Suspension kits - what do people recommend - and NOT FK

[Icecavern]

yeh, well i would - if i can find someone who can repair them while car is up on ramps.

But chances are they need to be sent away somewhere, and being without a car at the mo is a huge nono

You won't be on the road for long anyway at this rate as you'll be done for driving an un-roadworth vehicle if you get stopped.

Just go somewhere and buy a set of coilovers and have them fitted, then get the ones you have repaired and ebay them or something. Driving it around like it is is just plain suiside IMO. Sod the money, it's cheap compared to the alternatives that come to mind...

 

[Copra]

hold on a min with the scare tactics.

Pabs has said he has a slight knocking noise when going over some speed bumps.
From that your suggesting his car is unsafe, he is going to get stopped, and done and your suggesting its threatening to be the cause of a crash!!

come on!!

Luckly, Paul seems fairly "sympathetic" with regard to cars, some people on here are totally clueless, so if you used comments like that with some people, youd scare the **** out of them due to not knowing any different.

 

[paul26982]

You won't be on the road for long anyway at this rate as you'll be done for driving an un-roadworth vehicle if you get stopped.

Just go somewhere and buy a set of coilovers and have them fitted, then get the ones you have repaired and ebay them or something. Driving it around like it is is just plain suiside IMO. Sod the money, it's cheap compared to the alternatives that come to mind...

 

[Icecavern]

hold on a min with the scare tactics.

Pabs has said he has a slight knocking noise when going over some speed bumps.
From that your suggesting his car is unsafe, he is going to get stopped, and done and your suggesting its threatening to be the cause of a crash!!

come on!!

Luckly, Paul seems fairly "sympathetic" with regard to cars, some people on here are totally clueless, so if you used comments like that with some people, youd scare the **** out of them due to not knowing any different.

Erm I'm giving my opinion which I believe I'm entitled to do

I'm bassing my comment on Pabs own statements...

I'm starting to worry as I think my suspension problems are getting considerably worse recently.... went over some rough roads today and it just felt more harsh than normal, and i'm sure i've got a knocking at the front NS now

My passenger side front is definately worse than my drivers-side front too - hit a few rough area's on the lhs of the road and all i got was a loud THUMB rather than any form of damping.. felt like i had bolted suspension stiff......

i'm sure my pulling to the left is getting worse too....

{snip}

55mile journey to work everyday isn't very enjoyable. Then the 200+ mile journey to donnington at the weekend, and then various shows over august/september.

Right well, i'm sure it sounds like something at the front end is becoming loose now.... I'm getting a relatively faint, but still audible, knock when going over uneven roads, etc, more so when travelling slow than fast.

I'm also thinking this noise is coming from front NS too... Can't be ARB or anything, sounds like something is more loose than it has been... might have to see if i can get it checked.

So in my mind in the last 4 days, going buy Pauls comments and nothing more, his suspension is knackered and getting worse. And he travels over 100miles every day, and is about to do over 200 miles at the weekend...

Pete

 

[Pabs]

yeh, well luckily after talking to m0rk on msn last night, i had a look in pitch black with a torch, and had a play with a few bits...

Suspension is rock solid. I know its not a test as its down on the ground, but thought i'd check anyway.

Appears that the knocking has now gone - as mentioned it was only slight anyway, which made me ponder as to what it could be. After messing around with things in the engine bay, pushing the front end of the car up and down a few times, I couldnt replicate the issue. However, i tightened up some things here and there, in particular my carbonio CAI, and it seems to have stopped the knocking. Perhaps my filter was knocking on my horn or something, i don't know. I'll keep an eye on it though... and I'm still going to get a new kit....

 

[Copra]

Paul, you wont replicate the knocking with the car on its wheels.

my pass. front unit is totally shot. yet no matter how much you rock the car when its on the wheels, you cant make it knock. Jack the car up, to take the weight off the wheel and you will then be able to asses if the suspension has play in it.

Pete: your comments were most certainly not written as your "opinion". maybe you should have worded it better if it was just what you were "thinking". the way its written was along the lines of "this is a fact, you will get stopped, you could crash and burn. the end"

anyway, this is off topic, lets keep to the point.

 

[Pabs]

With ref. to the loud thump i heard, that i think is still down to suspension, and usually i avoid such large potholes but this one i just didnt see.

I must admit i kinda wound myself up on this a bit - its just 1 problem after another at the moment.

I'm going to talk to awesome-gti in the next few days/week and see what kits they recommend (not coilovers) and go from there.

 

[Copra]

i can see you have got your self worried. you need to keep an eye on it though

 

[Pabs]

Paul, you wont replicate the knocking with the car on its wheels.

yeh, i know mate, but tis all i can do being parked on a main road and living in a flat. Don't have tools or options to do anything else. I know theres play in the suspension, just not how much, or if its got worse over the last month or not.

 

[Icecavern]

Paul, you wont replicate the knocking with the car on its wheels.

my pass. front unit is totally shot. yet no matter how much you rock the car when its on the wheels, you cant make it knock. Jack the car up, to take the weight off the wheel and you will then be able to asses if the suspension has play in it.

