cheap coilovers

[dru16v 10]

alright guys, just off to pick up my new 16v corrado, which will be my first. First job i want todo is get it sitting abit lower, ive seen various cheap brands of coilovers on ebay, all sub 200quid. Are these any good. not sure if to try them or just get a nice set of springs and dampers, thing is im not too sure how low i want it to sit yet. any advice and opinions would be great, thanks

[VR6 0]

Basically, no.

 

Ok they will lower your car and if that's top priority then go for it. Personally I prefer function over form and I'd rather go for ride comfort/quality any day.

[guildmage 11]

Ebay coilovers are well ebay coilovers! A lot of bad comments over here about them... try to use search and there is extensive thread about suspension which may help a great deal.

 

As a quick advice, get a car... drive it for some time.. find out what needs fixing as priority. Then look around for some coilovers for your car... This way you will appreciate the car so much more. Cheap coilovers on a Corrado (as on any other car) is just back breakers and definitely not something anyone would recommend.

[captainredeye 0]

Cheap parts as soon as you push them have a habit of breaking, if you want the car to handle well tyres would be my first point of call!

If you want to trundle round town scraping the floor for all to see buy cheap.

[VR6 0]

I wouldn't consider anything under £600 personally.

[tbvr6 0]

My AP coilovers have been great so far. Made by KW, but not in stainless. Cost £400. Not saying they are as good as some, but bought on recommendation and very happy so far.

[Stonejag 10]

I have a set of JOM coilies off eBay. Far better comfort and ride height than the >90mm drop on fixed springs the previous owner had, the only issue being that they're made for much lighter cars and so make the odd 'sproing' noise when you corner enthusiastically. If you just want to drop it a bit they'll work fine, at least for you to make do until you get around to getting some nicer ones on there (after fixing the standard-issue gremlins...). Second-hand is even cheaper!

 

Stone

[bristolbaron 10]

Buy cheap, buy twice. You get what you pay for etc etc.

 

eBay junk will be eBay junk.

AP

Id much rather a £200 set of used weitecs than eBay stuff.

[STU175 0]

My AP coilovers have been great so far. Made by KW, but not in stainless. Cost £400. Not saying they are as good as some, but bought on recommendation and very happy so far.

 

another shout for AP coilovers as a price compromise

ive had a corrado with them cheap kits on and was absolutely appauling compared to the ap's

[Critical_Mass 10]

Weitecs, which are supposed to be very good (cheaper KWs) are just under £500.

[StuartFZR400 0]

Same old questions hey. All the above advice is right, so best add it all up and try to conclude for your self. Buying twice is never nice tho.

 

What do you want from your coilovers? You're not sure yet, as you dont know how well it handles, or was it a bag of nails when you bought it? In which case you should've parked some wonga for some nice suspension; but do you know whats wrong with it, and what you can afford? If you're short and cannot afford the full fix, maybe best to fix one bit at a time, with good stuff.

 

As you'll be aware, coil spring over shock is exactly what the Corrado needs. Many people choose the more expensive adjustable coilies, which you dont need to feel is necessary to get a good setup; just the adjustables are good for track play. The gap in the arches looks huge on the C, so can feel your frustration, but realise that playing with suspension on any car is massively complex; so expect some odd results. Hearing a 'spoing' is never a good thing IMHO. A small drop should be sufficient, while almost giving you some practicality too. Bilstien, Koni etc are all good stuff. Remember, measure the drop you're making; so if the travel of standard is 100mm and you drop it 40mm, you've lost 40% travel, meaning you need to increase spring stiffness by at least the same percentage - so always buy springs for a Corrado, not a fiesta or something.

 

There is a Tyre sticky thread if you're interested.

[lewvw 10]

I have Wietec GT's which were £430 and they are ok but a little on the hard side for me. I would go KW or a decent bilstein/spring setup. Quality suspension is vital with the state of our roads, even on the Wietecs which are supposed to be decent I feel like i'm shaking my poor Rado to pieces! I'm gonna go with some Bilsteins shocks and jack up a bit ASAP :)

[OllieVR6 0]

I've got JOM coilovers. I got them because I wanted lows on a budget and tbh, I'm actually quite impressed with them.

 

I'm waiting to meet up with someone that has KW V1's so I can compare and based on what everyone says around here, I'm expecting the V1's to be like floating on clouds compared to the JOMs.

[VR6 0]

I don't really get cheap suspension. Must be a bit like buying a really nice toilet seat and then setting it on fire while you use it.

[StuartFZR400 0]

I don't really get cheap suspension. Must be a bit like buying a really nice toilet seat and then setting it on fire while you use it.

 

Ballz of fire? LOL

 

Depends on your goal; seems a lot of folk like the pose factor, which seems fine to me, as the C is a beautiful car to behold; think of all the slammed VW's you end up behind on the tiny roads leading into the GTi international (when it was in mids). But if you want best of both worlds, which it can offer, then agreed money needs to be well spent on the suspension as much as a new paintjob or leather interior. I personally would dream of both but settle for a wolf in sheeps clothing.

 

If anyone is interested there is some fascinating litterature out there on suspension, what adjustments can be made and how those affects bazillions of factors, all which seem to boil down to needing a road test, feel good factor, and did it fail period; amazing stuff. Once you've read some, you'd probably not change too much, or maybe compromise.

