Advice on KW sport and OE suspension with std wheels/tyres

[James. 9]

I'm looking to lower the car slightly (92 VR6).

 

Current measurements:

 

Floor to arch (front): 587mm

Floor to arch (rear): 657mm

 

Tyre to arch (front): 55mm

Tyre to arch (rear): 90mm

 

I'm keeping it standard looking for the long term (15" wheels, 205 50 15 tyres etc) so wouldn't mind advice from similar drivers.

 

The current shocks are shot to pieces so will be replacing all four at the same time.

 

Looking for a polite but not over the top drop (perhaps 20mm front and 35mm rear ???) retaining the slightly lower front.

 

Budget is around the £500 mark.

 

My main questions are:

 

1, Do I replace the shocks for OE units and lower the car using springs and/or front top plates (whats the ride like doing this ?)

 

2, Do I replace the shocks / springs for uprated units (The Koni sport adjustable units read well) and if so is there a brand/model I should be giving my attention ?

 

Thanks in advance

 

James

 

Below is a picture from a few months ago to give you an idea of the current ride height:

[Jim 2]

The most 'glowing' suspension upgrades I've heard of for the Corrado are stock shocks with PI springs, or KW V1's. To do the job properly (replace the suspension, and all associated rubber, bolts, etc etc) will probably cost you a bit more than £500 unfortunately. Might just scrape in at that price for the stock shocks but not with the KW V1's.

 

I'd say if you want fairly stock ride, a sensible but fixed height drop, and an all round cheaper option, the stock shocks / PI springs combo would be good. If you want the full works, the V1's are very well reccomended around here.

[dukest 0]

this thread may be of use to you. link

 

if you're sure that you dont want too much of a drop then the Koni/H&R might also be of interest as they're a traditional set up and give the drop you sound like you're after. all told they'll still come to nearer £600 similar to the KWs, and thats before top mounts which you'll also want to replace.

so keeping some originality might be more tempting but i understand that original replacement shocks can also be very expensive. there are cheaper options out there (look on europerformance etc for selection) but it depends how strict your budget is.

 

Mine on Koni/H&R:

 

16092006019.jpg[/attachment:nsoncq8w]

[James. 9]

Thanks for the reply Jim and Dukest. The ride height on your car Dukest is right where I want to be.

 

What I really don't want is an overly firm ride. I've had coils with the inevitable back pain issues and wish to leave all that far behind!

I'm not going to be using the car as an everyday so am willing to forgo handling for ride quality as when it is used it will mostly have the mrs and the boy contained within.

 

I've had a look at the OE route as in previous cars I've enjoyed good results with the right kind of springs.

 

Looking at the Europerformance website I've earmarked the following:

 

Bilstein OE front and rear shocks

Pi 40mm springs

 

Does anybody on here have experience of these products or at least using 40mm Pi springs on OE shocks ?

 

Are there any other parts that I should be looking at replacing at the same time and where's best to obtain these from ?

[dukest 0]

you need to replace the top mounts all round unless they've been done recently (doesn't sound like it). this will be somewhere [edited] around £50.

 

regarding your shortlist you'll need to search on those terms within the suspension thread as most peoples experiences and other info you'll need are in there.

[The_Dude 0]

you need to replace the top mounts all round unless they've been done recently (doesn't sound like it). this will be somewhere above £100.

 

regarding your shortlist you'll need to search on those terms within the suspension thread as most peoples experiences and other info you'll need are in there.

 

 

I'm not sure they are that exensive John, I seem to remember them only being about a tenner each? Or mayube I'm going bonkers :cuckoo:

[Jim Bowen 1]

i'd 100% recommend the KW1's

 

i changed suspension 3 times as the spring/shock combos didn't lower the car the correct amount, front was much lower than rear, front was too low, rear not low enough. Not sure how some company work out the 30-40mm drop as mine was measuring nearer to 90mm drop

[Jim Bowen 1]

i had the Pi springs btw, and also the weitecs

[dukest 0]

you need to replace the top mounts all round unless they've been done recently (doesn't sound like it). this will be somewhere above £100.

 

regarding your shortlist you'll need to search on those terms within the suspension thread as most peoples experiences and other info you'll need are in there.

 

 

I'm not sure they are that exensive John, I seem to remember them only being about a tenner each? Or mayube I'm going bonkers :cuckoo:

 

You're right, think i was thinking of bushes not mounts :D

[Purplebaghera 0]

Hi .Sorry to jump on this thread a bit , but seeing as the 'Kw variant' coilies seem the best to have ,does anybody have any experience with there strut and spring set-up? perhaps this is another option as I was wondering about these for my VR. Thanks.

[Critical_Mass 10]

i had the Pi springs btw, and also the weitecs

 

 

3cm - didnt they send you valver springs by accident though?

[Jim Bowen 1]

don't think so, i checked everything out and all seemed correct :confused4:

[Jim 2]

The KW1's most definitely offer a firmer ride than OE by quite an amount but they make up for it by not being crashy and being excellent on the corners.

 

OE shocks with PI springs gives an excellent ride and very good handling - definitely closer to OE but then perhaps a better compromise for you in terms of pain to the back vs the ability to go round corners at crazy speeds!

