whay have most people gone for coilovers rather then a regular sports suspention set up? just weighin up the options before i part with my cash.

As a rule of thumb they are meant to be more uncomfortable then springs/shocks. But they do allow you to go lower, and change the height of the car whereas springs are fixed. If you get the right ones, you can change stuff like rebound and damping too. Not sure which handle better though.

Coilovers seem to cost more (based on equal quality sets)

all i want is a decent drop, say 30mm with good handling obviously but most of all i dont want the ride to be too harsh. still want it to remain nice to drive. not really bothered about adustment. once its set up right why would ya need to adjust?

Think the setup stuff is more for track use really, or if you get some wider tyres you can raise them to advoid scrubbing etc. Would guess springs would be better for what you want really although may not drop enough, but not sure what people use on the Fabia - sorry. Check out the stance archieve for what gives what drop though, might help narrow down your choices.

just found a thread that was sayin that coilovers where to harsh really and more designed for people who want to drop there cars alot. fixed is the way forward i think.

You need to compare apples with apples.

Suspension can only absorb so much of a bump. If you think about it, dropping the suspension an inch will make the suspension stiffer. Drop it two inches and it's going to have to be pretty stiff. Drop it 3" (about as far as most coilovers will go) and it's going to be VERY stiff indeed.

I had £1400 Bilstein coilovers on my old Passat estate and they were lovely with a 2" drop. Like riding on air, but they were very expensive and I paid a man a further £400 to set them up for me.

I suspect for you, the classic Eibach Pro-kit springs and Koni FSD shocks set-up is what you're after. It's noticeably stiffer in cornets, but still smooth on the straights. Highly recommended!

cheers for that ill look into them. anyone else recommend that set up?

I`v heard someone running them refer to them as ******* **** DAMPERS. It was a ibiza tho, but a pd130, so pretty much a vrs. I went out in it, my coilovers are far more comfortable, the shocks and springs were too bouncy for my liking. Coilovers set to a reasonable hight will still be pretty comfortable. Where about are you? I`m sure someone will be local to take you for a spin to see what you think yourself.

Matt

all i want is a decent drop, say 30mm with good handling obviously but most of all i dont want the ride to be too harsh. still want it to remain nice to drive. not really bothered about adustment. once its set up right why would ya need to adjust?

if you can't adjust, how do you get it set up right?

I've got H&R coilovers on my Ibiza and the whilst they seem to find more bumps than the standard (Cupra, so not super plush) suspension did but none of the bumps feel as harsh.

I too have heard FSD referred to as F*cking **** Dampers

when i said set up right i just ment the correct hight that im after wouldnt need adjusting. was wondering what the stars ment! lol

If it's partly for looks, you'll never get the car to look "low" on springs. They're just too high as standard

Matt

na i would say i just want better handling with not to much affect on ride over a slammed look. yeah a little lower would be nice but its not the major factor why im after replacing the suspension

My 2p.

On my car the Eibach springs/dampers eliminated the diving or forward roll under braking (AKA the "downhill" position).

So, I reckon that a minor drop (25-30mm) will a bit of setup can do wonders.

My second 2p. There's a hell of a lot of weight over the front end of a Fabia and even as standard you don't get too much suspension movement. Once you lower it, the situation deteriorates. IMO dampers make all of the difference here. So if money's no object, get the best available and realise you may have to invest extra time/effort/cash to set it up properly.

if you can't adjust, how do you get it set up right?

I've got H&R coilovers on my Ibiza and the whilst they seem to find more bumps than the standard (Cupra, so not super plush) suspension did but none of the bumps feel as harsh.

I too have heard FSD referred to as F*cking **** Dampers

I thought H&R used Koni internals in their coilovers?

I think all suspension is a compromise between handling and comfort and then cost. Very few 'normal' people are prepared to put up with the maintenance requirements of coilovers and cheap coilovers ie. Not all stainless steel are highly prone to corrosion and really need regular lubrication to keep them right.

All that said, Koni's lifetime guarantee is totally worthless as they basically just put you back to the retailer who sold them to youand most of them can't be bothered to respond to customers with issues as they have plenty of new customers to sell to.

My H+Rs had Bilstein dampers.

My H+Rs had Bilstein dampers.

same here

My H+Rs had Bilstein dampers.

same here

You are correct - it's FK that have Koni in them.

Edited 4 January, 201115 yr by wja96