I'm starting to get fed up with my standard boat like suspension and quite fancy having something that will stick to the ground when going round corners, the aim is to get the car as near as possible to a Mini down a A road and around the corners. Definitely on the list is a front and rear anti roll bar, however, other than that i have yet to decide on the shocks and dampers but i've been reading threads on the forum's and am a bit put off the low to mid range coilovers due to the knocking that can occur.

So far i've looked at coilovers (Weitec, KW, Koni, Bilstein and some cheap brands) and dampers & springs (3-4 Koni's and Bilsteins), but what is the best one's to have. Budget wise i can spend around £1000 on the suspension but im a bit stuck on what to choose.

What is recommended?

Slow down.

Slow down.

Ermm, not sure why you posted but thanks anyway, I don't speed I just want a car that can go round corners without being a boat.

Edited 21 July, 201015 yr by mikee

He has a point - a car with a rear beam will never match the handling of one with independent rear suspension. You won't need any beefing-up of the front ARB, although a lot of peole swear by rear ones. A strut brace helps the steering feel in fast bends, but makes the car crashy over bumps IME. If you aren't after extreme lowering, you'll struggle to beat Koni FSDs, although spending 1k on the suspension of a car worth no more than 7 or 8k is a bit daft IMHO, which is why I got the STR.Ts, which are a couple of rungs down the performance ladder.

HTH

KW varient 1 coilovers

Jabbasport RARB

uprated cupra console bushes

Ibiza MOMO Strut Brace (SEAT) - part No. 6L0 071 710

then it will be sorted!!

if you want to go to extremes

LSD

Brembo's later braking = faster cornering

Edited 21 July, 201015 yr by BigJase88

KW varient 1 coilovers

Jabbasport RARB

uprated cupra console bushes

Ibiza MOMO Strut Brace (SEAT) - part No. 6L0 071 710

then it will be sorted!!

if you want to go to extremes

LSD

Brembo's later braking = faster cornering

got all of that apart from the coilovers and AP instead of Brembo brakes, it still doesn't drive as nice as my mk1 Focus on Eibach springs and ten year old everything else suspension wise.

how's this for daft; complete the car's gotta be worth less than £1500 but including the bushes etc it's still gonna get over £1000's worth of suspension

got all of that apart from the coilovers and AP instead of Brembo brakes, it still doesn't drive as nice as my mk1 Focus on Eibach springs and ten year old everything else suspension wise.

how's this for daft; complete the car's gotta be worth less than £1500 but including the bushes etc it's still gonna get over £1000's worth of suspension

coilovers are a massive improvement

honestly its night and day!

you have a diff?

I am extremely jealous :(

i think my fabia is better handling than my old mk2 focus st-3.....

didnt like the focus one bit, too big, crap turning circle, the popping from the exhaust at certain revs was nice though

Edited 21 July, 201015 yr by BigJase88

Think people are getting the wrong idea, im not trying to race a Mini just comparing what i want to get the car nearer too handling wise. The car has unfortunately turned into a work hack and it's a bit boring doing 25,000 miles a year on boaty suspension.

I will look into the Koni's though, are they pretty much like the standard dampers but with better damping.

coilovers are a massive improvement

honestly its night and day!

you have a diff?

I am extremely jealous :(

i think my fabia is better handling than my old mk2 focus st-3.....

didnt like the focus one bit, too big, crap turning circle, the popping from the exhaust at certain revs was nice though

totally OT... but yeah, it's a Peloquin and it deffo help get the power down although I'm still failing to remember to power through/out of corners when pressing on which means the diff doesn't get a chance to do it's thing. I'm stil toying with the idea of coilovers, don't fancy things like Weitec or AP though so it wont be cheap I've no doubt that the ST handles better than my mk1 but I reckon that as it's a bit bigger and heavier it's gonna be at higher speeds where it shows

ooooo ive just bought a helix and smf for mine, would love a peloquin but no money left :(

i had an ek9 civic with integra b18c6 engine with the s80 lsd gearbox it was wicked

dont even need to read any of the posts from the topic title all i'll say is RARB

Ermm, not sure why you posted but thanks anyway, I don't speed I just want a car that can go round corners without being a boat.

can somebody help me?

Ive just bought a 2005 fabia vrs

ive just discovered it has lowered suspension

i want it back to standard

does anybody know the standard front and rear spring length

can somebody help me?

Ive just bought a 2005 fabia vrs

ive just discovered it has lowered suspension

i want it back to standard

does anybody know the standard front and rear spring length

More than likely it's just shortened springs on standard dampers. Standard springs from Skoda dealers aren't silly money, but every now and again you'll find standard suspension advertised here and on eBay, usually from people that have lowered their car. Maybe you could do a swap with the OP????

fsd's and eibach -30's...

Hello mikee,

Fabia has high centre point of gravity, will not match the Mini, sorry !!! no matter what you do to suspension, maybe cut roof off?? may help??

fsd's and eibach -30's...

above is a good option if you dont want to go too low

or its coilovers otherwise

Weitec Hicon GT coilovers, very good option and one of the best all round kits available.

Damian @ DPM Performance

I have some standard springs that came off my car, they will never go back on again, so I have a set if needed! They have done around 30,000 miles, as that is when the Eibach's were fitted.

I had Koni FSD and Eibach springs on mine and fast changes of direction made them be firmer but if you were trying to be smooth they stayed in comfort mode and you just roll over like standard

Now have AP coilovers, Jabbasport RARB, Cupra bushes, Cupra front strut brace and Forge rear strut brace - love it but its far from comfy.

I'm starting to get fed up with my standard boat like suspension and quite fancy having something that will stick to the ground when going round corners, the aim is to get the car as near as possible to a Mini down a A road and around the corners. Definitely on the list is a front and rear anti roll bar, however, other than that i have yet to decide on the shocks and dampers but i've been reading threads on the forum's and am a bit put off the low to mid range coilovers due to the knocking that can occur.

So far i've looked at coilovers (Weitec, KW, Koni, Bilstein and some cheap brands) and dampers & springs (3-4 Koni's and Bilsteins), but what is the best one's to have. Budget wise i can spend around £1000 on the suspension but im a bit stuck on what to choose.

What is recommended?

IMO good coilovers (KWs) or the Eibachs plus dampers, usual recommendation is KONI FSDs. Also IMO, don't lower it to the weeds if you go for coilovers, go for a 25-30mm drop. Then add a Jabba or Whiteline RARB.

That lot will stop the wallowing in corners and nosediving under braking and help traction out of the slower corners.

J.

^^^^^^^^ Tried and tested suspension upgrade^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ You can't go wrong with either of the above set ups.

IMO good coilovers (KWs) or the Eibachs plus dampers, usual recommendation is KONI FSDs. Also IMO, don't lower it to the weeds if you go for coilovers, go for a 25-30mm drop. Then add a Jabba or Whiteline RARB.

That lot will stop the wallowing in corners and nosediving under braking and help traction out of the slower corners.

J.

id say 50/60 mm drop