HKS Hipermax Coilovers Review – Are They Any Good?
If you’ve been looking to buy coilovers, this might be one you haven’t actually come across. Outside of Japan, it’s not that well known that HKS actually make coilovers. They are far more known for their exhausts and turbo kits. However, not only do they make coilovers, they do a pretty decent job. We’ll take a look at HKS and their coilovers in this blog to see how good they really are.
First, about HKS themselves.
About HKS the Company
HKS has a very long history in the car tuning and motorsport world, having been founded in 1973 by Hiroyuki Hasegawa, a former engineer for Yamaha.
They started off with a bang, releasing the world’s first aftermarket turbo kit in 1974. Ever since, they have been building high quality performance parts and have built their name up as the go-to for aftermarket performance parts for pretty much every Japanese vehicle worth modifying.
In 1994, they started manufacturing coil springs, and in 1996 they made their first shock absorber.
HKS Hipermax Series Coilovers
The HKS Hipermax Series coilovers include a range of kits for different requirements, from street use all the way to drag and drift specific coilovers and even superlow models for “stylish lowdown” as HKS put it. I will cover each model here so that you can choose the right ones for your car.
HKS Hipermax S Coilovers
The Hipermax S coilovers are designed for the perfect balance of ride comfort and handling.
They feature a monotube which allows for a larger piston than twin-tube and makes for a more stable damping force.
The dampers are 30-level adjustable and are inverted (on McPherson strut vehicles), which allows large lateral forces to be spread out over a larger area to increase rigidity under high loads or with larger wheels. It also makes for less unsprung weight, since the heavier side of the damper is attached to the chassis rather than the hubs, which improves handling.
They also feature a “Dual PVS” preload valve system, which makes the shock shaft more responsive and improves tire contact with the road, improves damping of fast compression and reduces bouncing and increases fast stabilization.
Here is a graph, courtesy of HKS’s website, showing how the PVS system works:
They also feature a “Wide-Range” needle, which allows for much more prominent adjustment for each of the 30 clicks on the dampening adjustment knob. This gives you more options to fine tune the ride, especially for street driving.
HKS took it a step further and even developed a more advanced bump stop rubber design to make the contact with the bump stop smoother and more gradual, so you feel it less.
Height adjustment on these coilovers is done by the shock body rather than the spring perches, so you can set the spring pre-load and it also gives you full suspension travel at all ride heights.
They are coating with a PNE coating which HKS developed for “snow edition” coilovers previously, which delivers 5x better protection than standard galvanizing.
The Hipermax S coilovers are full rebuildable and come with a 3 year warranty, or 60,000kms. You can also customize them to specific specs and HKS will make them for you.
These coilovers are perfect if you intend to use the car primarily on the street but want maximum performance and comfort.
HKS Hipermax R Coilovers
If you are looking for performance focused coilovers, the Hipermax R’s are for you.
They feature the same 30-level dampening adjustable inverted shocks as the Hipermax S’s, with the dual PVS system and Wide-Range needle, and ride height adjustment done at the shock body.
However, they also feature a special “SRF (Super Response Fluid)” exclusive to the Hipermax R’s, which is resistant to heat sagging and begins damping at a very low range, resulting in reliable handling and high stability, as well as great comfort.
Along with that, they also have an exclusive high strength, low vibration spring, known as LVS. These springs are designed to provide excellent response and an even smoother ride.
Pillow-ball strut mounts are standard on these coilovers, which are camber adjustable on applicable vehicles.
They are full rebuildable (by HKS) and come with a 2 year or 40,000 kms warranty. You can also customize them to specific specs and HKS will make them for you.
These are the perfect coilovers for you if you are looking for high performance while still retaining a comfortable ride.
HKS Hipermax S-Style X Coilovers
If you are looking for maximum “stylish-lowdown” (I love that term), these coilovers are for you. Specifically designed for slamming cars, they are not only designed to go as low as possible but to provide a great driving experience as well.
These are primarily available for vehicles that the other coilovers are not typically made for, such as the Toyota Crown Majesta and Vellfire.
They have many of the same features of the Hipermax S including the 30-level dampening adjustability, the inverted monotube dampers on McPherson strut models and the PNE coating.
However, they also have a couple of extra features to ensure maximum slam, including:
- The dampers feature a linear progression piston which adjusts oil passages for precise stroke management. This results in smoother valve movements and increases dampening rate increases linearly as the piston speed increases
- Ultra short springs for extreme low
- Ride height adjustable by the shock body
- Camber adjustable pillow-ball strut mounts (on applicable models) which are available with extra adjustment, so you can get even more camber
- Ability to max out the vehicle height to the suspension arm’s limits
If your priority is being as low to the ground as possible, these are the coilovers for you.
