's dirty!

[Avetiso]

Wouldn't mind sharing the cost? PM if you don't wanna post it here.

[danewilson77]

Wouldn't mind sharing the cost? PM if you don't wanna post it here.

They have a website, no?

I think he also put these in the suspension forum.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

[Vas]

Fortune-auto.com

[danewilson77]

http://www.fortune-auto.net/fortune500seriescoilovers.htm

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/fortuneauto500series.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/MOCKCUTAWAYASSEMBLY500.jpg

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/FORTUNEAUTOREBUILDANDREVALVESERVICE.png


http://vimeo.com/50737390

[echo46]

Make sure you follow up after some spirited driving. I'd like to hear your thoughts on performance.

[Vas]

Really looking forward to placing my order.

[M0nk3y]

Interesting, you went ~900 lb/in front and ~1000 lb/in rear?

Why so stiff? Is your car a dedicated track car? Do you do dedicated autocrossing?

That's a seriously stiff spring rate for what it seems a summer DD car.


Are the camber plates caster adjustable as well?




I may add for some people, the point of going with performance coilovers isn't going "low". If you do go too low, you compromise the whole reason for that coilover in the first place. Just IMO.

For someone who wants to start getting into adjustments though, it seems like a decent product

[derbo]

Wow those are some stiff springs. I do like that they are swift springs. That at least means the springs are good. :)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Vas]

I was thinking of a 10kg and 12kg spring setup.

[Junior2552]

Monk3y: Yes, those are heavy springs. I drive a convertible, so I have a few hundred pounds on the other whips. Yes, I do track sometimes. I also went with a short shock body (Broadway Static) so I opted for a heavier spring to compensate that. No, there is no caster adjustment on the coils. Finally, these coils are far from "entry" level. They're not made just to go low; my point was that they appeal to several different crowds in the BMW scene. Some people like banging frame and others like hitting cones. I do a little of both, so I bought a coilover that would allow for all of the above. I drop it on its face for shows, and raise it back up for cruising or abusing. I've been working with suspension since I could hold a wrench, so I am by no means "starting" to fiddle with adjustments. The Penske Racing suspension on my CBR will prove that.

Vas: Definitely look into them. And look into Broadway Static as well. Contact Jaze and Kielan; they specialize in our chassis (and various other BMWs). The 10kg and 12kg setup could be prime for you, or they might have other suggestions that you might be open to. I was, and I think that I made the right decision going with Broadway's suggestion. Also, the regular Fortunes are $1,200. I paid $1,600 for bigger internals, my choice of shock oil, shorter shock bodies and a heavier Swift spring upgrade. To some people, that's not worth it, but that's what I saved up and that's what got spent. I'm happy with my purchase even though, yes, they are harsher on city roads.

Echo: I changed interstates the other day. I won't tell you what speed I was going so I don't get flamed with "immaturity" comments in here, but the lateral movement was minimal; I didn't even chirp tires through the bumps in the corner. Flat as can be, planted the whole way through the corner until I was on the next highway.

Avetiso: I spent $1,600. I think it was a wise investment, and Kielan didn't charge me shipping which was awesome. Regular Fortune 500 coilovers are about $1,200 and the 510s are a little more. Up to you. PM me for differences if you don't feel like looking for a comparison; they're kind of hard to come by.

Overall, I love these things. So many people spend that kind of money of big brand coils, and then complain later that springs are too soft, ride quality wasn't improved much, etc., etc., etc. I've been working with suspension my whole life (motorcycles, cars, trucks, etc.) and for the price I paid, I got a solid product that impressed me.

[Junior2552]

Yeah, man. They are stiff. They're more comfortable at high speeds rather than city limits, but I took a shot in the dark. I might order softer springs in the future, but I don't have enough miles on this setup to judge yet. I've only ever raced on springs that hard and it was in a Porsche.

I also opted for a 5" spring instead of a 6" spring. You can choose between 4" and 7", I believe.

[Junior2552]

They have a website, no?

I think he also put these in the suspension forum.

Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2
Yes sir I did. It's also on E46F.

[echo46]

Nice, they are legit.

[danewilson77]

These are $1349.00 (min) for BMW. The lowest advertised price I can find is $1549.00

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/FortuneCoils500.png (http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/nicee46/media/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/FortuneCoils500.png.html)

[Junior2552]

These are $1349.00 (min) for BMW. The lowest advertised price I can find is $1549.00

http://i1015.photobucket.com/albums/af278/nicee46/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/FortuneCoils500.png (http://s1015.photobucket.com/user/nicee46/media/Maintenance%20and%20Misc/FortuneCoils500.png.html)

Straight from Fortune, yes. If you opt for the Broadway Static versions, the lowest price you'll find is ~$1,700.

[Junior2552]

For anybody interested, here are some results:

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/922449_4765119653626_1008130362_o_zps4a13edaa.jpg (http://s654.photobucket.com/user/ugotservd2315/media/922449_4765119653626_1008130362_o_zps4a13edaa.jpg. html)

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/913986_4765113173464_1466293796_o_zps71bcf013.jpg (http://s654.photobucket.com/user/ugotservd2315/media/913986_4765113173464_1466293796_o_zps71bcf013.jpg. html)

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/904337_4765112293442_599792314_o_zps8bcd6820.jpg (http://s654.photobucket.com/user/ugotservd2315/media/904337_4765112293442_599792314_o_zps8bcd6820.jpg.h tml)

http://i654.photobucket.com/albums/uu269/ugotservd2315/478995_4765118773604_1166152461_o_zps34b96b37.jpg (http://s654.photobucket.com/user/ugotservd2315/media/478995_4765118773604_1166152461_o_zps34b96b37.jpg. html)

[danewilson77]

When is the drop coming?

[MiniD]

Those wheels look great - what kind are they?

[midlandtech]

When is the drop coming?

Must be raised up for cruising ;)

[danewilson77]

Performance:
Oh. My. God. I know some of you are thinking that 16kg and 18kg spring rates are excessive, but remember: spring rates and dampening match one another. These coils are on shortened shock bodies for those of us (you) that like going low. The reason for the shortened bodies is to help keep ride quality even being that low. No, they're not bouncy, no, the ride is not harsh; it feels like a stiffer version of the stock suspension. It's truly amazing.



OK. This answers my ride question. Thanks for the review Junior.

What endlinks did you go with?

[Reckless]

Some people like banging frame and others like hitting cones. I do a little of both, so I bought a coilover that would allow for all of the above. I drop it on its face for shows, and raise it back up for cruising or abusing.

^I feel like you could be the Dr. Suess of this forum.


I've been working with suspension since I could hold a wrench, so I am by no means "starting" to fiddle with adjustments. The Penske Racing suspension on my CBR will prove that.

^in to here more about the CBR - please post link or pm

Great review on the Coilovers and car looks great. Interested in also hearing review after you use them on a track day. I am not going with the broadway static because I don't need need shorter stock body, higher spring rate or have any desire to bang frame, but they are very impressive from first glace and I will use you as a reference if I don't go right through fortune. I will order a set within the next month and post up my thoughts. Thanks for yours

Brian

[BoostedZHP]

Wow those look top notch! Congrats on finding such a great product. If love updates as you get more miles on them. To be completely honest, I'm not enamored with my ST coils. I may have to look into these in the future!