Ibiza FR suspension

[benuk]

Does anyone else have a FR 130 / TDI Sport 130 with 17" rims and low profile tyres (205/40/17) and if so do you find the ride really harsh, especially on country roads with potholes? Even fairly small bumps feel like your going over something much bigger...

I know the suspension is meant to be very stiff, but how much do the low profile tyres contribute to this, I have no experience on the standard 16's..

Is a stiffer suspension more easily damaged on country roads with potholes than a soft one? I try my best to avoid them but still sometimes hit them.. I'm hoping it feels worse than it is!!

 

[Nath.]

The front on mine seems OK but the rear is sooooo hard and is not indipendant, there's a dirty great big metal beam connecting the rear wheels that twists when one rear wheel goes over a bump.

 

[rosssifr]

Hi i've only had my fr 3 weeks and i've noticed this as well. I'd say it's down too the low profile tyres. The sport suspension will also contribute to it. Have you checked your tyre pressures? If they're over inflated or even under inflated it'll add to a rough or noisy ride.

 

[st10587]

my coilovers are not mush stiffer then my stadard suspension and i have the advantage of being about 60mm lower

 

[RichieRich]

i used to have the 17" wheels with my fr suspension and i live in the cotswolds, i got used to it and it wasnt that bad afterall it is made for a sporty feel and it certainly does feel sporty...

 

[benuk]

thanks for the input guys.. yes tyre pressures are fine, I know the sports suspension and low profiles will create a bumpy ride, however I'm worried about damage caused on country roads.. as it is quite rough sometimes as I have said. Are stiffer suspensions easier to damage this way than softer ones?

I do like the feel of it when on decent roads! The grip when cornering is great!

 

[maccp]

thanks for the input guys.. yes tyre pressures are fine, I know the sports suspension and low profiles will create a bumpy ride, however I'm worried about damage caused on country roads.. as it is quite rough sometimes as I have said. Are stiffer suspensions easier to damage this way than softer ones?

I do like the feel of it when on decent roads! The grip when cornering is great!

I agree,my Cupra is great on A roads and motorways but harder work on B roads.I am currently researching suspension options to improve ride but keep some control.Koni FSD and Eibach springs seem to be spoken about with high regard but they have a high price too at nearly £800 fitted.Im gonna keep looking for a less expensive option.

 

[Aimez]

Yes I understand what you mean and mine is the same and I have the same size wheels and tyres as you it is worse than the standard 16s as well but sticks to the road better. It does annoy me at times cos the road in this country suck!

 

[RichieRich]

yeah the roads by me are dredful! my parents wore out the suspension on there pd100 beetle and then brought a rav4 because of the roads lol and theres me with 40mm lower suspension on my golf i did used to like the fr suspension tho

 

[benuk]

yeah some roads are terrible, there are just some potholes you just can't avoid!

 

[PLuKE]

I have a TDI Sport on 205/45/16 the front seems fine, But the rear seems the most harsh, And over certain potholes it seems to be bangy. I run the rear tyre pressures lower than the book says by 4PSI, And it really helps IMO, Plus the rear seems alittle more connected for me (Toyo T1R tyres).

Luke

 

[leonbeastmk1]

I find on my ibiza FR the ride is alot stiffer and more harsh than my leon, but i guess its part of the great handling package. Although i know from my experience working on the ibiza's the bottom wishbone bush's are really bad for going. Seat use the same bush's from a 1.2 ibiza up to an FR which i think is wrong, due to a big power difference whether petrol or diesel. Do you hear any squeaky noise's when you drive over the rough roads? - BENUK. Usaully thats a sign of your bottom arm bush's split. Ill be changing mine to the cupra type as they are more poly type and have much better handling

 

[Nath.]

I have a TDI Sport on 205/45/16 the front seems fine, But the rear seems the most harsh, And over certain potholes it seems to be bangy. I run the rear tyre pressures lower than the book says by 4PSI, And it really helps IMO, Plus the rear seems alittle more connected for me (Toyo T1R tyres).

Luke

+1 for the lower rear tyre pressures, the rear is so light on the Ibiza that you can go right down to about 20psi and the tyre still looks fine.

 

[benuk]

I find on my ibiza FR the ride is alot stiffer and more harsh than my leon, but i guess its part of the great handling package. Although i know from my experience working on the ibiza's the bottom wishbone bush's are really bad for going. Seat use the same bush's from a 1.2 ibiza up to an FR which i think is wrong, due to a big power difference whether petrol or diesel. Do you hear any squeaky noise's when you drive over the rough roads? - BENUK. Usaully thats a sign of your bottom arm bush's split. Ill be changing mine to the cupra type as they are more poly type and have much better handling

I don't hear any squeaking when driving on rough roads, but I will keep that in mind if it ever happens.

 

[Altech]

'Sports suspension.' I think Seat were having a laugh when they fitted it! My old Peugeot 306 had better suspension on it and went round corners better than my Ibiza. I got so tired of my 'Sport suspension' that I've replaced it with a set of coilovers. The ride is so much better now as it doesn't crash over bumps like the old suspension used to.

 

[abzx]

I am currently trying to sort out the harsh ride on my FR too.

Just fitted eibach springs on rear. The Eibach spring felt exactly the same to press on when we compared to the standard (FR spring) we took off.

Once on the car, the rear pushing down from boot lip feels just as stiff when we tried to push it down. On the road, still feels stiff.

Now looking at standard non FR springs, and shocks (not sure if shocks were different that affect stiffness)?

 

[st10587]

I am currently trying to sort out the harsh ride on my FR too.

Just fitted eibach springs on rear. The Eibach spring felt exactly the same to press on when we compared to the standard (FR spring) we took off.

Once on the car, the rear pushing down from boot lip feels just as stiff when we tried to push it down. On the road, still feels stiff.

Now looking at standard non FR springs, and shocks (not sure if shocks were different that affect stiffness)?

springs dont really effectl how stiff the ride is, the shocks do. springs control ride height mainly

 

[abzx]

A - ha!

Interesting info there. You are the first to say this. So could it be that the rear of my FR just needs the non FR shock absorbers?

Anyone able to confirm the rear shocks for non FR are different to FR?

 

[st10587]

A - ha!

Interesting info there. So could it be that the rear of my FR just needs the non FR shock absorbers?

Anyone able to confirm the rear shocks for non FR are different to FR?

the shocks on say a 1.2 or 1.4 should be softer as they are the non sport shocks

 

[rf860]

i changed my 'sport' suspension to Weitec Ultra GT 30mm lowering kit which includes new dampers and springs because i was fed up of the jarring ride. I did a lot of research before fitting these as i did not want to spend £300 on this kit for it to be just marginally better - but i have to say the ride is a lot better, soaks up the bumps far better than standard and goes round corners MUCH better that before (feels more planted and safe). Although it is still noisy inside which i think is more to do with sound-proofing (of which there is nought )