Coilovers vs. Lowered Spring/Shox

[Torq-Al]

I know this one is going to cause a riot....... however I thought I best ask it!

What is everyones view, do I go for a budget set of coilovers or a set of lowered (60mm) & uprated springs & shox? Not a lot of difference in price.

I'm torn between the 2, coilovers are possibly a good move. However for overall day to day driveability a decent matched set of springs & shox would be better.

Have seen loads of comments on this, plus some of you with coilies do say the ride is very firm. Is the ride any better on an uprated set up?

My motor is my primary mode of transport & has got to be practical, speed bumps friendly too, as have to negotiate half a dozen to get to work every day!


DISCUSS!

[Tim_GTi]

I've got cheap coilovers, and they are said to be nasty for ride quality.

But I think they're absolutely fine, I could certainly never justify paying £300-400 more for a little less bounce.

It all depends on what you want mate, have a browse for 6Ns like yours lowered on 60mm sets, there's loads on here. In fact, here's one:



I really don't find the ride quality an issue, so IMO if you want to go lower than the above, get coilies.

[b-random]

mines lowered around 70mm on AP coilovers similiar to FK's, they are a comfortable ride height and cost me three hundred and twenty five all in i think. To be honest all fair n well with springs n shocks but if u get problems with rubbing you cant reset the height as much like you can on coilovers. and you really do get what you pay for when buying coilovers, budget set = expect a bone shaking ride or seized thread after time.

[kipper]

i got cheap coilies. i believe theyre kw, not totally sure but i got them second hand for £130. the only reason i went for coilies instead of a lowering kit is cause i wasnt sure what ride height i wanted soi just keep lowering it till im happy with it, otherwise if ur happy with just a certain lowerage then might as well get the kit. might even be able to get it second hand.

[CymruPolo]

i got cheap coilies. i believe theyre kw, not totally sure but i got them second hand for £130. the only reason i went for coilies instead of a lowering kit is cause i wasnt sure what ride height i wanted soi just keep lowering it till im happy with it, otherwise if ur happy with just a certain lowerage then might as well get the kit. might even be able to get it second hand.

If you got KW's 2nd hand for £130 that's an absolute bargain!

They start at about £630 for Variant 1s. I have these and can't fault them at all. Comfortable ride and had no trouble at all adjusting them after having them on for over a year.

I had a 60mm kit to start off with. 2 months down the line I decided it wasn't low enough and got coilovers and haven't looked back since. I'd recommend you just get coilovers.

[polo_dude]

I agree with CymruPolo up there I've got a set of variant 1 coilovers and I can't fault with them, excellent ride quality! The advantage into spending a little bit more, is the idea that you can adjust to any height desired which is a great bonus!

[Biddle]

Go with coilovers. I had shocks and springs before and they went too low on the car but there was nothing I could do about it. Ended up selling them, for a loss of course. I wish id bought coilovers first as last.

[Polo96CL]

i'm in a similar situation, don't want to spent loads of cash on a car worth £800 but want nice ride comfort with the looks.

Shock and springs at 40mm are £120 whereas the cheapest coilover kit is £220. I know the ride comfort will be harsh on the coilover kit because it's cheap whereas the shock and spring kit isn't as hard as a rock!

Oppinions which I should go for?

[Torq-Al]

i'm in a similar situation, don't want to spent loads of cash on a car worth £800 but want nice ride comfort with the looks.

Shock and springs at 40mm are £120 whereas the cheapest coilover kit is £220. I know the ride comfort will be harsh on the coilover kit because it's cheap whereas the shock and spring kit isn't as hard as a rock!

Oppinions which I should go for?

Glad i'm not the only one! The car is only worth a grand & putting expensive coilies on would seem a bit daft! A 40-60mm drop kit of springs & shox starts for around £120, which would do the job, so may go that route for the mo!

Plus don't want a bone shaker ride with a budget coilover set up.

If I was running a GTI, then the expense of a decent set-up would be justified.

Go with coilovers. I had shocks and springs before and they went too low on the car but there was nothing I could do about it. Ended up selling them, for a loss of course. I wish id bought coilovers first as last.

Biddle, what drop & set up did you have & what motor was it on?

[Biddle]

I had a 40/40 kit off philj and its on a diesel. The only explaination i could think of was it was the wrong kit (unlikely) or the extra weight of the diesel engine made it drop further def wasnt 40mm on front (have posted pics previously). Your going to get a worse ride whenever you lower your car because in essence you have shortened the distance the springs can compress to absorb the shock. Dont take this the wrong way but unless you going to pay for higher end coils/ uprated shocks you will have to live with a worse ride. But it isnt that bad tho. I have lower profile tyres, coils and bucket style seats, everything you dont want if you want a smooth ride. Granted the ride isnt the best on certain terrain, but it is something you can easily live with.

[Tim_GTi]

I had a 40/40 kit off philj and its on a diesel. The only explaination i could think of was it was the wrong kit (unlikely) or the extra weight of the diesel engine made it drop further def wasnt 40mm on front (have posted pics previously)..

Yeh that kit definitely wasn't right, it was more of an 80mm drop than a 40.

Speaking from experience the ride quality really isn't that bad,