The Suspension Discussion Thread

[Martyn_McG 0]

i just ordered me a set of highsports of venom motorsport, they seem a lot cheaper than the rest.

i could not justify the extra £80 or whatever it is for the adjustable damper, there still going to be just as hard because there still on the same springs (i think!)

[VAG-hag 0]

I really need some advise on H&R clubsports. Ive just had them fitted to my C & the front is now pretty low to say the least. Does anyone know how to adjust the hieght on these? Any clues on the 'min' drop from these? I am very sure that they can be adjusted (ive just checked the blurb online now)

but im a lil nervy that im not going to be able to go anywhere but tracks :(

 

Any help will be greatly appreciated 8)

[Kevin Bacon 5]

LOL, I've replied to your OTHER post on the same subject :lol:

[VAG-hag 0]

Thank you kindly Monsieur Fromage.

 

I did indeed get these & I think ill hit my mechanic with them, clean off the blood & then raise my Cs belly a little. :lol:

 

I know that I may have duplicated posts after I had the call this morning, but really wanted the info back sharpish....... (dont panic!!!) :lol:

 

Thanks again for the info :)

 

Regards,

 

Chris (bit dim today) M

 

PS im very much looking forward to the package arriving from SP 8)

[Neil VR6 0]

I had Highsports on my G60 and compared with the KW Variant 1's on my new VR, the KW's are leagues ahead. The Highsports bounced a lot on the motorway and over gentle undulations. The KW's are a perfect road coilover IMO - well sealed against the elements and a very good ride with excellent damping. You really get what you pay for with suspension and it makes such a huge difference to the feel of the car.

[lee_golf_v5 0]

Is it possible to get some decent shocks and springs to lower by 40mm for the £200 mark..... on my 95 VR6 btw...

 

Lee

[Critical_Mass 10]

Yes. I bought a set of fk shocks and springs for £150 (i think) brand new of ebay. I thought there would be something wrong with them at that price. But they fitted ok and have been running them for a good 6-8 months - no problems.

 

Though i have noticed the rear N/S is slightly higher then the Rear O/S, though that could be due to the O/S settling more then the other side. No one really sits in the back of my rado. Its normally just me if not me and the missus (in the front that is :lol:)

[Storm Warning 0]

I've got to make a choice of coilovers over the weekend, looking around the £600 mark. I was considering Gaz and KW v1's, gone off the Gaz from this thread and now had Eibachs thrown into the mix. Apparently the eibachs are actually made by the same factory that makes the KW's and are very similar except are in stainless steel..but I thought the KWs were too.. They are supposed to be very good for fast road use (for the money) but I'd love to hear from a user first.

Thanks in advance!

[jonrb 0]

To be honest, the Gaz setup is very good now that the fitting issues are resolved. Tim at The Phirm turned some spacers for me on his lathe and fettled things until the fronts fit perfectly.

 

The only reason I'm considering the KW Variant 3 is that I want more adjustability than the Gaz give me (the KW being 3-way adjustable and the Gaz 2-way) and, to be honest, that isn't going to happen until funds allow. Until then I'm pretty happy with my Gaz setup.

[Storm Warning 0]

I guess all the stocked items for Gaz have this fix now?

 

While browsing options, I keep coming back to the H&R std coilovers. As many people want, I want the best of comfort and handling.. but if I'm honest I'd have to be on the side of comfort 1st.

 

How would the Gaz or KW v1s compare to the £130 more expensive H&Rs?

 

I'm going off the Eibachs, just becuase I can't find much info about them, or evidence of a kit properly designed for the C VR6

[KADVR6 0]

a mate has just had a set of these coilovers fitted to he's mk3 vr http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/D2-racing-coilove ... dZViewItem

 

they are just stunning, the ride is very comfy, and it goes round bends much better than mine does, look very very well made and so much adjustment scope. plus they only cost £520 delivered.

[jonrb 0]

I guess all the stocked items for Gaz have this fix now?

No - unfortunately not. Gaz don't seem overly interested in making an official Corrado fitting kit so anyone wanting to fit Gaz would need to spec a cutom "mix & match" like Kev and I did, and then go through the same fettling process and have the custom spacers turned on a lathe. However, at least the groundwork has been done and a solution is now known (particularly by The Phirm)

[Storm Warning 0]

KADVR6, I'll have a look around for that make for if there is a C VR kit... gotta love that sellers other items, "11 DVDs some in cinema" then states... they are copies in sleeves...

 

Jonrb, I really need something striaght forward and off the shelf.. is it possible to just call the Phirm direct and get what I need for fitment?

 

KWs looking fave again..

[KADVR6 0]

i'm sure they do them for a corrado vr6 mate, but they are an unknown company at the moment, so i will report back in about a year and tell everyone how they are lasting.

 

KW's are great, but the H&R's are also very very good 8)

 

karl

[jonrb 0]

Jonrb, I really need something striaght forward and off the shelf.. is it possible to just call the Phirm direct and get what I need for fitment?

