Budget coilovers - Opinion's or suggestions please?

[SAiLO]

I've got standard 17inch

As you can see car needs lowering, but will the 17 inch wheels look good on a much lower car (with coilovers)?

 

[Hawkes]

I've got standard 17inch

As you can see car needs lowering, but will the 17 inch wheels look good on a much lower car (with coilovers)?

my wheels are only 17" mate so look at the pics I posted in this thread and decide yourself :thumbsup:

 

[SAiLO]

Thanks, that looks much better than my ride height.

 

[Lings]

Is that jacked up?

 

[Hawkes]

Is that jacked up?

lol I swear my car was never that high!

 

[N8]

Whats the view like up in space? Oh like this

 

[~RS~]

One small step for man... one giant gap for dubbers

 

[FranA3]

One small step for man... one giant gap for dubbers

haha thats class mate lol

 

[SAiLO]

Lol I knew I shouldn't have posted the pic!

 

[N8]

 

[biscuit-a3]

how much for v-maxx coilovers for audi a3 3 door 2004

 

[FranA3]

how much for v-maxx coilovers for audi a3 3 door 2004

pm n8 he will tell you matey

 

[Blueie]

Thats so high rabbits in the road can play safely in the middle!

 

[FranA3]

Thats so high rabbits in the road can play safely in the middle!

 

[flying oyster]

Is it raining up there sailo and can you see your house from there lol

 

[Blueie]

Shouldn't take the **** really we all been tha high!

 

[N8]

S-Line wasn't that bad

 

[Blueie]

Alway one isnt there!

 

[N8]

Yep,

 

[SAiLO]

Lol I got the message already.
Just need to put the funds together and act on that gap.

 

[N8]

Someone once said to me

"Arch gap is like a woman's vagina, the more fingers you can stick in, the worse it is"

 

[SAiLO]

 

[Hawkes]

Someone once said to me

"Arch gap is like a woman's vagina, the more fingers you can stick in, the worse it is"

dude if your women are as tight as your arch gap then that must be PAINFUL!!

 

[N8]

dude if your women are as tight as your arch gap then that must be PAINFUL!!

 

[FranA3]

Someone once said to me

"Arch gap is like a woman's vagina, the more fingers you can stick in, the worse it is"

hahahaha i just wee'd a little from laughing so much n8 you legend

 

[Blueie]

Someone once said to me

"Arch gap is like a woman's vagina, the more fingers you can stick in, the worse it is"

:sign_ot::sign_ot::sign_ot: BUT Any :sign_pics:

 

[N8]

lmfao you lot

 

[JoeD]

i can vouch for that a rolls royce hasnt got anything on my a3 for comfort lol , iv heard that the joms arent to bad i think ash has them on his car and he is happy with them

Having been in Ash's car, I can say joms are pretty comfy, I dont think there is much of a difference between joms and standard S3 suspension.

 

[Blueie]

Having been in Ash's car, I can say joms are pretty comfy, I dont think there is much of a difference between joms and standard S3 suspension.

Ideal thanks! Think ill be ordering a set next week

 

[N8]

Nice one blueie

 

[Blueie]

Mine are 8.5 with 225/40, ET45 and no rubbing But its close!

snap exactly the same as ive got , same tho no rubbing but very close indeed , caught a few times on bumpy corners but other than that all gravy

I got an opportunity to change the offset of my wheels, im getting them changed on warranty. So you think its best to go ET45 if i wanna go low on coilies?

 

[N8]

What you got now?

 

[Blueie]

What you got now?

8 x 18 ET42 225 tyres

 

[warren_S5]

Budget coilovers; fine if you want to go low, but personally I'd avoid them like a bad case of the clap (as per Nate's loathing of cheap aftermarket rims, I have the same loathing of cheap coilies).

Reasons I say this are:
1) Notoriously hard and lacking in compliance, which can leave you bouncing and crashing across the road rather than riding it. In extreme cases this will increase your braking distances as the contact with the road will be compromised, and handling too will be effected.

