how good/bad are lowering springs??

m0rk

sarcasm comes free
Staff member
May 19, 2001
27,787
33
Clanfield, UK
do you like crap braking? that's another bad point to knackered shocks

what about shortened tyre life?
 

cordobabrendy

FOOORRREEE!
Aug 24, 2001
7,642
1
belfast
luke open a second account and set up a DD from your first account to throw a few quid over each week/month so that you dont miss it when its gone. itll not take long to build the funds.
im 29 and trying to get rid of credit cards etc so im bunging a few quid to the side each time i have it.
 

hopkinsgm

Do-doo-be-do-do-dooo
May 25, 2001
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Swindon (occasionally)
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There's really not a lot of cost difference between a set of springs that would be worth having and a set of FK's, so i'd go with the kit. Aside from anything else, at least you *know* you're starting out with dampers that are in good shape and won't need to be replaced in a years time.
 

Smithy

Old School
Jan 17, 2002
965
0
Hertfordshire
Had just springs on my old 1.4. After a year, you really start to notice things have gone downhill, but I was a poor student who didn't mind the rock hard go-kart suspension for a year, on good roads it was superb. However, hit a bump on the motorway ...lets hope your passenger isn't holding a drink!

I went against the advice here as I got the work done cheapish and planned to sort out the susp again after my studies when I was earning, and did.

The difference between just springs and springs with matched dampers/shocks is pretty big. Your standard shocks will be shagged now anyway, I've got a 99 reg with about 50k on the clock, I'm starting to think about suspensions this summer, things have gotten bouncy!
 

chris285

leon mk1 fr tdi
Nov 26, 2004
1,849
0
lincoln, uk
quick question, i got some 16" mk3 cupra wheels for my 1.4 and they are great

but since i got them my handling has seem to have gotten worse, just general body roll has increased and the ride feels a lot bouncier. now could my alloys have caused a faster rate of decrease in my springs/shocks?

i have a 99 plate t reg which has done 67k on the clock, went from 14" steels to 16" alloys and just wondered if this could have added to my suspension going downhill. which i beleive is the cause of the iffy handling i currently have
 

BlackFR

Full Member
Jan 22, 2002
1,724
5
Not too far away
cordobabrendy said:
luke open a second account and set up a DD from your first account to throw a few quid over each week/month so that you dont miss it when its gone. itll not take long to build the funds.
im 29 and trying to get rid of credit cards etc so im bunging a few quid to the side each time i have it.

Thats exactly what I do! Its amazing how quickly it can rack up and you end up thinking WTF was I spending it on before :confused:
 

hopkinsgm

Do-doo-be-do-do-dooo
May 25, 2001
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Swindon (occasionally)
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Chris - that's bizarre. Bigger wheels means lower profile tyres. Lower profile tyres means less sidewall. That, in turn means lower overall spring rate.

My guess is that your dampers are sh@gged and not damping as well as they should, hence the bouncy ride. The wheels may have accelerated the decline, or it's possible that they were mullered already and you just notice it more as the 16's will have generally sharpened everything up a bit and made it all a bit more noticable. Or maybe you're just driving the car a bit harder now, which is bringing the problem to the fore. Whatever, if they're original equipment, they'll be knocking on 7 years old now (probably more than that since actual build date) so it's probably time to get 'em changed.
 

chris285

leon mk1 fr tdi
Nov 26, 2004
1,849
0
lincoln, uk
yeah it has only been in the last few months i have noticed it, it has always been a bit odd handling wise but the last couple of months more so. weird as handlnig improved when i got the alloys fitted, but now the handling seems very off and bouncy and when conering it feels like the car is going to go straight on
 
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