suspension

[heyzy 0]

Just joined this great forum today.I have a corrado vr6 with einbach springs and koni adj dampers with 17 inch alloys.The handling is good but when i hit a pothole its awful.This has caused bubbles in tyres and wears the bottom ball joints.I have read about coilovers do u think it would be worth investing?whould it make a big difference in comfort because the roads are rubbish where i live. cheers

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Welcome to the forum!

 

Eibach springs are known to be hard and the shallow sidewalls of 17" tyres doesn't really help matters. It's a shame because Corrados look best on 17s, but ride better on 15s. H&R springs are a better compromise between comfort and ride quality. There are few guys here with coilovers who will be glad to offer advice on those.

 

Kev

[heyzy 0]

Cheers Kev Dont really want to go back to standard wheels/suspension because its not as good looking. Need info on coilovers

[dubster82 0]

H&R springs are a better compromise between comfort and ride quality

 

I've also heard the H&R can be tough to get along with too.

 

I have FK coilovers on mine and they come in about £600. Ride depends on what you can live with. the lower you go, the tougher it gets. i could lower mine more, but i'm really happy with the ride and it was meant to be a nice comfortable car, (though i have just photoshopped it lower and it looks a lot better, so i may have to experiment!! LOL)

 

I have heard of people taking off certain brands of coilovers because it made there cars slower cause they couldnt drive to fast over bumps and rough surfaces etc. Coilovers are derived directly from the race track and alot of companys therefore build them to withstand certain 'tolerances'. its best to try coilovers before you buy if possible. some kits out there can be easier to live with than alot of lowering kits too though.

 

Another factor is cost. Coilovers start at about £350 for non-adjustable dampning, £450-£550 for Fully adjustable, and over £700 your talking about silly kits that make you coffee.

 

If you want to set the height and can live with your ride, the yeah, go for the cheaper options, if you want a better control on your ride adn aren't too concerned with exact lowering heights, try top adjustable shocks (like Koni) and get advice on Spring makes and heights by alot of other people. i think bilstein's are meant to be quite comfy i think i that heard a while ago anyway. Everyone seems to have their own opinion.

 

For my 2p im gonna reccommend the FK konigsport coilover kit though. i've had this on my car for a while now and am extremly happy with them. Koni top adjustable shocks tailored springs and a lifetime warranty (not the quickest aftersales in the world though.) im pleased with the way it drives and have it set up quite nice too. Im even tempted to get a set for my Golf and my girlfriends polo!

 

with coilovers though, you should take a week of driving with your rear shelf out for adjustments on the dampers after they've bedded in for about a month, theres no point buying adjustables if your not going to adjust them or notice a difference.

 

Hope this helps.

[heyzy 0]

Cheers Brian. So does that mean with coilovers i could lift my car and make it as comfy as standard,and would coilovers be a comfier ride than now with the height set the same?

[dubster82 0]

So does that mean with coilovers i could lift my car and make it as comfy as standard

 

hi there.

 

Some (all?) coilovers are actually built as a shorter strut and therefore cant be extended to standard ride height.

 

But, the the higher the car - the less compression on the spring - the more travel it has - the comfier the ride. Make sense? With coilovers, if you think its to tough, raise it. if you dont worry to much about the looks height wise.

 

would coilovers be a comfier ride than now with the height set the same?

 

Possibly yes, possibly no. I read a report a guy did on his scooby where he fitted Leda coilovers to his car and took them off about two weeks later. they were too firm. Spax too are apparently crap. I like My FK's though. I was told by alot of people Konis too wee too hard, but alot of pepole use them, it all depends on what you can live with i guess.

 

To also answer you question though, you could probably improve your ride by just fitting new springs! way cheaper too, just gotta find the right make, eibach are supposed to be notoriously hard anyway and there probably lies the heart of your problem. There may even be a possibility that you could use standard springs, you'd have to wait for someone else to answer that though. :lol:

[heyzy 0]

Thanks again Brian. Still unsure on what to do next has i really don't want to go back to standard springs,for looks purposes.

[dubster82 0]

well with coilovers too, you can go this low! :lol:

 

No problem mate, im sure when aot of people log on tomorrow, they can help you too.

 

Again, welcome to the forum!!!

[markTTC 0]

I have the FK Konigsports too - and I'm also running 17 inch rims with 40 series tyres. The ride quality is superb - and the car is decked pretty low. Okay so it's not like a limo for ride quality, but then Limo's handle like a boat. It's well worth going for damping adjustable coilovers - you can really improve the balance of the car by 'firming-up' the fronts, and leaving the back ones a bit softer.

 

I don't know much about other brands - but Koni Coilovers are supposed to be good, as well as Bilstein.

 

HTH

 

Cheers

Mark

[Rams 0]

Could it be possible that your top mounts currently are a bit worn, when I replaced these on my car they made the ride feel that bit more comfier. The bushes, - Anti Roll bar, ball joints etc, if these are worn they will amek you feel the road so much more.

 

It was just an idea as I use the Standard Shocks with Eibachs and the ride is good, yeat, pot holes are always going to be tricky for a coilover kit also.

 

This is what you have to live with, if the road is smooth I bet your C drives just how you want it.

