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spax vs b14's



T

thermal-penguin

  Silver Phase 2 172
I am looking at getting one of these two sets of coilovers second hand, and I was wondering what ones people would say are better that have used both. I have done a search but couldn't really find anything exact so if people could give me there reviews of the pair that would be great!

The car will be used for mainly road use with the occasional track outing and I believe the spax I can get my hands on are the rear coilover type.

Cheers

Craig
 
T

thermal-penguin

  Silver Phase 2 172
Basically I have been offered a set of pretty much new spax for 550 250 miles covered on them, or a set of bilsteins with seized adjusters for 400 so this is why I can't decide not sure if 400 is a lot for ones with seized adjusters? Not sure how easy they are to free up?
 
T

thermal-penguin

  Silver Phase 2 172
So the unanimous vote kinda goes for the b14's then and just free them off! If they even need it they may be at pretty much the right hight I guess?
 
M

Mr R.

ClioSport Club Member
  A special one.
When i bought my Spax back in November they where the best thing since sliced bread (on CS) (i have the road ones) and there was lots of problems with the B14s knocking hence why i bought the Spax.

Now i have the Spax they are now crap (on CS) but i have had no problems with mine, the adjusting threads are s/steel so now problems with the adjusters seizing and the bodies are powder coated.
 
Tommo.

Tommo.

  M2 Comp
thermal-penguin said:
Basically I have been offered a set of pretty much new spax for 550 250 miles covered on them, or a set of bilsteins with seized adjusters for 400 so this is why I can't decide not sure if 400 is a lot for ones with seized adjusters? Not sure how easy they are to free up?
Click to expand...

For the sake of £250 I'd probably pick up a set of brand new B14's mate.

I think Kam Racing are probably the cheapest at the moment, just a touch over £650.
 
dmallett

dmallett

Phase1sr said:
When i bought my Spax back in November they where the best thing since sliced bread (on CS) (i have the road ones) and there was lots of problems with the B14s knocking hence why i bought the Spax.

Now i have the Spax they are now crap (on CS) but i have had no problems with mine, the adjusting threads are s/steel so now problems with the adjusters seizing and the bodies are powder coated.
Click to expand...

This is the same for me.
 
T

thermal-penguin

  Silver Phase 2 172
Phase1sr said:
When i bought my Spax back in November they where the best thing since sliced bread (on CS) (i have the road ones) and there was lots of problems with the B14s knocking hence why i bought the Spax.

Now i have the Spax they are now crap (on CS) but i have had no problems with mine, the adjusting threads are s/steel so now problems with the adjusters seizing and the bodies are powder coated.
Click to expand...

Ahh I see where your coming from have read so many different reviews on them both!

Cub. said:
Bilsteins. PM Nick172cup on here, he has been running Bilsteins and Spax back to back and on both his cups in the last couple of weeks.
Click to expand...

That is who I am buying them off as he is now selling both sets on!
 
M

Mr R.

ClioSport Club Member
  A special one.
I think its the "track day kit" that are having the problems with the rear coilovers.

All i can comment on is what i have, and they are fine.
 
S

Sam@NP

  Lotus Elise
I have bilsteins on my Porsche and love them.

Read the Spax quality issue thread it is very helpful and full off lots of opinions and facts. Shame the first one got deleted. :(
 
Scotty-boi

Scotty-boi

  Ph1 172 (titanium)
I've got the spax trackday kit on mine!
Have the updated outboard rears on it aswell now and if is perfect. No problems at all!
Very capable set up
 
C

Chip-mk1

  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
Phase1sr said:
If i did it again i would buy the KWs v2
Click to expand...

I really like the V2 on my turbo clio, but I havent done enough miles yet to comment on reliability TBH.

If the choice was only spax or billy, I would go with the billys as the spax have so many people having quality issues and also such poor customer service from spax.

Plus presumably they will probably go bankrupt yet again soon and wipe their hands of everything when they start up yet again with the same name but being a legally different entity.
 
B

Bobby.

  Audi A5
Phase1sr said:
When i bought my Spax back in November they where the best thing since sliced bread (on CS) (i have the road ones) and there was lots of problems with the B14s knocking hence why i bought the Spax.

Now i have the Spax they are now crap (on CS) but i have had no problems with mine, the adjusting threads are s/steel so now problems with the adjusters seizing and the bodies are powder coated.
Click to expand...

Excatly the same as me.

I'd have a set again, was brilliant on track.
 
M

Mr R.

ClioSport Club Member
  A special one.
If i was to do it again, i would go V2. I went for the Spax as the bodies are powder coated and i hate the sight of rust so that's why i did not go for coilovers that had plated bodies.

Also as i have said, at the time the Spax kit where sort of new on here and everybody was rating them and there was knocking/leaking issues with the billys.

I wanted to be able to drop the front of the car low enough to get rid of the " arch gap" although i have the Spax on the lowest setting and it still shows (i would like a little lower tbh)

The Spax has 25 damping settings i believe, mines just a road car so i run it on 10 clicks from soft on the front and 12 clicks on the rear. Seems ok to me but i am no track slut. :)
 
Mosley182

Mosley182

  CLIO 182 CUP
I am running spax rsx second hand I had a problem with the 2 rears but Bought 2 more now they are under the warranty for the next 2 years. and the handling is amazing was going to change to b14s but I'm worries they won't be as nice to drive on the roads.
 
G

Guy

Phase1sr said:
When i bought my Spax back in November they where the best thing since sliced bread (on CS) (i have the road ones) and there was lots of problems with the B14s knocking hence why i bought the Spax.

Now i have the Spax they are now crap (on CS) but i have had no problems with mine, the adjusting threads are s/steel so now problems with the adjusters seizing and the bodies are powder coated.
Click to expand...

Ditto

And one of the people slating their own Bilsteins now goes on about how good they are. lol. go figure.
 
M

Mr R.

ClioSport Club Member
  A special one.
If i find myself in a financial position to change the Spax then i will go for the KWs V2, i would have liked my car a little lower on the front but the Spax won`t allow this.
 
T

thermal-penguin

  Silver Phase 2 172
Thanks for all the comments guys mega helpful! Sounds like the bilsteins for me tbh but gonna have to wait now as gotta spend the money on the parts to fix my gf's head gasket :( so the poor clio will have to stay looking like a truck for a little longer :(
 
D

Detail Chris

  Fiesta ST-2 Finsport
Chip or Dan riddle me this:
I've got H&R's on my 182 at the mo. now I know these use revalved Billy's.
what I want to know is what has the firmer set up, Billsteins or H&R? The search brings up different answers!

cheers
​chris
 
S

Sam@NP

  Lotus Elise
Detail Chris said:
Chip or Dan riddle me this:
I've got H&R's on my 182 at the mo. now I know these use revalved Billy's.
what I want to know is what has the firmer set up, Billsteins or H&R? The search brings up different answers!

cheers
​chris
Click to expand...

The stiffness is controlled by the spring and valving just controls the acceleration.
 
D

Detail Chris

  Fiesta ST-2 Finsport
Oh by the way, the H&R's (Billsteins) are awesome on the road. I would say they are the best road coilovers I've ever driven of any car ! I'm taking it too bedford next month so we will see how they are on track!
 
C

Chip-mk1

  182/RS2/ Turbo/Mk1
I've not had them put on a damper dyno to test but the b14 have always felt firmer to me than the h&r but there can't be much in it.
 
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