Trophy Suspension Dilemma ... ?

[Sir_Dave]

Right ho,

Currently in a bit of a weird place re: the suspension on my Trophy. Front dampers have been refurbed, & the rears are also only 18 months old, so its a great setup, with plenty of life left in it ...

However, on track, its not quite low/stiff/adjustable enough, so my plan is/was to de-pin the front dampers for adjustability, uprate the springs & purchase some adjustable rear konis.

That will cost about £350, my current setup is woth say £500. So £850 in total.

My question is, would that be a better fast-road/track setup than say some H&R coilovers, or 2nd hand AST's?

PS. I'm not bothered about 'it not being a Trophy anymore', or 'losing value'. The cars owes me about a tenner.

 

[Gardus]

For track coilovers would be better (if they are good, like AST or KW2)...on the road it could be a good compromise...what springs were you thinking about?

 

[Sir_Dave]

Would be the 'Mark Fish' -20mm springs, or Eibach Sportlines, which apparently work quite well with the Sachs ...

 

[Peperami]

Id either keep standard Trophy, or get the mark fish set-up.

You could buy super amazing fast low coilovers, and find that its faster, but not as much fun as the trophy set-up. My cup had mark fish leda's, and they were amazing on track, but i found that a standard cup with its twitchiness and bodyroll was far more fun to get the most out of. Especially on road...

Fast isnt everything... plus consider that you'd need to buy the coilovers, and then get them set-up also to make them worthwhile.

 

[Budgie]

Drive both, then decide.

 

[Sir_Dave]

Drive both, then decide.

Bit difficult, no one else i know has a Trophy, let alone with a MF setup

Tom has AST's though i suppose ....

And H&R's, well they're just Bilstein dampers; i yearn to make the Trophy handle like the saxo ...

Its the twitchiness that i miss Pep, the T just understeers on the limit as the back end is so soft.

 

[Gardus]

You could try putting some new koni dampers at the rear or make yours modified and serviced, and adding a whiteline ARB.

 

[Budgie]

I still say a Trophy with a Whiteline would be effing awesome!

 

[Christopher]

AST's

 

[Feirny]

Bit difficult, no one else i know has a Trophy, let alone with a MF setup

Tom has AST's though i suppose ....

And H&R's, well they're just Bilstein dampers; i yearn to make the Trophy handle like the saxo ...

Its the twitchiness that i miss Pep, the T just understeers on the limit as the back end is so soft.

If you can get up north then my mate would let you drive his Trophy with MF.

 

[greendestiny]

I still say a Trophy with a Whiteline would be effing awesome!

What's a Whiteline?

 

[Saner]

Whiteline ARB (Anti Roll Bar)

 

[Bluebeard]

Apex springs and a rear strut brace.

 

[Fred@BTM]

I still say a Trophy with a Whiteline would be effing awesome!

i agree, no need to touch the rear dampers

 

[p@blo]

AST's

Id agree with Chris. Surely more fun to play around with spring/oil/piston & gas fill rates to make them exactly how you want them? Failing that, if you cant be bothered seems the kw v2s work well out of the box, but that said dont see many 'previously enjoyed' sets come up for sale.

 

[Sir_Dave]

Id agree with Chris. Surely more fun to play around with spring/oil/piston & gas fill rates to make them exactly how you want them? Failing that, if you cant be bothered seems the kw v2s work well out of the box, but that said dont see many 'previously enjoyed' sets come up for sale.

Unless you're a race engineer, messing with suspension settings is for GT4 imho, simply buying a decent setup out the box is a better idea for me, ie Bilstein, H&R, etc.

In the end, i decided on some H&R coilovers, but then a bit of a delay ensued with delivery, so i got a refund. Collecting a daily driver tonight, so the Trophy will become my weekend/track day 'toy'. As such, im just going to leave it as it is for a while, & maybe get a whiteline ARB.

Compared to what im buying, it'll feel like a go-cart anyway :approve:

 

[Daz.]

Apex springs and a rear strut brace.

I like this lol.

 

[Ali]

I thought the trophy was excellent on track. No need to change.

 

[Sir_Dave]

I thought the trophy was excellent on track. No need to change.

Its very good, but i preferred the rear-end twitchyness of the saxo, allows you to steer on the throttle a bit more.

Trophy is more planted, but not as playful.

 

[Ali]

Its very good, but i preferred the rear-end twitchyness of the saxo, allows you to steer on the throttle a bit more.

Trophy is more planted, but not as playful.

RWD wannabe!!

