Coilvers.... help!

connor · Feb 20, 2004

Soooo about them....

Are they worth it?

& details on them would be good, What do they actually do that shocks n springs dont do and what are their advantages of them over just uprated shocks & springs? Are they really that much better?

Also what companies should be looked into?

Was looking at Ktec Racings ones but they seem overpricedHuh

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=854

any info is much appreciated.

By the way... im pulling a fred here, got a 1.2 16v dynamique, and im on a 60mm drop on just springs atm, & i want to go a bit lower but improve the handling even more so and get rid of the OEM springs!

Fred@BTM · Feb 20, 2004

Good Lad!!!!!!! Youve seen the light!!!!!

K-tec ones are mint, (RobertoFenn will confirm this) Overpriced??? GET YER WALLET OUT YER PIKEY!!!!!!!

(mine cost £738 but thats cos as we all know, i had them made extra low)

Speak to Yozza and Roamer, they will confirm the "handling superiority" of the 1.2 over the Cup!!!! LOL

The only thing they do over normal shocks and springs is the height adjustable bit all round (you have to pay more to get the damping adj ones)

BenR · Feb 20, 2004

dont you have to repair the car first??!!!

Anyway, the only benefit is they take up less space and provide a height adj spring platform.

thats it.

Matty · Feb 20, 2004

My FK Automotive ones have helper springs so guess they work in a two stage way with one spring first then the other. Either way handling and cornering have improved but ride quality is a bit harsher but that is down to being stiffer. Didnt lower by much as I dont think this improves things. I click on Torsion bar and a bit lower at front. Go too low and you go through driveshafts and will run far too much negative camber. Camber adjustment bolts will also be needed unless camber adj provided on kit.

RobFenn · Feb 20, 2004

The FKs are actually awesome. Really.

P_aul · Feb 20, 2004

I had a set of H&Rs on my last car. if your willing to have a crap quality ride its rock hard!!! then there is nouthing that will touch you on handling, i had many a faster car away round the lanes. they are good, but will shake your back teeth loose!

connor · Feb 20, 2004

Quote: dont you have to repair the car first??!!!

Anyway, the only benefit is they take up less space and provide a height adj spring platform.

thats it.

lol yeah mate but I damaged the offside front suspension and f**ked the rear axle didnt I so any excuse to get better than before! & im sure buying standard shocks from renault would probably cost nearly as much as coilovers anyways!

right Height adjustable... Im sure that means you can usually change between lowering it 30mm to 80mm? Im guessing most coilovers are 80mm at the lowest before you go custom made? (dont get me wrong tho, 80mm is perfect!)
& im assuming I will be able to adjust the ride height on the rear as well as the front on my car? Which means I probably wanna lower it equally all round to keep the same geometric set up as usual coz i heard lowering the back to match the front can cause oversteer?!

As for paying a lil extra and getting damping adjustables... Does this mean you have to take each wheel off seperately to adjust the harshness of the ride?
& is this worth it? Coz to be honest with ya, its not a race car and I wont be going on track days too often... whats the ride quality of non adj damper coilovers straight out of the box?

cheers all, anyone got any websites that would sell coilovers for my car?

So are the worth the extra money over uprated shocks n springs?

Fred@BTM · Feb 20, 2004

http://www.k-tecracing.comwww.k-tecracing.com

coilovers that are non adjustable damping IMO are fine, i dont see the point in getting the adjust damping ones

(If you do, they adjustfrom the top of the unit, inside the car)

Thing is, people think you can adjust the height anytime you want, but each time you do, you knock the tracking and the camber all out of alingment!!! Best way to do it, is to select the height you want the car at, get it setup properly and then leave it!!!!!!

RobFenn · Feb 20, 2004

The ride quality on my non damping adjusts is great..

connor · Feb 20, 2004

How much are adj damping ones? Coz I didnt really wanna spend anything over 500 tops for my suspension system all round!

But I see what you mean about the tracking etc! I bet thats a pain!

