Finally lowered, BUT....

[Czechboy]

Fitted my lowering kit to my ibiza today. Its a Gmax (i know, i know) full lowering kit that i sourced 2nd hand from fleebay a week ago for about £100. Fitted it myself today.Only took about 2hours to do. Now i just need to get the tracking done. Performance-wise it handles superbly. Looks wise its a bit dodgy. The back is lowered but 40mm, but the front looks like its only about 20mm lower. Couldnt figure out why for about 4 hours and than it got me......The lowering kit is meant for a 2.0l cupra which has got a heavier engine than my 1.4, therefore it would compress the front suspension more. Guess im gona leave it like this for the time being and when i go get a Cupra (about 7 months) i put the suspension on that. Below are couple of Photos:

Before the car was lowered:

And NOW:

Any coment/ideas of how to get the front lower are more than welcome

 

[F2 Stu]

the 20 difference is down to the fact its cheap, the kit I fitted to my 1.4 had no such problems.

 

[m0rk]

2.0 is heavier up front than the 1.4 - so the springs have to hold less up on yours.... so it's higher up - or fitted wrong.

 

[Cupra Kid]

can you swap em round, would look better with the back end higher and the front end lower?

 

[cordobabrendy]

once your in the car how does it look?

 

[Pabs]

hmmm, not sure if this'd have handling implications?

 

[Czechboy]

No you cant swap them round.Even with two people sitting inside the front is still a little bit higher than the back. The front doesent move much because the suspension is quite stiff. The handeling is really good tho.

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

Bigger Wheels would sort it.

Or cut a coil out of the front.

 

[ScottyP]

is it just me or is this thread getting scary!

Don't ever risk cutting springs! esp on the front - very risky, plus its likely to be an MOT failure when the spring dislocates from the shock unit when jacked up.
Front and rear springs/shocks aren't interchangeable - apart from the size of the springs won't fit through the car on the rear, they are made up to support the dfferent weights at the front and rear of the car. The back ones wouldn't safely take the weight of the engine bearing down on them.

Check the serial no. of the kit and springs - Gmax have to well known to not put the right springs/shocks in ther boxes.

 

[WeeC]

id hate to think what my car is lowered then if yours is 40mm at the back and 20mm at front. Cupra Kid - surely you know you cant swap em round !!!!
Czech - car looks in pretty good nick!

 

[edc]

id hate to think what my car is lowered then if yours is 40mm at the back and 20mm at front. Cupra Kid - surely you know you cant swap em round !!!!
Czech - car looks in pretty good nick!

Prob 40mm lol given that the GTI/Cupra are alreay lower than the rest of the range

 

[Red Ibiza VR6]

is it just me or is this thread getting scary!

Don't ever risk cutting springs! esp on the front - very risky, plus its likely to be an MOT failure when the spring dislocates from the shock unit when jacked up.

I used to think as you do, and my mate cut loads of sets. When I actually cut one coil out though, the difference was awesome. Any more than that and it could dislocate, but one coil still makes all the bits stick together and just makes the car sit lower.

I wouldn`t do it on my VR6, but on a light 1.4, hell yes.

 

[Czechboy]

I used to think as you do, and my mate cut loads of sets. When I actually cut one coil out though, the difference was awesome. Any more than that and it could dislocate, but one coil still makes all the bits stick together and just makes the car sit lower.

I wouldn`t do it on my VR6, but on a light 1.4, hell yes.

Doesent the handeling go right out of the window when you cut the spring??Im thinking that i might have to swap the top mounts (the rubber things at the top of the suspension kit) round, as the ones that were mounted on the original suspension were a lot wider and looked a bit thinner than the ones that were on the Gmax lowering kit.Any other people had any experience with cutting uprated springs???Cheers

 

[WeeC]

Prob 40mm lol given that the GTI/Cupra are alreay lower than the rest of the range

but he has put on a kit that is for the Cupra model to drop it 40mm so surely in effect if you say the cupra sits lower already then his is more than a 40mm drop at the back (or am i just having a blonde moment? ). I query the ride height because ive always wondered whether i got the right kit from Koni (or the one i ordered)

 

[m0rk]

the spacing on the front springs of a Mk2 Ibiza are too wide to consider cutting.

So if you cut them - when you go over a bridge it's possible the spring will be loose. MOT failure & bloody dangerous.

Also you won't be able to bend them 'flat' to make good contact with the top mount.

consider buying some eibach springs all round for your dampers.

 

[andycupra]

would it fair to say that most lowering kits tend to lower the rear more than the front anyhows?

although im sure its probably not quiet as low as intended at the front, the difference between intended and actuialy height probably isnt as much as it seems

 

[Czechboy]

I thought that it could be because they were meant to be for a 8v gti, which has a heavier engine. So i stood inside the engine bay (to try to compensate the weight of a 2.0l) but the front was still higher than the back. And im sure that a 2.0l isnt extra 11stone heavier than a 1.4 anyway. From sounds of things i wont cut the springs as it would be too dangerous. But im not really up for getting new springs, considering i only just got a "new" suspension setup. So will try and swap the rubber top mounts (think that thats what they are called)for the original ones and see whether that makes any difference. But first need to get hold of some spring compresors

 

[jenk]

iv got a g-max kit on mine and its quite low. cant get a trolly jack under the front.

If you get a squek from the back u will have to grind some of the lower cup away, this was rubbing on mine.

 

[Czechboy]

Well i managed to get hold of a set of spring compressors (now i just need that "special" tool to undo the internal nut). I will take the front suspension off again and will swap the rubber strut tops for the original ones.See if that will make any difference. Will keep you updated.

p.s. Is there anyone who wants to swap their uprated springs from a 1.4 for an uprated set designed for the 8v GTI??? Cheers

 

[andycupra]

car looks pretty level to me...