Fabia VRS MK1 suspension upgrade

[bonesetter]

I have just finished fettling my VRS's suspension and thought I would post up what changes I've made.

Car is an 06 39K miles VRS with a mild re-map (160/375). It came to me having uprated grooved dimpled brake discs and what appears to be fast road pads (quite happy with their performance), full decat/Miltec exhaust and some Eibach Pro-Kit lowering springs, plus the remap.

Here's the car as was

A suspension friend helped design the chassis mods for a European Seat Ibiza racing series a couple of years ago, which has the same chassis as the Fabia, so I knew I would be needing at the very least a rear ARB (and possibly front caster bushings) to achieve the correct balance with the VRS.

The 'factory set' understeer balance of the VRS, and indeed the same as most manufacturers dial into their cars, combined with the lowering from the Eibach's, was inducing a fair amount of roll and making for a pretty uncontrolled ride with alot of mid corner movement, especially in the rougher stuff (= most UK roads lol)

The car needed some help with the damper/spring situation as the Eibach springs were making for a crashy (and bouncy) ride. They just don't work too well on OE dampers. I've had experience with them on Impreza's and they give the same result as most of the damper travel is lost and they end up being very close to the bumpstops. Trimming of the stops help a little, but wont stop the crashing.

I'm not a fan of coilovers for road use, much preferring the 'fixed perch' of a spring and damper. I still didn't know what damper/spring combo to go for at this point...

So, I decided to fit a Jabbasport rear anti-roll bar first. From all accounts the Jabba bar is a little firmer than the Whiteline and seems to get a universal thumbs up from all users, so that went on and made the significant difference rear arb's always do. Gone was pretty much all the understeer, as well as roll being much better controlled.

The crashing was still there of course, so attention went to dampers/springs...

It's almost impossible to find a decent aftermarket performance spring for most cars. Almost all lower too much, have poor progression and are too soft. However, I'm fairly happy with this combo

It's a Bilstein B8 ('Sprint') front (35-052180) & the rears are (24-067904), combined with KW springs - KW25082018

Here's another of the damper (not quite the B8, but very similar

They are an inverted high pressure monotube design, and at the price point are decent quality. They come part of the 'B12' suspension kit which Bilstein spec with the Eibach Pro-Kit spring. The damper has a shortened stroke so is designed to be used with a slight lowering spring in mind. These type of dampers can be a little nuggerty in nature over small bumps round town, but will give decent control when warmed and on the open road. I was looking for a different spring however, so eventually decided on the KW. It lowers by just 20mm and is firmer than the Eibach with a better progression rate.

My priority was to maintain as much travel as possible, and not over lower the car. This would protect the dynamic geometry, plus I'll get more travel from less lowering combined with the shortened damper which will give max travel possible on a lowered set-up - nice.

The end result (did a shakedown run from my home in the Midlands over Snowdonia to Harlech last week) - very happy with it. No more crashing, the car holds its line, is confident, doesn't move about under braking, and takes pretty much everything in it's stride without fuss or drama.

The car with the new suspension

Many thanks to Arnie for all the help and advice

.

Edited 31 July, 2012 by bonesetter

[PoloTom]

Great write up, ive been looking for this sort of info for a while. Am i right in thinking the front dampers are £134 each for the front?

Im currently on just lowering springs and totally agree with what your saying about the crashiness, do these really make the difference?

[bonesetter]

Yes, I bought the dampers & springs from Dan at DCM Performance, as in the linked pert numbers above. And yes, no more more crashing

Crashiing onto the bumpstops and then feeling that horrible impact being taken through the car is pretty painful. When I pulled the OE dampers I roughly measured how much travel was left on the Eibach's and it was about 5mm. What chance have you got to absorb any decent hits, especially mid bend?

I guess it's just most of us want our cars to look cool which is fair enough, but over-lowering or slamming makes for a very poor handling car on any kind of out of town road.

I see the lads coming down the High Street past my work in their slammed Saxo's/106's and the like. The car is positively vibrating with NVH and that's on smooth tarmac. I don't know, maybe I would have done the same at their age, and for street cruising why not, but for me, and for fast road stuff it's just not an option

[paulyboy]

Superb write up, just the kind of advice i've been looking for.

I wanted to sort the looks and handling of my vrs but try and keep the smoothness avoiding the bottoming out feeling you get with most lowering springs, this post is a great help.

Cheers Bonesetter :clap:

[duck]

Very interesting post, nice to see someone giving it some though rather than just wanting to slam it on the ground irrespective of the consequences.