Well I would just leave it set up at 80mm.....

But with all that palava... surely it would be more cost effective to get a 80mm drop on uprated shocks & springs seeing as some people say that there is no handling benefit on coilovers over uprated shocks & springs?!

RobFenn · Feb 20, 2004

What wheels do you have? Im on 16s and at -80mm my splitter broke and my exhaust fell off. Even at 65-70mm i still have problems. Just remember if youre going to be a bit extreme you have to prepared for side effects!

You really dont need the adjsutable damping ones, track only. I think theyre £100 more. Not sure.

The whole point of the coilovers is that you can adjust them to suit, and in a matter of minutes. In fact i can adjust the fronts without taking the wheels off, just spray the bitches with the spray and get the C spanners out. I figured ill ride on -65mm and at shows ill drop it, but where i live its just stupid to go the full way. I dont know how fred does it tbh!

-Rob

P_aul · Feb 20, 2004

my fiesta was lowered about 50mm on H&Rs ride was hard but not harsh.

you dont wanna go too low, it just gets undrivable.

connor · Feb 20, 2004

I am on 17s atm with a 60mm drop on just springs.. & ive not had one problem! just a couple of scrapes on the front splitter going up steep driveways!

Im guessing that seeing as you either have it 65mm or 80mm you dont really have to worry about tracking do ya rob? Coz surely once the car is tracked to a 70 or 80mm drop, the 10mm difference when lowering it more for shows wont make a significant difference will it?!

hmmm, this is a hard decision now!!! I basically want an 80mm drop and to improve the handling over what i have now which is just a 60mm drop on springs with OEM shocks! But if coilovers arent better than say an 80mm drop on uprated shocks n springs (and im assuming same ride quality?) then is it worth getting coilovers? coz i think i would probably just put it at 80mm and leave it at that!

RobFenn · Feb 20, 2004

You cant get -80mm with springs and dampers ASFAIK?

Tom · Feb 20, 2004

No it would be near impossible.

and horrible

connor · Feb 20, 2004

Ah hah!

Perfect! a straight answer which stops me debating!!!

So coilovers is the only way I can go then??

ok... So what options are open to me then, there is the Ktec ones which are the following...

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=854

& is it me... or on the KTR ones, you cant adjust the rears...?

Anyways, what other companies sell 80mm ones for my car? And is there any websites peoples knows?

& does the ride quality change when u lower it more or less btw?!

cheers all! Looks like its gotta be coilovers!

p.s. robfenn, you got any pics of your car lowered 80mm by any chance? if u have could u send some to me please

connor@street-race.co.uk

RobFenn · Feb 20, 2004

Ill try and get some over the weekend for you.

The rears more complicated but still adjustable.

Im not aware of alternatives, though to be honest you may as go with the tried and tested.

-Rob

Fred@BTM · Feb 20, 2004

Connor yes you can adjust the height of the rears, thats what that round bit in the pic is for

Matty · Feb 20, 2004

Remember fitting costs and also teh need for camber adjustment bolts unless provision for adjustment on coilover itself.

Got my FK Automotives from a place called Performance Driven in Taunton and they offered free fitting. May still offer this. They also came with lifetime guarantee as fitted by approved dealer. Well worth it IMO.

Fred@BTM · Feb 20, 2004

yeah no real need for them on the mk2 clios IMO anyway!!!

Matty · Feb 20, 2004

Yeah think the FK for mk2 have adjustment but not all makes may have. And my mk1 FKs dont so worth knowing depening on what brand you go for.

Have you cleaned yours since being fitted. Did mine the other day to get rid of all salt etc and as the helper spring is smaller, can get small stones between sprin coils. Soft brush gets them out and then spray with the stiff the FKs come with.

