FK Automotive Highsport Coilovers

[tinbum]

Anybody got these or know anybody that has ?
Anygood ?
The price is quite appealing

Thanks

 

[HarveyGTI]

never heard a bad word about these

think i read a short while ago that someone with a MK1 leon had the same kit fitted and they held very high praise of it

This is certianly on my list of mods to do, prob from Demon Tweeks, as they offer 0% finance so i can spread the payments over 6 months or so

 

[olaf]

Think I will end up with coillies.

Not sure how low I can go with a diesel though.

And haven't a clue what I'm looking for

 

[HarveyGTI]

Think I will end up with coillies.

Not sure how low I can go with a diesel though.

And haven't a clue what I'm looking for

Bilstein PSS9's are pretty good, but with all Bilstein suspension kits, I can imagine they are a very hard ride, and the FK's of course

you also have:

Weitec
Tein
Koni

But I have never read of anyone with those fitted to their Leon yet....

 

[tinbum]

Trouble is they all about £550, but you can get FK or Gmax for about £380.
Big difference, I wonder how much you are paying for the name with some of the more popular brands !!

 

[cordobabrendy]

Ive got them and love them, the only minor quibble I have with them is that the highest point you can set them is how I have them set. The heights they can be raised and dropped, for me, starts a little too low but as I said, i have mine set on almost full height and it clings on to corners very well compared to standard. I also have an octavia and the octavia takes the bumps better but then its got monster truck suspension and high profile tyres. The lc is a more physical drive over bad surfaces but more than makes up for that when cornering, it also doesnt sway in the crosswinds anywhere near as much as the std ones did.

 

[HarveyGTI]

Trouble is they all about £550, but you can get FK or Gmax for about £380.
Big difference, I wonder how much you are paying for the name with some of the more popular brands !!

FK for £380!!

what kit is that, as I have the Demon Tweeks catalogue in front of me now and the kits start from £645 for the Leon

Variant 1 - adjustable height - £645
Variant 2 - adjustable height and damping rebound - £832
Variant 3 - adjustable height and independantly adjustable bump and rebound settings - £961

Variant 3 is over kill just for a fast road car, but I will be opting for the Variant 1 kit, height adjustable is more than enough for me

 

[tinbum]

Ive got them and love them, the only minor quibble I have with them is that the highest point you can set them is how I have them set. The heights they can be raised and dropped, for me, starts a little too low but as I said, i have mine set on almost full height and it clings on to corners very well compared to standard. I also have an octavia and the octavia takes the bumps better but then its got monster truck suspension and high profile tyres. The lc is a more physical drive over bad surfaces but more than makes up for that when cornering, it also doesnt sway in the crosswinds anywhere near as much as the std ones did.

Good feedback mate.....roughly how low would you say they have dropped the car ? I am looking for 20mm at the most !!! Dont want to go any lower than this.

 

[cordobabrendy]

on full height you will get 20mm mybe a smigeon more, ive had the cupra r splitter on since the suspenders were fitted and its still intact, speed bumps arnt just as much of a problem as I thought there would be.
I never even tried to lower the car much more as the ARB as knocking the steering, if you wnt to go low with the leon you deffo need adjustable droplinks.
btw harveygti, thats kw coilovers youre looking at. Im using FK Highsport height adjustable coilovers.

 

[RobM]

Trouble is they all about £550, but you can get FK or Gmax for about £380.
Big difference, I wonder how much you are paying for the name with some of the more popular brands !!

There is always an element of this, but the well known brands are well known for a reason. They all started out in the same way... they all have to earn their reputation. Some of them do it through being cheap and popular as a budget buy. Some do it through links with motorsport (Think Koni, H&R, Eibach) and others do it through producing good quality kit that works well (think Tein, although they have some motorsport links too I believe).

You always pay for a name to a certain extent, but with the brands I just mentioned - as well as the likes of Blistein - you're also paying for years of research and development that the lesser, cheaper brands simply cannot match. Not only this, but some brands such as Eibach work alongside manufacturers to produce kit that's very well matched to the car.

That doesn't mean there aren't bargains out there, it doesn't mean that the cheaper brands wont do an acceptable job, but I'd be sure that the Eibachs and Konis of this world will take things one step further.

 

[tinbum]

Thanks Rob............
What you make of these ?

http://www.rimstyle.com/pages/produ..._co;type=gmax_coilovers;model=32235;id=60SE04

 

[RobM]

GMax have been around for years. They are one of those brands that have built up a good reputation because they are cheap, but they do a pretty good job. By that, I mean they do what people at this end of the market want - they lower the car, don't fall apart and make the car go round corners a bit faster.