No, unfortunately. We didn't take accurate measurements of the resulting spacers - it was very much a "fettling" process rather than an accurate engineering-led process, I'm afraid. If you were to take a set of Gaz to them for fitting then they would undoubtedly get them fitted first time, especially given their experience on my car, but it would be virtually impossible for them to make up the required spacers and just send them to you.

[Neil VR6 0]

I've got to make a choice of coilovers over the weekend, looking around the £600 mark. I was considering Gaz and KW v1's, gone off the Gaz from this thread and now had Eibachs thrown into the mix. Apparently the eibachs are actually made by the same factory that makes the KW's and are very similar except are in stainless steel..but I thought the KWs were too.. They are supposed to be very good for fast road use (for the money) but I'd love to hear from a user first.

Thanks in advance!

 

As I said before the KW 1’s are spot on. Definitely a road coilover which is more comfort orientated than rock hard performance. The lower C of G and increased in hardness over an OE set up is apparent though. Damping is fine too. If there was any adjustment I’d probably make it worse. I figure the KW boffins know more than me about valving a damper unit! All my cars since I was about 21 have been lowered in a variety of ways – springs only (dire), Koni dampers and springs (good), cheap coilovers (bad) and now decent coilovers (good).

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The real acid test for any coilover is surviving several thousand miles over a winter or two.

 

My KW V3s failed miserably there, and over just the one winter too. They've seized and I snapped a spring perch trying to free it off, so I gave up.

 

The Gaz's seized too.

 

The H&Rs I had seized also.

 

And it's not like I skimp on the maintenance. I do my level best to stop them getting crudded up.

 

It's not until you use these products everyday that you truly realise how good (or bad) they are and I have to say KW's inox marketing is a load of botox. They seize up just as easily as any other coilover.

 

Of the 3 kits listed there, the Gaz's have the best damping..... but the build and finish quality aren't particularly good.

[zak 0]

Kev, how many miles do you cover?

[jonrb 0]

The real acid test for any coilover is surviving several thousand miles over a winter or two.

 

My KW V3s failed miserably there, and over just the one winter too. They've seized and I snapped a spring perch trying to free it off, so I gave up.

When you say "seized", do you mean on height adjustment or the bump and rebound adjusters, Kev?

 

Sorry to hear all was not well with the KWs, especially since I kind of had my heart set on them up until now.

[Storm Warning 0]

Well, I've read the thread again... and trawled the net. I need to make a choice by the morning as my car is being put back together now its out the spray booth. At the moment I looking at the KW v1s (£600) or the unknown Eibachs (£690), but now, H&Rs have come back on the scene.. and I've found them for £727. So far my 'project' is not really running to budget anyway but I was really trying to behave on the suspension (started off with 5-600 budget).

 

I do about 12k a year so don't want to compromise the comfort too much (I sold H&R RSS's). I also don't want something that will be knackered in 12 mths. Any further advice welcomed..

[paul20v 0]

Well, I've read the thread again... and trawled the net. I need to make a choice by the morning as my car is being put back together now its out the spray booth. At the moment I looking at the KW v1s (£600) or the unknown Eibachs (£690), but now, H&Rs have come back on the scene.. and I've found them for £727. So far my 'project' is not really running to budget anyway but I was really trying to behave on the suspension (started off with 5-600 budget).

 

I do about 12k a year so don't want to compromise the comfort too much (I sold H&R RSS's). I also don't want something that will be knackered in 12 mths. Any further advice welcomed..

hi i ran h + r for 3 yrs with absolutely no issues , i did however spray them im chain lube when i fitted them but was still able to adjust them 2 yrs later , if i was buying coilies again i would not hesitate in h + r s , but these days i cant be bothered messing around with coilies so i bought koni ta , and they are spot on too :)

[Neil VR6 0]

The real acid test for any coilover is surviving several thousand miles over a winter or two.

 

My KW V3s failed miserably there, and over just the one winter too. They've seized and I snapped a spring perch trying to free it off, so I gave up.

 

 

And they made such a play of showing off their units after apparently being immersed in salt water etc at Inters a few years ago. I

[KADVR6 0]

At the moment I looking at the KW v1s (£600)

 

Strictly Dubs quoted me £525 for the V1's about 2 months ago.

[dukest 0]

The KW website now additionally lists a KW V1 "Basic" version which is galvanised rather than the stainless steel inox finish on the original 3 models. You'd assume that this is similar to the construction of the Weitec coilovers which are also made by KW i believe?

 

Given Kev's reports that the inox finish is not necessarily any better than any of the other brands it would be interesting to see if the "better" damping qualities of the KWs but available cheaper in this Basic version is a worthwhile trade off and a good value mid-point between the Weitecs and standard V1s??

 

I've tried finding them on the usual suppliers websites and no-one seems to list them so far but I guess RRP would be somewhere around £575, so maybe the best deal might be down to about £500? Anyone seen a price for them?

 

John

[KADVR6 0]

strictly dubs quoted me £505 for the galvanised versions,