Custom suspension?

[AlecG]

Hello,

I've got a mk3 golf td lump in my mk1 golf, and the "eBay special" coilovers on there make for a quite an uncomfortable ride - especially as the roads round here are ste! This isn't helped by the fact the engine in there is probably heavier than a gti lump I know, so my question is what are the option for some tailored suspension?

I've convinced the OH that we should do a road trip in my car next year for our honeymoon, on the condition that the car isn't as harsh a ride, which is something I want to address anyway...

Is Gaz suspension the best option?!

Thanks in advance!

Edited by AlecG on Monday 3rd September 21:33

[AlecG]

Anyone?

[thinfourth2]

Nitron

Don't ask the price

or some rally stuff

[anonymous-user]

KW Variant 3s are one of the best road options out, ive sold them to people for years and never had complaints, call up Venom motor sport and speak to Simon he will sort you out.

[Embryonic]

Speak to someone like Eibach?

[redgriff500]

Surely the cheapest option would be a set of diesel suspension.

Gaz are Ok - I have them on my van - a long way from the best but they are adjustable so you are in with a chance.

[kambites]

The big suspension providers' products seem to be much of a muchness. There's no point in getting dampers especially tailored to your car - just buy the springs you want and a set of multi-way adjustable dampers and set them up how you want them. You want some kind of mono-tube damper with the largest cross-sectional area you can reasonably afford.

They aren't cheap though. You'll be looking at well into four figures to get a good set of springs and dampers. Plus picking the right spring rates and then setting up multi-way adjustable dampers from scratch isn't an easy task either. Somewhere that sets up racing cars might be able to help you understand what you want. Alternatively, get it corner weighted then find something that handles and rides well with a similar weight distribution and use that car's spring rates as a starting point.

Good luck.

Edited by kambites on Monday 3rd September 22:35

[AlecG]

Thanks for the help so far! I thought Gaz were meant to be the nuts for some reason? ! I don't want to spend mahoosive amounts which rules out variant 3's - I'm looking at the £500-£600 mark.

[AlecG]

I just clocked the above post, thanks for that, perhaps I may have to rethink things!

[EDLT]

Fit some suspension off a normal Golf, VW did a diesel Mk2 didn't they? That would cope with the weight, you won't get that epic stance yo but it will be more comfortable.

[AlecG]

I'm really not bothered about stance, merely making my car handle properly, hence the thread. I've got cheap st coilies on their which I could wind down if I wanted an even worse ride...

[davepoth]

AlecG said:

I'm really not bothered about stance, merely making my car handle properly, hence the thread. I've got cheap st coilies on their which I could wind down if I wanted an even worse ride...

Go back to new standard diesel shocks and springs, and renew the suspension bushes. It should make the ride much, much better.

[AlecG]

davepoth said:

Go back to new standard diesel shocks and springs, and renew the suspension bushes. It should make the ride much, much better.

It's definitely an option I'd not considered, thank you. If I'm honest I would like it lowered a touch - my previous mk1 gti handled better when lowered.

[scotty_d]

thinfourth2 said:

Nitron

Don't ask the price

or some rally stuff

Nitrons are great running them my self now for the last 3500 miles and transformed my car i use eibach springs on mine

[zcacogp]

AlecG said:

davepoth said:

Go back to new standard diesel shocks and springs, and renew the suspension bushes. It should make the ride much, much better.

It's definitely an option I'd not considered, thank you. If I'm honest I would like it lowered a touch - my previous mk1 gti handled better when lowered.

Did that lowering co-incide with the fitting of new suspension to the Mk1 GTi by any chance? My experience of Mk1's (in fact, just about all cars) is that lowering does precious little for handling*, it just makes the car more uncomfortable.


Oli.

-*- "Handling" being tested by driving the same car 'round the same track with the driver and comparing the normal-height and lowered lap times. Lowered = slower, in almost every case.

[SuperVM]

I'd just keep an eye on the Edition38 and Club GTI classifieds, as there are quite often sets of good coilovers (Variant 3s, Konigsports, etc.) for sale.

[AlecG]

Thank you all for your replies!

[pit5top]

I wou;ld try AST. Curtis at Powerstation is a top fella and will be able to sort you out

[AlecG]

pit5top said:

I wou;ld try AST. Curtis at Powerstation is a top fella and will be able to sort you out

Thanks!

[rhinochopig]

pit5top said:

I wou;ld try AST. Curtis at Powerstation is a top fella and will be able to sort you out

What for 5-600 quid? My mate paid more than that for a refurb of his ASTs on his rally car.

OP for that money, that equates to 125 quid per damper. A reasonable quality brake disc car will cost that; think about how complex a damper is and then think about the quality that price suggests.

Cheap dampers are a false economy.