Which Shocks?

[Doof 11]

Ok so far I've got the following to go on my car:

 

307 brakes

309 wishbones

309 driveshafts

Grp N engine mounts - thanks stew

New track rods

New ARB drop links

 

And im starting to think it would be rude to change all this and leave the old suspension on, with the price of the billy streetline kit i might as well stuck something a little better on there.

 

Now first and foremost the car is a roadcar, it gets me to work etc so I dont want my teeth shaking out. Although having said that I would like to do a track day every now and then once I graduate.

 

With that said I'm leaning toward new OE shocks with some eibach -30mm springs which would set me back:

 

£220 shocks

£80 springs

 

So at £300 I'm suddenly close to sprintline territory among other options!

 

Any thoughts....OE or otherwise?

 

Lewis

[Sandy 189]

My personal favourite is the Challenge Bilsteins, from Peter Lloyd Rallying. Noticably firmer than sprints, but better for it. Spring wise, the more you can afford the better you'll get. Eibach have always been a better ride/controlo compromise than the others i've tried and most cheap ones are too hard.

 

But cost versus quality, the Sprintline kit is hard to beat.

[welshpug 1,622]

are the challenge billies the Pugsport coilovers? if so how much is Peter Lloyd doing them for? as I priced them up from Pugsport and they came to a shade under a grand!!

[Alan_M 66 1 Cars]

My personal favourite is the Challenge Bilsteins, from Peter Lloyd Rallying. Noticably firmer than sprints, but better for it. Spring wise, the more you can afford the better you'll get. Eibach have always been a better ride/controlo compromise than the others i've tried and most cheap ones are too hard.

 

But cost versus quality, the Sprintline kit is hard to beat.

 

£140 each for the fronts and £75 each for the rears.

 

I've recently gone from the Sprints to the Challenge spec ones, and I have to say that they are very good shocks. IMO a markable improvement over the Sprints, nowhere near as crashy and feel as though they have superior damping. Certainly round the 'Ring, they were gave great grip and handling.

 

I'm sure couple of the guys that went in my car would back this up, particularly Rob the Sparky who passengered with me enroute to the 'Ring.

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

All the challenge stuff uses the OE spring platforms, To go with the coil over's you need to get the outer part made, The inserts are quite cheap but you need to watch the top mount, As the long spindle ones are on a min order level,

If you can get me the Part numbers for the challenge ones, I;ll price em up

[Sandy 189]

Rears are F4-B46-1038-H0, slightly different number to the Sports.

 

I think the fronts are V36-0547 and V36-0548, again only slightly different! But the list i have shows two dmaping rates, 260/120 and 280/150, not sure which they are.

[Doof 11]

I think to be honest the challenge spec ones are a bit much, we're going to be talking £500+ and for a roadcar I'm still not sure these would be the best.

 

Billies Sprintline is still a possibility but something still has me leaning toward OE shocks, i just don't want a really crashy ride that brings out yet more rattles.

 

One other thing to consider is top mounts. From autofive these are another 140 quid for the full kit both sides! Alternatively its a bit cheaper, around 100 for just the rubbers and bearings.

 

So this is what im looking at:

 

Part No. Part

Price

 

01ST011 Top mount kit complete each side .Only 2 available £66.95

 

01ST011 Top mount kit complete each side .Only 2 available £66.95

 

06ST114 Peugeot front N/S damper GTi £55.95

 

07ST115 Peugeot front O/S damper GTi £55.95

 

08ST126 Peugeot rear damper GTi £38.50

 

08ST126 Peugeot rear damper GTi £38.50

 

Total £322.80

 

VAT £56.49

 

Total Inc VAT £379.29

 

And again springs still need to go on top of this lot at £75

 

Any other thoughts?

 

Lewis

[Super Josh 4]

Well that lot seems very expensive to me. For example, Euro Car Parts stock the O.E. Bilstein dampers and the complete set of 4 are around £120, including the VAT. And do you need complete top mounts? You can get the bearings from GSF for around a tenner each. Then get some Grp N rubbers from Skip Brown for not much money too. As for springs, Skip Brown roadspeed ones are 50 quid + VAT for the pair.

 

 

 

Josh

[Doof 11]

But are the OE bilstein dampers the ones which are really soft at the back?

[Super Josh 4]

But are the OE bilstein dampers the ones which are really soft at the back?

 

No, that's the streetline kit you're thinking of. The rear dampers are softer than the O.E Standard ones.

 

 

 

Josh

[richard 0]

Lewis, did pretty much a similar thing to yourself in terms of spec.

 

Was looking at replacing with std following a chat with Miles, ended up going grpN on rear, streets on front with eihbach springs and replaced rubbers with GrpN. Its firmer than before but the shocks were in a 'shocking state'

 

definately recommend the eihbachs, might also be worth looking at Skip Brown springs too.

[Doof 11]

Which GrpN shocks are these on the back?

 

I'm waiting for a call back from SBC at the minute, they're getting me prices on OE shocks.

[GLPoomobile 958]

What are people's opinions on the Group N top mounts? I have them fitted and found the ride is noticeably harsher (this is with standard shocks and Eibach springs) and I'm not sure if I would fit them again, given the choice, as my car is purely for road use. I totally rate the Group N rear beam mounts but just not sure if the front top mounts are worth it on a road car.

 

They also raise the ride height by little bit.

