I currently have koni sport struts with apex springs on my 3dr and they just don't seem to be up to the job required.

I have thought about coil overs for a while now but i have heard that some kits are not that good and suffer from welds snapping etc.

What is the difference in ride quality between conventional struts to coil overs??

Advice please.

 

id keep the konis for the road, if you do lots track days then go for coilovers, but even then not any old set. most come with the wrong spring rates. So at worst get ones that have the different spring rates (if you get them from mike he can sort you out) at best get some propper 909 jobbies (much wedge though)

Konis are really good for fast road, maybe just get some Ahmed springs for them?

 

What is a wrong spring then ?
At the end of the day it is personal choice what each person likes, coilovers by their very nature tend to be a lot firmer, but also more adjustable too, as in different springs, dual rate springs, bump and rebound or rear just bump on front.
I have never heard of any snapping welds though, if AVO are bought and you don't like the springs rates they will do ONE free swap for a different set of springs, they are alkso rebuildable quite cheaply, my rears cost me £57 all in posted back, the fronts were £93 a pair done.
tabetha

 

I'm suffering from scrubbing problems on the rear arches this is my main issue when the car is on full acceleration but don't really want to cut the arches so thought about coil overs with a stiffer rated spring. I have seen GAZ strut's snap as the bases on Fiesta struts more than once as well

 

A wrong spring is one is the wrong spring rate, it can be too soft or too hard

HTH

 

I wouldnt sacrifice your handling for looks mate get the arches trimmed.

 

sitck with koni's and get better suited springs or if the koni's are tired get new koni's also.

If its a road car i wouldnt use anything else. Coilovers are overated on a road car.

and cheap coilover are cheap for a reason.

 

I changed to gaz coilovers on my 500 as i wanted something harder than my konis as when i drove it hard the wheels would catch the rear arches, must admit the ride is quite hard but it suits my driving style. ive never had any probs with my coilovers but at the end of the day we all have our personal opinions on what works and what dosnt

 

i had a set of coilovers and for the road they just too hard, harsh ride etc (which i was willing to put up with) but the axle tramp off the line etc was shocking, even on the softest setting, changed the springs aswell and coulnt get on with them, in the end i went back to my konis, so much nicer to drive on the road

 

In the first instance, I would suggest changing just the springs, as this is relatively cheap.

I think Ryan might have some second hand Ahmed ones for sale or I can sell you some new ones?

 

i dont mike, but cheers, i only have the original eibachs, before the ahmeds were fitted.

 

The idea of suspension on a road car is to keep the wheel in contact with the ground as much as possible so the car can be controlled.

I've yet to drive a car with coilovers that has been supple enough, they ALL come with far too hard springs for road use that i've encountered.

If the springs are too hard the car just skips off bumps and when the tyre is in the air you cant steer or brake as well.

 

i had konis onmy sapph and swapped them for bilstiens and there much better imo.
one of my mates got a 4x4 sapph with avo's and tbh i hate it unless its on perfect tarmac as far to firm and i was put off with coilovers untill i went in my other mates thats got the gaz gold and the car seems really good and not harsh at all.
so coilovers can be good but must depend alot on spring rates and stuff

 

I have avo coilovers on my car, as already said they're rock hard and noisey on the n/s rear

Ideal for a smooth perfect track surface, shit when you are going to tesco

One good thing is they are fully adjustable, you could have it slammed or up in the air to do the Paris to Dakar, the times I have bought suspension kits, fitted them only to be disappointed, "its too low" its too high" thing

Luciano

 

what is the difference between armed springs and the apex springs i have on mine?? i have heard armed springs are perfect for cosworths but would they stiffen the back enough to stop it dropping and srcubbing so much when excellerating?

 

i have leada coilovers and i think they are too hard a ride for the road ive hit my bloody head on the roof more than once going over a bump not good

 

its to do with the progressivness of the springs not to do with just making it stiffer................

if ALL you want is to stop it scrobbing and are not bothered about the handling set the konis to hard and get some [boschman mode] caravan spring assistors [/boschman mode] for the back

 

what spring rates do you have??

 

You cannot alter the 'progressiveness' of a spring by altering the damping

The spring will have certain characteristics..progressiveness is one of them, this is determined usually by the closeness of the windings. A linear spring will have for example 2 windings every 5 centimetres along its entire length. A progressive spring will have 2 windings per 5cm for the first half, 3 per 5 cm for the next quarter and 4 per cm for the last quarter ( as an example )


Damping is an entirely different thing. Damping is the method of controlling the spring.


eg. on an koni shock on its lowest damping setting the spring takes 400kg to compress it, if you use the same spring and give it full damping it still only takes 400kg to compress it fully.......it just takes longer.


Then you have low and high speed damping circuits and separate compression and rebound circuits etc etc and it all gets more complicated...

 

erm....................i know that

go and re read my post

 

Sorry I read it as you said that setting the koni's to hard made them 'stiffer'

It's still good info for those who dont understand a damping unit though

 

yeah it is good info. I dont think alot of people really "understand" and just buy what they are told............

so many choices out there its best to have an understanding and form your own opinions on what you will use the car for

 

Ahmed track spec springs are stiffer at the rear than the road spec ones.