Coilovers/strut bars

[Boatman1]

Which coilovers would members recommend as a balance between performance and price also, what spring rating would you recommend. Should they be installed all round or could you leave the existing struts in the rear?

If anyone has installed a strut bar, did it make a difference to handling if so, what recs on type sizes, also, do you need different mounts to take a strut bar. Again, is a single bar in the front sufficient to make a difference. Would appreciate hearing your advices/experiences, thanks.

[sepulchrave]

You'll get a bigger handling improvement by increasing the budget for your coilovers by the amount you would have spent on a strut brace rather than actually spending it on a strut brace.

 

You really need to replace the suspension all round, it'll all be knackered by now.

 

I have a full Bilstein B12 setup, I can drive as fast as I like on the bumpiest backroads, I also have a RARB which makes a dramatic improvement, I don't need strut braces.

[Yaris]

Another vote for the B12 kit here. That will make a huge improvement to the handling. It's not cheap at £508, but buy cheap, buy twice. 

[KenONeill]

Another vote for aftermarket "strut braces" being so much snake oil. Unless you positively know that the shell is straight and the brace doesn't have any pivots in it, all they do is lock in any distortion.

[Boatman1]

Sepulchrerave RARB? not clear what that is.

[Yaris]

1 minute ago, Boatman1 said:

Sepulchrerave RARB? not clear what that is.

Rear anti roll bar

[KenONeill]

11 hours ago, Boatman1 said:

Sepulchrerave RARB? not clear what that is.

 

11 hours ago, Yaris said:

Rear anti roll bar

A means of reducing rear end grip, causing oversteer, and in severe cases, causing the car to roll.

[Boatman1]

Ken, if that's the case why would anyone fit them? From what I can gather they prevent excessive body roll though I do understand they could cause the whole rear end to slide if you were driving stupidly in corners.

[KenONeill]

2 hours ago, Boatman1 said:

Ken, if that's the case why would anyone fit them? From what I can gather they prevent excessive body roll though I do understand they could cause the whole rear end to slide if you were driving stupidly in corners.

QED. No really, what you've just said is a worked example of the RARB reducing rear end grip.

[Damian@DPM]

Did you have a budget in mind?

Damian @ DPM Performance 

[sepulchrave]

Actually a RARB improves grip, however what it also does is let go much more quickly once the actual limit of adhesion is reached so an inexperienced driver will get less time to react to that sudden loss of grip, this can cause problems with spinning in the wet due to sudden lift-off oversteer.

On a dry road understeer will still happen first due to FWD and weight distribution.

 

Moral of the story:

 

Don't drive like a prat in the wet.

[Boatman1]

On 03/07/2018 at 11:24, Damian@DPM said:

Did you have a budget in mind?

Damian @ DPM Performance 

Damien, I'm not in your area.