Hi

Question for you guys...

With the heavy front end (tdi lump) what is the best way to improve handling, without changing shocks and springs.

Keep reading about...

Jabba rear ARB

Polyflex bushes

Console bushes

Cupra bushes

Strut brace upper front (does this really improve handling or just for looks)

Strut brace lower front

Dogbone mount - ( is this very harsh, does it actully bed in, or do you just put up with it, having got used to it)

Looking for a good compromise between flat handling and being able to live with the car day to day

Thanks for your help

ARB is well worth the money IMHO. I was running that and the seat strut brace but I've taken the strut brace off as I found it too unsettled at the front on harsh roads.

Haven't tried any of the rest so thats all I can help with.

Thanks for that, any info from members welcome.

Changing bushes will help handling, to a degree. But I don't feel you'll reap great improvements without making a change to the standard spring and damper setup.

Looking exclusively at your list and not suggesting anything else, I'd go with the rear ARB and Cupra and Powerflex console bushes. If I'm allowed to add anything, it would be Eibach/Koni springs and dampers.

Steve

Best way is to fit a rear anti roll bar. This will get rid of the understeer and make the car more adjustable

I guess it comes down to what you mean by "handling". The rear ARB will help to control body roll through corners, however, the car will still suffer from diving under braking and pitching under acceleration which will only really be solved by changing the suspension. I personally wouldn't bother with a front upper strut brace and I don't think there is a suitable lower one due to the ride height of the car?

Chris

ARB is the only handling mod on my car and it transforms it completely.

I dont think you will find a negative post anywhere on here, but you'll only know what we're on about when you get one fitted to yours!

Do it you know you want to

I am looking to fitting eibachs and koni fsd at some point, just the cash really.

Jabba RARB is the way forward, completely changes the feel of the car, it'll turn in to a corner much sharper and wont roll around like a old ford.

Just got a strut brace today.

Will fit it and see if it makes any difference.

Either way its a nice little bit of kit for £45

I took my strut brace off at the weekend for servicing access, driving home tonight it seemed to understeer more on tight bends. It's going back on after the service.

My strut brace looks nice, I think that's pretty much all it does. But damn, does it look nice

my strut brace looks good but i don't think it does a lot,my jabba arb will be on by weekend and i hope it makes the same sort of impression on me as the 312mm audi tt brakes i threw on a couple of weeks ago,now they just are ace.

As for the springs/dampers as wardy says eibach's and koni fsd's,i have heard nothing but good things about these:D

I fitted my strut brace today and I think for £45 its pretty good.

Might be the placebo affect... but does seem to feel more planted at the front on roundabouts.... more traction.

Not too bad to fit either.

It also seems to make the car a lot more stable at speed in a straight line?

Before fitting I was getting quite a lot of steering wheel wobble at 70mph but since fitting the brace today it has reduced dramatically.

Deffo reccomend it.

Anyone fitted a lower strut brace onto the wishbones? if so, any gains?

It also seems to make the car a lot more stable at speed in a straight line?.

I agree completely. The high-speed ride quality of the Fabia vRS without a strut brace is abysmal, to the extent that I found it quite frightening on fast slip roads etc. The strut brace completely eliminates the wobbly 'twitch' that occurs at m-way speeds (even in a straight line) & for that reason I feel it's an essential mod.

Anyone fitted a lower strut brace onto the wishbones? if so, any gains?

I believe this has been attempted - but results in the bar sitting very low, and therefore at risk of grounding out...

Steve