Lowering springs - New thread

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:42 pm

Cos the wheel refurb one was getting a bit long in the tooth

They'll be lots off edits cos I'm cutting and pasting

Its starts with an ebay purchase

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 2492850635

I know I should get coilovers if I want it to look like this (Thanks LJ 87)

but it'll have to be just springs for the moment won for Â£21 on Ebay......

That I can afford to do

Update 1

So picked up the springs the other night and some MKV lights too (thanks Golfather)

They are now all fitted so thought I'd prepare the ground for the post on before and after shots

I took the springs down to my local place to be shot blasted and powder coated (black as I've never been a fan of "Red" springs) - the pic below is before (they looked a lot worse in the flesh with lots of rust on the lower edges of the coils)

Should pick em up on Friday and I'll add to this post a piccy of the finished item

Picked up the springs tonight 3 Days late.......

Better late than never but they've done a good job as usual - take a while before these start to rust

and they look soo much better than they did - bargain for Â£21 for all four springs and Â£15 to get em shot blasted and powder coated

Was gonna fit em but it did the usual and Rained!!!!!

Heres the pics

With Flash (made em look gloss and they aren't!!!!)

Without Flash (better satin finish

so much better than red!!!)

Measured the body height of the car too so i could work out afterwards what it has actually dropped by

From Floor to top of the arch at the hghest point

Front Nearside 62.0 cm
Front Offside 61.5 cm
Rear Nearside 63.5 cm
Rear Offside 63.2 cm

So currently it looks this high

At the rear

And at the front

I'll post again when it stops raining and I start to get em fitted

nuttinnew · Post by **nuttinnew** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 9:29 am

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 7:27 pm

OK - Rears are now fitted - ran out of time and light so couldn't do the fronts as well - bugger

I might well have to take em off again and swap the springs round as they may well be biased to compensate for the weight of a driver - there was no markings on the springs to indicate this but then again they were a bit tatty

New rear ride height

Rear Nearside 59cm (Old was 63.5cm) 4.5cm drop
Rear Offside 58cm (Old was 63.2cm) 5.2cm drop

So Pics below

Offside lowered

Nearside lowered

Yep even I can see a 1 cm differnence between the two sides without looking too hard - I guess I'll swap em round and see if that makes any difference - In fact i might just swap the whole strut cos that won't take long

A quick test drive gave a new meaning to arse down - the car feels very odd and up at the front like you have a lot of weight in the boot - hope the weather holds off long enough to get the fronts on

However it is noticably stiffer on roundabouts - less roll from the rear but the front looses grip quite quickly as it's still on stilts

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 10:17 pm

Just took it out for a drive again to see what the rear felt like on a really rough bit of road near me and I'm certain that these springs are progressive - the ride quality at the rear doesn't seem to have suffered at all - no noticable increase in thumps and bumps from the rear - it rides just like the old springs but does seem stiffer when you poke it into corners...

If the fronts behave the same way I'll be quite happy

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:23 pm

they're definitely progressive - the coils are differently spaced towards the top and bottom. that tightly wound section is soft, and compresses to lock up quickly, then the stiffer section takes over.

the longer the amount of steel rod used in the spring, the softer they are

looking good.... just the fronts left

p.s. one side is higher on mine - nothing I can do - it's down to time and wear and swapping the springs has no effect

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Tue Oct 26, 2004 11:31 pm

david burton wrote:they're definitely progressive - the coils are differently spaced towards the top and bottom. that tightly wound section is soft, and compresses to lock up quickly, then the stiffer section takes over.

the longer the amount of steel rod used in the spring, the softer they are

looking good.... just the fronts left

p.s. one side is higher on mine - nothing I can do - it's down to time and wear and swapping the springs has no effect

Thanks for that David

Re the height difference is yours higher on the drivers side of the passenger side (unladen) cos i can understand that but not the other way round - Reason I thought I'd swap the springs of struts over to the other side is cos I know some spring sets are clearly specified to be fitted on certain corners so that the ride height is correct with just a driver in the car

david burton · Post by **david burton** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 9:29 am

It's lower on the driver's side - most people i've chatted to have said that the car suspension will get worn after a while - it's about 5mm lower

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 2:30 pm

really? so itll be even lower if u are ......... big!

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 10:02 pm

Fronts are now fitted too - No rain this evening so 2 hrs had the job done and dusted

New front height

Front Nearside 58.5cm (Old was 62.0cm) 3.5cm drop
Front Offside 58.5cm (Old was 61.5cm) 3.0cm drop

So Pics below

Offside lowered

Nearside lowered

Isn't as much as the rears but better I would expect it to drop a bit more once all the suspension has settled down and re-seated properly

Incidently I swapped the rear dampers round complete with the springs cos I had a bit of time left to spare and new results are:

New rear ride height

Rear Nearside 59.0cm (Old was 63.5cm) 4.5cm drop
Rear Offside 58.5cm (Old was 63.2cm) 4.7cm drop

I think thats helped a bit

Now at least it doesn't feel arse down although a quick spin and blast round some roundabouts has convinced me that whilst it is stiffer the body roll at the front is still excessive so guess who will definately be looking for a roll bar set soon

I'll post some daylight before and after shots of the whole car as soon as we have rain free daylight

QED

carmadaaron · Post by **carmadaaron** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 3:24 pm

got some side on pix of the car to c the difference?

(khumo tyres

)

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 4:36 pm

carmadaaron wrote:got some side on pix of the car to c the difference?

(khumo tyres )

It's been dark everytime I've finished in the evening

so the ones I have are s**t

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 7:26 pm

Pics as requested (so much for daylight...... they are all a bit dark)

nuttinnew · Post by **nuttinnew** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 8:08 pm

I like that, factory+.

bstardchild · Post by **bstardchild** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 11:10 pm

Well 120 mile round trip (in the pouring rain) revealed the following

- It's still comfy on a motorway (in fact I think it's better - you don't notice the joints on concrete sections)

- It bobs a bit from the front when you stuff it into roundabouts hard (its hard to explain this but it seems a bit squirelly and seems to duck and bob)

- It's certainly much better on corners (less body roll although still a lot)

I need a roll bar and some stiffer dampers

They guy I sold the wheels liked the car (the purpose of the trip was to deliver them to him) - in fact I think he would rather I had sold the BBS Splities - never mind

Speedlaw · Post by **Speedlaw** » Fri Oct 29, 2004 9:45 am

Looking good Ian!