Can the 1.8T suspension be stiffened without lowering?

[Bignick]

As the title says i want to uprate the suspension but i dont want to lower it , as i have issues getting the car up my driveway. I have pro flex bushes all round but the car dose wallow a bit in the bends. I'm quite sure the struts and springs are factory fit and as it is a 99 plate i think this is long over due.
Would it be possible to put standard shocks on with a slightly heavier spring or would this be a waste of time? i must admit after looking through some car spare mags they all appear to be lowered and i cant do that.
Is the S3 suspension setup the same as the 1.8T?, or should i just be happy with the standard fit and enjoy the fact it is working properly ?

Sorry for the essay people , any help or veiws would be appretiated

Nick

 

[WildBruce]

Go for the B8's and H&R springs, then modify your driveway to fit the car

 

[Bignick]

It has been considered but its the camber on the road so it wont be easy lol

 

[Imteyaz]

Check the Koni FSD's out - they sound like they would work for you (and are designed for use with original springs too). Pricey but Awsome have them on offer till the end of the month (22% off and free delivery = about £400).

 

[Bignick]

cheers but will these stiffen it up slightly?

 

[IIIadidasboy]

How old is you suspension now - you may find that simply renewing with standard will stiffen it up again to what you want......

But I agree with Bruce!!!!

 

[Imteyaz]

According to the reviews that I've read, FSD are firm(ish) like most sports shocks but soften up to cushion any potholes / ruts etc. Some people even stated that their car was raised slightly after fitting FSD's with standard springs! (Search for FSD on UKMKIV's website - plenty of opinions on there.)

I have the FSD's (from Awsome) ready to go on soon (with Eibach springs, just waiting for delivery of a pair of new top mounts / bearings / bumpstops etc) and will report back when I have fitted them.

I didn't want to lose the ride quality but wanted a sportier ride and these were my choice, could have gone for the Billies but heard that the ride was firmer than the Koni's so decided against them in the end.

In my last car, I had Koni adjustables fitted and even the softest setting was fairly hard, country lanes were great to drive around in but it got tiring in the end, my back couldn't deal with it. My local roads are littered with speed ramps and the same for where I work so after considering everything, I went for the Koni's.

 

[Imteyaz]

As promised, I thought I'd report back to you guys on the Koni FSD / Eibach setup that is now fitted along with new top mounts / bumpstops. Having drove the car for a couple of weeks now, all I can say is that I am really impressed. The car was completely standard before and the drop is approximately 30mm lower now both front and back. I haven't experienced the back being lower like some people have claimed.

Ride quality is very slightly harsher over speed ramps / potholes compared to the standard setup. I'm still using the 16" wheels and find that all four wheels will squeel like a pig when pushed hard and the understeer has all but gone. Previously, on the standard suspension, I would have understeered off the road and into a ditch. I'm not sure how comfortable the suspension will be when I get 17" alloys (225/45/17's).

Driving around, it is difficult to tell that the suspension has been changed from the standard setup yet when pushed into a corner the suspension keeps the car fairly flat, you can keep the line you wanted to keep on exiting a bend and if you hit and potholes mid-corner, the suspension soaks it up extremely well.

I'm happy with the suspension setup, it is costly in comparison to other kits available but I wanted to lose a minimal amount of ride comfort yet have better handling and this setup has ticked all the boxes.

I understand that the cost in total would have paid for some quality coilovers with possibly some change, however, my family also travel with me regularly in my car and I have to consider them along with the speed-ramp strewn roads where I live. If ride quality is a big part of your plans, consider this setup, if ultimate road holding is your aim, see EssThree's post in the FAQ's.

 

[DPM]

If you don't want to lower it but want to stiffen up the ride then go for the Bilstein B6 dampers.

Damian @ DPM Performance

 

[IIIadidasboy]

If you're happy with it then it's a good mod - glad it worked out for you as well as you'd hoped