Ford Escort RS Turbo This forum is for discussion of all things pertaining to the Ford Escort Rs Turbo Series 1 and 2.

which coilovers/suspension?

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Old Nov 8, 2008 | 01:32 AM
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Default which coilovers/suspension?

hi, i need to buy some new suspension but dont know wot to go for? on my escort cabby turbo, they must be height adjustables,i know gaz do them but who else makes height adjustables?avo?spax?

wot are you guys running and which do you prefer? and wot are they like? thanks for any help/advice ;0)
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Old Nov 8, 2008 | 10:40 AM
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cant go wrong with koni's mate i have them of both my cars, had spax adjustable's once too also good

as for coil overs i don't personally have them but i'd go for gaz, good quality for price and there nice helpful people should you ever have a problem
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Old Nov 8, 2008 | 11:44 AM
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Yeah, i have spax!
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Old Nov 8, 2008 | 12:19 PM
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Given the choice on a escort cab I would use Koni Adjustable and uprated springs of your choice with 25mm drop and poly bushed all round
These are not ride height adjustable but they give the right characteristics between handling and comfort.
The cab feels nervous on the back end with anything greater than a 25mm drop when braking at high speeds imho

Im now forced to use coilovers and have gaz due to rest of the suspension setup I am running, however it would not be my preferred choice due to the quality of the ride.
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Old Nov 8, 2008 | 11:07 PM
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thanks for your replies guys ;0) i have used koni before and was very impressed they are definatly good, but i cant use them this time they must be height adjustables so looks like gaz or spax it is...

thanks,
jason.
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Old Nov 10, 2008 | 08:46 AM
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out of curiosity Jason why can you not use Koni ?

What is the setup on your car that means you can not use them
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Old Nov 10, 2008 | 09:12 AM
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Ive got the GAZ coilovers and they are the tits, the car handles way better than with the Konis but the ride is less harsh than the Konis also, it doesnt break your spine everytime you hit a bump!
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Old Nov 10, 2008 | 09:31 AM
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Originally Posted by B16CVH
Ive got the GAZ coilovers and they are the tits, the car handles way better than with the Konis but the ride is less harsh than the Konis also, it doesnt break your spine everytime you hit a bump!
Do you run the GAZ on a cabriolet or on a hatch?, what settings and ride height do you have set, on my cabriolet the gaz ride feels a lot more unforgiving
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Old Nov 10, 2008 | 12:40 PM
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They are fitted to a hatchback and if i remember correctly they are about 12 clicks from maximum and the arch to wheel clearence is about 25mm.
My car is fully rosejointed also so there are no cushioning rubber bushes anywhere but the shocks are still more forgiving than the konis were.
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Old Nov 10, 2008 | 12:44 PM
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sorry mate i miss read what u you wanted i don't now if spax do height adjustable

get gaz mate think there the best value coilovers for older fords
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Old Nov 10, 2008 | 10:51 PM
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Originally Posted by Turbocabbie
out of curiosity Jason why can you not use Koni ?

What is the setup on your car that means you can not use them
hiya, the reason is im fitting escort cosworth alloys on and ive had problems in the past with them catching the arches,the only way i got round it with the koni,s was to roll the arches and trim all the series one kit ;0( so this time i want height adjustables so i dont get any problems like last time,i dont want to start hacking the kit away. so i should be able to get it as low as poss without it catching..
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 03:37 PM
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Keep looking on eBay for a set of Leda`s. They pop up from time to time.
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 04:58 PM
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all you guys using gaz coilovers, which ones have you got and what poundage springs etc are you using...........how do you find the handling over normal uprated shocks and springs ????.

dave.
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 05:05 PM
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iv had koni s avo coilovers on cars in the past they are both good dont get me wrong but i now have got gaz coilovers and they are by far the best so far.bit dear but you get what you pay 4 with suspension

if u opt for a cheaper product then stay away from hight ajustable only as ther is no point slammin your car on its arse if u cant stiffen it up aswell !!!

sound dan

Last edited by lil dan B19 XRT; Nov 11, 2008 at 05:11 PM. Reason: 4got to say with the dampening settting puting it as hard as they go will stop it from catching the arches
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 06:31 PM
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They are the tits, come with 3 years warranty and you can re-build them also, they come with the correct springs for the car.
FRONT SPRINGS 9" x 300lbs, REAR 9" x 250lbs Part No. GZGHA312F
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Old Nov 11, 2008 | 11:15 PM
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B16CVH......are the spring rates you mention above standard off the shelf rates as ive seen alot of places advertise much lesser spring rates, also with a much softer rate on the rear !!!!!!.

the reason i ask is ive got a brand new set of gaz ready to go on mine which i bought from a guy and they come with the same rated springs as you say and i was worried they might be really hard, how have you got them set up and how do you find them ????.

dave.
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Old Nov 12, 2008 | 07:18 AM
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Well my car is running fully rosejointed front & rear so there are NO bushes anywhere on the car whatsoever.

The springs are off-the-shelf & the ride i will say is much better than the konis i had and are nowhere near as back breaking, they ride really well and the car handles like nothing else. You really lose all sense of speed as the car feels so stable through the bends, on many occasions ive looked at the speedo and ive been doin 90mph and it only feels like 50mph!

The car was setup at Zoo Motorsport as i fitted the shocks then got Brom to set all the camber, height etc....

You will not be dissapointed, mine have been on the car for 3+ years now
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Old Nov 12, 2008 | 06:25 PM
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so what have you got then mate, adj tca`s, rear 6 bar link kit etc ????. did you get it all from brom at zoo motorsport ????.

dave.
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Old Nov 12, 2008 | 06:54 PM
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Yeah its got the lot, 6 link at the rear with bladed rollbar at the front, adj TCA`s and compression struts, its infinatley adjustable and drives like a dream!

http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q...DSC00329-1.jpg
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q...DSC00327-1.jpg
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q...DSC00335-1.jpg
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q...DSC00334-1.jpg

Last edited by B16CVH; Nov 12, 2008 at 06:58 PM.
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Old Nov 13, 2008 | 04:56 PM
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where did you get all your bits from bud as im after all of it apart from tca`s and the coilovers as ive already got them ?????.

dave.
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Old Nov 18, 2008 | 09:54 PM
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I had the lot from Zoo Motorsport matey, cost me £1100 that was with TCA`s so bout £900
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Old Nov 18, 2008 | 10:38 PM
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ah right, i was originally going to get my bits from brom but he went in the clink so that went down the pan lol.

dave.
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