Avo Adjustables Just Been Fitted....

[Guest Nathanlgd]

I had a set of Avo adjustables fitted to my car yesterday, the kit I have is the one with the shortened stroke I think because its a -55mm drop. I didn't use the -55mm springs for the obvious reason I kept my -35/40mm springs on. The bushes are also uprated.

So at the minute my car stands at -35/40mm at the front and is currently not adjusted at the back. First impressions of the Avos aren't that good, I have them on the softest setting at the minute and they don't feel ALOT better than the std dampers - maybe less bounce and slightly more firm on the general ride. I didn't get chance to test them properly yesterday but cornering doesn't feel much different from before I tightened the front dampers up a tad (1 turn of the 4.5 they have to go to maximum) and it didn't really feel any different.

This weekend I plan to adjust the front and back to around 50% more damping with the adjusters to see if that makes much difference.

There is a definate difference but its not massive, I suppose I cant comment really until they're set up and adjusted properly. Still, I would be pretty disapointed if I had bought these at full cost!

 

Anyone else have this kit or similar? what do you think of it?

Cheers!

Edited December 3, 2003 by Nathanlgd

[Guest joe]

i can tell you one thing to do first..... get your back end lowered the same or as near as damm it to the front.

having your back end higher than the front will make it wonder and corner badly especially as your using shortened shocks,

ive never heard of a bad thing said about AVO so i recon its just cos your car is not set up right

get the back end sorted then see about adjusting the set up of your shocks!

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

What do you mean by cornering doesn't feel any different? If you are using the same springs with only mildly uprated dampers (being set on softest) it won't feel that much different. Even tightening the dampers up might not make much difference it will just give tighter body control to a degree.

[NickR 10]

Are they brand new, will need a few hundred miles to settle in.

[Guest mrswampy]

when i was looking for a new set of dampers for mine i was told by a number of places that the softest setting is the one closest to the factory rate.

 

not usre how true this is though but it would make sense if thats the case.

[Guest tidypug]

i've got the AVO coil ocers fitted, i think theyre the super sport ones with the smaller diameter springs. I currently have it running very low all round with the shocks set at 2 clicks off there stiffest. The ride is quite bouncy but boy does it handle like a go kart . The only down side i have found so far is 1. the ride is very firm, but i can live with it . I have also noticed that the car is very secure on the roads. I haven't tried it in the wet but mid round about i can lift right off the throttle and all that happens is the front grips and pulls you round, the back doesn't step out at all.

 

 

Hope this helps.

[Guest Nathanlgd]

Cheers lads, I'll get it booked in for -35/40mm dropp'ige hm, maybe I'll set the dampers to around 60/70% this weekend and see how well it handles - also, I forgot to mention, the tyres I'm using at the minute aren't exactly cutting edge there pretty shabby 185/55/15s (but with plenty of tred). I want to replace these with some half decent 195/50's soon.

Cheers

[nick 3]

What was wrong with the handling before?

 

Nick

[Guest Nathanlgd]

nothing really, I just wanted it to be better and I got the Avos at a steel

 

Right, been chucking the 205 round a few of my regular corners today and I've noticed that the back end definatly steps out more and easier! which I'm not fond of. I've also noticed that with the new shocks the front end is sitting lower than before - now when I turn really tight corners I can hear the wheels scrapping a little on the bumpers. You can also see to look at that the front end now looks alot lower than the back end, its definatly dropped a tad more. I'm thinking I really need to get the back end dropped and then tighten up the dampers - a 205 GTi on Avo adjustables should really be go-kart like and at the minute mines far from it! As it is now I would say that it does feel a touch more firm than before but I would say that it handles worse with the road holding being almost the same but with the back end stepping out a bit more with the Avos. I really need to get that back end dropped to match the front and then tighten up those dampers to around 60/70%. I think it will be a good idea to get these tyres swapped for some proper ones as well.

A friend of mine has a VTR thats dropped around 50mm (just on springs) front and back and is on 195/40/16 rubber and I would say that his car handles alot better than mine at current. Mine being lowered on the front -40mm, still std on the back, with a front upper ally strut brace and on shabby 185/55/15 tyres.

I want to get my car so that it handles as well if not better than my mates VTR, do you think that with the back end reset to match the front and with the dampers set harder my car will handle and hold the road better than the mentioned VTR?

Cheers!

[Guest puggti]

It should of done before you fitted the avos, 205s are ultimate in there handling qualitys!!

 

What am i talking about

 

Ross

[nick 3]

Thats the point I was making

 

Nick

[Guest bedders]

Sure its the not the driver as opposed to the car

 

There is a certian nack to driving 205s on their limit - not saying you havent got it

[perfecto pug 0]

if the front is now quite a bit lower than the back, its obvious that its gonna step out easier.

 

all the weight is slanting towards the front wheels with nothing on the back

[Guest jeremy]

if the front is now quite a bit lower than the back, its obvious that its gonna step out easier.

 

all the weight is slanting towards the front wheels with nothing on the back

You only have to look at his avatar to see the results

[Adi 0]

if the front is now quite a bit lower than the back, its obvious that its gonna step out easier.

