Softer suspension

[Diagro]

hey

Due to a major back injury last year i find any sort of sudden movement can cause some nasty pains.

I have found that the Clios suspension is kinda firm and any sort of bumps can be a bit much.

is there anything i can do to soften the effect? Such as softer springs(if that exists) or Wider Tires to fit my 182 alloys?

Thanks for the help peeps

 

[DrR]

Sadly bet the answer to this is no, but I'd say my Clio had softer suspension than my Leon and 1 series BMW (both standard) that I've had since.

 

[bozothenutter]

could try a non sporty tire, that would soften the ride some (just a little mind), or maybe go up 5% on the aspectratio.
or more extremely go to a 15" wheel and a correspondingly higher aspectratio tire.
Coils from a non sport.
All of this would compromise the handling though.

 

[Stu172cup]

You could try non sports shocks / Springs from a lesser model

obviously this would effect the handling and ruin the way it drives , but its its the look of the clio sport you want without risking your health it might be worth looking at ??

 

[Diagro]

Thanks people. Will look into the Non sports shocks 7 Springs.

Tbh i dont drive her too hard, and im sure the non sports stuff will cope just as well

 

[hilldawg172]

could try a non sporty tire, that would soften the ride some (just a little mind), or maybe go up 5% on the aspectratio.
or more extremely go to a 15" wheel and a correspondingly higher aspectratio tire.
Coils from a non sport.
All of this would compromise the handling though.

15s with a 50 profile tyre will out handle 16s on a 45 on the clio. Obviously providing you use same make and brand tyres. Not to mention 15s look much better.

 

[bozothenutter]

Was thinking more like 55/60 % mate...If the comfort is paramount.
I reckon with a back injury it is.

 

[McGherkin]

Is it on the OEM suspension or lowering springs/coilovers?

 

[Diagro]

I have no idea, Its not exactly that low.
I will have a look at getting some 15" alloys with some bigger tires on

Anyone recommend some decent alloys and tires to go with them?

 

[hilldawg172]

Yoko Parada spec 2s. About 40 quid a corner in 50 profile and a pretty good tyre for the money tbh. Get a nice light set of 15s and you will notice a transformation of the handling. 15s with a Whiteline are the best 2 reasonably priced mods you can do to a 172.

 

[Diagro]

OK mate thanks!

I know I need 4x100 alloys.
now there is a different number with them. Some are 60 some are 67.3 and above.

What is this number and which do I need to fit my 172?

 

[Jekyll]

60.1

 

[aucky]

Or more than 60.1mm but with the approriate spigot rings.

 

[Diagro]

Ok thanks people!

Seen these on ebay which i have taken a fancy too:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161340929622?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

What profile tires you think are on there?

 

[rubo]

Eibach pro kit is a softer springs

 

[Jekyll]

Ok thanks people!

Seen these on ebay which i have taken a fancy too:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161340929622?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

What profile tires you think are on there?

195/50/15

 

[Steven103]

Eibach pro kit is a softer springs

Since when? (No, really...)

I assume you're talking about the eibach proline.

 

[rubo]

Since when? (No, really...)

I assume you're talking about the eibach proline.

Black springs, Eibach pro kit -1.5/2 cm

 

[Steven103]

Black springs, Eibach pro kit -1.5/2 cm

Got a link to that?

Eibach proline kit is lower but there's nothing on the eibach website to suggest they're softer.

Lowering springs tend to have a shorted free length to give lows and a higher (firmer) spring rate to stop the car bottoming out over bumps etc.

 

[bozothenutter]

Ehm .......where did we go from softer suspension to sporty tires and lowering springs?

 

[Diagro]

Hahaha everyone likes lower cars. But me noo

 

[rubo]

182 cup Vs eibach

wearing them and I feel quite more comfortable than the 182 cup



p.D google english sry

 

[172_Tom]

Eibach pro kit is a softer springs

Not in my experience (from a standard 2003 172 FF).

Edit: Running 15s and changing the suspension would improve the ride, but if it were me I'd just get a different car, something like a mk4 Golf GTI 1.8T.

 

[Goodj]

Sounds off to me. Softer AND shorter springs? naaaaaaaah

Also, Paradas are lovely grippy tyres but good god do they make a hell of a noise.

Did someone once say that 172s had about 4 different spring setups over time? (not including cup packs or differences in phases). I know that when I had to change out front springs on mine the Renault parts dept. needed to know which coloured marking was on the old ones, because there was no other 100% way of knowing what was on there

 

[jezcharger]

Put some winter tyres on it...I run some sava antartica on the wifes zafira all year round and they are lovely to drive on, honestly!

 

[Marcos999]

Sounds off to me. Softer AND shorter springs? naaaaaaaah

Quite possible if the springs are not a constant rate i.e. a portion of the spring is softer than the rest. The soft part absorbs road imperfections then when the spring loads up in a corner the soft part compresses and the harder (than stock) part does the work.

 

[KevF182]

Quite possible if the springs are not a constant rate i.e. a portion of the spring is softer than the rest. The soft part absorbs road imperfections then when the spring loads up in a corner the soft part compresses and the harder (than stock) part does the work.

Would have to agree. From looking at the pic of the renault spring and the eibach side to side, clearly the eibach is a more progressive winding. They look like the same diameter wire, the winding is the same width and therefore the only thing that determins the "rate" or "stiffness" of the spring is the number of coils. The renault spring has 5.5 coils and the eibach has 6.5. This would make the eibach a softer/lower rated spring. However this will only be the case at full droop. Being progressive, the tighter windings near the lower part of the spring close up first (become "coilbound") and therefore the number of effective coils reduces, thus increasing the rate as the spring compresses under load. Its therefore very hard to say which one is the stiffer spring in use, but I could quite easilly see how the eibach would give a more compliant feel - 182 cup springs are quite stiff, for a road car.

To The OP - the non-cup phase 2 172 is rumoured to have the softest spring/damper setup of all the renaultsport variants. Its certainly quite a bit softer than the 182 cup for eg. If you have this setup then not much you can do. I wouldn't advise putting non-sport springs on, youve bought the wrong car in that case. As others have said, tyres make a massive difference to the ride quality. You'll get most comfort from a touring-type tyre (conti premiumcontact for eg).

 

[Diagro]

I'm currently looking at various 15" alloys and some 195/55/15R tyres.

just don't want to spend too much and trying to get some decent alloys is harder than I thought.

budget is around 250 for alloys and tyres!