Spacers & Lowering.. good idea on 400miles per week? (VRS MK2)

[MCD]

Right, i cant get past it, the car needs lowering!

 

Im content with my decission to go with Eibachs, and honestly dont think i will have any issues on mileage as the arent drastically low, and ive run them on my previous vectra for 60,000 miles.

 

However, searching this forum, i keep reading about spacers? I'm toying with the idea on the rear as i dont feel the back wheels sit out in the arches as well as the front? But im worried about the long term implications of spacers? I do 400miles a week, and spacers feel a little more of a 'mod' than the Eibachs do...
 

They will essentially change rear track width... which im assuming is currently same as the front as standard? Have you guys experience any issues with this causing wear in other areas? Of course i would have them properly fittedm longer bolts and full alignment...

 

Or perhaps i just go with lowering? Does anyone have a picture of a facelift VRS hatch lowered 20mm on Eibachs, with no spacers please? searched and searched and cannot find any without...

 

Thanks guys,

 

Mike

[j0hn]

I would suggest a pic of a mk2 lowered on 2mm springs isn't going to help as you're not going to notice the difference between that and stock ride height.

I'm running spacers and somewhere in the region of a 35-40mm drop with no issues.

[KenONeill]

Only you can decide whether or not you can live with the harder ride (lowered).

 

Similarly, spacers theoretically give more kickback and weaker self-centring, and only you can decide whether or not you can live with that.

[rob_e]

I do about 600 miles a week.

 

I ran the last car (2010 vRS) for 80k miles on weitec coilovers running about 35mm lower than stock with no issues.

 

Current car (2012 vRS) is now showing just under 40k miles at 15 months old, most of which has been done on H&R monotubes and i love it; ride and handling both better than OEM.  When this car was new I did about 10k on Bilstein B16 coilovers and hated it - just too hard for a road car IMO..

 

Are you considering just eibach springs with oem dampers?   Although it's cheap to do personally i'd not bother.  The eibachs hardly make any difference to the ride height (i had some on the old car - there are "before" and "after" pics on the blog for that car - you can hardly tell which is which tbh) plus the oem dampers aren't great.  They'll work ok with the eibachs but nowhere near as good as say a set of B8 dampers (bilstein b8s+ eibachs is what bilstein sell as a "b12 kit" btw).

 

IMO if you're doing big miles you need to properly invest in something good, don't skimp as you'll regret it. 

 

02p etc. 

 

where are you based?  No substiture for getting a ride in a car with the suspension you're considering.  research on internet forums is very frustrating and can be misleading (e.g. me buying b16's cos everyone raved about them..  er. oops).

 

[rob_e]

re; spacers.  you should not have any issue although personally i'm not a fan.   rear track is narrower than the front hence why most people space out the rear.  you need hubcentric type and longer bolts.  

[JR RS]

oem springs - no spacers

 

lowered on eibach prokit 20mm  - no spacers

 

lowered on eibach prokit 20mm - with 12mm rear spacers

[MCD]

Thanks guys, some good help there! at the moment i can't work out if it's the height, or the difference in track that's bugging me most?

Now I know the rear track is less... I feel the need to space it! has anyone just spaced and not lowered? any recommendation on how much to space? And which Which hub centric spacers to buy?

Per the springs, was thinking eibachs as heard they were offered by dealer at one time, 20mm is not to massive to worry about effecting driveshafts and such like.. And there's divided opinion running these on standard shocks..something I've always done on previous cars?

Mike

[MCD]

Just a quick one, I've tried to search but can't find, what's the difference in track between front and rear wheels?

Thanks

Mike

[RichC]

H&R 45-50mm springs

[vectra1]

Now I know the rear track is less... I feel the need to space it! has anyone just spaced and not lowered? any recommendation on how much to space? And which Which hub centric spacers to buy?


Mike

 

 

I run 16mm Hubcentric spacers on the rear and they do rub if I hit bumps too fast. Way too fast.

