Ride quality question

[Gus]

At the moment I have completely standard 182 suspension which I am wanting to replace with something but just dont have the experience with any of the choices available. Im really after peoples opinions to help me.

I spend a lot of time driving around and rack up quite a lot of miles. I want my car to sit a bit lower than standard but dont really want the ride to be harsher. Roads in this country are pretty poor, lots of bumps , uneven surfaces and the odd pot hole. I want something that copes with this but still feels stiff when cornering.

Would it be stupid to consider coil overs like the Bilstein B14's. Would it be better to get replacement springs like cooksports or eibach .
If you have bilsteins are they adjustable so they arent rock hard. What are they like?

 

[Gus]

forgot to say I dont really do any trackdays .

 

[imprezaworks]

Coilovers imo are ott for road use. If it was me a set of cooksports or eibachs

 

[Steven103]

I'm sure you can ride in a few people's cars at next weekend's meet?

Probably worth adding fresh OEM dampers into the budget when considering springs vs coilovers. Not very satisfying having shiny new springs if the dampers aren't able to control them properly. Even so, springs & dampers would be ~£200 compared to circa £600 on Bilsteins. Oxfordshire's roads are terrible.

 

[steviekyle13793]

Sorry to bump an old thread but what did you end up going for? @optical

 

[Gus]

@steviekyle13793 @dann2707 and I ended up going for Bilstein B14 coilovers , got them from Germany cheaply from https://www.mk-fahrwerkstechnik.de - £560 including delivery. They should be here any day.

 

[incy-spider]

I had brand new Koni adjustables and Eibach sportlines they were very good on the road and track but my new B14 bilsteins are so much better, the quality is amazing and they made my Clio feel very confident on the ring this year, was very reluctant to go to coilovers because of people saying they are to harsh for the road and that maybe the case for a lot of coilovers but Bilsteins are the the best road/track/comfort compromise I have ever come across, worth every penny!!! My only gripe was the spring bounding on the carousel this year, it was only that bend and didn't put me off TBH maybe could set them a tad higher for the next time but wasn't keen on knocking my corner weight and geometry out just for the one section of the track.

 

[dann2707]

Can't wait to receive the bilsteins dude! Got pure solid top mounts too so hopefully it'll be a nice transformation.

Someone described this combination of "point and shoot" which sounds like fun :smiley:

 

[Adamm.]

I've had Bilstein B14's and Cooksports both for road use and honestly I'd save your money and get the cooksports. Bilsteins are better yeah but not £500-600 better and for the road cooksports are plenty good enough.

 

[incy-spider]

I found with just having springs you get a lot of bobbing about, end up going along like a nodding dog, bilsteins give a great ride they soak up undulating roads. Used to find with eibachs that on the motorway I'd sometimes noticed lights bumping up and down a lot.... Don't get that at all with billies, but as said springs are fine for road use nodding dogs aside! [emoji2]