 

[HarveyGTI]

There is always an element of this, but the well known brands are well known for a reason. They all started out in the same way... they all have to earn their reputation. Some of them do it through being cheap and popular as a budget buy. Some do it through links with motorsport (Think Koni, H&R, Eibach) and others do it through producing good quality kit that works well (think Tein, although they have some motorsport links too I believe).

You always pay for a name to a certain extent, but with the brands I just mentioned - as well as the likes of Blistein - you're also paying for years of research and development that the lesser, cheaper brands simply cannot match. Not only this, but some brands such as Eibach work alongside manufacturers to produce kit that's very well matched to the car.

That doesn't mean there aren't bargains out there, it doesn't mean that the cheaper brands wont do an acceptable job, but I'd be sure that the Eibachs and Konis of this world will take things one step further.

to sum that up, you get what you pay for

have learnt my lesson going down that road. If you buy cheap stuff, then expect issues with your car or at least aspects to go wrong in a short space of time

Brendy, cheers mate, was not paying attention, and yes I was quoting on the KW coilovers

just looking at the price of the Weitec kits, for the TX kit for the Leon, its £605. The kit is a fully height adjustable kit and also the rear dampers are adjustable.....any good?

 

[tinbum]

Yeh I know what you mean Rob.
According to that advert, they £332.00 incl...which is alot lower than the others which are all about £550.00
I hear what you say about the reputations and research of the others, but I also agree with your comments regarding our end of the market.

If Gmax are fully adjustable, which they claim, I might make a play for those I think !!

 

[Freewheelin']

I had Highsports fittted to my TDI and didn't like them...car pitched about on uneven road surfaces too much because of poor damping control. The only proviso is that they were lowered approx 35mm and sound as though they work better if you run a near standard ride height. Also had to change the ARB (to an FK item) as the standard one was rubbing on the drive shafts.

They were replaced with Koni coilovers which are much, much better IMO....again lowered approx 35mm. I wish I had bought them in the first place.

 

[nibbles]

I'm running eibachs...... had them fitted at jbs,made a spot on job didnt rush them ......... very very happy http://leemerrin.fotopic.net/c1251766.html

 

[jonjay]

Think I will end up with coillies.

Not sure how low I can go with a diesel though.

And haven't a clue what I'm looking for

NO OLAF they are very poor in quality tbh...

 

[jonjay]

There is always an element of this, but the well known brands are well known for a reason. They all started out in the same way... they all have to earn their reputation. Some of them do it through being cheap and popular as a budget buy. Some do it through links with motorsport (Think Koni, H&R, Eibach) and others do it through producing good quality kit that works well (think Tein, although they have some motorsport links too I believe).

You always pay for a name to a certain extent, but with the brands I just mentioned - as well as the likes of Blistein - you're also paying for years of research and development that the lesser, cheaper brands simply cannot match. Not only this, but some brands such as Eibach work alongside manufacturers to produce kit that's very well matched to the car.

That doesn't mean there aren't bargains out there, it doesn't mean that the cheaper brands wont do an acceptable job, but I'd be sure that the Eibachs and Konis of this world will take things one step further.

Great words of Wisdom tbh! Nice one Rob..

I steered away from fk because a reputable tuner stated they are low quality, some reputable enthusiast on here stated they are low quality and a good friend of mine said they are low quality. Hence I am not with H&R...

 

[cordobabrendy]

They seem ok to me, saying that ive not used them on any trackdays etc (i refuse to put the leon out in case I get to enthusiastic and end up in a ditch) However, like most coilover owners, you set them to the sesired height and leve them there so I dont see where all this low quality stuff comes from, yes they are on the budget end of the scale but this doesnt mean they are no good. The cupra corners well and the car feels a lot more solid and less light front ended moments at speed.

 

[jonjay]

They seem ok to me, saying that ive not used them on any trackdays etc (i refuse to put the leon out in case I get to enthusiastic and end up in a ditch) However, like most coilover owners, you set them to the sesired height and leve them there so I dont see where all this low quality stuff comes from, yes they are on the budget end of the scale but this doesnt mean they are no good. The cupra corners well and the car feels a lot more solid and less light front ended moments at speed.

You have to look at it logically.

Yes they are budget
Yes they are better than standard
Do they use lower quality materials - yes
Do they handle as good on normal and track conditions - no
Can you spend a little more and get far superior ones - yes.

So yes they are better than standard but when you compare to what you can buy for little more they are not good. Each to their own tho, if your happy with the product then fair play.