[Zuhayb]

I'm selling my Eibachs Pro Kit 30mm springs only done 50 miles, also have the box. 

[Rutty555]

I'm selling my Eibachs Pro Kit 30mm springs only done 50 miles, also have the box.

Why you selling them fella?

[Zuhayb]

Why you selling them fella?

 

I bought H&R Coilovers, that's why I'm selling them

[firestormwest]

I have run eibachs on standard springs for over 50k no issues brilliant ride. You will find that 20mm will leave both back and front wheels looking lost in their arches. I have 16mm spacers back 11mm fronts never had any issues with rubbing. I think mine are forge. I presently do about the same miles per week as the OP. I love the stance of my car, a standard Vrs just looks wrong.

[dakar]

As above got eibachs on decent standard shocks with no issues,

[vectra1]

I'm selling my Eibachs Pro Kit 30mm springs only done 50 miles, also have the box. 

 

Just out of curiosity.

How much?

[j0hn]

When Zeb's paid his a Freedom membership he'll tell you.

[JR RS]

Just a quick one, I've tried to search but can't find, what's the difference in track between front and rear wheels?

Thanks

Mike

Front track = 1528 mm

Rear track = 1508 mm

[MCD]

That's mega.. Thanks! So I just need 10mm centric spacers...Can anyone recommend the best please?

[neil_f]

I do about 600 miles a week.

I ran the last car (2010 vRS) for 80k miles on weitec coilovers running about 35mm lower than stock with no issues.

Current car (2012 vRS) is now showing just under 40k miles at 15 months old, most of which has been done on H&R monotubes and i love it; ride and handling both better than OEM. When this car was new I did about 10k on Bilstein B16 coilovers and hated it - just too hard for a road car IMO..

I used H&R coilovers on mk1 leon cupra r that I used to have. Agree that out of all the coilovers I have experienced. .bilstein, kw, eibach....the h&r were the most comfortable and were less "crashy" than the oe suspension. I did 76k miles in two years in that car and various trackdays. The handling on track was amazing but overtime I did find them tiresome on the road. I eventually changed to eibach springs and eibach dampers. For fast road use (ie bumpy scottish country roads! ) this setup was far better. With the h&r setup the occupants would get jolted about a lot more. Personally for road use I would not go back to coilovers if comfort is a main concern. I realise my opinion is based on a different vehicle before everyone shoots me down! Would advise getting dampers matched for the springs as well as I originally tried the eibach with the oe cupra r dampers and it was horrendous. Would love to experience rob_e car with them on as it does look great but live rather far away to make this possible!

[Tonka972]

H & R 45mm drop springs with poly bushes and Bilstein B6 - runs fantastically. I use it daily in the Yorkshire Dales and NE England on all roads averaging 800miles a week with no issues whatsoever...

[MajorTom]

on a front wheel drive car, I'd always want the front track to be a bit wider than the rear, but maybe that's just me; so if you're going to run spacers, it would be best to run them all round...

[rlp]

just fitted 20mm spacers to the rear, hubcentric as advise on this site, very please with outcome. I placed a spirit level vertically down from the wheel archand measure across to the nearest part of the tyre. I think I got 35mm so fitted 20mm to keep it all legal. On the front the bottom of the tyre was inline with the wheelarch, assume its the camber. Hope this helps

[rlp]

Sorry should have said I paid 30 pounds inc. blongers bolts positioning bolts and p&p off E-bay. Lots on there

[Lofty79]

Tbh at the level you are looking at i dont see the reason for concern.

i know its a different platform of car but principly the same, when i was down 110mm on cheapo coilies and different top mounts to squeeze more - i worried about how long my subframe would take to wear out on the road, and whether a 4 inch hole in the chassis would affect safety when cut for the drive shaft to clear it.

10mm spacers? I wouldnt worry too much about the health of the vehicle. Oh and i did 25k a year on that car and it was hellish - but looked good, i enjoyed showing it to my chiropractor