Which LCR suspension mod?

[jetsetjimbo]

In my eyes the biggest area of the LCR that needs improving is the cornering and I'm trying to decide where my money should go.

At the moment I can only afford ~£600 which really means I can do one of 2 things. Either Neuspeed front and rear ARBs, thinking 22 and 25mm as I don't want to go too aggressive or alternatively some coil overs.

Ideally I'd like the Bilstien PSS (ala Rud) as I don't want the car lowered any more than 20mm as it'll just get difficult to drive where I need to go - it can be bad enough as it is! Only problem is that these will well and truely blow the budget.

Is it worth getting the ARBs with the stock suspension or should I leave them and go for some coil overs instead?

 

[rickmyster]

personally i would fit coilovers first , i think they are aprrox £500 from fk (correct me if im wrong) , then fit the anti roll bars at a later date, but from what ive heard lowering the car any more than 25mm strains ya arb alot (again correct me if im wrong)

 

[Darth Tater]

Jimbo

I've got the Neuspeed ARB's and H&R coilovers

I reckon the suspension will give the bigger difference in the first instance. H&R's are above your budget though. FK's are also rated though by others on here

I've got 28mm front and rear ARB's and don't find them too severe at all. I was going for 25mm on the front but Big Boys Toys advised going for the bigger ones as that's what they run on their MIV Golf that they race

The H&R's are on the minimum drop at present as I didn't want a spinebreaking ride. I think they need more setting up though as seem to be underdamped at present and still a bit crashy, bit like the standard LCR shocks

 

[J@mes]

jetsetjimbo... all iv done to my LCR handling wise is an upper S3 strut brace and FK silverline x coilovers, oh and decent rubber and she handles sooo much better!


iv done a track day at brands and i think everyone was impressed with how she handled!


tbh i dont think its worth doing the ARBs on the LCR, ok i havnt been in one to see the difference, but im more than happy with how my car handles especially when it hasnt cost me much! about £600 all in and also the ride quality is the same as standard!

so VFM i dont think the ARB are worth it... i bet the coilovers on their own make more of a difference!


however if my car was used mostly for track days then i deffo would change the ARBs, but who uses a LCR as a track car?!


so if i was u jimbo id just go for some coilovers and an s3 upper strut brace! (oh and some good tyres! )


just my 2p!


james

 

[Darth Tater]

but who uses a LCR as a track car?!

*Looks for a hands up smiley, shakes head as cant find one...*

James, if your coming to the track day at Lyden Hill in August your more than welcome to come for a spin in mine for comparison purposes

 

[J@mes]

*Looks for a hands up smiley, shakes head as cant find one...*

James, if your coming to the track day at Lyden Hill in August your more than welcome to come for a spin in mine for comparison purposes

yes i am goin... will be my 3rd track day in a LCR (2nd one in my car)

u goin to the kent meet this sat?!

 

[Darth Tater]

Will be my 2nd mate, 1st one this Fri down at Combe

Don't gererally have a lot of time at the w'e's for meets but will try and make the Kent one at some point

Trackdays are more likely though

 

[J@mes]

good luck at combe!

and get ur arse down to a meet soon!

 

[Darth Tater]

good luck at combe!

and get ur arse down to a meet soon!

Thanks mate

And yessir!

 

[NeilC]

By the time you've paid for front and rear arbs (esp. if you've got std exhaust as it seems only the £££ neuspeeds dont knock) and if you've not got a 2 poster to do the front yourself, paid for fitment, you arent going to be far off getting coilovers just over the free fitting jazz at big boys toys.
I suppose it depends on what you want improving. I though it rolled a bit so put a rear arb on, then thought it made the handling a bit odd so put a front on (although peeps with the 25mm didnt seem to have this prob), then thought it understeered a bit so stuck an lsd in, then found it was still having probs with sharp changes in direction on the chicanes so put coilovers on.
The peeps on here with just coilovers seem happy enough so maybe if i would've done that first i would have saved myself a fair bit in the long run!

Biggest diff was the tires tho, the std ones are lol

 

[jetsetjimbo]

Cheers guys. I'm on GDS3s already

Looks like the coil overs then.

