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Model specific boards => Golf mk2 => Topic started by: Adam-D on 14 October 2004, 10:57

Title: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 14 October 2004, 10:57
how much?
and whats a good make?
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Gambit on 14 October 2004, 11:18
awright Adam

i ran eibach 25mm springs/ raceland Shocks, and most importantly Eibach ARB's on my old white 16v. and that thing handling like a dream. really tight, and could be chucked into anything with confidence

the eibach springs might not sit the lowest but have a far greater poundage, and coupled together with roll bars made it amazing

my new 16v came with 50/40 split springs (dunno what) and biltstein shocks. and it isnt a scratch on my old car.

the ARB's make a massive differnence on a mk2. they are expensive new but can be picked up for about ?120 odd 2nd hand. get one of the dealer boys of CS to get you the springs. i think it was Carnousser Craig who got me mine. i just got them all bargaining against each other for my business ;)

im on the look out for a set of ARB's myself
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 15 October 2004, 20:09
raceland shocks? never heard of em lol

cheers bud ill look into prices etc
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Dizzie on 15 October 2004, 20:35
I've been advised strongly against coilovers so I'm going for a Konisport shock setup with my existing -60mm raceland springs for now. might look at some eibach springs as I've heard good things about them.
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 16 October 2004, 18:55
where do you get the raceland stuff?

i guess there good then?
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Dizzie on 16 October 2004, 19:29
call raceland lol
their number is in the mags
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: free on 16 October 2004, 19:51
i have avo ajustabuls n spax 60mm springs on my old gti, that  handeld well,
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Gambit on 18 October 2004, 09:56
http://www.racelanduk.com

just email them for a price telling them you want to buy the shocks on their own
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 18 October 2004, 22:41
cheers for the link  ;D

ill go add stuf to my wish list
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 19 October 2004, 10:56
I've been advised strongly against coilovers

why? coilovers are always gonna be better than strut suspension
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Helios_Blue_Valver on 20 October 2004, 01:24
I've been advised strongly against coilovers

why? coilovers are always gonna be better than strut suspension

I can't say i am a big fan of coil overs on a daily driver. They tend to ride harsh and beat your car to death. Can't be beat on a track car or show machine though.
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 20 October 2004, 16:56
not bothered about ride height adjustability

damping rate ajustable and a fixed rate spring would be good  ;D
not sure what would be best drop

had 60mm on corsa
would 60mm be as good on the golf?
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 20 October 2004, 17:23
I've been advised strongly against coilovers

why? coilovers are always gonna be better than strut suspension

I can't say i am a big fan of coil overs on a daily driver. They tend to ride harsh and beat your car to death. Can't be beat on a track car or show machine though.

its a case of the better the suspension, the harder it is, just depends where your comprimise is :P
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 20 October 2004, 18:36
mine is  gonna be a raod legal track day racer so i dont mind about stiffness
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 20 October 2004, 18:42
id say if its struts get the koni adjustables (you need to get corrado rear ones) and whatever spring you want. you have to spend like 700+ to get coilovers with damping adjustment, but coilover springs are dirt cheap so you could get ones with different poundages ???
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: billydude on 20 October 2004, 20:03
Quote
its a case of the better the suspension, the harder it is, just depends where your comprimise is :P



and handles worse on the roads the harder it is? :P
since the wheels spend more time bounceing off the road scrabbleing for grip it also equals slower? ;)
espicaly with stupid sized wheels such as 16" and 17"? ;)
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: kniterider on 20 October 2004, 20:18
if i had the money 'coil overs' would be the set up for me, yeah the ride may be harsh, but if you choose and expensive option then you have damper adjustment aswell as height adjustment etc.

Im not knocking anyone here, but if you buy coilovers and dont know how to set them up correctly it may well have you thinking what you have spent your money on!!!(not that i know how to set them up, but if your investing in some quality kit then surely it pays to invest in having them set up properly and to be told how they work and how to set them rather than 'yeah you can get it on the deck with them on' then your unhappy with the set up.....

i havent had any coilovers on any of my cars as they are out of my price range on either of my cars. On my 8v k jet i had last year it had a brand new 'spax' springs and short damper set up, and it did handle really well, then on the other 8v i had i think it had a 'g-max' strut/spring set up which had a good ride etc but didnt feel as 'tidy' as the early one (maybe power steering took that away???) dunno what set up the 16v is running but its ok, on my mk4 im running standard struts/dampers and ive noticed (the few times i get to drive it) the back end has sarted to feel bouncey since i put the 40mm drop springs on in june last year!!

