We’re all familiar with the concept of privately labeled aftermarket components. These are cut-price, off-brand parts that you can find on popular online retailers like eBay and Amazon.
They’re typically lower in quality than their established counterparts and using them could lead to your car’s performance being hindered, as opposed to improved.
Buying off-brand parts that don’t affect your car’s performance, handling, or structural integrity is fine. But when it comes to something like coilovers, it’s always advised to purchase from reputable manufacturers.
That said, if you’re on a shoestring budget and all you want to do is lower your car, then perhaps there’s some value in purchasing from lesser-known brands such as JDMSPEED.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at JDMSPEED coilovers and see how they stack up against the likes of Tein, D2 Racing, and Ksport.
JDMSPEED Coilovers: An Overview
Not a lot is known about JDMSPEED coilovers. We do know that they’re manufactured in China and that they’re available to purchase from eBay, Amazon, and other similar online retailers like Aliexpress.
Despite what the name implies, the company also dabbles in coilovers for other brands and models like Volkswagen.
They also sell a variety of other products which don’t seem to follow any clear theme. Anything from EGR valves for old Ford Powerstroke pickup trucks to ignition coils for decade-old Nissans.
One thing you will notice about their coilovers is that they’re also really, really cheap. While a decent set of Tein coilovers, for example, will set you back about $1,000, you can pick up a set of four JDMSPEED coilovers for less than $300.
At that price, you’ll get what you pay for. However, they’re not as bad as you might think. Let’s take a closer look.
The JDMSPEED Lineup
Unlike other coilover makers and their expansive lineups for just about every application, JDMSPEED keeps things simple.
The company offers just 3 types of coilovers, and they’re aptly denoted by their color; Red, Gold, and Blue.
The Red ones appear to be geared towards daily driver builds, whereas Gold is more performance-oriented. Blue also appears to be more performance-oriented, but they don’t make them for every car.
Both versions have a monotube design, but they do not have adjustable damping. Just about the only thing you can do is adjust the ride height, as not all of them come with camber plates, and they’re not rebuildable either.
Their choice of cars for these coilovers also seems to be a bit random. There’s a good amount of Honda and Nissan, but also more random stuff like the W204 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the E46 BMW 3 Series.
Needless to say, they don’t take bespoke orders either. What you see is what you get.
With that in mind, you’re probably wondering why anyone in their right mind would buy a set of JDMSPEED coilovers. It’s simple: Budget.
Some people do car builds on very tight budgets, and they’re not particularly interested in adjustable damping, 6000 series aluminum construction, or being able to re-valve the pistons. They simply want to make their car lower and handle a little bit better.
If that’s something you resonate with, then JDMSPEED coilovers might just surprise you. Again, they may not be up to the standard of established names in the business like KW or Tein, but they’re not the worst either.
They offer some pretty good benefits for handling, and they also offer a pretty wide spectrum of height adjustment for the perfect fitment.
One downside is that you might have a hard time with the camber bolts, as the ones that come with the coilovers don’t fit in most of the OEM mounts they were designed for.
Those coilovers that come with camber plates don’t have any markings on them, so you might have to use a tape measure to adjust your camber properly.
If you frequently visit the track, or if you wring your car’s neck every other time you drive it, then JDMSPEED coilovers might not be for you. They’re cheap, and they’re designed for budget-focused builds.
The Quality of JDMSPEED Coilovers
This is a topic that frequently comes up when discussing privately labeled parts. Are they of any quality? Will they fall apart after a few hundred miles?
It’s easy to see why people always ask these questions, as oftentimes, the answers to these questions are resoundingly negative.
However, JDMSPEED coilovers are better than most. If you take proper care of them and you don’t abuse them too much by, say, tracking your build every weekend, you’ll get some decent miles out of them.
Of course, we’d always advise you to upgrade to something higher quality whenever you’re able to, but still, JDMSPEED’s construction and hardware are better than most.
You might have to do a little bit of DIY work to get the camber plates to fit, but other than that, they will get the job done better than you might expect.
Should You Buy JDMSPEED Coilovers?
That all depends on the circumstances and the look you’re going for. If you’re building an over-the-top stance car that isn’t going to steer properly anyway, by all means, go for it.
If you just want to get by with a cheap set of coilovers with good ride height adjustment, half-decent construction, and some pretty solid improvements in handling, but you’re on a tighter budget, JDMSPEED could be up your alley.
While they are selective with the brands and models they offer wheels for, and they do require some DIY work for proper installation, the final result will yield better handling and a better stance.
However, they won’t last forever, and it’s a good idea to keep JDMSPEED coilovers on your build temporarily as you work your way up to a higher-quality part.
If you want rebuildable coilovers from an established brand, especially for track use, you might want to look elsewhere.
JDMSPEED doesn’t have the reputation or the proven quality to stick it to the established players, so they’re best reserved for street builds and budget builds.
Concluding Summary
There is nothing wrong with building a custom car on a budget, it’s a common practice that we see in just about every corner of car culture.
When you’re building on a budget, sometimes it’s best to go with what you have and for how much you have.
For a regular street build, JDMSPEED coilovers are more than fine. They’re decent quality, they pack good ride height adjustment, and they do indeed improve your car’s handling, though at a slight cost to ride quality.
If you’re working with less cash, but you still want better handling and a lower, nicer stance, then JDMSPEED coilovers are worthy of your consideration.
What are your thoughts on off-brand coilovers? Let us know by leaving a comment below. If you found this article useful, share it with fellow enthusiasts! We appreciate your support.