I've just picked up some used but good standard springs

( must have disposed of my standard ones as I never really expected to put them back! can't find them anywhere must have gone tip prior to house move. Oh well only cost <£20 ).

 

I've already renewed 12 mths with flux so don't have to do anything for now - but worth waiting about 11 mths then change em then ?

Weight up the pros and cons ?

 

+++'s of HR's

ride height/handling is awesome

looks far more what the car always should

 

---'s (argument for going standard)

speed bumps !

Insurance!! far simpler. standard policy multicar etc (could have saved maybe £100+ and hassle)

comfort

get a few quid back for the HR springs too

 

Dilemma ??? Worth going standard but make the most of them on the car for this as last year like this perhaps whilst its with modified insurer now I've already paid for policy ?

Who are you insuring with? I'm with a broker that was the third cheapest option when I did my quote in October. They were the cheapest quote without a black box contraption.. everytime I've planned a mod I've rang them up and asked them to ask what the change in premium would be - and it's been minimal. I had a £23 rise for the coilovers and milltek which I was more than happy to pay..

With regards to living with standard over springs - it depends how different those lowering springs are to standard. I couldn't bare the look of the standard arch gap again - it's like a tractor! :-)

But comfort wise, the standard springs were more comfortable.

Play off really - if you prefer the lowering springs and the handling/comfort/look they give - it's surely no hassle to haggle once a year when it comes to renewal.

If you'd fitted decent shock absorbers then you wouldn't be suffering with ride comfort issues, it's the inability of the standard shocks to adequately control even the standard springs properly that makes the ride harsh. I've fitted uprated springs and dampers and the ride is better than standard even though it's lower and firmer. You can have your cake and eat it.

New Sachs shocks though to be far they were standard.

Beforehand you could just crash over potholes or poor surface even without considering, on lowered springs you definitely more so are aware and plan to avoid such things as they definitely aren't as comfortable, as there is less SPRING suspension travel to absorb the energy?

That said probably teaches you a good thing to avoid them !

 

Its not really the biggest issue, pity there isn't some middle ground compromise but the reality is the most annoying part is impact on insurance. Its like you are on a poor footing to start with.

 

Its also put my out of being able to insure my bike this year as last year for a new car had to convert bike NCB to car NCB, I didn't want to stay with who I was insured with and had shopped about but then when it came to renew this one I suddenly found they didn't touch lower springs so couldn't combine policies to "free" up one of my other accrued NCB so I could stick to using car NCB for all cars.

Annoying.

 

The gap really is annoying also though so its horses for courses, I might just keep running the car as it is ( springs are perfectly fine, mechanically speaking and not at wits end about comfort like some are with bad crashy coilovers), its the inability to shop for the lower end of insurance that bugs me most as now its my 2nd car I'd really like to 1) combine policies and 2) get the cheapest quoted !