Best Coilovers

Mikey16vClio · Mar 28, 2003

I want to lower my 16v in the future but cant have it slamed like clean16v cause i have speed humps to battle every day to work, which already scrape the exhaust if you take them too quick!

I know i need to get the torsion bar adjusted onto new dampers is it? Plus need the brake bias valve adjusted. Any1 recommend anywhere near Manchester for fitting aswell?

So what is the best affordable (not F1 spec) coilover kit for a 16v, & how low is reasonable considering i have 16s & the little speed hump problem? Cheers.

Mikey16vClio · Mar 28, 2003

Any1 recommend thiers to me?

BenR · Mar 28, 2003

AVO, GAZ, KW etc, they are all about the same as they are only rebound adjustable, not the best, but fine for most uses.

non will really be indefinately better than another.

BRUN · Mar 28, 2003

i know GAZ have better corrosion protection than the AVOs......thats what ive heard anywayz....

an with most coilovers you can adjust the ride height to suit you

Jas · Mar 28, 2003

Im getting some GAZ ones fitted to my 16v in the next fortnight. If you can wait till then Ill give my opinion on them.

Fred@BTM · Mar 28, 2003

FKs use koni internals apparently

RobFenn · Mar 28, 2003

I wouldnt get coilovers unless you can adjust stiffness as well..the whole point of coilovers is to get the setting exactly how you want.

Jas · Mar 28, 2003

I think most coilovers are adjustable? The GAZ ones def. are.

BenR · Mar 28, 2003

rebound only, which isnt much to play with....

we need to get some fast/slow rebound/compression remote reserviour, castor/camber/SAI/Castoroffset adj coilovers.......they would be cool!

Mikey16vClio · Mar 28, 2003

Where u ordering ur Gaz ones from? Whats the damage?

Is it only rear dampers and front coilovers & springs?

Matty · Mar 28, 2003

Can recommend the FK Automotive coilovers I have had for just over a week now. Didnt pay for the damping adjustable ones as I feel the standard Highsport ones are OK for fast road use. Unless I was doing tracks and wanted to set up for them (who actually does this) I dont feel the extra expense is worth it.

I looked at all the coilovers available and dismissed GAZ as I have heard they can be too hard, AVO as some places seem to now do GAZ rather than AVO so what is wrong with AVO? Narrowed it down to H&R, KW and FK. H&R are expensive so it came down to two.

FK come with a lifetime guarantee if fitted from an authorised fitter (not many in UK but FK are gonna advertise heavily in mags over the next few months). They are also using Koni internals, allegedly. Are better made than KW (said the place that fitted them) and are TUV approved which means they are actually tested on the vehicle extensively before production (if GAZ are too harsh and now producing a different spring why was this not done before production?). They also use helper springs which I feel are a good idea as you then have two spring rates to help with different driving, speed etc.

Mine cost me £480 inc fitting as there was a FOC fitting offer until end of December for those placing orders. Fronts coilovers are height adjustable with two lock rings (that dont round off like KW does) and rears are just uprated shocks.

I am well happy. Obviously cant compare against all the other coilovers as I havent personally tried them but feel the FK stuff is of good quality and at a good price. My suspension is one less thing to worry about now with the lifetime guarantee like my Magnex.

Matty · Mar 28, 2003

Hope I havent offended anyone with my comments, just gone on feedback from what I have heard on the forum and from what I have gleaned from various car places.

I dont take critisicm of a product from one place to mean anything as sometimes it is because they do not stock the item or have a different item they prefer to sell. If you get a few similar comments from places then I believe there is something to it.

If anyone was looking into coilovers I would say check user comments here (and elsewhere on other forums) and also check websites of manufacturers to get an idea of what they do that is different to everyone else and why. Come to your own conclusion and enjoy your purchase.

BUTRE · Mar 28, 2003

LEDA

BenR · Mar 28, 2003

Dont do coilovers for this car.

Matty · Mar 28, 2003

Think Leda do for the 1.8 16v as I asked them ages ago and now we get discount. Bit pricey for what I wanted and heard a few stories from Scooby owners regarding warranty work etc.

BenR · Mar 28, 2003

just looked, yup 16Vs have coilovers and theya re tasety!

195 each eaint bad and you can work on your own spring rates.....

rears are 83....not bad either.

BUTRE · Mar 29, 2003

Go LEDA.

BenR · Mar 29, 2003

Stop it!!! have you ever tried them!??

