Suspension Advice Please...

[andy.cowman]

Hi all

We have a mk3 8V GTI which has now sagged at the back end. The car gets driven in a spirited way but is not a track car or anything. It gets used daily and we are looking for less wobble than the standard set up but want to avoid having our backs broken on pot holed and bumpy country roads in Wiltshire.

I had a Bilstien Streetline kit a few years ago on my mk2 but I can't seem to get hold of it now for the mk3 (AwesomeGTI for example had to refund us as they couldnt get hold of it).

I have come across the Belgium Hottunning style coil overs with our other car (MX5) and they get a similar write up on those forums as being good for the money but a bit harsh. Some searching here showed a promising start with those and then a few people saying that they wouldnt want to have them again. Can I get some reasons why people changed their tune? Because I am tempted to get in touch and see what deal they would do for a set on the GTI and a set on MX5!

What would a low priced solution be? Standard shocks and Eibach Springs? If so should I get some Boge ones (any one got a part number!?) or the Sachs ones from ECP?

Many thanks

Andy

[andy.cowman]

So more reading and it looks like I am not the only person who is utterly confused!! This question has come up a lot.

I am thinking FK AK Full Damper set (FKXVW009) which is on Venom for £115 and then some lowering springs. Now allegedly the car already has some but having not looked I can not not confirm that (job for tomorrow). If they are usable then I think I will keep them and then see how we get on with new shockers first.

When / If they turn out to be rubbish then the choice of springs has to be made. Eibach get a lot of good press but its cheaper to get FK againm is the 60/40 split that much better to look at than 40 all round?

Does any one have any reason to not go FK for the budget conscious road car use?

Cheers

Andy

[Wayne]

Fit a set of Boge gas shocks and eibach or apex springs.

Simple and cheap but a good set up.

[andy.cowman]

Thanks Wayne.

Anyone got a part number for the Boge shocks in GSF? their website is being annoying and I can not seem to use it properly. I have managed to get a user name etc but now it wont recognise my password and the password reminder email has still not arrived (12hrs now!) Will give them a call tomorrow morning to get one ordered up.

Wayne, sorry to bother you but I saw posts from you about the cheap coilovers and early on you were saying they were good for the cash and more recently that they were rubbish, can you let me know why? A lot of the MX5 owners have picked them over the last year or so and people still seem happy with them. I am guessing that after a year or so they start to fail?

Many thanks

Andy

[thai-wronghorse]

If you'd like your teeth to remain in their rightful place then steer clear of cheap and nasty coilovers.

[Wayne]

Wayne, sorry to bother you but I saw posts from you about the cheap coilovers and early on you were saying they were good for the cash and more recently that they were rubbish, can you let me know why? A lot of the MX5 owners have picked them over the last year or so and people still seem happy with them. I am guessing that after a year or so they start to fail?

Well I would never use them again, could not get the car level, they were noisy and very harsh.

[dazzawest1987]

I've got cheap fk's on mine, can be very bumpy but I still think they're good value for money, if you do get coilovers make sure you do some thing to protect the threads