Coilovers or Springs??

[VR6 0]

I have the money for coilovers and a few other bits and pieces.

 

My question is though, am I right in justifying spending £500+ on coilovers rather than £60 on some lowering springs? Dampers are original as far as I know, and I don't think there is anything wrong with them, other than being a bit bouncey with the standard springs.

 

Problem 1 is that there are a couple of harsh speed bumps where I live so I might find that using the springs takes it a bit too low, whereas with coilovers I can drop it to just the right height.

 

So, springs for about £60 (second hand obviously) and use the rest to sort out ARB's, and some other bits, or coilovers for £500+? Opinions/views very welcome.

 

 

(Or save up for longer and get a charger? Not really a good option because I'd want to have the handling sorted out before fitting a charger.)

[Rams 0]

Ok, I am goint to deal with this one first¬ This is something I do know about!!

 

Its not advisable to go for a spring lower than30 /40mm, on standard shocks. Reason being is that you use more of the spring rather than the shock, so the ride becomes very hard and wont give when taking corners at speed when roads in this country are so crap it would just bounce and skip and reck your shocks.

 

It is better that you go for a lowered shock and lowered sring to balance the suspension as balance is all about having a good ride and being able to take corners at speeds and challenge our driving skills.

 

So if you dont want to spend loads of money on coilovers then buy a sports kit. I.e. lowered shock and spring around 40 /60 mm plus.

 

The fact that these are only a few hundred less mean having an adjustable kit to give you more control with the set up.

 

you can buy a sports kit that is just dampening adjustable still for a lot less than a good coilover kit, but you are on this forum as your a keen driver and lover of the Cso you may aswell justify the extra money and slamm your C or have it to a perfect looking ride heigh. That IMO is the arch gap looking non exsistant but not to low that its breaks your oil sump so when you have the image of the lowered car it looks drivable and more apealing to an enthuasiast. When ever you go to these shows, most of the times the cars are wound down for the look.

 

The only problem is that if you regulary change the height then you need the allignement done.

 

I am just about to fit my coil overs next week and im going to have a nice low ride but drivable as having to crawl over bumps at .2 mph is no fun and you can look a bit silly when you have a mother in her volvo up your ass untill your over the bump that is!

[G60Jet 1]

Tom

 

Wait two weeks and i'll let you drive my C with lowering springs, uprated bushes and strut braces and then tell me how well it handles!!!

 

I wouldn't change the shocks for coilovers or anything else untill the need doing and given the fact that your C has Low milage, i'd just put some lowering spring on it for now. Unless your shocks need changing.

[Scott 0]

Coilovers.... no butts!

[dubster82 0]

you might as will put on 30mm springs. Isn't too low, not too high.

 

Like Nige says, your car is low mileage and 30mm wont wreck it at all. You also dont want to go over speed humps at , as Rams says .2mph. Mine could go lower on my coilies but i still have to take speed bumps really slowly, so springs would be a good compromise i reckon. You could get top adjustables when/if your shocks are knackered, but at the moment, you might as well keep the money for other bits that you want done. You'll probably be happier that you got a lot for your money. If you do get a kit, then at least your spending around £350 insted of £500-£600.

 

You shouldnt even need uprated bushes either, apparently brand new VW are quite tough anyway. just spend some on making sure everything under there is top condition.

[VR6 0]

Thanks for your different angles on things guys.

 

At the moment, I'm swaying towards just the lowered springs......

 

I'm not going huge drop - probably just 30-40 - nice standard C so I don't really want to slam it mainly because of the speed bump issue. I love the look of a really low (within reason) car though.

 

I also think that I will wait until the shocks need doing before I think about the coilovers. I doubt I would get very much for some 40k mile shocks really so it wouldn't offset the cost of the coilovers very much.

 

What are the other main things to improve the handling?

[Joe M 0]

Strut braces are coming soon for me. 8)

[dubster82 0]

I was talking to someone at inters about strut braces and he said that he found the front one made his back end twitchy. Im not gonna fit them as i dont want a rear one. One thing i would consider is Bigger anti-roll bars. Talking to someone they say that if you fit only one, it can oversteer or understeer depending if its at the front or the back, so i guess you'd have to get both. which wouldn't be too bad. Supposed to make the hadling like a go-kart too.... :lol:

[VR6 0]

Any good ARB recommendations?

 

Heard that they can be a bit of a pig to change but I have no idea of what's involved.

[Joe M 0]

I was talking to someone at inters about strut braces and he said that he found the front one made his back end twitchy. Im not gonna fit them as i dont want a rear one. One thing i would consider is Bigger anti-roll bars. Talking to someone they say that if you fit only one, it can oversteer or understeer depending if its at the front or the back, so i guess you'd have to get both. which wouldn't be too bad. Supposed to make the hadling like a go-kart too.... :lol:

 

Will be going for both, boot space isnt an issue for me and at the moment I am working for a go-kart centre so it kinda makes sense. 8) :lol:

[dubster82 0]

Any good ARB recommendations?

 

Heard that they can be a bit of a pig to change but I have no idea of what's involved.

 

I think i remember years ago you got ones that attached to the standard ones? I think Neuspeed are good if these are the ones Kevhaywire have? Adjustable too i understand!!!