[skeggyrik 3]

if you are in the £400 region then you can afford a the gaz fully adjustable coilovers. There was going to be a group buy on these but it was found that you could get them just as cheap from a guy on Ebay, the guy happens to be someone from Gaz. Infact when I came to pay the Paypal invoice it was paybale to Mr. Gazzard, so in effect you get them direct fomr Gaz and includes the 2 year warranty. I contacted the guy and asked if he could do the full set for £360 and he said yes. They come Friday . They are not the best you can get but for £360 it can' be bad. This includes rear shocks and springs. I have the chaps email address and phone number should anyone want it.

 

Rich

[Doof 11]

Ok I went for the sprintline kit from Miles in the end with SCR roadspeed springs, im hoping to get things on the car in the next week and have it MOT'd by next week.

 

Anyway, the only thing that has occured to me is that there is no bumpstop on the shocks. I've had them assembled now with the spring and top mount and don't want to take them apart again because I had to pay someone to put them together in the first place.

 

Will they be ok with no bumpstops?

[Rippthrough 98]

Ok I went for the sprintline kit from Miles in the end with SCR roadspeed springs, im hoping to get things on the car in the next week and have it MOT'd by next week.

 

Anyway, the only thing that has occured to me is that there is no bumpstop on the shocks. I've had them assembled now with the spring and top mount and don't want to take them apart again because I had to pay someone to put them together in the first place.

 

Will they be ok with no bumpstops?

 

 

If they bottom out with no bumpstops you may smash the piston off the damper rod.

[dazEmad 0]

ive run shocks without bumpstops before on a very lowered vw scirocco it use to clang and bang like a good un and bottom out quite hard other bad bumps but never damaged anything. I would recommend runnng bumpstops and if you want them re-fitting have a word with returnofjim as he has some spring clamps and may do them for you at a good price.

[Guest Red Man]

if you are in the £400 region then you can afford a the gaz fully adjustable coilovers. There was going to be a group buy on these but it was found that you could get them just as cheap from a guy on Ebay, the guy happens to be someone from Gaz. Infact when I came to pay the Paypal invoice it was paybale to Mr. Gazzard, so in effect you get them direct fomr Gaz and includes the 2 year warranty. I contacted the guy and asked if he could do the full set for £360 and he said yes. They come Friday . They are not the best you can get but for £360 it can' be bad. This includes rear shocks and springs. I have the chaps email address and phone number should anyone want it.

 

Rich

 

Hi Rich,

 

think I have found the guy on ebay (wcg869).

 

I am looking to replace the suspension all round - have corroded Spax at the moment. Do the Gaz units have adjustable height, and if not do they lower the car much. The car is being used mainly for road rallies.

 

Dave

[Rippthrough 98]

Hi Rich,

 

think I have found the guy on ebay (wcg869).

 

I am looking to replace the suspension all round - have corroded Spax at the moment. Do the Gaz units have adjustable height, and if not do they lower the car much. The car is being used mainly for road rallies.

 

Dave

 

 

The coilovers you can adjust the height by changing the length of the springs and winding the preload adjuster up and down the body. If you just go for the dampers (which are setup softer than the coilovers), then I think the stock springs are -25mm apex ones. If you go through a distributer (like dampertech (tell him Phillip sent you) or I think someone on here does them too?) then you may be able to spec the springs to your liking, Dave@dampertech I know keeps a stock of different rate and length springs in stock, if you just go for 'normal' damper/spring units then you may of course have to wait so they can get the springs.

As always, your best option is to ring around different people and see what they are like and what they can do for you, good customer service is useful for this knid of thing, which is why I recommended dampertech, dave's always been great with me.

 

I still recond they need another 5% on the compression side as stock though, but then again there aren't many dampers that don't need tweaking in some respect or other.

 

 

-Phillip

Edited September 19, 2006 by Rippthrough

[Doof 11]

Argh this sucks ass, i just put the shocks on the car and paid a local garage £20 to put the struts all together!!!!!!!!!

 

Why couldn't they have mentioned it, sodding numpties.

[Rippthrough 98]

Argh this sucks ass, i just put the shocks on the car and paid a local garage £20 to put the struts all together!!!!!!!!!

 

Why couldn't they have mentioned it, sodding numpties.

 

 

Well, not that I recommend it, but I have seen someone saw a bumpstop down one side before and then pushed it over the damper rod while it was on the car.

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

Argh this sucks ass, i just put the shocks on the car and paid a local garage £20 to put the struts all together!!!!!!!!!

 

Why couldn't they have mentioned it, sodding numpties.

 

With a set of spring compressors in your tool kit you can do each one yourself. One hour per side.

[Adi 0]

If they bottom out with no bumpstops you may smash the piston off the damper rod

 

You won't see the bump stop as its inside the strut casing. The Sport/Sprint use an inverted strut meaning the insert is actually upside down. If you look at the base of the strut you will see a large nut where the other end is bolted in. The struts are inverted so the stronger shaft (the main body) is at the weakest point which is sticking out of the top of the strut. When cornering.......the strut will having a bending force applied, which has a negative effect on both ride and handling, so by inverting the strut......this is minimised.

 

But the list i have shows two dmaping rates, 260/120 and 280/150, not sure which they are.

 

Those rates don't reflect digressive damping which the sports/sprints are. With digressive damping, the bump rate is far higher at slower shaft speeds but at higher shaft speeds.......the bump rate tails off. E.g. on my old 206.....the rates were 170/175 bump/rebound. The ride was firmer but then there was far more control to the sprung mass.

[Doof 11]

ok great i dont need them then!

 

You've just made my day Adi!!!!!

 

Edit: Har Har Har Chris

Edited September 20, 2006 by Doof

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

ok great i dont need them then!

 

You've just made my dad Adi!!!!!

 

So is Adi your grandad!?