The Suspension Discussion Thread

[Kevin Bacon 5]

If you get siezed coilover spring perches, here's a useful pair of pliers that freed off my stuck KW one. Yes, the mighty, infallible V3s have siezed twice :lol: Well, just the NSR strut for some reason. The other 3 struts are still free as a bird after 2.5 years daily use 8)

 

So anyway, these Channel Lock pliers are available at B&Q for £27 of your finest pounds. They are huge and lock onto the spring perch with it's teeth, making short work of getting it moving again. They work even better with the KW / Weitec plastic perches as the teeth bite in nicely.

 

The trouble with C spanners is they don't grip enough of the perch, so they either slip out of the slot or break it. So these pliers are a handy addition to the suspension tool set! Cheaper and easier than replacing the perch!

[matty.vrt 0]

Seen these on ebay what are peoples thoughts. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BC-Racing-Coilove ... arParts_SM

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Nice top mounts :D Never heard of them, so can't say any more than that, except maybe the spring rates are definitely more track orientated!! The rear springs are the same stiffness as my fronts!

[simo79 0]

hi guys, been reading a hell of a lot on suspension. Was favouring to go for h&r springs on konis t/a but having looked at the total cost am i just better going the hog and getting coilovers. dg autotech. they are Corrado VR6 - KW Variant 1 - INOX made by KW and Wietec range.

 

Has anybody else puchased them, or had experience with them?

[dukest 0]

The KW V1s must be the most discussed and recommended coilover in the last 3 years on the forum - you must have seen them come up hundreds of times..? There are still other options people have discussed recently if you read the last 5-10 pages on here though.

[simo79 0]

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my bad, cheeeeerss

[herisites 0]

Seen these on ebay what are peoples thoughts. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BC-Racing-Coilove ... arParts_SM

 

Corby Motorsport sell these (http://www.corbymotorsport.com), they are similar to the GAZ I've just bought in that they are adjustable and you can choose spring rates etc, I think anyway. Look nice, I didn't think they did them for our car's, more jap cars but probs worth asking as they look a nice bit of kit! 8)

[herisites 0]

My GAZ coilovers have just arrived! :clap: I'll take some pics when I get a chance and post them up. I'm going to be fitting them on Saturday so will be able to have some good reviews next week :salute: The rest of my week is going to drag a bit now :lol:

[herisites 0]

Quick pic of the GAZ's (just a front and a rear, couldn't be bothered to unwrap all 4). They certainly look the part and they come with longer springs rather than the gash 'helper' springs like most other coilovers.

 

The rears have a knob on the strut to adjust the damping. They all came set to the softest, so there is going to be some setting up to do when I put them on. The front's are top adjustable, you get a knob adjuster with the kit to adjust these.

[wy906 0]

^^^ Reading with interest. :D

[beastie4126 0]

My GAZ coilovers have just arrived! :clap: I'll take some pics when I get a chance and post them up. I'm going to be fitting them on Saturday so will be able to have some good reviews next week :salute: The rest of my week is going to drag a bit now :lol:

 

Mine have turned up today and they are still in the box (not for long). Won't be able to get them on until next weekend so hopefully you find the best setup by then :)

[herisites 0]

My GAZ coilovers have just arrived! :clap: I'll take some pics when I get a chance and post them up. I'm going to be fitting them on Saturday so will be able to have some good reviews next week :salute: The rest of my week is going to drag a bit now :lol:

 

Mine have turned up today and they are still in the box (not for long). Won't be able to get them on until next weekend so hopefully you find the best setup by then :)

 

Cool! Yeah I'll post the settings I try out, obviously what I find best for me might not be best for you but at least you can get an idea!

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Rob, can you measure the free length of the springs (no load on them) as I want to bin my helpers and get the same springs as yours 8)

[herisites 0]

Rob, can you measure the free length of the springs (no load on them) as I want to bin my helpers and get the same springs as yours 8)

 

Yeah no probs mate :salute:

[one_eyed_willy 0]

would suspension from a g60 fit a 92 valver?

[__Andy__ 0]

would suspension from a g60 fit a 92 valver?

 

yup..

[beastie4126 0]

Managed to get my Gaz Coil overs fitted today without too much fuss, quite surprised myself and had it done in about four hours. It does help when you havn't got to fight 15 year old rusted together bolts having changed the shocks recently.

 

I still need to sort out the shock heights once they dampers bed in but after a few basic damping (guessed at) settings a ride around the local pot hole riddled country side has left me with a smile on my face. No more bouncing in and out of the potholes and no more violent jarring from the rear of the car like my old shocks used too. I have not been in a car with V1's etc so I can't really compare but I will say that at nearly three times the price of the shocks (FK Streets) they have replaced they definately feel worth it.

 

Now need to get a four wheel alignment done and then I can start playing around with the damping settings properly.

[n3p 3]

Anyone got AP coilovers?

