Coilover choices and handling.

[Kelv]

Hi guys,

I know the coilover question has been done to death, but on searches I'm only finding comparisms on what I'm led to believe to be the entry level coilovers.

What I'd like is to hear feedback from those who are running options from further up the options range.
I'm not so worried what they cost (within reason) but would want the absolute best that I could warrant, ones which are ideal for heavy track days but still considered decent enough for the odd road trip, or a decent setup to suit the two.


Also, if you were to build the ideal handling Clio, what would be on the list of things to change?
I don't want to start replacing parts just to then find 6 months down the line that I should have bought something else instead, or taken a different route.

Cheers
Kelv.

 

[bozothenutter]

I goint to change the suspension too when mine gives up
I guess making sure the rest of the suspension is perfect (bushes etc) before going to coilovers will give you the best results.

 

[Chris_786]

I have H&R's and they are superb! As comfy as stock and handle amazingly!

Had Vmaxx before and while they are ok they are a bit crashy.

 

[v16daf]

I got Bilsteins and I love em

 

[domsclio182]

H&R's £900 ish
Camber adjustment bolts £20
Whiteline ARB £170
solid top mounts £180
powerflex bushs all round £250 ish
15" Wheels with good tyre's £650-850
Engine mounts £150-250

All plus fitting cost's,make these changes and you will have a awesome handling car.

 

[sideways danny]

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?590236-Spax-Coilover-pictures

 

[Kelv]

Dom, that's a perfect response I was hoping for.
Many thanks mate

I just assume the whiteline ATB should be ARB?
just so im 100% with your way of thinking.


Is there a recomended top mount, i dont want to go as extreme as on the escort where we started removing the front strut tunnels to re fabricate for 3 way adjustable mounts, then 6 degree adjusbablw rose jointed rear beams etc.

I just want the best that can be warranted.

Cheers.

 

[domsclio182]

Yes mate lol

 

[Kelv]

Cheers


More thoughts, with the engine mounts, are we talking along the lines of Vibra Technics or the like?

 

[domsclio182]

I have ktec top mounts,but AST'S are also good and I think they have some caster adjustment also,but they are a bit more pricey.I think the ktecs are more than enough.

 

[domsclio182]

Have a look at ktecs site and kam racing site will have most things you need.

 

[Chris_786]

Oh I also have solid AST top mounts with my H&Rs awesome.

 

[Kelv]

Just been looking at the AST top mounts and coilover units.
They've got my attention so far.

 

[Toastfrenzy]

Here is a link to my set up;

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?592343-Cadwell-Park-25-07-2011-with-Easytrack

Did try them on the access road to where I live, mile or 2 of C road...they where firm to say the least but on track, outstanding.

 

[jack_kemp]

KW V2's
H&R
AST
Bilstein

Those are your options, you'll get different opinions from everyone on here. From what I've gathered reading literally hundreds of these threads....

AST are the dog's danglies as they will custom make them to suit your requirements, but naturally, that costs big money.
H&R's and KW's get excellent reviews on road and on track and are slightly less moneythan the AST's
Bilstein's also get excellent reviews but aren't damping / rebound adjustable. Although it's debatable whether it's necessary on a car that isn't going to be competing.

Other than that, the things that Dom listed are pretty much spot on.

 

[Cupman29]

I have KW V2's, AST top mounts, polybushed wishbones and front ARB, Whiteline rear ARB and a big smile on my face when I go round a corner!

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

I've got ASTs. Love 'em!!

Yes they're not cheap, but the car handles like it's on rails.

I've been in a car with H+Rs, it felt very hard and crashy to me, not sure if they were set-up right though.

If you're serious about it, whatever you get, get them set-up properly. I had my ASTs corner weighted too.

 

[Inferno]

if you were to build the ideal handling Clio, what would be on the list of things to change?

Fresh OE shocks and springs with a whiteline adjustable ARB.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

...and strip it properly. Free performance

 

[drhowser]

Pretty much everything that's been said so far is right, but if you're looking at KW's for a track oriented car I'd go for the two way competition kit.

http://www.kw-suspension.co.uk/competition/products.php?vid=192

They're £££! and they've gone up since I bought mine, but these are the best I've used by a long way.

 

[Kelv]

I've got the KW V3's on the focus so know they are good, and I'm happy to go for those again if they were the best option for the Clio.
It's just nice to have decent feedback from those that have used the different coilovers, but as said I don't really want to go for the entry level coilovers.

Car will be stripped anyway (and it will be done properly, you would only need to look at my old TA prepared escort to see that) and it's already booked in for a full cage in a few weeks.
And also been in conversations with a company in ref to carbon bonnet, tailgate and both doors... All in the way of weight saving

 

[Kam.]

what are you primarily going to use the Clio for? That is key to your choice. Most are road suspension so you need to keep this in mind when purchasing. KW variant 1 and variant 2, H&R and bilstein coilovers are all designed for a standard road car. A dedicated trackday car may require something more hardcore such as the AST sportline 2 coilovers, especially if using cut slick tyres.

 

[Kelv]

Kam, if I could I would be happy to never use the car on the road again, just purely gut the car of anything it will never need again and make it solely purposeful for the track.

BUT, the reality is that it won't happen, on occasions it will need to be driven to a track as the trailer will be primarily used for the escort, so there will need to be a tolerance for road use and comfort.

I have been looking on your web pages today and many items, so far i have a short list of items that I'd like to order from you, but I'd like to make an educated decision on everything efore I start buying bits.

