Serious Suspension Discussion!

[Presha]

Right, I'm having some trouble deciding which suspension package to go for as im getting mixed messages and recommendations from everywhere lol and with my Dad having 30 years worth of experience in the motor industry, building hot rods and building prototype suspension units for MG Rover he said there is alot more to think about than just buying a set and slapping it on obviously!

Sooo instead of just diving in head first i thought id start this thread and see what you lot think as you have had experience with the Ibiza and various suspension set ups!

Firtsly you may or may not no that im doing a vr6 conversion on my car (when i FINALLY gather all the parts lol ) so i'll be needing Ibiza struts with vr6 rated springs, i want the advantage of adjusting the height so they're gona have to be coilovers (unless i keep forking out for different springs) i want a nice all round ride as i'll mainly be using it on the road but will also want to take it on some track days, mainly to the Nurburgring and finally within a mid sort of price range as im still an apprentice the set that's standing out to me at the moment are the "ap sportfahrwerke" coilovers as Raddo-Dave who has also done a vr6 conversion recommended them and Venom can get them built with vr6 spring from the factory! But im still unsure of what to do

Enough of me now though, what suspension setups are you running (manufacturer, height of drop etc)? Hows the ride and handling (On road and on track)? Where did you get them from and how much? Did you fit and set them up yourselves etc?

I know everyones opinion of there car, suspension set and ride is going to be different but i want to take everything into consideration so i get the best package!

Thanks for any help, Dan!

 

[crezz]

trouble is mate your after lots of different things, your gona have to sweet talk someone to do a setup that suits your need or if you got the cash contact a company gaz shocks and they make anything you want...sorry aint much help buddy

 

[BeezerDiesel]

Is there a particular reason you want to alter the right height? Shows?
I personally would rather have a top quality springs and damper set up than cheap coilovers BUT think you should save up for something along the lines of KW V1s or similar that allow you to adjust damping characteristics as well as spring rates in order to perfect the handling balance against ride quality with a non standard engine sat in the car.

 

[Presha]

No not really, just so i can set it up and get the perfect drop to suit the wheels as il be switching from 16s to 15s and back again etc hence why i'd prefer coilies! I know im not going to get a perfect ride on track and road and perfect build quality for a mid range price or anything i'm just looking for the best compromise. As i said the 'ap' set sound the best so far as they're not budget like vmaxx etc, i can get them built with the springs i need and for a reasonable price! But i know of only one person that has used them so i want to get a bit more of a wider view of what other people have experienced and so on.

 

[m0rk]

wheel size has no bearing on the 'drop' that your car should have for optimum handling & ride though - surely your expert will confirm this

I would suggest coilovers, but a decent brand, because you're going to mess up the handling enough with the new engine you're going to need to adjust the ride height to corner weight it properly.

Or you can just do what you're suggesting & buy cheap ****, wind them down to the bump stops, let them rust & your car will handle craply.

KW V2's, and buy new stiffer springs as you fine tune the handling.

 

[Presha]

wheel size has no bearing on the 'drop' that your car should have for optimum handling & ride though - surely your expert will confirm this

I would suggest coilovers, but a decent brand, because you're going to mess up the handling enough with the new engine you're going to need to adjust the ride height to corner weight it properly.

Or you can just do what you're suggesting & buy cheap ****, wind them down to the bump stops, let them rust & your car will handle craply.

KW V2's, and buy new stiffer springs as you fine tune the handling.

Wheel size determines tyre profile doesn't it? Therefore if i have a 16" wheel with a 40-45 profile and a certain drop your saying that with a 15" wheel with a profile of 50-55 and the same drop its going to handle the same?

And i dont ever recall saying i want budget coilovers and that i was going to slam it on the deck did I? I said i want a COMPROMISE of all of the certain aspects that people would want there car to look and handle!