View Full Version : Drop it..........
Where is the best place to get some springs from for a good price......then who will fit em and for what price, think I will go for the drop next month if the pay packet is right.
Think halfords do springs for about £83, is this good?
I dont want to go for the whole shocks and springs kit though.....to much $$$$$$$
Cheers 4 the help.
Be careful with just springs, are the shocks you have up to the job of uprated springs??
Fitting is the same for springs or the full kit, may be worth considering the extra for shocks especially if you haven't got sports suspension already.
fitting isn't as hard as it seems,and its better than paying 30 odd quid an hour labour,me amnd my m8 did mine in a couple of hours ,mind we did use his air tools so that helps,i hindered mark phelps with his ,his was easier to fit than mine,using just springs on cupra dampers.But TBH fitting a suspension kit will be better as posted above,i fitted lowered springs onto stnd dampers and they lasted 12mths,tho i think they were shagged after about 10.if yer skint like me just wait till ya got the dough and do it just once (wish i had)saves time and money.HONEST GUV:cheers:
Fitting was a doddle. me & jase did it a week or so after he did his.
a few huge spanners & curry farts later & it was done.
you couuld DIY - but it's easier to have a second set of arms
Then get the camber setup by a proper company (Stealth Racing nr Banbury charge £35+VAT)
M
hopkinsgm
07-05-2002, 23:54
As already posted by a few peeps - a suspension kit is the best way forward. Bear in mind that a shorter spring will work a shorter length of the overall damper travel substantially harder, and will wear the dampers out quicker. This will be the case with ANY lowering spring, some are better than others but... Consider the ride - springs on standard dampers will tend to be bouncy, a suspension kit will generally give a more compliant ride.
Labour costs for fitting and aligning should be about 3 hours labour - about £100 round these parts by time the taxman takes his cut. Add to that the cost of the springs and you're halfway to the fitted price for a suspension kit.
It's worth bearing in mind that if you just fit springs and hang on to the car for long enough to kill your dampers (about 12-18 months typically), you'll be looking at a new set of dampers to add to the springs. And it'll cost you labour all over again...
Ultimately, quite a bit depends on WHY you're lowering the car. If it's purely cosmetic to make the wheels fill the arches a bit better then springs are fine. If you want to improve the way the car handles, then it's got to be springs and dampers.
Sorry if that wasn't the answer you wanted...
G
Any idea on prices for full the kit then people?
Koni Sport kit for 1999> Ibiza about £450, Bilstein slightly cheaper I think, but <1999 kits are a little cheaper. It depends which make you get. You can probably get something like G-max/Spax from about £250, ring around
hopkinsgm
08-05-2002, 12:46
Typical prices are circa £400 for a mk2 (>99) Ibiza fitted and aligned. This for either the Bilstein kit (popular) or the Koni kit (what I have).
Koni's can make the back end a bit ragged right on the limit - it stays planted much better for the most part, but push it too far too hard and it breaks away quite quick - in fairness, i've only pushed it that far on track, and have always managed to fetch it back in.
Bilsteins drop the car quite a bit further and are a bit more crash & bang over the bumps. Great on smooth roads, not so great in UK. Beware also that whoever fits the kit either cuts down the bumpstops or fits shorter ones.
G
Thew,
Every1 told me to get the full whack kit mate, but I could only afford uprated springs. My decision was based on the fact I mainly do city & sub-urban driving, & also the fact I'll be keeping the car for just over a year longer (then maybe restore orig springs & sell alloys).
I need a ride in F2_Big_Stu's motor to check the difference, as he has the full whack kit.
There are a handfull of us 1.4 owners with just uprated springs (cos thats generally all we can afford) and there have been no complaints so far. I have found my springs to be better than I expected after forum chats etc. The standard suspension is fairly firm anyway compared to other cars on the market. My ex didnt really notice a big difference, and she's a critical one! :D Other people have been surprised at the decent ride aswell ....although over crappy roads, it will obviously get bumpy (still not that bad!).
Eibach springs seem to be a favourite (around £120 I think)
Although u can pick up sum tried and tested SPAX or APEX springs which also do the job for around £60. I know Halfords have the SPAX range on their shelves.
Hope that helped :cheers:
p.s - a few of my mates have AX GT's and Punto's with just springs, & have had em for a long time. They are still pleased with their dampers.
Getting a full kit asap.
can't stand the hard ride now.
it's ok at 60 on nice smooth roads. or when you want to drive 'enthusiastically'
but it's too bumpy now (compared to Glyn's Koni's)
trouble is the older shell like mine only takes billies.