Am I wasting my time with cooksports/cup shocks?

[Baer]

Currently building a PH1 172 to drive to the ring 1x/2x a year on the holidays, track days throughout the year, and used probably 5-6x per month on average to go to the shops or a little trip away or whatever.

For suspension, I had settled on cooksports/cup shocks/PMS top mounts and strut brace, and actually have already bought them - I'm wondering if this is a waste of time and if I should sell them and go for BC DS series coilovers?

Further to this, would I require a roll center correction kit with just the cooksports/cup shocks?

The other things happening for 2023 are a rear brace, 16mm/10mm spacers on front and rear respectively, bucket seats, a mild brake upgrade, and group N timing, matched inlets, 182 manifold.

 

[Krarl]

My track car has Grams springs (I previously had Cookspoet which were slightly crashy and also snapped) and cup shocks, black polybushes, solid top mounts with a brace, quaife diff, roll centre hubs and a rear ARB

It's immense. Yeah I could put some ASTs on there at like £1500 but tbh the shocks and springs are spot on

 

[Baer]

Thank you! In that case I think I'll stick with what I have, if I find the cooksports too stiff or crashy, I'll swap them out for grams.

2 questions:
How was the car without the roll center hubs?
What rubber are you running on those OZ F1's? (I'm trying to decide between AR-1's and PS3's for my use)

 

[Krarl]

Thank you! In that case I think I'll stick with what I have, if I find the cooksports too stiff or crashy, I'll swap them out for grams.

2 questions:
How was the car without the roll center hubs?
What rubber are you running on those OZ F1's? (I'm trying to decide between AR-1's and PS3's for my use)

The Cooksport were only harsh on the road, on track they were fine. The grams are just ever so slightly better

I upgraded a lot of stuff at once this summer so before the car was pretty okay with just cup shocks, grams springs and upgraded bushes and mounts, it was fine on track. But adding roll centre hubs really transforms the car, you can really really push it into corners without having to correct the steering every single millisecond and the car doesn't want to throw you into the nearest ditch. Add on top the Quaife LSD and its just a totally different car. It just depends how long your arms are and how deep your pockets go🤣

Track wheels I have 205/50/15 AR-1 and then I have some 2118 with 195/50/15 PS3 on

 

[Baer]

The Cooksport were only harsh on the road, on track they were fine. The grams are just ever so slightly better

I upgraded a lot of stuff at once this summer so before the car was pretty okay with just cup shocks, grams springs and upgraded bushes and mounts, it was fine on track. But adding roll centre hubs really transforms the car, you can really really push it into corners without having to correct the steering every single millisecond and the car doesn't want to throw you into the nearest ditch. Add on top the Quaife LSD and its just a totally different car. It just depends how long your arms are and how deep your pockets go🤣

Track wheels I have 205/50/15 AR-1 and then I have some 2118 with 195/50/15 PS3 on

Thanks so much - I want to really get the handling dialed this year so I'll definitely pick up a roll center correction kit in that case.

I'll probably go with the PS3's in 205/50/15 as I'll be driving to/from track.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

I have cooksports and cup shocks on mine.

My springs haven't snapped (yet) but I believe they snap due to corrosion and mine have been waxed from day 1.

They are ok, car sits nicely with them on 15's. However they are neither a good track choice or a good road choice really. Car is a touch too firm for the road and too soft for dedicated track use - however occasional track use was absolutely fine imo.

If you are doing track days on road tyres I think they are fine, if you were doing track days on more focused rubber I think you would find them way too soft.

 

[Baer]

I have cooksports and cup shocks on mine.

My springs haven't snapped (yet) but I believe they snap due to corrosion and mine have been waxed from day 1.

They are ok, car sits nicely with them on 15's. However they are neither a good track choice or a good road choice really. Car is a touch too firm for the road and too soft for dedicated track use - however occasional track use was absolutely fine imo.

If you are doing track days on road tyres I think they are fine, if you were doing track days on more focused rubber I think you would find them way too soft.

Damn, this is what my worry was. Just an in between and not good enough at either.

Maybe more people will chime in but I want to get it right first time if I can tbh.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

On PS3's which are more road tyres I think you will be absolutely fine mate.