MaLicE · Mar 29, 2003

i got a redline magazine which had a redline automotive parts brosure in it and it has some nice looking kits in that and also some f**king tasty looking rear dampers which are ride adjustable and have sprins over them so u have enen more controll over tortion bar hieght have there own little etra resevoir to. but 300 quid for the rear dameners is a bit to much i think :/

MaLice

oh they do em for the clios to

BUTRE · Mar 29, 2003

Im geting on your nerves right? eheh

BenR · Mar 29, 2003

Quote: Originally posted by MaLicE on 29 March 2003

i got a redline magazine which had a redline automotive parts brosure in it and it has some nice looking kits in that and also some f**king tasty looking rear dampers which are ride adjustable and have sprins over them so u have enen more controll over tortion bar hieght have there own little etra resevoir to. but 300 quid for the rear dameners is a bit to much i think :/

MaLice

oh they do em for the clios to

I think you need to go redo your GCSE english again.

clean16v · Mar 30, 2003

Gaz are height and rebound adjustable. i think i was one of the first people to put GAZ coilovers on my clio and i had to change my front springs cos they were originally to hard. i now have R5 springs and they are fine, set them up for softest setting for everyday driving, and tighten them up for twisty blasts. After lots of messing about with them i reckon i have them set up perfect now, corners disappear and the car just takes loads of abuse through corners. Put it this way, i am yet to lose it round a corner, and i have been trying(in safe environments of course!) Basically, i havent found a limit to grip yet, just to the size of my balls!

Mikey16vClio · Mar 30, 2003

What about rear damper/shock settings? Do you change these in relation to front?

How far has yours been droped clean16v? I measured the distance from exhaust centre box to peak of speed bumps at work & it means i can only go 30mm lower. Is it worth it?

Matty · Mar 30, 2003

Got mine lowered one spline (ish) at the back which is roughly about 1mm and more at the front so the car is level.

Handling is a lot better now, looks more aggresive and also allows me enough road clearance. Whatever you lower it by remember more weight in the car (passengers or boot full of ice) will lower it further still.

Mikey16vClio · Mar 31, 2003

Not with stiffer dampers and springs will it?

1mm lowered! Wow, that is low!

Clean16v; what comes with the Gaz set (dampers or stiffer shocks) and whats the damage (£)?

I think i can trust your judgement on handeling. How much lower is yours from standard too?

clean16v · Mar 31, 2003

Not sure how much lower mate, it could have gone much lower BUT handling would be sacrificed, think it cost about £500 fitted, the rear shocks are damp adjustable, can be very stiff or quite damping. The fronts are full coilovers, i.e. height and damping adjustable! you have seen me just before the race strip adjusting my coilovers!

Mikey16vClio · Mar 31, 2003

Werent the springs a set lowering height, then the torsion bar was matched?

clean16v · Mar 31, 2003

No, the front can be adjusted as high or low as you want, thats the advantage of coilovers! the rear was set to match front after you have decide how low you want it! i had it brought up twice at the front because when i originally got it fitted it was far too low!

Matty · Mar 31, 2003

Meant 15mm at back but obviously couldnt type. Rear tyre just sits snugly under the arch now without anyone in car. Front is probably a bit more but done so that the stance of the car is level and front end lower than back.

Mikey16vClio · Mar 31, 2003

What does every1 else with 16vs have it lowered by in mm?

I mean the rear torsion bar if u all have adjustable front coil overs. Thanx

Ben j · Mar 31, 2003

1 spline is 35 mm

Mikey16vClio · Mar 31, 2003

So is that the norm peeps?

Matty · Apr 1, 2003

Sure mine is about 15mm lower at back than it was. Even measured it. Tyre just sits under the arch without hardly any gap now on 195/50/15s.

Id just get it lowered to suit the kind of roads you drive on and to whether or not you carry a few peeps in the car. As for overall mm olowered, I just got mine done so it sat level which means the front is lower than the back.

adiclio16v · Apr 1, 2003

my silver valver was lowered 40mm on 17s always wished id lowered it more really even tho it did catch occasionally as it was

new beast is lowered about 60mm at the back and stupid low at the front on avo coilovers it catches the 15s not had a chance to mess with settings but even with lots of speed bumps round mine its ok if ur careful think a sump guard mite be a sound investment tho

adi

Mikey16vClio · Apr 1, 2003

So you had 1 spline off the torsion bar Adi? What about clean16v? Like i said the centre exhaust box will scrap if i go any lower than 30mm!

adiclio16v · Apr 2, 2003

my silver 1 was 1 spline the red one and mehdis is gonna be 2 splines

fuk it jus slam it u kno ya wanna

adi

Mikey16vClio · Apr 2, 2003

Yeah fu*k the expense use hydrolics for the bumps.

Was this u then Adi; http://forum.cliosport.net/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=11&TopicID=31535&PagePosition=1 http://forum.cliosport.net/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=11&TopicID=31535&PagePosition=1

clean16v · Apr 2, 2003

SLAM IT!!! 5 splines

Mikey16vClio · Apr 2, 2003

Urs 2 then Mehdi?

clean16v · Apr 2, 2003

Thing is with this 2 splines 1 spline business, i dont think it works like that. I have taken the rear beam to pieces and worked out how it works and to be perfectly honest there is no way that whoever adjusts the torsion bar can rotate it just 1 spline there are loads of teeth on the torsion bar so just moving it by one tooth would be very difficult. i reckon neither mine or Adis cars are exactly the same drop at the back, but yes mine is dropped about 50mm, would say 55-65 at front. I remember putting my question to either BB or K-tec and they said you can drop it by however much you want at the back, its not just 35/50/65 incremints(sp) if you know what i mean.

did that make any sense? i know what i mean its too early in the morning tho

Best Coilovers

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