MK2 Ibiza Suspension / Coilover Fitting Guide

[suj]

ah right, I'll probably just do the same. Can't wait to get them on!

Is there any point in changing the struts? I read somewhere about changing them for shorter ones so you don't alter your wheel camber?

no that is not true mate, that is for lowering springs, when used with standard shocks, it has less travel in the strut, but when you have shortened dampers and lowering springs it is better

and the coilovers come with everything you will need
just change the top mounts while you are taking the old struts off, save faffing around later on

640mm front standard 630mm rear standard. Thats floor to wheelarch with wheel as the centrepoint.

thanks mike, going to measure now, but I am 25.4mm lower as I am on 15's with 195/45 on

 

[M1KEH]

Thats my tdi on 185/60/14. You only want to take change of radius not diameter into account for ride height measurements too.

 

[suj]

520mm all around on mine, so was right

yeah I thought it was just the radius, so 12.52mm, so 532.5mm so about 100mm

 

[suj]

quick edit, the difference between mine and your tyres is 10mm radius, so 102mm-ish

 

[M1KEH]

Pointy uppy wishbones?

 

[suj]

not that badly lol, but yeah

 

[M1KEH]

My question for this thread. Do you need a special tool to unscrew the top mount from the coilover or strut?

 

[M1KEH]

this part here, or is it just a normal hex head?

 

[suj]

23mm (off top of my head)

just needs to be gunned off really (or putting an allen key in the strut then undoing the nut)

 

[M1KEH]

Yeah, i'm looking at getting myself a gun, maybe cordless maybe corded. But not no air gun lol. I know on golfs it was a special shaped nut thingy not a hex. Thought i'd check before i had my suspension apart.

 

[suj]

na normal bolt mate, it just has a shallower head (nut length), pretty sure it is either 23/27mm one or the other lol (big difference, but they both popped into my head, i'm leaning more the 23mm though)

I need to get an Impact Gun, great piece of kit, just don't buy really cheap, as you will get what you pay (my mates one wouldn't even undo a wheel bolt...that I tightened by hand, not even with a breaker bar, just just a cross spanner)

 

[M1KEH]

Im looking at the clarke 230v corded ones, 450nm of torque apparently.

 

[suj]

sounds about right, how much do they go for? for future reference?

 

[M1KEH]

£60ish i think.

 

[suj]

not bad at all, the cheapo's can go for that much

 

[Deleted member 32025]

got them fitted at last!! Took me and a friend along time, but worth it.

2 questions:

1: My steering wheel is now out of line, as in it drives straight but the steering is about 1/8th of a turn out. Do I just need the tracking doing?

2: The camber of the wheels is quiet bad, any way to solve this? Otherwise i'm going to be eating tyres on the inside?

Other than that, it looks awesome, and handles better

 

[suj]

get alignment done, where you from?
place in brum (dudley) I found through a mate does it for £38 for 2 wheel camber/tracking done (as we can't adjust the rear without camber shims/plates)

find someone near you, if they offer 4 wheel alignment, say the rear is a fixed axle, so you don't pay the full wack

this might sort out the steering too, if not, work out how much about you need to adjust it, and take the wheel off an adjust (only after alignment)

 

[Deleted member 32025]

Okay, i'm about 20 mins away from leeds. I'm going to have a look around tomorrow and see what I can find as I'm a student at Loughborough uni and don''t want to be driving down there (100 miles) with it not aligned up properly really if i can help it.

Thanks for the help

 

[suj]

exactly, I was a uni student, didn't wanna drive too far neither

I need it redone, as I changed the CV joint, so got it close, but want it perfect

 

[SamIbiza]

dunno if its mentioned here, but my front also sits higher than the rear. weird..

the rear sits nearly touching but the front has 20mm - 30mm gap. :/