So just how good are the Sachs Trophy dampers?

[Wests Renault]

Just how much better are the Sachs trophy dampers over the standard 182 cup packed units?

Who has upgraded them and what did you notice?

Car will be used mainly for fast road with the occasional track day (4/5 a year)

If I take the plunge I would also be using Eibach sportlines and a whiteline ARB.

Thanks

Tom

 

[Fred@BTM]

comparing a £500 damper to a £50 damper - the answer is pretty obvious!


brilliant as always with the right setup

 

[aucky]

Buy mine against a new pair fronts Tom

 

[Wests Renault]

comparing a £500 damper to a £50 damper - the answer is pretty obvious!


brilliant as always with the right setup

I know you can't compare the 2 but my question was more, are the worth the £450 difference?

 

[Fred@BTM]

if you ask a Trophy owner they'll say yes!

Ask Sam@BTM, he's un pinned his, added camber, listened to his boss (for once), and its a pretty bloody good car!

 

[JohnnyE]

Ive just bought new Sach dampers and Mark Fish springs and getting fitted next week so let you know how they feel. Also ive fitted a whiteline rarb so im hoping it handles effin great

 

[Sam@NP]

Awesome damper unit, massively compliant on bumpy B-roads with loads of body control. On track with track rubber they can start to get out of there depth a little but they are still immense fun and once set up properly can give you a seriously fun and adjustable chassis.

Anyone who takes their dampers off is rather silly in my eyes and haven't discovered the full potential they have. Remember the Leon Touring car won the Nurburgring 24hrs running these dampers

 

[Keith185]

Awesome dampers straight out of box, like Fred and Sam mentioned get them unpinned, some extra pieces together with alignment and it opens up a whole new level to them in terms of ability and performance imo.

 

[Wests Renault]

What does getting them unpinned mean?

 

[DannyR]

You can adjust the damping setting

 

[Rhys Beal]

I have only driven around 100 miles on my setup so far. Spec is: Trophy Dampers, Sportlines, AST topmounts, polybushed front end, and all new ball joints and track rod ends.

You notice immediately that this setup is pretty stiff over standard. I would say a fair bit of ride comfort has gone. However, for me this is irrelevant.
On the roads where I live (the country!) at slow speeds through villages it is quite harsh. Once up to speed it dampens the bumps better, but once you cog it down and drive "spiritedly" it is something else. I thought the standard cup setup was a good compromise between comfort and handling. This Trophy setup is leaps and bounds better in handling. I didn't realise how much room for improvement there was over the cup setup. The way my car turns in is fantastic. It is so precise and holds the line much better than the cup suspension. It gives confidence and I would say a vast improvement in grip. I am running crap tyres, T1R's, and the difference is enough to say you are driving on some fairly sticky rubber. The car feels dainty and almost pin sharp. From the extra stiffness you gain more feel and feedback from the chassis.
These are my first impressions from around 100 miles use. I am very happy with them and cannot wait to get some PS3's under it and a Whiteline ARB so a little more adjustability.
I must add the dampers are still pinned and the car is running around 1.5 neg camber front and 20mins of toe out.

 

[MarcB]

Best Standard suspension set up i have ever had in the car.

I just cant wait till next month when i buy another set and that means i can get mine refurbished. I would never replace them with anything else.

 

[Keith185]

What does getting them unpinned mean?

From factory they adjuster dial has a pin fitted through it into the body of the reservoir to lock them at that damping rate. All the adjustment valve mechanism is there to adjust the rate.

 

[Tommo.]

How would this set-up compare to say a set of coilovers? Such as the blistein b14's.... again, this would be for fast road / occasional track use.

 

[Gman]

How would this set-up compare to say a set of coilovers? Such as the blistein b14's.... again, this would be for fast road / occasional track use.

I done about 20k in my Trophy and about 14k in my B14'd 172cup, for road use the Sachs much better in my opinion, as many have said the Sachs are so compliant over our roads, the Bilsteins are great shocks but lack the control that the Sachs give.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Awesome damper unit, massively compliant on bumpy B-roads with loads of body control. On track with track rubber they can start to get out of there depth a little but they are still immense fun and once set up properly can give you a seriously fun and adjustable chassis.

Anyone who takes their dampers off is rather silly in my eyes and haven't discovered the full potential they have. Remember the Leon Touring car won the Nurburgring 24hrs running these dampers

I like suspension with some compliance in it, means it doesnt matter if you ride the kerbs etc, and at the ring its a lot bumpier in sections than most normal tracks, so im not surprised to hear that at all.

The trophy setup when in good working order is as close to perfection for a sports road car as you'll find IMHO