FK Highsport coilovers, dangerous?

[DOA]

Hi there, first topic so be kind 

I recently fitted a set of FK highsport coilovers to my 8v, thinking that the price was quite good though realising they would be a bit uncomfortable ride wise. However, ive had them on the car for a few weeks now at several ride heights from about 50mm lowered to  only just below stock as they are now and I have to say, they are ridiculously underdamped in rebound!

I must point out at this point that Im a design engineer by trade with plenty of fitting experience so I know they have been fitted properly by myself and the fact that Im doing a degree in motorsport and work part time for a company building and running their own racecars makes me feel I sort of have enough experience to have such a strong opinion on the crapness of this kit!

I can accept a ride thats significantly stiffer than stock as Ive had that before on a few cars including a previous gti but ive never before experienced a setup that has been so badly damped. As an example, at 50mm lowered the car was undrivable on any remotely bumpy road due to the lack of damping and the presence of massive bump steer, slightly higher slightly better and below stock slightly better still, but still terrible and pretty much undrivable though with no sign of bump steer. They are so bad that every hump in the road sends the front end flying upwards before crashing back down, to the extent that yesterday I hit a bump in the road on a corner which fired the car upwards and sideways into a ditch at the side of the road resulting in a badly bent rim and a flat tyre. Despite it being christmas day I wasnt pished and I certainly wasnt driving fast due to the lumpiness of the road and the crap damping of the suspension lol. Oh and I must point out that the car was tracked up properly at each ride height.

My question is then, has anybody else experienced this complete lack of damping on these coilovers before or is it just me and secondly, does anyone have any idea on the law concerning refunds on the grounds of the kit not being fit for use by the users opinion? Any input would be welcome lol!

I would sell these on, but I cant let anyone else loose on the road with such a sh!te setup, they really are that bad!

[Diamond Hell]

Were they new?

If so, have you contacted the vendor?

[pro-biotic]

i have konigsports on my mk2 vr6 and experience the bouncyness, but i dont get a bump steer - i put it down to an incorrect spring for a 1.8 motor.

the  main problem i find is high speed bumps and troughs and sucessive dips and humps (sp) in the road the suspension does not know where it should be, and in my opinion old skoool shocks and springs were better.

i contacted FK and checked the spring type and have the correct spring .

i found the boucyness was greatly reduced with 40 profile tyres as opposed 50 profile i think i am currently running about -80mm.

i am still writing this off to heavy engine at the moment any decent road and the car is much better than stock handling

[DOA]

Yeah they were brand new and the vendor was an ebay seller (proper company though).

Im amazed you dont get any bump steer issues with it 80mm down whatever suspension you have on there lol and you shouldnt have to swap to lower profile tyres to make a car drivable but I think I may try calling FK at some point and at the least check the springs are the correct ones (they are FAAAAR too stiff for the rebound damping, Ive even considered putting the rears on the front lol).

[danny_p]

IMO  send them back as not fit for pourpose there marketing bumf  says it makes your car handel better if they don't they arn't fit for pourpose. 
now i'm going to upset a lot of people, but i spent a lot of time looking into suspention for the optimal setup for my car ( for handeling )

conclusion been that most coilovers are crap,  the entire sub £500 market is about one thing and one thing only and that is lowering it till something else stops it going lower like tyers ripping the inner arches out. handelign wise ive drive cars with new stock springs or basic -40 aftermarket  and gas dampers and they have handeld FAR better than simalar cars with various coilovers. i don't think  handeling is even considerd in the desing stage of most coilovers  and most of the peopel who buy them don't notice how crap they are for the folling reasons.

1) compareing new shiney things to 20 yr old 150,000 mile shocks that have worn out long ago
2) they can't actualy drive a car properly so don't notice the car not behaveing properly
3) it's really stiff it must be good

£500 - 600   seems to get you  the performance of a good aftermarket spring and gas strut, that can be  hight adjusted  on car for 3 months 
£600 - 700  gets you the same performance as a goodaftermarket spring and adjustable strut, that can be hight adjusted on the car for 6 months
£800 +   gets you a proper performance oriantated coilover setup  that'll better good struts and springs

you seem to have noticed there lacking desing as well

i eventualy decided to go struts on the frount and coilovers one the rear ( as struts i wanted wernt avalibel for syncro) then was lucky to come across a 2nd hand setup whitch was almost the exact setup i was about to buy.    adjustable gas frount struts and spax rsx rear coilovers.  so put the frounts on and then adjusted the rears so the car sat level  and pritty much spot on.   

[Thom89]

What you have described is a classic case of having completely wrong spring rates!  double check with the vendor, or better still, FK themselves, what you should have!
"Bump steer" unless you've changed the length of your steering arms in relation to track control (Lower arms) bump steer could never be an issue..
Tom

[Neo Badness]

I'd return to vendor and spend cash else where.
I personaly prefer a set of matched springs and dampers, -60mm over stock is my prefered ride height, low without ruining sumps.
Had a few mates cars with cheapo coilovers that'll loosen your fillings if you drive over a piece of dental floss and terrifying to drive fast on anything else than flat uncambered roads.
When it comes to suspension I reckon you gets whats you pays for and as it's a safety item you can't really **** about.
 

[danny_p]

completely wrong spring rates! 

wouldnt suprise me in the slightest   found same spring specced for a mk3 vr6 and a 1.3 mk2 in some setups

[sidecarphil]

probably a really daft question , but did you have an adjuster on the top of the shock for stiffness inside the shock ??

my konis ware set to STIFF for 2 months till my mate told me they were adjustable LOL

[sharpie]

completely wrong spring rates! 

wouldnt suprise me in the slightest   found same spring specced for a mk3 vr6 and a 1.3 mk2 in some setups

fk highsports were what i had on the valver, they are different rates for different cars.

i had vr6 coilovers on my mk2 and there's still plenty damping going on.