Lowering advice - best option?

[JonDog]

Hi people,

My car will be here in a couple of months, looking at pictures and seeing the ibiza in the metal makes me want to do something about the comedy ride height.

I understand there are 3 options; springs, kits, and coilys.

Coilys I have ruled out as being overkill.

which leaves me with springs and a damper and spring set.

I like the idea of the springs because they are relatively inexpensive and I only want to go down around 30mm, getting everything re-aligned of course. Will these have a bad effect on the handling? will the OEM shocks become damaged over time due to using springs that they weren't designed for? any + and -s please!

The damper and spring set will be a bit more expensive but then I know the springs will be matched to the damper. I want the ride to be very similar to standard though as the sole reason for buying them would to be to eliminate a bit of arch gap, why would I need better handling on a 1.4?

Also could anyone throw some good brand names at me! Lets just say Id rather wait a year to afford quality components rather than buying whatever I can afford right now and slapping them on.

Any comments welcome!

 

[diegudio]

Hi!

You can put only the springs without any safety problem (if you install certified springs, specifically dimentioned for your car, of course). What you probably are going to feel is that the car bounce a little more, and thats because you are mounting a more rigid spring, and your original dampers cannot "retain" them as well as with the original springs. However, this is almost imperceptible in the most of the cases.

Then, when the original dampers die, you replace them with a specific set for lowered suspensions, like the B8 Sprint from Bilstein (amazing ones)...

Or you can mount alltogether from the very beginning...

About spring brands: Eibach, KW and H&R are the most known... For the dampers: Bilstein, Koni, etc.

Check if these providers has specific parts for your car, and if they provide you with the needed documentation for the homologation procedures (don't know how this works in the UK).

Chau!

 

[muddyboots]

Then, when the original dampers die, you replace them with a specific set for lowered suspensions, like the B8 Sprint from Bilstein (amazing ones)...

Or you can mount alltogether from the very beginning...

If you change your springs first, then change your dampers at a later date, then you'll be paying twice as much in labour charges - as it's effectively the same work involved - unless you're doing it yourself.

So you might as well get a good spring/damper kit. Then you just pay one labour charge, and benefit from the improved handling/safety a well matched kit will provide right from the start.
Depending on the labour charges it may even end up being cheaper in the long run.

Not sure how many people have used them on Ibizas/Leons, but after mucho reading around I plumped for a Bilstein B12 kit for my Passat (B8 Dampers, with matching spring kit). I think it lowers around 30mm from standard, although being a Sport model mine was already 10-15mm lower than standard so on my car it was a further 15mmish drop. I wouldn't want to go any lower as I'd be forever smashing my undertray with debris on the road (stones, bits of wood, dead rabbits etc!).
Has improved the previously barge-like handling massively, yet it's still a comfortable ride (even my Mum said so!).

 

[diegudio]

If you change your springs first, then change your dampers at a later date, then you'll be paying twice as much in labour charges - as it's effectively the same work involved - unless you're doing it yourself.

Yes, that's totally true. However, if your actual set of dampers is quite new, i would prefer to keep them and use them until they die, instead of changing them for a new set of specifics for lowered springs...

If they have half their life, then you should do as muddyboots say and replace altogether in the same action, to save labour money.

It's just an opinion...