Pete: your comments were most certainly not written as your "opinion". maybe you should have worded it better if it was just what you were "thinking". the way its written was along the lines of "this is a fact, you will get stopped, you could crash and burn. the end"

I think I used the word "if" in my sentence...

Basically in your opinion driving round with knackered suspension is safe, or else why would you be driving your car with knackered suspension too? In my opinion, and funnily enough it's the opinion of the VOSA too, is that it's not safe, and not road legal...

Paul mate, do yourself a favour and get it checked by a professional.

Pete

 

[slick]

Have to agree with Pete...

If those coilovers hit another pot hole or uneven surface, it could go a whole lot worse..... Not that it will, but it might, and as pete said... rather fork out for a new quality set of coilovers than take your chances with the FK now or again?

 

[Pabs]

Pete - its all in place....

Its been checked about 6 weeks ago, and there is definately an issue with them, and it has been said that if things got progressively worse over the next 4months, then the MOT might end up being a failure due to this.

However, I plan to change the kit, and as soon as i possibly can. I don't want to make the same mistake again, so I'm trying to find out what kit i should put on, and how quickly i can get the kit.

I've got a long drive to Donnington, but the car won't be dangerous to drive. I cannot get hold of a kit inside 2 days, and get it fitted as well. its just not going to happen.

I can live with the pulling to the left, i have done for the last 2yrs now. If someone could find out what it is, then I'd get it sorted! But I'm just throwing dosh at a black hole at the moment, and getting nowhere.

As said in posts above, I'll be speaking to awesome when i can, and finding out what kit to go for out of the Koni and Eibach range.

Can people recommend something out of those? i know people have said they are both good - but not knowing much about suspension i don't know the difference between the kits?

So, back to original thread topic - "Recommend me a suspension kit - NOT FK" - and lets limit it to Koni / Eibach and NOT coilovers.

 

[Copra]

I think I used the word "if" in my sentence...

Basically in your opinion driving round with knackered suspension is safe, or else why would you be driving your car with knackered suspension too? In my opinion, and funnily enough it's the opinion of the VOSA too, is that it's not safe, and not road legal...

Paul mate, do yourself a favour and get it checked by a professional.

Pete

it is by no means safe. i didnt say that, i never would. your making assumptions of how badly damaged they are. you are also making assumptions that i am using my car, which now the problem is tracked to the coilover, i am not. thanks for assuming though. you should never assume. assumptions are a major contributing factor in all **** ups!!

im not going to argue with you. im not a keyboard warrior like you are, i have a proper life, away from arguing with people on the INTERNET

 

[Copra]

paul. get your jack out, jack up the front of the car and rock the wheel. that is basically the first check i did.
it doesnt matter where the car is, aslong as the ground is sutable to use the jack on.

 

[Icecavern]

it is by no means safe. i didnt say that, i never would. your making assumptions of how badly damaged they are. you are also making assumptions that i am using my car, which now the problem is tracked to the coilover, i am not. thanks for assuming though. you should never assume. assumptions are a major contributing factor in all **** ups!!

So what you're saying is you wont drive your car because it's not safe, but Pabs is fine driving his even though it sounds like the same thing? Nice...

im not going to argue with you. im not a keyboard warrior like you are, i have a proper life, away from arguing with people on the INTERNET

hahahaha OMG that made me laugh, in fact sorry have to go, I think I need a change of clothing now I've p1ssed myself...
Who is making the assumptions now? The "I have a life you dont" stance doesn't really make you any friends...

 

[Pabs]

ok peeps... heres what i've been recommended:

Eibach Pro-Kit Suspension Springs - £130 + VAT
Koni FSD Shocks - £322 + VAT
= £452 + VAT
=£530 ISH.

What are peoples thoughts? Thats not including any discount that we may/may not get from Awesome....

 

[Pabs]

i've also been reading it might be best to keep standard springs?????

 

[slick]

Pabs, just a question, might have been answered earlier in teh post, but wat is it that you dont like about coil overs? is it the price of them...

as the above parts you might aswell have got a 2nd hand set of standard dampers and put eibach sport springs on them, but personally i think with 18"s u have, coilovers would be the best option for looks and handling... but then thats my opinion on it i guess... plus a 2nd hand pair of dampers and eiabch springs gotta save u money when you dont really need to spend mone on dampers that are no real advantage over the standard set up....?

 

[Pabs]

i have the standard suspension setup from my leon still.

I thought these FSD's were supposed to be far superior over the standard shocks? But with standard springs wouldnt actually lower the car?

Coilovers - just from some research i've seen that its very hard to get a good "cheaper" set of coilovers for an everyday car.

Whats the difference in looks between coilovers and shock/springs then? They drop the same, so surely u won't be able to see?

I REALLY don't want to do 2nd hand stuff - it could lead me to exactly the same situation as i have now - no warrantee and even MORE cost. I've learnt my lesson in trying to do things cheaply.

 

[Icecavern]

There's plenty of good things being said about the FSD setups so I'd think they'd be a good choice. But I'd get the FK's checked over properly first though.