I spose its all down to money/taste/and what your doing with the car, so if its gonna be a 'road legal track car' id plump for the coilovers and get them set up properly and learn how to adjust yourself, i think then youll be smilling through every 'b' road twist/bend you ever take!!

just my bit!!

Gaz 8)
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 20 October 2004, 21:17
cheers peeps give me somthing to think on

still dunno what drop to go for lol

40-60?

its on 15's no bigger
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: billydude on 20 October 2004, 22:41
we've got -40mm on our old gti and on 14s it looks slamed  :D
the spoiler hits speed bumps even at a crawling pace  :(
but 15s catch the arches when driven in anger
so me personaly would go for -35mm or -40mm if you ever go through areas with speed ramps which is most of leicester now  :(
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Helios_Blue_Valver on 21 October 2004, 00:43
I've been advised strongly against coilovers

why? coilovers are always gonna be better than strut suspension

I can't say i am a big fan of coil overs on a daily driver. They tend to ride harsh and beat your car to death. Can't be beat on a track car or show machine though.

its a case of the better the suspension, the harder it is, just depends where your comprimise is :P

driving 75 to 100 miles a day on the lovely Suffolk roads coilovers are out of the question for me. lol. Think i will just go with eibach springs over koni shocks and eibach ARB's. That and powerflex bushings and braces should tighten the handling right up.  ;D
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Tucker on 21 October 2004, 09:02
Mine has been dropped 40 on 15's, no rubbing or anything, not sure what with tho as it was done before I got the car, nice ride to :P
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Gambit on 21 October 2004, 09:45
do not go lower than 30mm. u want the wishbones to be as near to the horizontal as possible - otherwise it f**ks up the handling

Eibach 25mm are as close as you can get to the horizontal

Koni Yellow's/ Eibachs & Eibach ARB's along with braces will make a car go rounds corners like it is on rails. and also be more than driveable on normal roads.

also, keep an eye out for et25 alloys. they help widen the track a little and make it a bit more stable
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 21 October 2004, 09:54
so eibach 25mm springs
set of strut braces
and koni yellow shocks

sounds like a list ;D

dunno what ofset my current wheels are  ???
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Gambit on 21 October 2004, 10:37
put ARB's on your list. these are an essential
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Adam-D on 21 October 2004, 10:54
opps missed em out lol

so eibach 25mm springs
set of strut braces
and koni yellow shocks
eibach arb's


are they called koni yellow or do they have a diff name?
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Gambit on 21 October 2004, 11:22
yeah they are known as Koni Yellow. they are fully adjustable

keep an eye out for Bilstein fully adjustables also, they are just as good
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: VeeDubGTI16v on 21 October 2004, 14:13
you have to get the rears for a corrado if you want the top adjustment ;)
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: philadams16V on 21 October 2004, 14:26
I'm interested in uprating the suspension on my 16 valver.  So its the corrado rear koni yellows that are required for adjustment not golf? And wot about the fronts?  Also wot are eibach arb's ?  Cheers
Title: Re: decent mid range suspension setup
Post by: Alexg40 on 21 October 2004, 23:41
You cant expect to lower a car 100mm on coilovers and retain ride quality. It just isn't going to happen. There simply isn't the travel in the springs to cushion the bumps.

I dont expect to be able to nail my 16v everywhere I go, it's a trade off against the look that I want to achieve.

On uprated ARBs, I would say that in my experience, anything that reduces body roll is a double edged sword....yeah in the dry your car will handle like it is on rails, but in the wet you are on a knife edge and you better have quick reactions because when the back decides to let go you aint gonna have felt it coming.

I have to drive my 16v extra cautiously in the wet. Again, it's a trade off.

For everyday use and fast road driving you can't beat a Koni/Eibach set up for value and performance. That's what I use on my G40 and it handles awesome (no mean feat for a Mk3 Polo) and a few mates use the same set-up on Mk2 GTI with excellent results.