AST coilover questions

[scooby-93]

I'm in need of some coilovers, I'm currently on cup shocks and cooksport springs all round, there fine on the road but way to soft on track and since fully stripping the car are actually very twitchy and un predictable.

Ive done a lot of searching and research and think AST's will be the best option for me but just a few questions I still have.

How do they stand up to corrosion? I.e mud,grit, water general country road crap (as I live in the sticks and use the car as a weekend bit fun as well as tracking it)

I also don't have a garage so caf would be standing outside in the elements 365 days a year!

What are the service intervals for these? And roughly how much per corner for a strip down check etc?

Also what are the lead time on these from ordering?

Is there any other coilovers up there with ast ( track based ) and also feature rear coilover units that I should also consider?

Thanks

 

[Ph1 Tom]

I went from Koni adjustables with Cooksport springs to ASTs with 400lb front and 285lb rear springs. I didn't notice much difference in compliance but on track its like night and day. Very good coilovers.

I live on a peninsula between two beaches so I have corrosion worries but so far they've been fine. I do try and find the time to give them a clean down if I've been out in crap weather though. Mine is kept on the drive/under a car port.

I'd hazard a guess at every 2 years, that's the norm. Lead time is in months.

They aren't damping adjustable but Bilstein B14 are worth a mention as an all rounder and can be had for about the £600-700 mark.

 

[scooby-93]

I went from Koni adjustables with Cooksport springs to ASTs with 400lb front and 285lb rear springs. I didn't notice much difference in compliance but on track its like night and day. Very good coilovers.

I live on a peninsula between two beaches so I have corrosion worries but so far they've been fine. I do try and find the time to give them a clean down if I've been out in crap weather though. Mine is kept on the drive/under a car port.

I'd hazard a guess at every 2 years, that's the norm. Lead time is in months.

They aren't damping adjustable but Bilstein B14 are worth a mention as an all rounder and can be had for about the £600-700 mark.

Looking on the kam racing site they offer a fast road, trackday and race version of the AST's which are different spring ratings, which category would you say yours fitted into?

How long have you had yours fitted and how are they holding up?

When you say you try give them a clean do you mean wheels off quick hose down with water or coilovers off and re grease the threads etc?

Yeah the bilsteins were a option but thought they'd be to soft for me as it's going to be more track focused, but are the AST's actually worth double the bilsteins?

I don't want to buy the bilsteins on a chance just because they are half the price, I haven't cut corners on the car so far and defently don't want to on suspension either

 

[Martin.]

If you can afford them. Get them.

I held out buying some for so long. Thinking I could make do with just cup shocks and springs. Eventually forked out and I just wish I had done sooner. Such a great coilover kit.

My car lives outside all year too. As Tom does, I try to clean mine every now and again too. Take the wheels off give them a good clean up with a detailing brush.

I think I've got the track version on mine. 456 lb front and 475 lb rear. EPIC on track but a little too bumpy for the road, although I suspect all of my other changes are a big factor towards this too.

 

[Kelv]

I'm pretty damn certain yours were specced/ordered as the 'track day' variant Martin.

 

[Martin.]

I just checked. And yes they do fall into that category

 

[scooby-93]

If you can afford them. Get them.

I held out buying some for so long. Thinking I could make do with just cup shocks and springs. Eventually forked out and I just wish I had done sooner. Such a great coilover kit.

My car lives outside all year too. As Tom does, I try to clean mine every now and again too. Take the wheels off give them a good clean up with a detailing brush.

I think I've got the track version on mine. 456 lb front and 475 lb rear. EPIC on track but a little too bumpy for the road, although I suspect all of my other changes are a big factor towards this too.

thanks for your input mate, were yours the 4100 or 5100? What other changes had you done that you think had made a change?

 

[NorthloopCup]

If you can afford them. Get them.

I held out buying some for so long. Thinking I could make do with just cup shocks and springs. Eventually forked out and I just wish I had done sooner. Such a great coilover kit.

My car lives outside all year too. As Tom does, I try to clean mine every now and again too. Take the wheels off give them a good clean up with a detailing brush.

I think I've got the track version on mine. 456 lb front and 475 lb rear. EPIC on track but a little too bumpy for the road, although I suspect all of my other changes are a big factor towards this too.

They're supposed to be bumpy so you don't nod off on long journeys! Lol

 

[NorthloopCup]

thanks for your input mate, were yours the 4100 or 5100? What other changes had you done that you think had made a change?