 

ps - back to practicality. Do you know the shocks are knackered, leaking, or springs are plain wrong? If not, search the forum for common problems with handling; bushes, top mounts etc can all lead to wobbly or crashy feel. Take it all apart, have a look, and be ready to dig deep or start saving (all relative I appreciate).

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I'm waiting to meet up with someone that has KW V1's so I can compare and based on what everyone says around here, I'm expecting the V1's to be like floating on clouds compared to the JOMs.

 

Hardly! I've tried a couple of Corrados with V1s (a 12V and a 24V) and they both drove horribly. Under-damped and over sprung. Well done KW! With regard to the 24V, there's a local road I use which is bumpy, rough and a real patchwork of different tarmacs and holes. A rattly Corrado owner's worst nightmare. My V3s aren't exactly the epitimy of refinement either, but on the same road, it was like comparing a Bentley to a Sherman tank. The difference was incredible.

 

As a rule, I don't like cheap ANYTHING and I don't like German suspension kits. They seem to employ a "one size fits all" policy to their kits, which is probably why there is enough damping on a 4 pot Rado and not enough on a 6 pot. Only Bilstein seem to valve their dampers specifically for each application and for that, we should all get on our knees and chant our unworthiness.

 

BUT.... in spite of my rules and observations, the KW V3s seem to be superb coilovers. Without exception, everyone who's been in my car has been impressed by them. In fact, the smooth ride and compliance over bumps is the FIRST thing they notice. Not the VRT or R32 powerplants :D

 

Cheapoid coilovers will do the job, but as with everything car related, when the speeds and loadings increase dramatically, that's where your extra £££s from the high end stuff comes into it's own.

[KIPVW 0]

I mean why buy tyres like Nangkang or whatever they are. Tyres and suspension components mean the difference between lying upside down in a ditch or actually enjoying the corner you just went round. :)

 

Just pure false economy, just like rear bearings from GSF :lol: why do a ****e jobs more than once because somethings broke or worn out.

 

I'd look at something like eibach or Pi springs with a decentish damper from Koni or bilstein. I don't actually use any of the above as mine are almost all standard now but a friend has experimented with 15 different kits on the same car (money no object obviously :lol:) and still ended up going for Koni TA's with a decent spring, not sure which brand now though but it rides great, looks great and i know it will last a while too.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

a friend has experimented with 15 different kits on the same car (money no object obviously :lol:) and still ended up going for Koni TA's with a decent spring, not sure which brand now though but it rides great, looks great and i know it will last a while too.

 

Can you ask him what the springs are please mate :D Hopefully not H&Rs as I've had them already with Koni TAs and they were a bit harsh over bumps :D

[Craig 0]

Ive had some koni Ta's on my previous g60 and have some cheap jom coilovers on my vr now and have no issue with them. How fast do you actually drive round a corner these days to notice the difference? mine have been great, the ride is firm but im not old and dont have back issues etc so it actually suits me, i can feel the road and the car has very little body roll, i also have nankang tyres from a previous set of wheels i use for winter and they have also been fine, ive never had the tyres loose grip cornering, maybe i just drive slow round corners but fast in straight lines but my set up suits me. Buy what ever suits your needs, if you like hard cornering, track days etc then buy a tried and tested set, if you dont mind a firm ride and just drive around town with the odd blast a simple set up might suit?

 

Try and get down a local meet to try out different set ups, probably the only way to actually make a solid judgement for yourself :)

Edited September 5, 2012 by Craig

[KIPVW 0]

He ended going for Eibach springs Kev, although he does say they aint the perfect but found them the best of the bunch. Guess it's a mega personal thing isn't it, he's in his early 50's but a proper vw petrol head :)

[kerrly 0]

I can only echo what KIP has said.

 

I have used Koni TA shocks with 30-60mm springs from koni/Spax/apex on my last half a dozen mk2s and have always found them to be about as close to perfection without getting custom shocks/springs. I'm currently building some more Koni TA with Weitec 30mm springs for my G60 as i was impressed by the Weitec shocks/springs combination that my brother had on his mk2 golf.

 

My brother also has a corrado VR6 with FK Koni sport coilovers and the ride is good, it performed excellent around Castle Combe and copes with the majority of UK pot holes but could probably do with being a tad softer for daily use.

 

I also made the mistake of thinking some TA technics coilovers would be a good idea on my mk2 golf - they lasted for 2 weeks before I sold them and put the Konis back on. I sold them to a mate who put them on his mk2, we used to go for drives and my god the way the back end of his car used to bounce around due to a severe lack of dampening was ridiculous!!!

[scorrado123 10]

Quick q.

AP coilover kit (410 pounds) or Weitec GT coilover kit (445 pounds) ?????

[EJ Taylor 22]

just thought i would add.... Demon Tweaks, do coilovers on finance? hence why i run KW V2's haha £40 a month..... LOVELY! give it a look :D

[bristolbaron 10]

Quick q.

AP coilover kit (410 pounds) or Weitec GT coilover kit (445 pounds) ?????

 

i already answered that!

 

Buy cheap, buy twice. You get what you pay for etc etc.

 

eBay junk will be eBay junk.

AP

Id much rather a £200 set of used weitecs than eBay stuff.

[EJ Taylor 22]

someone got outa the wrong side of the bed this morning!