NinjaAlex thanks for the help with this I dont have tools to measure the size required (diameter) without taking the spring out and cant see when I would get time to do that ATM.

As for poundage I have no idea but closer to 100 sounds better, 60? any advance on 60? I clueless really, what pound rating is the main spring? Is it written on like with bikes? think its only a part number thats written on it?

Been away few days and have 500 mile to do tomorrow :eek: mainly motorway so should be fairly quiet

Hello again all.

dont want to let this thread die.

have a couple of questions..

1) I have noticed on some coilovers the helper spring is at the top, above the main spring?

2) With the main spring now sat on a perch with no securing mechanism, will the ride height alter over bumps or will the weight of the car on the spring keep the perch in its place?

3) Can someone explain to me the science behind this, as the main spring is still sat on a perch and is not in direct contact with the helper spring, how does this exert more force on the top mount and bearing?

4) When removing the AP Coilovers, do you need spring compressors or because the springs are shorter are they not required, as long as you wing the spring seat all the way down?

Hello again all.

dont want to let this thread die.

have a couple of questions..

1) I have noticed on some coilovers the helper spring is at the top, above the main spring?

2) With the main spring now sat on a perch with no securing mechanism, will the ride height alter over bumps or will the weight of the car on the spring keep the perch in its place?

3) Can someone explain to me the science behind this, as the main spring is still sat on a perch and is not in direct contact with the helper spring, how does this exert more force on the top mount and bearing?

4) When removing the AP Coilovers, do you need spring compressors or because the springs are shorter are they not required, as long as you wing the spring seat all the way down?

1) Yes but fabia spring increases in diameter at the top so it has to be at bottom like in the picture, post number 1 of this thread

2) Ride height stays the same apart from the normal differences incurred by normal suspension travel ie; the spring compresses and rebounds.

3) The main spring IS in direct contact with the helper spring (thru the sliding collar) and its not so much as exerting MORE force as keeping SOME force on the top mount.

4) Correct, you just wind the adjuster down and the tension is released from the spring

HTH

So are you going to take it to bits and find out what size we need? ;-)

Nope lol.

Hello all, just an update to let you know my drivers-side front damper has now collapsed and the car is riding on the bumpstop I think, when I push up and down on this side its quite bouncy and makes a constant rubber-squeaking noise when driving.

Also, my mate just ordered some AP coilovers for his MK1 focus and they ARE MUCH BETTER ENGINEERED than the Fabia ones. He has clips on the strut to put his brake lines into and on the rear platforms they've even put a rubber ring onto the anodised adjuster so the spring doesnt corrode into it.

OH AND GUESS WHAT HE'S ALSO GOT - helper springs - HOWEVER his front springs arent like ours as in "wider" in the middle and narrower at top and bottom so that may have something to do with it.

Overall I probably would not buy coilovers again they are too much hassle just a shame nobody makes a fixed lowering kit for the Fabia that actually LOWERS it!

You're not having a good experience are you?

If thats the case you need to get a warranty claim in but if you dont have oil leaking out of the damper then I doubt its failed?

The rubber ring on your mate's sounds like it would silence things but how long will it last before being eaten by the spring?

Apart from the chatter (and for everyone following this its only at low speeds, once over 40 on open road its fine, get on with a spirited drive!) I am still really happy with mine for the money

i blame all the problems people are having on that fact these AP's are cheap as fook, buy cheap buy twice, its slowly becoming clear they are pretty gash

Hello all, just an update to let you know my drivers-side front damper has now collapsed and the car is riding on the bumpstop I think, when I push up and down on this side its quite bouncy and makes a constant rubber-squeaking noise when driving.

Do you mean that the threads given way and the platforms dropped? It would have to be something affecting the spring for the car to run on the bump stops.

Hello all, just an update to let you know my drivers-side front damper has now collapsed and the car is riding on the bumpstop I think, when I push up and down on this side its quite bouncy and makes a constant rubber-squeaking noise when driving.

Also, my mate just ordered some AP coilovers for his MK1 focus and they ARE MUCH BETTER ENGINEERED than the Fabia ones. He has clips on the strut to put his brake lines into and on the rear platforms they've even put a rubber ring onto the anodised adjuster so the spring doesnt corrode into it.

OH AND GUESS WHAT HE'S ALSO GOT - helper springs - HOWEVER his front springs arent like ours as in "wider" in the middle and narrower at top and bottom so that may have something to do with it.

Overall I probably would not buy coilovers again they are too much hassle just a shame nobody makes a fixed lowering kit for the Fabia that actually LOWERS it!

I reckon the problem is more likely to be cheap coilovers - knowing what decent forks and shocks for a mtb cost I struggle to get my head around sub-400 quid adjustable car suspension being any good

I was wrong, dunno what the fook it was because it rained last night and now the "rubbery scrub" has stopped!

I reckon the problem is more likely to be cheap coilovers - knowing what decent forks and shocks for a mtb cost I struggle to get my head around sub-400 quid adjustable car suspension being any good

Mountain bike forks need to be light and compact as well though so that's probably part of the reason for the difference in price. You can spend a silly amount of money on an MB fork... does that mean that £1000 KW's are crap because you can get an MB fork that costs more? I don't think the "They're cheap so they must be crap" argument necessarily stand up. We all bought Skoda's didn't we?

AP are made by KW in any case so youd expect them to be half decent.

Its not really a problem with quality of the coilovers.

Its the fact that the Fabia kit seems to be rushed and poorly engineered, especilly having seem my mates AP kit for his focus.

they are sold by Awesome as having helper springs

"Kit Contents:

4 x AP Coilover Units

Adjuster Spanner

Bump Stops

Helper Springs

Grease

2 year Warranty"

if you bought them from there, send them back as being mis-sold and put some extra to some proper ones

Please read the whole thread guys this is going round in circles!

Get out of town and drive it!

They're ok!

Get out of town and drive it!

They're ok!

I think I'd want my suspension to work everywhere TBH. Towns are useful sometimes

Steve

Mountain bike forks need to be light and compact as well though so that's probably part of the reason for the difference in price. You can spend a silly amount of money on an MB fork... does that mean that £1000 KW's are crap because you can get an MB fork that costs more? I don't think the "They're cheap so they must be crap" argument necessarily stand up. We all bought Skoda's didn't we?

I didn't say they were crap, but they're still budget coilovers and suspension, along with tyres and brakes is not somewhere I'd want to be using parts that are legitimately described as good for the money which is why my Ibiza is still on it's standard suspension

Overall I probably would not buy coilovers again they are too much hassle just a shame nobody makes a fixed lowering kit for the Fabia that actually LOWERS it!

How low is low, though? Your spray lube fix for the top mounts has worked a treat for my Konis, so I'm 100% happy with them. They looked like this when fitted:

(Awesome archive pic)

...but have now settled so that the space above the rear tyre is the same as it is above the front. I realise the literature says a 40mm drop from standard (i.e. 25mm less for the vRS) but it looks more than that to me on the front. It rides just about right to my eye - enough to give it a bit of presence, but not so low that I get stopped by the po-pos asking me why I'm driving my car and not sat in it with the stereo blaring in MaccyD's car park...

yeah people slatted the Vmaxx ones but i ran them... no squeeks no bangs no knocks...

went pretty damn low aswell... more than KW's anyways...

Ride wasnt too bad either... doubt you'd notice the difference between KW V1's and the Vmaxx... i couldnt anyway

Bringing back an old thread but... just purchased some AP coilovers, do you think its advisable to fit the extra helper spring and collar?

Has anyone apart from Lummox fitted the above mentioned bits?

Fitting mine at the end of the month