 

I am working for a go-kart centre

 

Nice one!!! Corrado day out go karting then? LOL

[G60Jet 1]

I was talking to someone at inters about strut braces and he said that he found the front one made his back end twitchy. Im not gonna fit them as i dont want a rear one. One thing i would consider is Bigger anti-roll bars. Talking to someone they say that if you fit only one, it can oversteer or understeer depending if its at the front or the back, so i guess you'd have to get both. which wouldn't be too bad. Supposed to make the hadling like a go-kart too.... :lol:

 

If you add just a front one then it doesn't make the back twitchy, it make the front handle better, meaning the back feel twitchy as the car flexis in a different place, thats why you should run front and rear ones, otherwise your are just shifting the stress point on the cars floor pan. Anti roll bars are best fitting in conjuction with strut braces from what i've read, but unless you are track day mad, then i dont think road driving would warrent much more than a pair of strut braces.

 

VW bushes are good, but the uprated ones are cheaper to replace although on the Corrado the rear bushes provide the passive rear wheel steering, and using uprated bushes does loose some of that rear steering unless you drop the car, and strut brace it up, then you are making everything in your suspension work harder, thus bring that rear steering back.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I think i remember years ago you got ones that attached to the standard ones? I think Neuspeed are good if these are the ones Kevhaywire have? Adjustable too i understand!!!

 

Correct-a-mondo my man. The Neuspeed ones are fantastic. They cost more than the obligatory Eibachs, but when you see them, you soon see why. Yes the rear NSpeed is adjustable - soft, intermediate and hard. You can get them in 25 and 28mm flavours. I recommend the 25mm one as the 28mm will have your back end out if you don't respect the changes uprated bars bring about.

 

The NSpeed rear attachs via proper clamps to the rear axle, not wimpy stainless straps as per the ibax. They also use rose joints so that there is give in the bar when the car is traversing straight line bumps.

 

Kev

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Forgot to add, Awesome are the only official UK supplier of Neuspeed kit and if you want a good strut brace, use a Neuspeed one. They are the absolute best. Awesome get 10 out of 10 for service and advice in my opinion. Jim Cotton is a top bloke.

 

Kev

[Joe M 0]

Forgot to add, Awesome are the only official UK supplier of Neuspeed kit and if you want a good strut brace, use a Neuspeed one. They are the absolute best. Awesome get 10 out of 10 for service and advice in my opinion. Jim Cotton is a top bloke.

 

Kev

 

Good to hear, Neuspeed is probably the one I am going to go for. 8)

At the front anyway, Trimsport for the rear methinks.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Any good ARB recommendations?

 

Heard that they can be a bit of a pig to change but I have no idea of what's involved.

 

Eibach are good, Neuspeed better.

 

The rear one of either brand can be fitted in an hour if you have some axle stands. The front one takes a lot more work. You have to remove the rear subframe bolts and suspend the whole engine assembly on the front bolts whilst fitting. Not a job for the faint hearted - the risk of 100s of kilos of engine falling on your stomach is something to bear in mind. That said, I did it and am still alive!

 

Kev

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Good to hear, Neuspeed is probably the one I am going to go for. 8)

At the front anyway, Trimsport for the rear methinks.

 

Absolutely. The NSpeed is of the fixed variety, much better than the adjustable type. You have to drill your strut towers though and probably drop the actual mcpherson assemblies too. Depends if the Nspeed comes with captive nuts or not.

 

Turn2 do a very nice removable rear brace. In my opinion the rear one is of more use than the front as it's triangualted and stops the shell twisting. Either way, you won't feel the effect of the braces until you're driving at 9/10ths.

 

Kev

[Mike Edwards 0]

Going back to the original post - regardless of mileage, the age of your (original?) shocks and the ride quality you describe means they are probably well past their best.

 

Fit some new ones - preferrably Koni top adjustables and some H&R springs.

 

The car will sit nicely and still ride/handle well.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Going back to the original post - regardless of mileage, the age of your (original?) shocks and the ride quality you describe means they are probably well past their best.

 

Fit some new ones - preferrably Koni top adjustables and some H&R springs.

 

The car will sit nicely and still ride/handle well.

 

Agreed on all points. You should never fit uprated springs to original spec dampers. The valving is just not up the job of damping the oscillations of uprated springs, especially when worn. You'll bounce into the nearest ditch.

 

Kev

[dubster82 0]

If you add just a front one then it doesn't make the back twitchy,

it make the front handle better, meaning the back feel twitchy

 

Isn't that a contradiction?

 

i dont think road driving would warrent much more than a pair of strut braces

 

I don't actually want to see the strut braces, hence why i only wanted ARB's. Anyone run the bars without the braces?

 

VW bushes are good, but the uprated ones are cheaper to replace

 

 

Didn't realise that. But then aren't uprated one polyurethane and dont wear? hence you shouldn't have to replace them? I knew about the rear steering part and it dont seem to bother anyone. Any one reckon its the rear wheel steering that makes the damn thing tail happy?

[Joe M 0]

Funnily enough when I had the rear bushes done on mine it now seems less tail happy, I had the tyres changed about the same time though so thought it was more likely down to them. :?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

I haven't noticed any tail happiness from my C, but then I probably drive like an old fart :?

 

I used some Power flex bushes on a MK2 once and pulled them off shortly after! They creak when you brake and they don't dampen road vibrations especially well.

 

The VW ones are pretty good. They just get squidgy with age, compare a new one with an old one and you'll see what I mean, especially on the rear axle ones.

 

I'm trialling some Vibratechnics wishbone bushes next week, so I'll let you know what they're like.

 

Kev