What suspensio set up is this ??????

[SteveRobb 0]

Hopefully someone will be able to identify this suspension set up and offer advise as to where it's going wrong. Car is a 93 VR6. The previous owner informed me it has been dropped by 30mm but is unsure as to full set up.

I am considering a move back to the standard set up or something different anyway cos mine feels unstable over a bumpy road at speed and the springs can constantly be felt what feels like them bottoming out?

My last VR6 was bog standard and can't remember any such feeling. I am reluctant to do this as i know about 90% of people on this forum seem to have changed to some sort of aftermarket set up but feel it's the safest way forward for me. I would however appreciate any feedback from people.

 

Anyway, first step I guess is to try and identify whats already on the car;

 

Front: I know Eibach springs are on front but no idea of the shocks. Re they std or aftermarket? The pics below show them in std position and then with the car jacked up a little. In std position there doesn't seem to be that much active spring left????

 

Rears: Again Eibach springs but not sure of the shocks, if they werent red I'd say they were std OEM. The black plastic cover on the schocks have the VW emblem on them? Pics below again show std position then car jacked up. Again doesn't appear to be much spring left as standard.

 

Appreciate and advice on how to make a more stable and comfortable ride. Comfort probably more important than race like handling...

 

Many thanks

 

Steve

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The dampers appear to be the standard SACHS items and the reason it feels unstable is two fold....using uprated srings on standard dampers and the Eibachs are hard.

 

If you want great handling and a good ride, you need Koni TAs and H&R springs.....the chassis might need a rebush too. Eibach ARBs put the cherry top and totally remove body roll, but they're not essential.

[SteveRobb 0]

Thanks for the advice Kev, what sort of money are we speaking about and where can i get the Koni's and H&R's

 

steve

[Kevin Bacon 5]

About £475 ish for the springs and dampers, plus fitting. It's a lot of money, and in fact, you're looking at about £800 to a grand to fit those and rebush the chassis, all in.....but by god is it worth it. It totally transforms the car.

 

A fair few folks have driven my car and I've yet to find anyone that doesn't like the H&R/Koni setup....

 

Naughty, but nice... :D Investment in a Corrado is definitely worth it for the rewards you get in return.

 

Oh and I recommend Stealth for the supply and fitment, or if you want to fit them yourself, most decent tuners sell them.

[Yandards 0]

Koni TA's and H&R's work a treat on my valver too.

 

Its not too difficult to swap the springs and dampers over yourself but you will need a set of top mounts and a few other bits from the steelers first.

[SteveRobb 0]

Yikes, not cheap eh?? Thanks for the replies though.

 

Whats a "Coilover system" when its at home then? I see these are becoming quite popular.

 

If I'm gonna make that sort of purchase (£475 ish) I wanna understand the options first.

 

Steve

[gradeAfailure 0]

Technically, all suspension on Corrados is "coilover" as the spring coil is over the shock...

 

However, what people mean when they talk about coilover suspension is suspension with adjustable ride height - the lower platform that the spring sits on is not fixed, but consists of two rings that can be moved up and down the shock to raise or lower the ride height...

 

And if I'm being nitpicky, calling the shocks "shocks" is wrong, as it's actually the springs that absorb the shock - the other part is the damper, as it damps and controls the rebound rate of the spring - hence why you're getting a bad ride as the springs and dampers aren't matched...

 

hope this makes sense! :lol:

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Yeah Spot on Mr Failure, I can never be arsed to say that all the time, so glad you have :D

 

Something else that's slightly frustrating is people assume £500 for a normal mcpherson setup is too expensive and a £500 RHA setup is affordable.

 

People really ought to try before they buy, but it's not always as easy that where suspension is concerned....

[SteveRobb 0]

Thanks fella's.....Everyday's a school day......

 

What is a RHA set up?

 

Sorry for asking silly questions.

 

I assume that VW spent a considereble amount of money in research and development prior to coming up with the original Corrado suspension set up, I woudl assume then that the original ride is a compromise between stability, handling and comfort. Then how is it that a aftermarket product would be better and cheaper. (I'm not saying it's not, just puzzled)

 

I am asking becuase I don't want to make a £500 mistake here. As I said comfort and stability is more important to me than race like handling or aesthetics. Pity we can't try before you buy, but with the wealth of experience on this forum, shoudl be nearly as good...

 

thanks

 

Steve

Steve

[gradeAfailure 0]

Yeah Spot on Mr Failure, I can never be arsed to say that all the time, so glad you have :D

 

Wow, I got something right! :cheers:

 

Steve, from what I've heard, the Koni/H&R setup is the best compromise for making the Corrado handle like it should whilst retaining the comfort and giving you a small ride height drop so the car doesn't look as much like a 4x4!

 

Edit: I'm assuming RHA = Ride Height Adjustable

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Agreed, £500 is a lot and you only want to do it once..... hence trying a car first, before splashing out. But if you read through the threads, you'll see a number of posts where people don't like Eibach springs, Vogland springs etc and were happy when 'upgrading' to the H&Rs.

 

Stealth recommended the H&R/Koni setup to me several years ago as my brief was "Firm but not harsh" and I've used nothing else since....on all my dubs.

 

But one man's like is another's dislike....so it's a personal thing as no one can tell you how hard you like it :lol: You can only find out for yourself!

 

I'm dead fussy with suspension and tyres and I have to say, the FK Konigsports (RHA) work well on the VR...but they're a bit too bouncy for my liking at the the limit of their travel.....but as far as RHAs go, I like them.

 

For everyday use though, I'd choose the Koni/H&R anyday....