4100 are sportline 1's (which is what I recall @Martin. is on?) and 5100 are the sportline 2's. They're an inverted damper on the 2's. It's also what I've got on my cup. They truly are an awesome bit of kit, but the penis that you have to deal with is, erm, not so awesome. Nice bloke, but shocking business acumen.

 

[Martin.]

Yep that's right, I'm on Sportline 1's or 4100 as they are now called.

If I was racing, where every little helps. I would have pushed that bit extra for the 5100s. But for what I wanted them for, track day fun, the 4100 are more than sufficient for me, and they save a few pound coins too.

I got mine through Cooksport. But did have to wait a few months :-(

 

[M.C..]

A few off here have been getting the B14 from Germany for around £560 http://www.cliosport.net/threads/blisteins-for-a-good-price.761683/page-2 bit of a bargin really, I did think about it but think they are a bit too soft and no damping adjustment.
What about Gaz gold's, I know the standard range does not get good reviews but are the Gold's any good?

 

[scooby-93]

A few off here have been getting the B14 from Germany for around £560 http://www.cliosport.net/threads/blisteins-for-a-good-price.761683/page-2 bit of a bargin really, I did think about it but think they are a bit too soft and no damping adjustment.
What about Gaz gold's, I know the standard range does not get good reviews but are the Gold's any good?

Yeah the bilsteins are a bargain for the price direct from Germany, but as you say fixd damping and they will be to soft for what I'm after, tried ringing Curtis from ast today but must be out the office untill the new year but I'm going to go for those i think

 

[M.C..]

If you can afford it I don't blame you, looking on Kam racing there is only £100 difference between the AST 1 and 2's

 

[-D4N-]

i went for the 5100's in custom spring rates and i ordered direct from curtis at AST and had no problems at all, returned my calls and emails promptly even when he was in the states and once i ordered them i received them with in a week so can't complain with that at all :up:

The quality from the kit is awesome i haven't had them on long so haven't tried them on the track yet.

 

[scooby-93]

i went for the 5100's in custom spring rates and i ordered direct from curtis at AST and had no problems at all, returned my calls and emails promptly even when he was in the states and once i ordered them i received them with in a week so can't complain with that at all :up:

The quality from the kit is awesome i haven't had them on long so haven't tried them on the track yet.

I think it's because they will be shut for xmas that I carnt get in touch with which is totally aceptable, do you mind saying what you paid for them and what spec you went for? PM if you prefer

 

[Martin.]

I got mine during the cooksport promotion. For £995. Bargain really.

Think they retail at about £1100 now.

 

[scooby-93]

If you can afford it I don't blame you, looking on Kam racing there is only £100 difference between the AST 1 and 2's

Do you have the bilsteins fitted on yours? Yeah Ive spent a fair bit on everything else on the car so don't want to skimp on the suspension so willing to stretch to the best ( within reason lol )

 

[scooby-93]

I got mine during the cooksport promotion. For £995. Bargain really.

Think they retail at about £1100 now.

Wow that is a lot cheaper than I thought!

 

[Chi]

Gaz are hard to beat IMO 2 year warranty and full coilovers front and rear..

 

[scooby-93]

Gaz are hard to beat IMO 2 year warranty and full coilovers front and rear..

Herd to many bad reviews im afraid, so didn't even really consider gaz golds etc

 

[M.C..]

Do you have the bilsteins fitted on yours? Yeah Ive spent a fair bit on everything else on the car so don't want to skimp on the suspension so willing to stretch to the best ( within reason lol )

No, I have new cup shocks and Cooksports.
I think they are OK for the price, I did consider the B14's when I seen the thread with that price from Germany but after a bit more reading decided that they were a bit to road orientated and it would have not really been any improvement over the Cooksports.

 

[scooby-93]

No, I have new cup shocks and Cooksports.
I think they are OK for the price, I did consider the B14's when I seen the thread with that price from Germany but after a bit more reading decided that they were a bit to road orientated and it would have not really been any improvement over the Cooksports.

I currently have the same setup with a rarb and for me on track it was way to soft, on the road it was perfect unless there was potholes/un even surface And it was crashd and unstable, once i full stripped the car it was awful on road and track

 

[M.C..]

Mines stripped out with cage RARB, I am not a fan of them on the road as you say a bit crashy, but mine is only really driven on the road to and from tracks.
I do think they are very good on the track for the cost though, my car corners much flatter than a lot of other clios I have seen (not sure what they have been running), but I can not justify the £1k+ for suspension for 6-7 trackdays a year plus another £200 for setting it up.