Fred@BTM · Feb 20, 2004

na mine are covered in crap!!!! ill get round to it

BenR · Feb 20, 2004

Quote: Originally posted by Matty on 20 February 2004

My FK Automotive ones have helper springs so guess they work in a two stage way with one spring first then the other. Either way handling and cornering have improved but ride quality is a bit harsher but that is down to being stiffer. Didnt lower by much as I dont think this improves things. I click on Torsion bar and a bit lower at front. Go too low and you go through driveshafts and will run far too much negative camber. Camber adjustment bolts will also be needed unless camber adj provided on kit.

Helper srings under normal conditions are always compressed. they only come into play when the shock is fully extended.

Turkish · Feb 20, 2004

connor fella get a set of coilovers youll love them, mine have been on over a year now and im still impressed with them, im guna be winding the rear down some more next weekend when im off work

Fred@BTM · Feb 20, 2004

You still havent wound them down yet LOONY??? Get on with it!!!!

Turkish · Feb 20, 2004

yeah kinda been busy

add to that the fact im a lazy b*****d, but i have my SS race system coming this week so i have two reasons to pull my finger out and get on with workin on the car

BRUN · Feb 20, 2004

ring Andy at GDI for a price on GAZ coilovers, thats what ive got on mine

height AND damping adjustable for probably less than £500.........

not sure if they do em for the 1.2 16v yet but they might

jimbo · Feb 20, 2004

handling isnt proportional to ride height tho, so saying "im gonna drop 80mm cos it handles better than 60mm" is an assumption not fact, it may work, but it may not!

Fred@BTM · Feb 20, 2004

Its fact it does and cos i say so, so ner ner!!!!!

edde · Feb 21, 2004

You have to agree on what handling is though, handling could (as it most likely is here) mean how much the car can perform.

Handling isnt as important as road feeling in my opinion being able to take bends faster means nothing if you cannot tell how much of the cars potential you are using though the wheel easily.

EDD

BenR · Feb 21, 2004

fred, you gonna let me ave a go round a track or something to see if it is handling or just pure grip?

Fred@BTM · Feb 21, 2004

Any time Ben, the offer is always open!!!!! That vid you sent me proves you can drive!!!!!!

Im gonna be at curborough soon (not really a track, but still tis a good laugh)

although you may want to wait a bit until after the engine conversion

BenR · Feb 21, 2004

lol......you putting that micra engine in!!!

Whens curby again?

Rick_172 · Feb 21, 2004

Is it just me or does the K-tec description imply u can only lower -30mm on rear? I am considering them, but am looking for at least -40 on rear (limited by 17" wheels)

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=355 http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=355

does this mean that the springs alone give -30mm and there is room for further adjustment?

Turkish · Feb 21, 2004

get some h&rs on like mine

Rick_172 · Feb 21, 2004

how much can you lower on H&Rs and how much??? wheres best deal?

Turkish · Feb 21, 2004

not sure where the best deal is as for ride height think the front adjusts between -35 and -75 and the rear between -30 and -55. i dropped it all the way on my 16s when i fitted them and i couldnt get it back off the ramp at work, lol

Fred@BTM · Feb 21, 2004

Quote: Originally posted by Rick_172 on 21 February 2004

Is it just me or does the K-tec description imply u can only lower -30mm on rear? I am considering them, but am looking for at least -40 on rear (limited by 17" wheels)

http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=355 http://www.k-tecracing.com/show_product.asp?id=355

does this mean that the springs alone give -30mm and there is room for further adjustment?

That kit isnt rear height adjustable, its basically just rear lowering springs with uprated shocks

Turkish · Feb 21, 2004

looks like i need some camber adjusting bolts on mine just looked at the front tyres and the inner edges are proper f*cked

and im not paying the 40 notes that k-tec want for a couple of eccentric bolts and nuts

Rick_172 · Feb 21, 2004

damn. it is the height at the back i am unhappy with. why did Renault design the back to sit like a Transit van? The front of mine is fine on -25 Gmax springs... cheap i know, but the back looks like its arse is in the air... i want the side sill extensions to be level with the ground, so will need about -40mm..

i would prefer to invest in a decent suspension set up instead of going with just springs. what is my best option in this case???

any help appreciated!!!

Coilvers.... help!

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