The Nissan S13, produced from 1989 to 1993 and sold in many markets, remains one of the most beloved cars of the 1990s. In Japan, it continued as the 180SX until 1998. Worldwide, there’s an absolutely massive aftermarket scene for the S13 – offered in Europe as the Nissan 200SX with a 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder, in Japan as the 180SX (with both 1.8- and 2.0-liter turbo engines), and in the US as the Nissan 240SX with a 2.4-liter naturally aspirated inline-four.

The challenge? Many aftermarket parts like aero kits, brakes, wheels, and suspension components lack proper certification. In countires like Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, France, Belgium and Spain, these parts can’t be legally driven on public roads without official approval. That’s exactly why we at ST suspensions developed the ST XTA plus 3 coilover kit for this now 30+ year-old icon.

The ST XTA plus 3 stands out with features that go far beyond the usual: uniball top mounts, high-performance racing springs, and dampers with adjustable rebound and two-stage compression damping. Few kits in this price range manage the perfect balance between daily driving comfort and serious track performance on race days.

TÜV approved: Street-legal and track-ready

You might be wondering why we at ST suspensions carry the ST XTA plus 3 coilover kit. The answer is simple: the Nissan S13 is a cult car. Yeah, that was pretty weak.

It wasn’t just the relatively light kerb weight of under 1,250 kg or the rear-wheel-drive layout that made the S13 a JDM superstar. It was Nissan’s clever platform strategy that allowed parts from countless other models to be swapped in.

Whether it was an engine swap from an R32/R33 Skyline, a gearbox from the 300ZX, upgraded brakes, hubs, rear differentials – you name it. This huge parts availability turned the S13 (known as 180SX, 200SX, or 240SX) into a drift icon that’s still hugely popular in the drifting community today.

But there’s a downside: finding a clean, unmodified S13 is basically a lottery. Many buyers end up doing a full restoration. It’s for exactly these passionate owners who see the S13 as far more than just another car that we developed the ST XTA plus 3 coilover kit.

What makes the ST XTA plus 3 so special

As with all coilovers produced by KW automotive for its brands KW suspensions, Reiger, ST suspensions, and ap, the ST XTA plus 3 is also made to order. KW automotive has specialized in this approach, meaning that in essence every ordered suspension kit is a custom-made unit.

Instead of using stainless steel strut housings or aluminum damper tubes like on KW suspensions, the ST XTA plus 3 exclusively uses a steel alloy whose surface is galvanized for corrosion protection. This is also the case with the other ST coilover kits.

The highlight of the ST XTA plus 3 coilover kit are the dampers. And this is what sets the XTA plus 3 apart from many other aftermarket kits in its price class. Similar to many motorsport suspensions and optional high-end sport suspensions from the automotive industry, the damper valves can be individually adjusted in three parameters.

This has the big advantage that the dampers cover a much broader damping range. A damping curve refers to the entire spectrum of damping forces in relation to piston speed at different settings.

While a non-adjustable damper has a fixed curve, adjustable dampers have multiple. The damping curve is always shown in a diagram. The X-axis shows the piston speed (or piston rod speed) in meters per second. On the Y-axis, the damping force is shown in Newtons, and the curve illustrates the respective force increase during compression (bump) and rebound.

Three-way adjustable means truly three different adjustable damping forces

On the three-way adjustable XTA plus 3, which can be adjusted separately in high-speed compression, low-speed compression, and low-speed rebound, every click changes the damping characteristic within the curve. Simply put, each curve is its own setup.

Because with every click on the respective valve, the diameter of the valve openings or the valve spring preload changes, selecting a different damping curve. The high-speed and low-speed compression on the XTA plus 3 can each be adjusted with 24 clicks.

For the low-speed rebound valve there are 16 clicks available; the high-speed rebound valve on the XTA plus 3 cannot be adjusted further. In the suspension world, high-speed and low-speed always refer to the speed of the piston.

Exactly these high-speed and low-speed forces occur while driving. To make it easier to visualize: all impulses coming from the road into the suspension are always high-speed inputs, and everything the driver does is low-speed input.

The adjustable rebound affects how the suspension extends after being compressed during load changes. The compression, in combination with the spring rate, affects the speed at which the piston rod moves into the damper. The compression also influences the pitch and roll movements of the Nissan S13 as well as its turn-in behavior.

Thanks to the valve technology used, we don’t even need remote reservoirs or external canisters with hose connections on the suspension.

But it’s not just the dampers on the XTA plus 3 for the Nissan S13 that are adjustable. Thanks to the uniball-mounted aluminum top mounts on the ST MacPherson struts, camber is also adjustable at the front axle.

The rear struts on the ST suspensions XTA plus 3 coilover kit also have top mounts, but because of the multi-link rear suspension, camber adjustment is not done at the top mount but at the control arms. That’s why only the front axle uses the maintenance-free uniball joints.

And before we forget, after all, the XTA plus 3 is a coilover kit, you can also adjust the ride height steplessly. The certified adjustment range is 30–60 mm at the front axle and 30–65 mm at the rear axle. Our XTA plus 3 coilover kit for the Nissan S13 naturally also comes with a parts certification (Teilegutachten) that even covers the top mounts.

Like all ST springs and ST coilover kits, the ST XTA plus 3 coilover kit is part of the so-called “Make it Yours” program. The main springs of the XTA plus 3 can be ordered in 18 different surface colors through specialist dealers and directly from the manufacturer. In addition, the springs can be custom labeled.

If you want to know more about the ST XTA plus 3 coilover kit, simply visit the ST suspensions website (www.st-suspensions.de-en) or check out our landing page.

Photo KW, WUBDICH Photo und Design