 

[bozothenutter]

on the AST site they offer two options on AST's, black diamond coating (probably some kind of DLC coating) which is supposed to reduce friction en resist corrosion, and some kind of roll compensation thingy the latter is supposed to be a very expensive option.

 

[scooby-93]

Mines stripped out with cage RARB, I am not a fan of them on the road as you say a bit crashy, but mine is only really driven on the road to and from tracks.
I do think they are very good on the track for the cost though, my car corners much flatter than a lot of other clios I have seen (not sure what they have been running), but I can not justify the £1k+ for suspension for 6-7 trackdays a year plus another £200 for setting it up.

Suspension is what will make you quicker aswell as tution ( unless your already a pro ) Id say cooksport a on cup springs are up there with low-mid range coilovers on track but I'm looking for the next set up and that for me is asts

 

[Martin.]

Sounds like you've already made you mind up :wink:

How much road driving do you do and intend on doing?

My car is like yours. Fully stripped, cage, buckets, harnesses, solid top mounts & brace, powerflex black rubbers all round, 15 inch wheels and onviously the ASTs.

As epic as they are on track, this setup is a bit too much on the road. Combined with the exhaust noise and road noise it makes long journeys to the track very tiring. Worth it when your on track though, so still wouldn't change a thing ;-)

Where do you live. Welcome to come and have a ride in mine and see what you think. I'm in Surrey. @scooby-93

 

[scooby-93]

Sounds like you've already made you mind up :wink:

How much road driving do you do and intend on doing?

My car is like yours. Fully stripped, cage, buckets, harnesses, solid top mounts & brace, powerflex black rubbers all round, 15 inch wheels and onviously the ASTs.

As epic as they are on track, this setup is a bit too much on the road. Combined with the exhaust noise and road noise it makes long journeys to the track very tiring. Worth it when your on track though, so still wouldn't change a thing ;-)

Where do you live. Welcome to come and have a ride in mine and see what you think. I'm in Surrey. @scooby-93

Very kind of you but I'm up in the north East lol, so a bit of a trek, yeah not a lot of road driving its just a track/weekend car but it's a lot more focused towards track with it been fully stripped etc, yeah pretty much have decided on the asts and if they are which they probly will be to hard on the road, so be it is.
It is for track use after all

 

[-D4N-]

I think it's because they will be shut for xmas that I carnt get in touch with which is totally aceptable, do you mind saying what you paid for them and what spec you went for? PM if you prefer

Price paid was £1400 delivered including VAT and what ever spring rates i wanted. I decided to go for 80nm (456 lbs) front springs and 110nm (627 lbs) rear springs. Curtis also said they were valved to take springs up 150nm all round or i could go down to 50nm all round if they were too hard. The springs he said were around £60 each as well if i wanted to change them which is quite cheap. The AST top mounts are quite expensive so i decided to go for the PMS top mounts as i already had cup wishbones to increase the castor.

Hope this helps

 

[scooby-93]

Yeah it does thanks ive got PMS strut and top mounts aswell, mine is a cupped pack 182 will it have the cup wishbones?

 

[Martin.]

Yes it will have the wishbones with more castor. Unless they were changed by a previous owner.

 

[NorthloopCup]

Suspension is what will make you quicker aswell as tution ( unless your already a pro ) Id say cooksport a on cup springs are up there with low-mid range coilovers on track but I'm looking for the next set up and that for me is asts

Corrected roll centres will make you even faster mate. They'd even make a car good on cheap coilovers tbh. They definitely work well with cup shocks and Cooksport springs! @lesley can confirm this.

 

[scooby-93]

Corrected roll centres will make you even faster mate. They'd even make a car good on cheap coilovers tbh. They definitely work well with cup shocks and Cooksport springs! @lesley can confirm this.

Ive seen The group buy mate but ive literally just had new wishbones and track rods and ends fitted so just going to stick with these for the time being

 

[Jonff]

Well worth getting ASTs IMO. Had them on the Ph-1 and the car was brilliant on track. If they stocked off the shelf coilovers for the Focus I'd have got them for the FRS too.

 

[scooby-93]

Well worth getting ASTs IMO. Had them on the Ph-1 and the car was brilliant on track. If they stocked off the shelf coilovers for the Focus I'd have got them for the FRS too.

yeah ive decided on them mate, just waiting to get in touch with curtis after the new year