Hi all,

Had my SE a year now and its time to start playing.

Before a possible re map i need to sort suspension/ handling.

Got my 16" spiders away for painting at the moment and have some decisions to make.

I want to improve the looks and handling and looks slightly with a compromise on ride.

I can't drop it on its @rse anyway due to clearing the drive.

so thinking a 25mm Eibach pro kit?

Are these suitable for standard shocks? Or will they kill them?

Any thoughts/ experience of these?

Will a RARB still be needed?

anything else to consider?

Pictures to help with decisions welcomed, standard v -25mm comparisons would be good on 16's.

Thanks Guys and Gals in advance

Eibach springs don't lower enough to make a visual difference, £200 for coilovers and you can set the ride height that suits you.

Thanks for that, i was thinking the ride would be quite harsh with coilovers?

This compared to:

Standard:

Looked quite suttle to me?

Edited 22 August, 201213 yr by R4NDY

It depends on if you want it to look like its been lowered or not. The -25mm springs always seen to lower enough to make it look how it should have from the factory so most people will not notice that it has been lowered. Coilovers will give you more control over your ride height but will probably make the ride harsher. I'm currently about to lower my car for the first time and going to go for a decent set of coilovers so that I can set the ride height to what looks good and is practical for me while improving the handling.

I currently have the white line rear anti roll bar paired with my standard suspension and it has changed the handling of the car hugely. I've never looked back, I used to have lots of understeer when pressing on but with the RARB this is balanced out nicely and so far I've not experienced and lift off oversteer and don't think I will unless I really try in the wet.

Hope this helps...

I think you'e summed it up for me pete!

I'd be interested to know if any one has fitted pro kit springs first then fitted a rarb after and if the difference is as much as with standard springs?

As I believe these springs are progressive? I think I've settled on 25mm after finding that pic!

Main question now is do I need a rarb with them? I don't mind trying springs first I think they need doing!!!

im going for as stifff as possible but only with springs,

Whiteline RARB,

Solid rear strut brace,

Seat sport front brace

Hopefully Eibach pro kit springs soon then seat cupra r console bushes.

I currently have the white line rear anti roll bar paired with my standard suspension.. I used to have lots of understeer when pressing on but with the RARB this is balanced out nicely and so far I've not experienced and lift off oversteer and don't think I will unless I really try in the wet.

What setting you got the Whiteline ARB on?

What setting you got the Whiteline ARB on?

Stiff

I have coilovers and RARB and it's not too harsh really, can be uncomfortable on very uneven and bumpy roads but motorway etc is fine quite easy to spin the car in the wet though.... Well it is if you take roundabouts slightly too quickly!

Have been thinking about getting the whiteline RARB kit for a while now.

This may have just swayed me towards getting one.

Have heard good things about it. Hopefully will get the Cordoba's big bum in check a bit more

Have been thinking about getting the whiteline RARB kit for a while now.

This may have just swayed me towards getting one.

Have heard good things about it. Hopefully will get the Cordoba's big bum in check a bit more

A RARB on the standard suspension is about the best handling mod you can make for not much £££

A RARB on the standard suspension is about the best handling mod you can make for not much £££

Yeah, they're very reasonable to buy and not pricey to fit if you can't do it yourself. Unfortunately, the cheapest insurer for me (Admiral) said they classify it as a high risk modification and it added boat loads to my premium. They were fine with a 20% power gain remap but they had to speak to the underwriters about the RARB and then they'd ask me if I'd be taking it on a track day... hence me having no RARB.

I have coilovers and RARB and it's not too harsh really, can be uncomfortable on very uneven and bumpy roads but motorway etc is fine quite easy to spin the car in the wet though.... Well it is if you take roundabouts slightly too quickly!

I've got coilovers and RARB and I've never found it easy to spin unless you're trying to make the back come out. Not something I'm generally doing over a roundabout.

Yeah, they're very reasonable to buy and not pricey to fit if you can't do it yourself. Unfortunately, the cheapest insurer for me (Admiral) said they classify it as a high risk modification and it added boat loads to my premium. They were fine with a 20% power gain remap but they had to speak to the underwriters about the RARB and then they'd ask me if I'd be taking it on a track day... hence me having no RARB.

Oh damn.

Forgot about the insurance side of it... don't know if I can be bothered if it means faffing with insurance. Not sure Direct Line even allow them on their policies.

Phil

A RARB on the standard suspension is about the best handling mod you can make for not much £££

So true. Almost all car manufacturers dial 'safe' understeer into their cars for Joe Public, and to get the Fabia's balance right rear roll resistance is needed, ideally with roll centre correction up front. I went with a Jabba and balance is just right (most reports say the WL could do with being a little stiffer)

How do you drive your Fabia? This is important as if you drive enthusiastically on A/B roads you wont like the Eibach's. The ride will be crashy and bouncy. They overlower and you'll be resting on the bumpstops in corners so any bump you encounter will be painfully felt through the car (I had them fitted, and before I fitted the Jabba bar). In fact, I had to take them off. If you're not too fussed about bouncing & crashing a little and don't go hooning then the Eibach's will be just about OK.

