Chassis gone to get sorted.

Aky

Aky

Aky
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Well finally got round to taking my motor into Awesome in Manchester to hopefully get the chassis sorted. I've gone for Koni FSD's on standard springs and 22mm front Neuspeed bar and 19mm rear bar. I'll post some before and after pics when I get chance and give a full write up on the difference in handling once everything has had chance to settle down. I decided not to go 25mm and 22mm ARB route as the dampers aren't that stiff and I think that the car could do with a little bit of flex so the tyres dig in and grip round corners.
I'll update again later on tonight when I get it back and had chance to put it through its paces.
 
Oh cool.

I hear good things about Awesome.

Are you getting the alignment sorted at the same time? What camber settings did you go for?
 
Camber settings? The rears will be normal as I have OEM fixed tie bars. What do you suggest for front camber. Most of my driving is on moor roads so twisty but free flowing.
Never thought about camber!! but yes they are getting all the alignement done.
 
Aky I would like to know what you think about the FSD's / standard springs...roll on tonight.
 
steve1975l said:
Aky I would like to know what you think about the FSD's / standard springs...roll on tonight.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping there will be no roll on tonight! I'll keep you posted! I replied to your thread yesterday in the "handling section"
 
Aky said:
Camber settings? The rears will be normal as I have OEM fixed tie bars. What do you suggest for front camber. Most of my driving is on moor roads so twisty but free flowing.
Never thought about camber!! but yes they are getting all the alignement done.
Click to expand...

Ess-Three did a long post about his findings regarding camber as on his S3 it was advantageous to run a significant amount of negative camber.
 
You can't get much negative on standard springs though...maybe -0.5 degrees per side.
When you fit lowering springs, you get more.
By nmoving the lower balljoints outwards you'll be able to get -0.5 to -1.0..probably nearer the -0.5.
But, anything is better than nothing.

I ran -1.5ish and it was just right for road use with the set-up In had.

I'll be interested to hear how the Konis + Neuspeed ARBs work out with standard springs...I hope you like it Aky.
 
Yeah I read your right up about the camber and toe, made interesting reading, especially when I had to go on different websites to figure out what Toe meant! According to the guys its just the dampers that are shocking on the S3 - the springs are good. If not I think I'll get a set of -20mm springs from MTM. I'm sure it will be a lot better than stock. The wallowy sway from side to side is/was shocking!! Off to pick it up in 20 mins. Full write up to follow.
 
i was going to do just this but with R32 arb`s looks like you have saved me a job. depending on your findings it will be shocks only or springs and shocks for me soon. Eibach`s for me if | change.

btw glen how did you find the tyre wear with your settings ??? my drivers side tyre has just about worn the inside edge off as I thin k I added a bit of cambre to that side when I did the cv boot :( .
 
fingermouse said:
btw glen how did you find the tyre wear with your settings ??? my drivers side tyre has just about worn the inside edge off as I thin k I added a bit of cambre to that side when I did the cv boot :( .
Click to expand...

I thiink it depends how you drive.
I had perfect tyre wear, but spent little time on motorways and lots of time hammering down twisty roads where I would normally wreck the outside edges anyway....with -1.5 degrees of negative camber it evened things up nicely.

I doubt you've added much...I think you can normally only get to -1.3 ish when lowered, the rest takes a bit of tweaking.
 
Ess_Three said:
I thiink it depends how you drive.
I had perfect tyre wear, but spent little time on motorways and lots of time hammering down twisty roads where I would normally wreck the outside edges anyway....with -1.5 degrees of negative camber it evened things up nicely.

I doubt you've added much...I think you can normally only get to -1.3 ish when lowered, the rest takes a bit of tweaking.
Click to expand...


^^ What he said ;)


I didn't bother with the ball joint thing, but still managed to run -1.3 ish. I've had no uneven wear issues - I've only ever seen it as a problem on the rears when lowering without the adjustable tiebars.
 
i was expecting uneven wear on the front left tyre after hitting a pot hole but its the front right that is slightly worn uneven ... oh well will get the tracking checked when the fronts give in
 
Well I've got back after handing £1000 over to Awesome for their hard work. I'm not sure about the ride height. Think it has risen slightly but I'm sure it will drop a little wihtin the next couple of weeks.
First the Konis - Have they made a difference and does the FSD work? Yes in one word. They are pretty good.The comfort is hardly compromised unless pressing on. It doesn't crash over bumps, man holes or pot holes (not that I'm looking for them) but yet you feel them tighten up with twists. I know its early days so you are probably better off asking me in a couple of weeks.

ARB's - big difference. Still a little body roll but thats what I wanted. Maybe if I was feeling brave and really knew my stuff when it came to ARBs I'd have gone for 25mmfront anf 22mm rear but it depends what you are after. I didn't want to change the way it drove i.e more oversteer but they work. The car lays flatter in corners and as Ess Three explains in his "bible" you actually get some steering feedback. So Am I impressed....Yes but ask me in a few weeks when the kit and I have had chance to bed it.

I wasn't looking for looks just purely performance with comfort when normal driving. I think the FSD's are a happy medium. Enjoy! Any questions ask away

Sorry about the photo's - not sure how to resize!

Past (taken a few weeks ago)

2007_06300001.jpg


Present

2007_08310001.jpg


2007_08310002.jpg


2007_08310003.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n16/matt-aky/2007_08180003.jpg
 
now that does look to have jacked the car up but as ou say it will probally settle. Think I may go for springs as well when I do it as I would like the car to sit just a little lower.
 
I'm curious as to why your car is riding so high?, you say you are running the standard springs, I take it, you mean the original ones that came with the car right?, so what needs settling down to bring the ride height back to normal?! Especially the rear, where changing the shocks doesn't even disturb the springs?!
 
jojo said:
I'm curious as to why your car is riding so high?
Click to expand...

And I'm curious as to why you're posting at 4am on a Friday night, Jo. Get yourself a social life, lol.






Oh, and I'd have to agree. Looks like its running very high jsut now. I'm assuming it'll settle back to 'normal' in a day or two.
 
The fsds are more presurised perhaps........or maybe thhey fitted the wrong shocks!!

It does ride high!
I would have gone -30 h and r, not only look a lot nicer, the h and r springs are far superior to stock springs in all respects! ride comfort included.
 
Well I didn't want to risk changing the springs to find I needed to change the rear tie bars and spend an extra £300. The FSD's are designed to work with standard springs so thought I'd give it a whirl. I may change them again for some -20mm MTM springs now I know how high it rides. It was supposed to raise about 5mm. I think its closer to 10-15mm but it drives really well.
 
ChriS3 said:
And I'm curious as to why you're posting at 4am on a Friday night, Jo. Get yourself a social life, lol..
Click to expand...
:laugh:
(Joe you should say your in a different time zone)
 
When i had the fsds on my mk4 golf the rear always seemed to be riding high.
I had the fsds and eibach pro kit. Fsds worked well i thought but was always thought rear was high months after..
 
I thought that that fsds were very good. Not harsh at all, very good for every day driving and good on fast road. I wanted them on the S3 but just remembered that the rears sat a liitle high for my liking so opted for the adjustable koni sports kit . That was the only reason for me otherwise I would have bought them again in a second!!!
 
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