2) Coilovers are complex to set up. If you pay to go to a qualified performance specialist and have them set up properly (e.g. benefitting from corner weighting as per their motorsport pretensions) they will work optimally for a while. Having been on net forums for about 10 years+ (initially SEATCUPRA.net) I've seen so many threads with part failures, corrosion issues, intolerable ride quality, unpredictable handling, parts bending or not fitting at all that unless I was going to spend at least a grand on some inox stainless ones I personally wouldn't consider it (road salt can seize the adjustable parts solid in a single winter unless you regularly maintain / service them).

3) I wa chatting to Kev at Revo last week about what to do with my new car, and he said that they had a car come in to their garage that had a few suspension mods (WALK, uprated bushes, uprated mounts, uprated springs, OEM dampers). He said it handled about as well as anything he'd driven as it had just tightened up the weak points of the vehicle without it making it harsh or compromised. Yes a quality set of coilovers well fitted would see it round a track day more successfully, but as the car was going to be used for 99.9% road use it didn't factor. And their in lies the key, tracks don't have potholes, speed humps, painted vibration stripes coming up to junctions etc. The suspension effect the physics of braking and acceleration, compromise it (would you run ditch finder tyres?), and it is the next most critical link to your continued contact with the road.

Appreciate I have a very extreme view here compared to most, but it's been formed by years of people thinking coilies are the only route to handling Utopia. Fact is unless done properly they ain't; and at worst they could endanger you or others. Not saying don't, just do it well and take all the necessary precautions to keep you and your pride and joy (motor / passengers) safe mate.

 

[Lings]

Good lord there not that bad lad .my ta cheapies actually corner break and handle better than the standard sport kit that was on my car.Granted i have just wound them back up a bit as they were slammed to the ground and as you described them .even my misses feels the car handles better now .i have 215.35.19s .We are talking budget after all .They would be banned if they were dangerous!

 

[Fivetones]

Most of these things are TUV approved (the German MOT/type approval system, but stricter).

My feeling is that even cheaper coilovers will be safer and better than 3+ year old stock dampers. (my old Leon 1P FR 170 suspension was awful after 2.5 years)

I've currently got APs on a Polo 9N TDI Sport. They are very nice. Don't quite go low enough at back (same for 8P?) and are actually a little too comfortable (harder would be fine for me - especially if very low).

 

[warren_S5]

Good lord there not that bad lad .my ta cheapies actually corner break and handle better
than the standard sport kit that was on my car.Granted i have just wound them back up a bit as they were slammed to the ground and as you described them .even my misses feels the car handles better now .im 215.35.19s .We are talking budget after all .They would be banned if they were dangerous!

Most of these things are TUV approved (the German MOT/type approval system, but stricter).

My feeling is that even cheaper coilovers will be safer and better than 3+ year old stock dampers. (my old Leon 1P FR 170 suspension was awful after 2.5 years)

I've currently got APs on a Polo 9N TDI Sport. They are very nice. Don't quite go low enough at back (same for 8P?) and are actually a little too comfortable (harder would be fine for me - especially if very low).

Don't disagree, they'll be better out of the box than worn OEM, but in many cases I've seen them 'self fitted', and as there are so many parameters of adjustment it's a minefield for feck ups. Then people go dialling them up / down / inbetween, and the effects on the geometry in variable weather conditions is just license for affecting handling. At the end of the day you have less than a shoe footprint in contact with the road at any one time, so ensuring what controls that contact footprint getting properly connected onto a damp British road is critical.

Want to be clear, each and every one to their own, but personally I'd go lowering spring and uprated dampers (e.g. H&R kit from Damian @ DPM for instance). Not saying they're unsafe - no mention above of me saying they should be outlawed in my post, I just hold an alternative view to 97.5% of the rest of the modifying world who think coilovers are the only route for the 'serious' motorist as without them you must be an amateur.

 

[Fivetones]

Fair enough, I agree.

I think there's probably two classes of people (with some overlap). Those that are after the cosmetic, very low stance and those that want the car to handle better.

 

[FranA3]

Those that are after the cosmetic, very low stance and those that want the car to handle better.

i totally agree with this when i bought my v-maxx's (thanks n8) i was just after the low looks i dont go belting around corners anymore ive only got a 1.6 for christ sake so i dont see the point in my case but on a car like the S3 then a good set up is a good thing after all you dont buy a S3 just to do the weekly shopping in do ya lmao

 

[N8]

Well said Fran.