I have a question if you would be so kind, I see the VRS had lowered springs when you got it, don't suppose you have been in a standard suspension VRS and could give your opinion on how your new setup compares ride/comfort wise ?

I've had my VRS nearly 4 years and have forced myself to leave the suspension standard (apart from RARB and consule bushes) as I don't want to go down the bumpy un-comfortable route which I have done in the past with other cars, I would be interested to hear any thought you may have on this.

Thanks

[bonesetter]

Personally I'm a fan of long (or standard) suspension travel, and increased roll resistance. UK roads in general are pretty rough going, and out on heavily pitching B-roads the travel helps keep all 4 wheels in contact.so if you can stand the look of OE height, I would probably leave alone, unless you only town/city drive

You have the Jabba rarb so should have decent rotational balance. Caster bushes will help a little more with steering feel and front grip (should you find front grip an issue)

The only experience I have with OE set-up is a quick test drive of a different VRS before buying mine, so really can't comment for sure. HTH

[duck]

Thanks for the reply, think I will continue to stop myself from lowering the VRS and stick with good suspension travel and comfy ride.

Cheers

[vrs_shaun]

very good write up!!

are these springs even available any more?

Edited 19 May, 2013 by vrs_shaun

[Lofty]

Advanced apologies for the epic thread bump, but does anyone know if these KW springs are still available?

 

Thanks, Matt

[bonesetter]

Have DC Performance stopped selling them?

[Lofty]

Have DC Performance stopped selling them?

I can't see them on their website, can I ask, is KW25082018 the part number for the springs?

[bonesetter]

It is the KW part number yes. I've had a look and cant find much at all using that.

 

What about contacting DCP & even KW?

 

Compared to the terrible Eibach's these are a decent reward

[Lofty]

I will get some emails fired off during the week to them. I have used the bilstein b8 dampers on my last two modified peugeots and was keen to use them again, and your thread above is pretty much where I want mine to be.

[bonesetter]

B8's on Pugs - bloody nice

 

Why come across to VRS?

[Lofty]

B8's on Pugs - bloody nice

 

Why come across to VRS?

I'd had peugeots for a number of years, my desire for a vrs was started when I worked for Skoda from 2000 to 2005, I was there at the original fabia launch, and then the vrs in 03. Had numerous fabia vrs, Octavia vrs as demos, just something about the relative simplicity and strength of the pd130 engine which lured me back.

Plus I tend to do a number of euro trips and wanted something a tad better built and more economical than a pug. We go to spa and the ring in may again, so want a car with excellent suspension, with good travel and suppleness instead of being on the floor and unusable.

[bonesetter]

All sounds totally right to me

 

Have you a plan B?

[Lofty]

Hmm, not as yet!

 

The H & R springs might be a consideration, but they all seem to be 30mm lower.

 

Part of me is wondering about the fixed damper AP kit, as they are reputed to be made by KW and lower the vRS 25mm, however really want the Bilstein B8's.

 

I'll continue the research!!

[BTS22]

Looks good! the rear looks lower then 20mm!

[bonesetter]

Best of luck with the search. I would say you should be able to track down a set of those B8's. They have always been a popular damper, not to mention a very nice performer as you.

 

Bilstein always seem to get their valving to a sweet spot. I have a set on a classic Impreza and they behave in a similar way to the B8

[Lofty]

I'm definitely going down the B8 route again, just need to decide on springs now. Cupar console bushes are here already, just starting to think about RARB choices......

[BTS22]

After a RARB myself. Reading through the whole Whiteline vs. Jabba debates!

[Lofty]

After a RARB myself. Reading through the whole Whiteline vs. Jabba debates!

Same here, one mans pork is another mans chicken, as in everyone's got there own opinion lol

 

I'm leaning towards maybe a Jabba one, it looks more substantial than the whiteline one from what I've seen and Bonesetter above seems to rate it, and anyone with a Yellow Fabia aint to be questioned LOL!!!!!

[BTS22]

Same here, one mans pork is another mans chicken, as in everyone's got there own opinion lol

 

I'm leaning towards maybe a Jabba one, it looks more substantial than the whiteline one from what I've seen and Bonesetter above seems to rate it, and anyone with a Yellow Fabia aint to be questioned LOL!!!!!

 

Im definitely a chicken man as well!!! ha.

 

yeah im thinking a Jabba one too, group buy maybe!?

[roberto1954]

do you still have this car ?

[Titanium_Man]

2 hours ago, roberto1954 said:

do you still have this car ?

Bonesetter hasn’t been on here since 2005, so doubt it