James - Whats the minimum drop on the FKs?

 

[Ruddmeister]

OK here's my 2p.

First I fitted coilovers and the rear ARB

Coilovers - these are a great buy and reduce body roll a ittle, my Bilstein coilovers improved the damping, lowered the car a little and stopped nose diving under braking.....I also think something like the new Koni RSD's? maybe a nice compromise. The only negative is that over quick undulating road the ride 'can' feel a little choppy.....I still did 20k miles p.a. on them and the wife never complained so ride must have been ok

ARB's - I Had the rear ARB only at first, this is a no no IMO, both myself and Yumann at the time suffered wierd handling (strangly Z boyd didn't ) anyhow doing both front and rear ARB's is IMO the single best mod I ever did....go for a larger ARB on the front than you eprhaps thought (25mm front and 28mm rear was superb) I had very little understeer unless I was being very silly in the wet and preictable lift off oversteer.

At the same time I would recommend
- Audi S3 Front Strut Brace £55 ish from your local Audi dealer
- Dog Bone engine mount

In retrospect I think if I had to do it in stages then I would do this order.....
1 - Decent Rubber in lieu of cr@p Pirelli's + Dog Bone engine mount and front strut brace
2 - Coilovers
3 - ARB's

As I say I can;t recommend the ARB's highly enough....they finished the set-up off perfectly

 

[jetsetjimbo]

Cheers for your input Rud.

I have the tyres, strut brace to go on and am looking at the EIP engine mount (rather than the powerflex bushes) although I understand the fitment of this more expensive?

I guess it's hard to comment on the ARBs just with the stock suspension if you've not tried it. I don't think there is anyone on here who has...

I know feel just did the rear ARB on standard suspension and he seems happy with it and didn't mention any odd handling characteristics.

Is it the Koni RSKs you mean rather than RSDs? I think the issue is I don't want to lower it all that much and as you mentioned in various post and the documentation of your suspension research there are very few kits that allow just a minor drop hence why I was thinking of the ARBs on the stock suspension.

Now I am confused.

James - What's the drop on your FKs?

 

[Ruddmeister]

I have the tyres, strut brace to go on and am looking at the EIP engine mount (rather than the powerflex bushes) although I understand the fitment of this more expensive?


Is it the Koni RSKs you mean rather than RSDs?

EIP part is way more expensive but easier to fit and IMO better

Koni's - yeah something like that RSK / RSD also KW suspension is decent kit

 

[jetsetjimbo]

I've decided on the EIP mount I think.

Did you find anything that had a comparable drop to the PSS' you had?

 

[Ruddmeister]

I've decided on the EIP mount I think.

Did you find anything that had a comparable drop to the PSS' you had?

I think you should have a look into KW suspension, I didn't get any firm answers / conclusuions before I went for the Bilstein's but I was impressed by what I read / saw.

 

[jetsetjimbo]

Will do. Thanks

 

[J@mes]

Cheers guys. I'm on GDS3s already

Looks like the coil overs then.

James - Whats the minimum drop on the FKs?

i THINK its 30mm

but saying that thats crap!... u can adjust it to exactly how much you want it (to a max of either 55mm or 70mm cant remember!)...

the reason why i say you can adjust it to wat u want up to 55/70mm is because you can actually adjust it so its higher than standard! (jabba had to do this to get my car on their RR!)

so therefore u can adjust to wat u want if u see wat i mean?! (so if u only want a 20mm drop u will be fine!)


mines lowered about 30/35mm i think and i think its spot on!

 

[J@mes]

In retrospect I think if I had to do it in stages then I would do this order.....
1 - Decent Rubber in lieu of cr@p Pirelli's + Dog Bone engine mount and front strut brace
2 - Coilovers
3 - ARB's

i agree with rud...

and tbh i think most ppl will be very happy with their transformation by the time the get to step 2! (so wont prob bother with ARBs! well thats how i feel! )

 

[jetsetjimbo]

Cheers James!

Rud - do you have that PDF with your review of your suspension bits hosted anywhere as the westec one is offline now...