These are also fully rebuildable (by HKS) and can be built to your specifications. However, these don’t come with a warranty, but let’s be honest, we kind of expected that.
HKS MAX IV SP Coilovers
The MAX IV SP coilovers are the ultimate performance coilovers made by HKS. They are designed for maximum responsiveness and feel for the driver, giving feedback from the tires, road surface condition and traction. As HKS puts it: “Perfect for people who love to drive fast but still want comfort”.
They feature:
- 30-level dampening adjustability from monotube dampers, inverted on McPherson strut models
- Ride height adjustable by the shock body
- Adopted pillow-ball upper strut mounts with camber adjustment on applicable vehicles, for more accurate and sharp steering
- Increased M shaft diameter – The increased cylinder shaft size allows firm damping even at a small stroke range by optimizing the oil pressure characteristics. This is mainly used on the rear dampers to achieve a better driving experience.
- New needle design, with revised low, middle and high speed dampening to improve ride comfort
- Reduction of unsprung weight by making the brackets, adjustment collars and lock nuts out of aluminium (not on all vehicles).
- PNE coating
- Fully rebuildable (by HKS)
If your car sees the track often, or you want maximum performance from your coilovers, these are for you.
HKS MAX IV SP DRAG Coilovers
Specifically designed for drag racing, the MAX IV SP DRAG coilovers are here to make sure you get as much traction off the line as possible.
The parts for each vehicle model’s coilover are specifically selected ensure they maintain sufficient stroke and traction.
They feature:
- Monotube dampers with a larger diameter piston to ensure excellent response and maximum traction.
- 30-level dampening adjustability from monotube dampers
- Ride height adjustable by the shock body
- Pillow-ball upper strut mounts
- New needle design, with revised low, middle and high speed dampening to improve ride comfort
- Reduction of Unsprung Weight by making the brackets, adjustment collars and lock nuts out of aluminium (not on all vehicles).
- PNE coating
- Fully rebuildable (by HKS)
HKS HIPERMAX D’ NOB Coilovers
If you need suspension for your drift car, this is it.
The HKS Hipermax D’ NOB coilovers were made as a collaboration between HKS and the first D1 drifting champion, Mr Nobteru Taniguchi.
These coilovers were designed and tested by HKS and Mr. Taniguchi to make for “easy drifting”, having been vigorously tested for traction, load shift, various levels of drifting skill and more to create the best drifting suspension possible.
They feature:
- Monotube dampers with linear piston, resulting in smoother valve movements.
- 30-level dampening adjustability
- Ride height adjustable by the shock body
- 2-way pillow-ball upper strut mounts allowing for both camber and caster adjustment
- Aluminum Lock Nut & Ride Height Adjuster in order to cut unsprung weight and prevent corrosion and seizing (not on all vehicles).
- PNE coating
- Specifications for easy drifitng
- Fully rebuildable (by HKS)
So, Are HKS Coilovers Any Good?
The short answer is yes. HKS make extremely high quality coilovers, with an overwhelming number of positive reviews from people who have used them on their cars. In fact, I even searched for problems with HKS Hipermax coilovers specifically, and couldn’t find any. The only issues I could find are when someone messed with them and did something wrong. I couldn’t find a single occurrence of the coilovers themselves being the issue.
Where Are HKS Coilovers Made?
HKS coilovers are made in Japan at the HKS factory.
Who Makes HKS Coilovers?
HKS makes their coilovers at their factory in Japan.
Can You Rebuild HKS Coilovers?
HKS will rebuild all of their coilovers. You will need to send your coilovers to HKS to be rebuilt.
How to Adjust Height HKS Hipermax Coilovers?
HKS coilovers are height adjusted by the shock body, not the spring perches. To adjust the height, you loosen the bottom locking collar, and wind the shock body up and down, then tighten the shock body.
How to Adjust Dampening on HKS Hipermax Coilovers?
On HKS Hipermax coilovers, dampening is adjusted by turning the knobs on the top of the shocks.
Do HKS Street Coilovers Make Banging Noises?
No. If your HKS Street Coilovers are making banging noises, either they have been damaged or the installation was not done correctly.
How to Properly Set Preload HKS Hipermax Coilovers?
Spring preload is properly set by HKS and they do not recommend changing it. The manual that comes with the coilovers states the proper settings, it is called “spring length” in the HKS manual.
Cars owned: Mk2 Golf with 1.8T swap, BMW E28 with M30B35 swap, BMW E36 328I Mtech, BMW 750IL, Nissan 300ZX, Honda Civic EF
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