suspension kit

[Scanny]

what kit is the one to get to lower by 30 to 40 mm and improve handling at a budget of 500 to 600? Also what exact components are weakened by lowering? Im thinking of buying those components and having them strengthened by a company down south who use a unique method which strengthens metal evenly in a freezer

[ritch_w]

search for Eibach springs and bilstein shocks, these will transform you v6 for less than £400. you could probably go down the road of coilovers for £500 - 600.

Don't think anything will be weakened specifically by lowering, normal wear and tear will still occur and things will wear out eventually like bushes, ball joints etc - you could replace them for piece of mind, but I wouldn't bother until somethings actually on it way out!

[Scanny]

help! Still no internet and still none the wiser. What are coilovers and what benefits do they offer over shocks and springs?

[Rikki]

I would not go the coilover route. My bro has some on his and every road feels like its full of potholes. Instead, you would save your wallet, and your arse, by adding Koni adjustable shocks all round, about £80 each coupled with Spax -40mm springs. I used Koni shocks on my old GLS and they made the car into a simply awesome cornering machine. I currently have Bilstein B4? (£45 each) shocks on my V6 with the Spax. The ride is a little more comfortable as the B4 are not really uprated, but it is not as solid through the corners as the old GLS was with Koni. A good solid front strut will help too :pimp2:

[Louis]

Info om coil overs, my set up, may help

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13851

[Turbo_Steve]

Nothing wrong with coilovers. It's all down to how they are setup: spring rebound rate, compress and return rates on the shock are all configurable.

Simply dismissing all coilovers as rubbish simply because one set weren't correctly tailored for the application is akin to stating that "cars are crap because I went in one and the heater was too warm".

However, the valid point there is that not all shocks / springs / kits / coilovers etc are created equal. You need to establish what it is you're trying to achieve from the beginning of the process, and then choose products that suit.

Most manufacturers offer their product in a range of setups, so it's best to seek advice from them, or their reseller, before choosing your purchase.

Kenny or Louis or one of the others with lots of technical experience should be along shortly with some even better advice on this than I can offer.

[Turbo_Steve]

!! And Louis actually beat me to it!

[Rikki]

Simply dismissing all coilovers as rubbish simply because one set weren't correctly tailored for the application is akin to stating that "cars are crap because I went in one and the heater was too warm".

I don't believe I said they were rubbish, I simply said I would not go that route and stated my recent experience. In my opinion, coilovers have a place, and normal road driving in Scotland with the roads the state they are, is not it. I have not yet been in a car with coilovers where the ride felt 'good' on the road.

The Koni adjustable shocks IMO are the best all round option, for road use.

[Scanny]

environment is a good point. I dont do many motorway miles so comfort isnt a main priority. I dont want a ride that feels like it doesnt have suspension but handling on twisty roads is the focus although it will be better than my gls anyway. 17" low profiles will always handle better than 14"budget tyres. I have thought about tyres and im going for a mid range compound. I have had soft before which were great in the dry but rubbish in the wet. Thats no use to me. I replaced them with falken ZE502s which were good all round

[ritch_w]

Scanny - what suspension option(s) did you end up going for?