 

Not necessarily the case. The 1.9GTI always sat lower at the rear than the 1.6GTI.

Ok the set up would have been slightly different.......but the 1.9 was always know for been twitchier at the rear.......than the 1.6.

 

There is more (in theory) to suggest a lower rear end will have more lateral movement than a higher one. The only way the higher rear end will move around more......is because of more roll causing the rear steer effect in the axle bushes.

[Guest Telf 205]

When i uprated my suspension i had really hard bilstein on the back and it made it sit higher - really bad as it bounced sideways. really try and get it similar front and back.

 

Or even just leave the back standard with the softer shocks...

 

 

Just keep monkeying away at it till you fell its nice/fun.

[Guest Nathanlgd]

When two people carry a big heavy tele upstairs, the person at the bottom gets all the weight - this is similar with my car I would expect (like someone has already mentioned). I definatly need the back end dropping 35/40mm to match the front before it will handle properly.

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

When two people carry a big heavy tele upstairs, the person at the bottom gets all the weight - this is similar with my car I would expect (like someone has already mentioned). I definatly need the back end dropping 35/40mm to match the front before it will handle properly.

The more I think about that the less sense it makes

[Guest Nathanlgd]

Oh man, I'm really disapointed with my 205 I've just had a drive to the petrol station, its a decent drive, all short by-pass's and roundabouts and all national speed limit. I was trying to go round the bends and roundabouts fairly quickly (no danger - you can see for miles in all directions) and I just can't help but feel disapointed I was expecting my 205 to handle really well from the comments and reviews I've read in the past but it just doesn't, there must be something seriously wrong somewhere

When I steering quickly into a tight corner the steering just goes light and the front end just slides away and then suddenly grips. Round faster, bigger bends it I find the body moves alot and all 4 wheels slide quite easily (but fairly controlably) also the back corners seem to dip quickly depending on which direction I'm steering. I know I've said it before but my friends VTR out handles my 205 hands down. When I've driven it before (the VTR) it feel much more confident round any type of corner and it seems to fight the corner where as with the 205 its the corner fighting the 205

Any suggestions? or do you think this will all be solved by lowering the back end?

Cheers

[Guest Dave]

buy some good tyres.

its all for nowt of you have the best suspension set-up in the world and run nankang deathmaster 2000 tyres.

 

Eagle F1`s or Toyos.

[Guest Nathanlgd]

Maybe your right, it makes sense I suppose. What tyres are good on a budget? I really am struggling for cash alately can you recommend any half decent and cheap tyres? (I don't know a thing about tyres apart from sizes). Obivously 195/50/15's are the ones to go for right?

Ta

[Adi 0]

can you recommend any half decent and cheap tyres?

 

Have a look at www.mytyres.co.uk and Toyo Proxes are priced at £32.50 for a 195/50/15. You will have to get them fitted on top of that but that should be about £7-£9 per wheel inc balancing.

 

What tyres do you on at the moment?????

 

Weight transfer (suspension settings) and tyres are the most important factors in how a car handles. Sorting one without the other will lead to a poor handling car.

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

buy some good tyres.

its all for nowt of you have the best suspension set-up in the world and run nankang deathmaster 2000 tyres.

 

Eagle F1`s or Toyos.

lol that needs keeping as a quote for anyone asking about tyres

 

But on saying that handling is very subjective so it isn't just about grip, more the feel of the car.

[Adi 0]

But on saying that handling is very subjective so it isn't just about grip, more the feel of the car.

 

The tyre can make a world of difference to handling, feel and grip of the car. This is why different tyres have such a massive effect on the handling of any car.

If the sidewalls are too soft for example.......the front end of the car will plough on and not want to turn. By changing to a tyre with a stiff sidewall......the handling balance of that car will be transformed.

 

Changing brands/sizes of tyre can make the single biggest difference to ride/handling of any suspension component.

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

The tyre can make a world of difference to handling, feel and grip of the car. This is why different tyres have such a massive effect on the handling of any car.

If the sidewalls are too soft for example.......the front end of the car will plough on and not want to turn. By changing to a tyre with a stiff sidewall......the handling balance of that car will be transformed.

 

Changing brands/sizes of tyre can make the single biggest difference to ride/handling of any suspension component.

Yes exactly, I was referring to the mention on DeathMaster Nankangs ; these tyres could actually be good handling tyres but might have a low grip level. I noticed this when I first put 195/45s on my 205, they were Kumhos and not very grippy but the car drove really well on them, turn in and feel was much better but outright grip was not as good as my F1s.

 

Toyo Proxes are a floppy tyre (got 2 off rims in my garage and you can squash the tyre really easily) and this is probably where the slight numbness comes from. Bridgestone Potenza SO2s are massively stiffer, so much so that the tyre fitter usually complains about them!!! lol

 

I would say with stiff sidewalls you get better turn in and response, as you say, but with a softer sidewall, not necessarily less grip just less initial response but there are so many factors that could make a slightly taller tyre "handle" better than a lower profile one. Plus you need your suspension setup to match your wheel and tyre combination. A softly sprung car with big wheels and extra low profile tyres drive horribly.