Nothing beats fitting the parts you have and trying it out

 

[MLB]

I've got cup shocks and grams springs with PMS topmounts. Quite comfortable on the road and fine on track with budget semi slicks (Federal 595).

Unless you're already a skilled trackday driver I'd just stick to what you've got.

 

[Baer]

I'm gonna stick with what I've got, get the roll centre kit, and then use the car all season and make changes at the end of the season if I need to.

 

[Ph1 Tom]

I found Koni shocks were a massive improvement over cup shocks with the cooksport springs.

Only downside is no height adjustment.

 

[Baer]

I found Koni shocks were a massive improvement over cup shocks with the cooksport springs.

Only downside is no height adjustment.

I've heard good things about the konis, I might pick up some and test on a couple back to back trackdays as it only takes me an afternoon to change the lot out.

 

[Baer]

I found Koni shocks were a massive improvement over cup shocks with the cooksport springs.

Only downside is no height adjustment.

Sorry for the double reply - could you give me a link to the shocks? I just want to make sure I get the right measurement for the PH1 struts.

 

[Ph1 Tom]

Sorry for the double reply - could you give me a link to the shocks? I just want to make sure I get the right measurement for the PH1 struts.

https://www.kamracing.co.uk/koni-yellow-dampers-renault-clio-mk2-rs172-rs182.html

 

[Tonyclio]

When I fitted coilovers to my car I had the camber /castor/ corner weighted etc. professionally set up by Track Torque near Wetherby and the difference was incredible. I set the car up as best I could myself then tried it at one event ( ran out of time to get it professionally sorted) before taking it to Track Torque, the difference was night and day. This resulted in my times being over a second quicker at Harewood and that's a lot ( I'm down to a PB of 65.53 in class 1B) .
So whatever you do get it set up professionally you will not regret it!

 

[Jackie]

I've just done a suspension refresh with cup dampers and Cooksport springs.
Only reason for choosing the Cooksports was they were slightly cheaper.

Firm but totally usable on the road imho. The springs are much less thick compared to the Eibach sport lines they replaced, a bit lighter and smaller too.

My car was already on pretty firm springs so maybe that's why I don't mind them.

 

[R3k1355]

Cup shocks and Cooksports or Eibach springs is a top combo on a Clio.

You need to spend quite alot more money to get something 'better', and even then it's only an improvement if the driver is capable of getting the most out of it.

 

[Jackie]

Plus you need to spend lots of time and energy faffing with settings of adjustable dampers and camber settings etc.

Would love some affordable Sachs dampers I could just bolt in to make my own trophy homage.
But probably not worth money.

Renault got it pretty spot on really. Not much need to mod them unless you're a track day legend.
Apart from the original top mounts which are pretty crap.

 

[Krarl]

Cooksports just snap for fun

Grams are 10x better for not being made from cheese. Feel sort of the same though

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Cooksports just snap for fun

Grams are 10x better for not being made from cheese. Feel sort of the same though

Mine have been find mate. I think its the coating or paint they use, gets a scratch then all the corrosion happens RIGHTNOW and then it snaps. I barfed wax all over them and they are all good *touches wood, people in office look worried again.

 

[Krarl]

Mine have been find mate. I think its the coating or paint they use, gets a scratch then all the corrosion happens RIGHTNOW and then it snaps. I barfed wax all over them and they are all good *touches wood, people in office look worried again.

Remind me how many miles your Clio has done since you rebuilt it Robert? 😂

 

[Baer]

Posted this 3 or 4 months ago now, my cooksports are actually up for sale ATM as I'm trying to scrape together the cash for a gearbox, driveshafts and some other MOT related stuff. I never even put them on.

Trip to the ring is cancelled too, I'm just trying to get her to a solid stock condition to at least get a road trip to Italy in for August/Sept.

I'll probably just be saving up for coils next year! The big question mark for me is if roll centre correction kit is worth it alongside suspension for a car that's 50/50 road and track.

 

[Robbie Corbett]

Remind me how many miles your Clio has done since you rebuilt it Robert? 😂

Actual coffee came out of my mouth hahaha

You are not wrong, 2k max, but it is sitting there supporting its own weight just fine.