 

I have Avo Coilovers going on next week, I know that the ride will be very firm but th elower you go the harder you sometimes need to set the suspension to avoid rubbing tyres, arches. Obviously if you go low and its still a clear distance within the arch gab and wont rub then set them a bit softer.

 

We pay car tax for terrible roads. Take a trip to germany for a couple of days and fly down every road without feeling a thing! The germans know how to do things!

[dazzyvr6 0]

ill be getting my avo coilovers as soon as they come in

[dazzyvr6 0]

update:-just had demon tweeks on the phone saying the avo coilovers will take 3 weeks to be delivered,so im now going for the spax which will take 7 days,i know people say the spax are a hard ride(oer)but i had some on my old golf and found them to be :D ok

[Scott 0]

I use the Standard Shocks with Eibachs

 

I have Avo Coilovers going on next week

 

RAMS:

 

If you want to sell those Eibach springs let me know as I will be putting brand new shocks on my VR shortly and the springs would be nice 8)

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[Rams 0]

dazzyvr6, Seriously mate, I would go with the Avo's, they are only 20 quid to get them reconditioned which is nothing for coiovers. They turn them round in a week and can more or less make your shock new again.

 

New struts, seals the lot

[dazzyvr6 0]

i just cant be bothred to wait 3 weeks,and the spax are only 50 quid dearer

[Rams 0]

Scott, I think someone has offered to buy them.I am bringing them up with me to the CCGB day and if this chap doesnt turn up or something then call me or find me as they will be in my boot.

[dazzyvr6 0]

just got back from demon tweeks,and was told that avo,koni etc..use the same springs etc..for the whole mk3/corrado range be it gti or vr6 and that spax are one of the only ones that use different springs for the vr6

[vr6storm 0]

just got back from demon tweeks,and was told that avo,koni etc..use the same springs etc..for the whole mk3/corrado range be it gti or vr6 and that spax are one of the only ones that use different springs for the vr6

 

thats right dazzyvr6,the koni coilover kit part number is for all the performance Mk3 GTi's and VR6 as well as the Corrado VR6

[dubster82 0]

whereas koni use eibach springs

 

Thats probably why then i heard so many bad reports about the Koni's being too firm, i've heard exactly the same about all eibach springs.

kevhaywire,

Eibach springs are known to be hard

 

 

they are hardly likely going to be tailored for a Corrado or any other VW

 

No, not necisarily tailored for that car, but the cars weight. BMW probably build the springs to different spring rates, then FK find the weight of the car and work out what kind of spring rate it requires.

 

ie. if two cars have the same front end weight then they'd more than likely use the same springs, but the kit would be different because of different fixings, which is FK's job of fitting them to the correct strut.

 

It'll just be a engineering sub contract for [a division of] BMW. (ie not springs actually stolen off models of their cars!!! :lol: LOL)

 

You lean something new every day :D

[Joe M 0]

Coming from someone who had never drove a lowered car worth mentioning before my vr6, I think the Eibach/Koni TA setup is great :D , not too firm and handles brilliantly.

The Eibachs do give a heavy load in the boot look though.

[vr6storm 0]

 

they are hardly likely going to be tailored for a Corrado or any other VW

 

No, not necisarily tailored for that car, but the cars weight. BMW probably build the springs to different spring rates, then FK find the weight of the car and work out what kind of spring rate it requires.

 

ie. if two cars have the same front end weight then they'd more than likely use the same springs, but the kit would be different because of different fixings, which is FK's job of fitting them to the correct strut.

 

It'll just be a engineering sub contract for [a division of] BMW. (ie not springs actually stolen off models of their cars!!! :lol: LOL)

 

You lean something new every day :D

 

 

without starting WW3 here brian,.....they are more than likely to be the same springs that are used in previous or current BMW models...........or maybe a contract for FK done by BMW(i'm assuming thats what you mean) but i guess more than likely the former

 

as for tailored for the cars weight well the BMW's that are near to the Corrado weight wise are still heavier than the VR6 C which in turn is heavier than the G-60 C so it still isn't that much tailored is it?

 

at the end of the day you are happy with your FK's and i'm happy with my Koni's but ...............after finding out how the FK's use BMW springs IMO they are not as special as what you seem to think they are......i'm not saying that the Koni's are the be all and end all either but what i am saying is don't believe the claims that FK make afterall they use koni for the dampers and BMW for the springs so its only the fixings that appear to be "made" by FK

[Rams 0]

Actually, the Avo coilovers use different springs on the VR6 than they do on the GT1 ETC.

 

As I bought my old Golf Mk2 back, it has Avo coilovers and I called Chassis dynamics and said can I fit the shocks straigh on?

 

They said they are the exact same part number, the rears go on but the fronts need different springs to compensate for the heavier engine. Ordered them up for £55. They are going on once they come back from being checked / reconned.

[dubster82 0]

they are more than likely to be the same springs that are used in previous or current BMW models...........

 

I really REALLY don't think so for some reason.

[Andi 2,147,483,647]

*pulls up a seat*

 

Round 1

*ding ding*

[VR6 0]

Round 1 Andi?

 

We're about 7 rounds in! You really shouldn't go away so much! hehe