 

I went with a fixed height and damping kit on my Corrado (Koni STR.T) and whilst I've been fairly happy with the ride, I don't think it corners THAT well considering the car has also got uprated ARB's and had all the other suspension bits changed at the same time.. if I was to buy again, I'd buy a decent set of coilovers like the V1's.....

[Critical_Mass 10]

don't think so, i checked everything out and all seemed correct :confused4:

 

IM obviously misremembering then, i thought you'd been sent incorrect springs which made the front of the car sit too low. :shrug:

[James. 9]

Thanks for the first hand advice Jim/dukest/3cm/CM, I really appreciate it.

 

Just heard back from the bodyshop and the car is going in for a full respray at the beginning of Feb so I'm going to have to be ruthless with my budgetry control.

 

It's looking like OE Bilsteins with Pi springs at the moment. I would love to jump aboard the good ship "KWV1" but I'm afraid I can't afford the ticket bearing in mind the bills that will be dropping into my intray in the coming months. For some reason I'm still not totally sold on the coilover idea as well. Surely there's a suspension package on the market that offers the same comfort as the KWV1s but without the coilover facility???

 

I've seen the KW suspension package on the Venom website. Anybody any feedback on this one (apart from it's pink !):

 

http://www.venommotorsport.com/product_ ... Suspension

[dukest 0]

Not actually heard of anyone using them tbh. I would very likely have been doing so last year if anyone had had them in stock but i needed something in 36 hours and almost all KW stuff comes direct from germany. I should think they'll be pretty good though, given the reputation of the V1s and all the Weitec stuff (lower brand in KW family) they couldn't really be bad!

[Walesy 0]

Probably not relevant, but I've just had a KW Suspension kit fitted to my T4 van (-40mm shocks and springs) and the ride quality is sublime, its literally transformed how the van drives and I'm over the moon with it, I think they're just top quality across the range and as above, I don't think you could go wrong with them.

 

I'll probably be going for a -40mm KW kit for my Corrado when the time comes for a suspension change.

[V33DUB 0]

Probably not relevant, but I've just had a KW Suspension kit fitted to my T4 van (-40mm shocks and springs) and the ride quality is sublime, its literally transformed how the van drives and I'm over the moon with it, I think they're just top quality across the range and as above, I don't think you could go wrong with them.

 

I'll probably be going for a -40mm KW kit for my Corrado when the time comes for a suspension change.

Is the 40mm quoted about right for the actual drop?

[James. 9]

just had a KW Suspension kit fitted to my T4 van (-40mm shocks and springs) and the ride quality is sublime, its literally transformed how the van drives.

 

Thats exactly the kind of comment I was looking for. To be fair I wouldn't have expected any different. Though I'd like to find an image of them on a Corrado and at least hear from a couple of people who have them fitted.

 

Anybody out there with them bolted on ?

[Critical_Mass 10]

just had a KW Suspension kit fitted to my T4 van (-40mm shocks and springs) and the ride quality is sublime, its literally transformed how the van drives.

 

Thats exactly the kind of comment I was looking for. To be fair I wouldn't have expected any different. Though I'd like to find an image of them on a Corrado and at least hear from a couple of people who have them fitted.

 

Anybody out there with them bolted on ?

 

 

yup! :wave:

 

They are superb. They're hard enough to improve cornering no end, but not too hard to make them back breakers like other coilovers can be - esp with the roads over here :roll: I wouldnt change them for anything else tbh honest, well worth the money.

[James. 9]

just had a KW Suspension kit fitted to my T4 van (-40mm shocks and springs) and the ride quality is sublime, its literally transformed how the van drives.

 

Thats exactly the kind of comment I was looking for. To be fair I wouldn't have expected any different. Though I'd like to find an image of them on a Corrado and at least hear from a couple of people who have them fitted.

 

Anybody out there with them bolted on ?

 

 

yup! :wave:

 

They are superb.[/quote:1k78fexi]

 

The V1s or the 40mm lowering package (springs/struts) ? or both ?

[Walesy 0]

Probably not relevant, but I've just had a KW Suspension kit fitted to my T4 van (-40mm shocks and springs) and the ride quality is sublime, its literally transformed how the van drives and I'm over the moon with it, I think they're just top quality across the range and as above, I don't think you could go wrong with them.

 

I'll probably be going for a -40mm KW kit for my Corrado when the time comes for a suspension change.

Is the 40mm quoted about right for the actual drop?

 

I didn't measure before/after I'm afraid, and bizarrely, apparently T4s left the factory with differing ride heights so I can't check it now against 'standard' - what I would say is that the van looks slightly lower than I would have liked, but having taken it on the dunes/over cattle grids&speed bumps/potholes/ditches/woodland tracks, it still doesn't bottom out anywhere and i've not hit the bumpstops yet - so it handles better, is a comfier drive, looks better yet can still do everything I want it to do as a camper/day van - hence I'm well chuffed with it, it cost a lot more than the other options but suspension really is one of those things that 'you get what you pay for' without a doubt.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Sorry i meant the KW V1s.

[James. 9]

Sorry i meant the KW V1s.

 

Thats okay, hopefully there will be other users of the suspension set up on here. The KW Uk website are doing a set for £385. Maybe the bargain of the year thus far ?