I'm sure my logic makes sense in there somewhere

 

[Kelv]

And yes it will be on cut slicks, purchased 8 x 888's Saturday purely for the 15" wheels to use for the rest of this year, so I'm slowly paving the way with the smaller purchases.

The 2 sets of 16" wheels I have (the spare set purchased in error) will be going up for sale by the end of the day

And if it helps out atall with your thoughts and responses, the car is an '05 plate 182 with cup packs.
I'm led to believe all of the sport cars seem to have different mounting points, but I'm still reading into all of this.
Obviously you already have an educated mind within this

 

[sideways danny]

give me a call about spax coilovers, I've worked with them to develop brand new 182 cup fitment coilovers, take a look at the link I posted earlier.

 

[Kam.]

And yes it will be on cut slicks, purchased 8 x 888's Saturday purely for the 15" wheels to use for the rest of this year, so I'm slowly paving the way with the smaller purchases.

The 2 sets of 16" wheels I have (the spare set purchased in error) will be going up for sale by the end of the day

And if it helps out atall with your thoughts and responses, the car is an '05 plate 182 with cup packs.
I'm led to believe all of the sport cars seem to have different mounting points, but I'm still reading into all of this.
Obviously you already have an educated mind within this

Really I would save up then and get a track focused setup, the journey to the circuit and the odd drive will not be so bad

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

My set-up is a fairly aggressive track setup, but it's perfectly bearable on the roads, or at least it is for me. You don't have to compromise too much.

 

[Kelv]

Kam, No need to save up mate, ready to buy the right items now.

I'm aiming on having the car caged, new panels, interior gutted, suspension sorted and all re-painted by the end of the month if I can pull it off.


Dan, I am hearing very good things about the AST's
I wouldn't be silly to not have them set up correctly and the car corner weighted after going for decent coilovers.
Luckily we do have the full corner weight tables and equipment to dial in the camber/caster/toe etc etc.

 

[drhowser]

From what you're saying Kelv, you might want to look at Penske and Ohlins too, I'm sure I've seen racers with kits from them on. I'm sure someone on here (Godspeed I think) has recently bought a Reiger kit too.
I'm not sure if Nitron do a clio kit, but might be worth a phone call?

At the end of the day though, I think at that sort of level, what you're paying for is the degree of setup that's available from the outset. Things like dampers valved to the axle weights of your actual car and intended use, but you know what I mean I'm sure.
I'd say that anything top end is going to be pretty similar in performance once it's set how you like it.

 

[DanFreemanPhoto]

Dan, I am hearing very good things about the AST's
I wouldn't be silly to not have them set up correctly and the car corner weighted after going for decent coilovers.
Luckily we do have the full corner weight tables and equipment to dial in the camber/caster/toe etc etc.

Only sharing my experiences.

Most others don't rate them on this forum, mainly because they haven't been set up properly, have the wrong spring combo etc

 

[Kam.]

I spoke to AST today and I know we can get a clio sportline 2 kit in about 2 days as they are on the shelf. Not a lot better for the money and without the usual time delay hassle.

 

[Charlie Pills]

Can anyone recommend a lower price range set up ? Just ordered a whiteline arb and just basically looking for lower priced coilovers or springs. I doubt the car will ever see a track so just road use, its kind of cosmetic to just to see the car looking a little lower. Whats best?

 

[sideways danny]

Vmaxx for that application. Nice comfortable road coilover. Definitely not for track

 

[Kam.]

AP suspension Clio Coilovers - the cheaper stuff is far lower in quality

 

[Kelv]

Cheers Kam, certainly gives me food for thought over the coming few hours.

i can see me just going for those, matched to a set of the AST top mounts.
makes sense i guess to continue with the camber bolts, whiteline ARB, pollybushes and better engine mounts etc.

all soudns quite feesable so far

 

[Kam.]

I think you will have a mental track weapon with all those mods! The best fun to be had is at the corners

 

[Scrooge]

Don't buy s**t ones the amount of clios I see on saturday with pikey coilovers bouncing all over the road was ridiculous!

 

[Hugo-]

I've got H & R's. Great for the road but too soft IMO for the track. Although mine have covered about 50k miles.

 

[Kelv]

I think you will have a mental track weapon with all those mods! The best fun to be had is at the corners

ive realised this buddy.

only last weekend at the ring for the nurburg 700, i was pushing new shape M3's thru the twistys, and quickly realised how late i could brake and how much more speed i carry thru the bends.
we were due to take the focus, but with that now up for sale we decided last minute to take the clio, and i can firmly say im so glad we did.
its based upon how awesome i found it and how far i felt i could 'comfortably' push it thats made me commit to making it a full time track car.

im not daft to think it will ever be the fastest car out on track, but the fun factor vastly outweighs the need to be having 500bhp on tap.


let the project begin

 

[Porkie]

Hello Kelv...

I see you are paying NO attention to what I am telling you... you wally!

BUY AN EXIGE if you want spend some money. Will end up cheaper in the long run as you get your money back when you wanna sell....

You are about to do what I have done and spunk loads on a Clio... DON'T

I LOVE my Clio and its an immensely fun and capable little car. REALLY love it.

Downsides are its not the coolest car to be seen getting out of and it doesnt take the abuse anywhere near as well as my Lotus and you won't get any money back when you sell it.

Treat the Clio for what it is. A cheap fun car. Don't spend loads on it!!!!!! I know what you are like!

Don't make me say I told you so.... AGAIN!


as for suspension? seriously... its easy. Take car to Mark Fish and let him set up and spec the AST's. They work and he makes the very best out of them and the car....

why you no leeeeson?!?!?

I can feel a big I told you so brewing up....