Help with lowering

[MarkW]

Hello hello!

I've finally got round to pulling my finger out and finally ordered some coilovers. I've already got the trusty haynes manual, however, just wanted some advice beforehand to get me prepared:

1. What equipment will I need other than a well stocked tool kit. Already have spring compressors from doing the suspension on my Polo and know I'm going to come across some of the poxy arsed ring nut things with the two grooves in. Anything else I need though?

2. Camber - Never had a car with adjustable camber before. Obviously getting the whole car realigned, however, if this were to take more than a day or two, how should the coilovers go back in without the wheels being at 45 degree angles?

3. Load sensor - I know these have one, and having rear discs I'm fairly worried the back is going to lock happy if it thinks its got 6fatties in the back and a bootfull of gear. Can this be adjusted? I've heard some people just remove the spring from it on other cars but I recently saw a corsa fail an MOT for that .

4. Never used coilovers before. How do I know how low its going without keep taking it from the car. Can anyone give me an idea of how far to wint it down!?

Oh the car is an Ibiza GTi, 16" x7.5 wheels. Et 25 with 10mm spacers at the rear if that makes any difference!

Many thanks in advance!!!!

 

[MarkW]

oh the other thing... adding to point 1. Is there any parts worth replacing whilst doing it. On my polo I swapped the bump stops and top mounts...

 

[Boi Ninja]

mate i changed my top mounts when i done it ...but thats coz they were worn anyway, now i prob need to change bushes too. its up to u but i wish i had changed bushes, mounts and coilies all at once now.

wind it down all the way hehe,
errm ive been advised to angle grind the balancing weight, and i didnt listen (coz i didnt really know what it was tbh) but now its rubbing and now i know why lol and ima do it when i have the time.

i havnt heard of a load sensor, ive had 4 biggish people in the car and my old shocks in the boot (their not light) and everything was ok and coilies winded down to about 70ish back and 80 front.

i think you have to measure before and then measure after to know how much u winded down.

 

[Dolly_Gti]

Are they the same as non adjustables ie..

u swop the bump stops, and both parts of the topmounts.. its just pictures of coilovers always appear to be built up with nice silver top mounts and a lack of bump stops....

 

[Icecavern]

Buy new top mounts, silly not to replace them at the same time as they're only about £10 each.

You wont need spring compressors to remove the standard stuff, you only need compressors if you're taking the struts apart, which you're not.

You might need an impact gun to undo the top mount nuts, as they get damn tight and corroded on.

 

[Dolly_Gti]

You wont need spring compressors to remove the standard stuff, you only need compressors if you're taking the struts apart, which you're not.

QUOTE]

So you dont need bump stops with coilovers? im confussed

 

[MarkW]

Meh, I didn't plane to take the struts apart but its force of habit from working on the polo to remove them! Makes it a lot easier I found.

So I don't need any bump stops as above? I've never handled coilovers... completly new to it!!

Someone must know about the load sensor as well. I know there's one there, it says in the Haynes manual and the handbook.

 

[MarkW]

lol I meant to say usually put spring compressors on not stirpped them apart on the car!

 

[chappersno1]

how low are u going to have it sat?

 

[MarkW]

TO be honest I don't know. I was planning on having it as low as it would go. I doubt it could ever be as low as my polo was... that was over 80mm on 13's with low profile tyres... this is on 16's lol...

Then again. People say the handling goes to pot on ibizas when you lower them silly amounts. I don't really want that!

Plus I've got 7.5" 16's that look as though they're going to foul the arches if I fully wind it down