So true. Almost all car manufacturers dial 'safe' understeer into their cars for Joe Public, and to get the Fabia's balance right rear roll resistance is needed, ideally with roll centre correction up front. I went with a Jabba and balance is just right (most reports say the WL could do with being a little stiffer)

How do you drive your Fabia? This is important as if you drive enthusiastically on A/B roads you wont like the Eibach's. The ride will be crashy and bouncy. They overlower and you'll be resting on the bumpstops in corners so any bump you encounter will be painfully felt through the car (I had them fitted, and before I fitted the Jabba bar). In fact, I had to take them off. If you're not too fussed about bouncing & crashing a little and don't go hooning then the Eibach's will be just about OK.

Hi, thanks all for the replies, been a great help in confusing what i want and can achieve!!

Measured the car over the drive today and at the closest point i have about 25mm!!!

so looks like i'm going to have to stick with the standard ride height!!

So been looking into RARB's, Whiteline, Jabba and Eibach?!

Don't mind paying more for the roll bar if i'm not buging springs.

So what to go for?

Jabba seems to get better reports than whiteline?

Anyone had Eibach?

Re springs:

Are you refering to the 25mm ones or 40mm ones?

1 Last thought.

If anyone has a 25mm lowered car in the Leeds/Hudds are of Yorkshire and wouldn't mind trying it over my drive that would be great????

Would also be good to be taken out for a spin to sample the ride!!

So been looking into RARB's, Whiteline, Jabba and Eibach?!...

So what to go for?

Jabba seems to get better reports than whiteline?

Anyone had Eibach?

Whiteline is cheaper and adjustable. Jabba is stiffer and costs more. The stiffer you have the RARB the better the handling, but also the easier it is to spin. Basically it's all tradeoffs but I fancied the Whiteline until my insurance killed the idea, simply because I'm not confident of my ability to handle the firmer Jabba (and I'm stingy).

Edited 23 August, 201213 yr by ckyliu

I had eibach springs and jabba rarb, was a good combination,but, i feel i should have got coilovers as with the springs the handling still wasnt the best when giving it some.

I went for a Bilstein based suspension set-up a 1000 or so miles ago, which is peforming very well. I run KW 'lowering springs' which lower by just 20mm so the lowering is not over done.

I also run a Jabba rear bar which I fitted when the car ran OE dampers and Eibach Pro springs. The balance with the Jabba (understeer/oversteer) is just right. No hint of spinning

See this link for more on the Billys/KW's

Edited 24 August, 201213 yr by bonesetter

Guys you've been a massive help!

Going to go for jabba bar and maybe upgrade shocks and springs at a later date if lowering is an option!

Maybe able to get away with 20mm. I guess the bilstiens will be an improvement over standard shocks with standard springs!!

One thing to remember is the Bilstein B8 damper (the ones linked) has a shortened travel so is designed for a slightly shorter spring.

But yes there's a decent difference in performance over the OE damper. The level of control both in damping and rebound is very good at that price point. The Billy's never get flustered in the rough stuff either which is very reassuring

Edited 27 August, 201213 yr by bonesetter

After having it pointed out to me even in standard form notice quite a bit of bounce! Lack of damping issue. Can't be good on high speed cornering on b roads!!

Any other recommend dampers for standard set up incase restricted by lowering?

A mate of mine put eibach springs on his fabia and its horribly bouncy on standards :/ iv got pro sport coilivers which are only cheapies because i only use it on the road but they havent got very good adjustment, its either low or slammed lol at their highest theres about a fingers gap between the arch and a 17" wheel with a 205/40/17 tyre, also i have an uprated rarb not sure what make as i bought it off a mate and that made hell of a difference with standard suspension but seemed to make the car more tail happy when put on coilies but i like that so i left it on but i suppose its down to personal choice, id recomend the prosports as a cheap and fairly decent lowering method.

Jack

A mate of mine put eibach springs on his fabia and its horribly bouncy on standards :/ iv got pro sport coilivers which are only cheapies because i only use it on the road but they havent got very good adjustment, its either low or slammed lol at their highest theres about a fingers gap between the arch and a 17" wheel with a 205/40/17 tyre, also i have an uprated rarb not sure what make as i bought it off a mate and that made hell of a difference with standard suspension but seemed to make the car more tail happy when put on coilies but i like that so i left it on but i suppose its down to personal choice, id recomend the prosports as a cheap and fairly decent lowering method.

Jack

Think that puts springs with standard dampers out of the question!!

Thanks

No problem