 

[Sir_Dave]

RWD wannabe!!

Oh for sure, might have to add an Mx5 to the collection

 

[ForceIndia]

Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.

 

[The Boosh!]

Drive mine with one on if you want Dave.

 

[p@blo]

Unless you're a race engineer, messing with suspension settings is for GT4 imho, simply buying a decent setup out the box is a better idea for me, ie Bilstein, H&R, etc.

In the end, i decided on some H&R coilovers, but then a bit of a delay ensued with delivery, so i got a refund. Collecting a daily driver tonight, so the Trophy will become my weekend/track day 'toy'. As such, im just going to leave it as it is for a while, & maybe get a whiteline ARB.

Compared to what im buying, it'll feel like a go-cart anyway :approve:

Fair comment. I guess some people even pay good money to have their coils fitted, lol. Did you ever identify the revised spring rates on those mf springs btw?

 

[Sir_Dave]

Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.Get a whiteline.

Pardon?

Drive mine with one on if you want Dave.

Might be a plan!! Will have to arrange some footy again, i miss your accent tbh

Fair comment. I guess some people even pay good money to have their coils fitted, lol. Did you ever identify the revised spring rates on those mf springs btw?

I'm tight, so id fit them myself, then sort the alignment with hopes, dreams & a piece of string Didnt get the revised spring rates in the end, might just phone Faulkner & see if thats where MF gets them made up ...

 

[Ali]

Oh for sure, might have to add an Mx5 to the collection

Shakes head in a disapproving manner.

 

[shiftspark]

My pm box emptied

 

[jack_davey]

I'm tight, so id fit them myself, then sort the alignment with hopes, dreams & a piece of string Didnt get the revised spring rates in the end, might just phone Faulkner & see if thats where MF gets them made up ...

I thought that MF's trophy springs were simply eibach sportlines?
That's what I've got on my Trophy dampers and I think it's a cracking setup, served me very well round the ring! If you're after less understeer you may want to have a play with your wheel alignment, maybe get a touch of toe-out on the rear wheels if you're feeling brave!

 

[Jamie86]

Dave I just so happen to know someone with the mark fish rear setup recently refurbed and un-pinned fronts... and a whiteline arb on a trophy..

Drop me a PM for his details

 

[Sir_Dave]

I thought that MF's trophy springs were simply eibach sportlines?
That's what I've got on my Trophy dampers and I think it's a cracking setup, served me very well round the ring! If you're after less understeer you may want to have a play with your wheel alignment, maybe get a touch of toe-out on the rear wheels if you're feeling brave!

Nope, not Eibachs, thats just what Matt Wills has been telling everyone so that people buy Sportlines from him They are made by an independent spring manufacturer (who unfortunately wouldnt give me the specs), i know this as phoned them all yesterday after the heads up from a member on here.

Have you got Sportlines then, or MF Springs/rear koni's?

Dave I just so happen to know someone with the mark fish rear setup recently refurbed and un-pinned fronts... and a whiteline arb on a trophy..

Drop me a PM for his details

Oh rly. How is he finding it? Would pm, but you're full :dapprove:

 

[p@blo]

There was a guy on cliotrophy.co.uk who posted a pic of his revised setup he'd been sent by MF (one of the earlier kits prior to the unmarked black(?) springsets).

He said they were red Eibachs, but no one seemed willing/able to take a look to relay a part number or spring weight/specs to confirm this.

Seems odd that the spring rate is such a mystery. Out of interest is there anyone who can accurately quantify what changes are made in terms of oil weights, piston porting, shim stack characteristics etc other than in simple terms of being generally stiffer/softer overall?

Im suprised no ones been frugal enough to dyno a set of the springs at least and just buy them to spec without the markup.

How many pennies are the uprated MF springs & the upgrade costs on top by the way?

 

[Budgie]

£400 including fitting, iirc.

That's for springs and rear dampers..

 

[Sir_Dave]

Im suprised no ones been frugal enough to dyno a set of the springs at least and just buy them to spec without the markup.

That's what i've been trying to do for yonks lol, but no bugger will lend me their springs (for obvious reasons) ... and there's no point buying some to just copy as the market isnt really there to make it worthwhile financially. Most people who are interested in upgrading simply got in on the Group Buy that i organised through MF.

Standard Trophy ones are approx. 160lb apparently.

 

[shiftspark]

I *think* the mf ones were about 20% up on trophy ones. The company that make the springs say that both the eibachs springs are not much stiffer than standard, although as said no one will say what any are.