 

Didn't like my weitect hicton gt's (too harsh) and have been told that AP are better within the same budget. Obviously I don't mind spending more although i'd like to retain as much comfort as possible. Any ideas? The GAZ ones mentioned seem a good deal and not much more...wonder if they do a fixed damp setting :confused4:

[Skills 0]

I've just had kw v1's fitted and had the 4 wheel allignment done at the time. If I adjust the height a little will I have to get the allignment done again or will It be fine?

[corradog60stage4 0]

I wonder if these springs will fit my fk coilovers, I want to get rid of the help spring setup and use just one spring.

[herisites 0]

Been away so not put up my views on the GAZ's yet so here's what I said in my gallery thread.

 

I got the GAZ's fitted weekend before last and first impressions weren't great, but that was partly because I was useless with the damping adjustments etc and so it was bouncing all over the place, but I've got it all settled down now and they are better than the Weitec's, still firm but not as crashy.

 

My only issue with them is with the supplied spring rates of 375lb front and 180lb rear which seems like too big a gap to me. The Weitecs were 400lb front and 280lb rear! I asked for 343lb (60nm) front and 228 (40nm) rear's for the GAZ but for some reason they just supplied the ones they thought were best, which I didn't argue with as they're the experts. However the rears are just too soft, the turn in feels slow and the rear leans a bit too much for my liking. So I've contacted the seller and told him I'd like to try different springs and I'm still waiting on a different reply. He did say it shouldn't be a problem but just waiting on GAZ now.

 

I think with the right spring rates on they will be great though. Just need to set them up properly with someone who knows what they're doing :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I've just had kw v1's fitted and had the 4 wheel allignment done at the time. If I adjust the height a little will I have to get the allignment done again or will It be fine?

 

Any change in ride height enough to throw the camber out will also throw the toe out, so technically, yes it will need realigning after a ride height change. But in reality, so long as the change is fairly small and even on both sides, you'll be fine.

[beastie4126 0]

Been away so not put up my views on the GAZ's yet so here's what I said in my gallery thread.

 

I got the GAZ's fitted weekend before last and first impressions weren't great, but that was partly because I was useless with the damping adjustments etc and so it was bouncing all over the place, but I've got it all settled down now and they are better than the Weitec's, still firm but not as crashy.

 

My only issue with them is with the supplied spring rates of 375lb front and 180lb rear which seems like too big a gap to me. The Weitecs were 400lb front and 280lb rear! I asked for 343lb (60nm) front and 228 (40nm) rear's for the GAZ but for some reason they just supplied the ones they thought were best, which I didn't argue with as they're the experts. However the rears are just too soft, the turn in feels slow and the rear leans a bit too much for my liking. So I've contacted the seller and told him I'd like to try different springs and I'm still waiting on a different reply. He did say it shouldn't be a problem but just waiting on GAZ now.

 

I think with the right spring rates on they will be great though. Just need to set them up properly with someone who knows what they're doing :lol:

 

So you ended up with the same rates as me in the end, be interesting to see results if you do get the the firmer rear springs. As far as damping goes I have settled on 3/4 turn at the front and 20 clicks in at the back which seems to be giving a good comprimise.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

180lb rear springs are too soft imo. Gaz are basing their rates on a MK3 Golf, which is not a Corrado. They also advertise the fact you can choose your own spring rates, which appears to be misleading.

 

I can see why they've gone for soft rear rates, to reduce the chance of lift-off oversteer, but soft rear springs give as sluggish turn-in, meaning you have to whack up the rebound to firm it up. Stiff dampers are less forgiving than stiff springs, so it's pointless giving you a soft spring, then telling you to turn the damping up.

 

You need it the other way round, firmer springs, less damping.

 

I think Gaz are being too cautious but if you like how it drives, that's fair enough!

[herisites 0]

So you ended up with the same rates as me in the end, be interesting to see results if you do get the the firmer rear springs. As far as damping goes I have settled on 3/4 turn at the front and 20 clicks in at the back which seems to be giving a good comprimise.

 

Yeah, they reckon they're the right rates for the Corrado but like Kev pointed out, they're being too cautious and ruling out the chance of lift off oversteer, that's what they told me anyway. I reckon they're just covering themselves so chavvy boy racers don't go finding ditches and then go blaming the suspension.

 

The car does drive fine with the 375/180's on but I just find the rear a bit soggy, mind you I only have mine on about 15 clicks at the back, I found ~20 clicks to be too crashy and it started to get bouncy as I think the soft springs and hard damping were starting to fight against each other a bit :lol: Front's I have about half way so they can dive a little bit more allowing the back end to come round a bit easier. End of the day though it's based on the individual and the roads around me aren't the greatest so I want a little bit more forgiveness in the ride, and the Weitecs (with 400/280) were just way too crashy for my liking, although handling and turn in was very good!

 

It won't be a case of I'm gunna get the ~225 rears and then leave it at that though, I like playing around with my car too much :lol: and between me and Kev we'll have all the following spring rates to experiment with: 400/400/375/343/280/275/228/225 :cheers: He's pretty happy with his 343/228 combo on V3's and I've been in his car and I was very impressed, although he's itching to go for the 400/275 setup again so I might try his 343's on mine :lol: