Coilovers on a road car

[Captainawesome]

I was following a Seat yesterday, quite heavily modified and sitting very, very low. Going over bumps it looked like the suspension had absolutely no give in it whatsoever. Aside from being seriously uncomfortable what use is this on a road car???? My car has standard shocks with lowering springs (very small drop in height) and it sometimes skips on the crappy roads around here. I would imagine that this Seat must be bordering on dangerous at speed.

Is there really any point in fitting this rock hard suspension to a road car??

Oh, lets not turn this into a 'stanced' thread. Not what I'm talking about..

[kambites]

Where has this tendency to use the term "coilovers" to mean modified suspension come from?

In answer to the question, I find that most standard road cars are too stiffly sprung from the factory. If I was going to modify them, the last thing I'd want is stiffer springs.

[DaveyBoyWonder]

I had coilovers on my old mk2 Octavia vRS. They were decent ones though so even ran low they were still reasonably comfortable. Did it partly for the looks, partly for the handling which was in a different league to the standard shocks...

Had them on an old Polo GTI too. They were on it when I bought it and whilst it handled like a go-kart on smooth roads, there was zero give in them at all. Would literally leave the road on the crappy bit of M62 between Manchester and the M6 so definitely dangerous!

[Gilhooligan]

Less lean when cornering hard is the only advantage I can think of. It does ruin the ride when the roads get bumpy, I speak from experience!

[DaveyBoyWonder]

Coilovers = adjustable (height, damping, rebound etc) coil suspension unit.
No adjustability in standard shocks & springs.

[kambites]

DaveyBoyWonder said:

Coilovers = adjustable (height, damping, rebound etc) coil suspension unit.
No adjustability in standard shocks & springs.

I know what people use the term for, I'd asking why?

"Coilover" is short for "coil spring over damper"; literally, it simply refers to the layout of the suspension components.

[DaveyBoyWonder]

No idea. Does it really bother you?

[kambites]

DaveyBoyWonder said:

No idea. Does it really bother you?

Not particularly, although it can be confusing because in classic-car circles it's still used to mean what it sounds like it should mean.

[Juber]

Suits me fine, I like them as the road handling is a lot better than what it was on standard suspension.
I did it mainly for the looks TBH.

[V8 Disco]

My ha'penny worth: If your standard suspension is worn out, I'd say they are worth considering as they will often be cheaper than oem kit and may be of better quality - however buy a reasonable brand (BC are a good compromise between quality and cost IMO but I expect there are others) and speak to the manufacturer/importer about spring rates and your intended use. The spring rate will affect the ride considerably and if too harsh will make the car unpleasant on poorly surfaced roads. Damping settings will also affect but can be adjusted to taste. Lowering a little makes some sense in terms of lowering C of G but any more than 25mm I would suggest is done only for the 'slammed' look. This often spoils the cars suspension setup as it alters the angles between the components - lots of negative camber being the most common and visible effect. Tyres will wear prematurely on inside edge and handling will be compromised. Steering may be affected too.

Many cars have 'coil over shock' suspension as standard - including my Accord. As posted above, it just means that the spring is concentric with the shock absorber. Adjustable 'coilovers' however allow ride height and damping characteristics to be adjusted with the intent of making the car better under certain conditions, ie more track focussed. It's worth bearing in mind that anti roll bars will affect cornering significantly too, without spoiling the ride so may be better to upgrade these on a road car.

[mike-r]

Juber said:

I did it mainly for the looks TBH.

+1.

Couldn't car less what my car 'handles' like, I just hate arch gap.

They're on a 330 and the car isn't any crashier or harsher.

Edit: Post above reminded me actually, I swapped them out because a rear spring was snapped and it was cheaper. Knew there was a real reason.

[David87]

My MINI came from the factory with adjustable coilover suspension and it is indeed rather firm. Handles well, though!

[HustleRussell]

If you want to lower a modern car by a considerable amount, 'coilovers' are the proper way to do it. A proper set will even retain some 'comfort' and stability over rough surfaces, because proper progressive rate springs will have been specified which actually have a reasonablly low spring rate for the first inch or two of travel. Done in combination with a decent geo with adjustable components as necessary, it can make a car feel very pleasant.

All too often, the lowering effect will have been achieved using cheap nasty spring kits on original shocks which have done a lifetime of work already and are knackered. Worse still, cutting springs. Both will be non-progressive and rock hard, and cause some pretty nasty handling traits.

ETA: Oh, and cheap nasty coil over kits will also cause the negative effects described above.

Edited by HustleRussell on Sunday 19th January 23:25

[964Cup]

mike-r said:

+1.

Couldn't car less what my car 'handles' like, I just hate arch gap.

They're on a 330 and the car isn't any crashier or harsher.

Edit: Post above reminded me actually, I swapped them out because a rear spring was snapped and it was cheaper. Knew there was a real reason.

Are you perhaps on the wrong website?

[HustleRussell]

964Cup said:

mike-r said:

+1.

Couldn't car less what my car 'handles' like, I just hate arch gap.

They're on a 330 and the car isn't any crashier or harsher.

Edit: Post above reminded me actually, I swapped them out because a rear spring was snapped and it was cheaper. Knew there was a real reason.

Are you perhaps on the wrong website?

Bet it's a diesel

(DISCLAIMER: this is a joke!)

[mike-r]

HustleRussell said:

964Cup said:

mike-r said:

+1.

Couldn't car less what my car 'handles' like, I just hate arch gap.

They're on a 330 and the car isn't any crashier or harsher.

Edit: Post above reminded me actually, I swapped them out because a rear spring was snapped and it was cheaper. Knew there was a real reason.

Are you perhaps on the wrong website?

Bet it's a diesel

(DISCLAIMER: this is a joke!)

No to both

[GravelBen]

kambites said:

Where has this tendency to use the term "coilovers" to mean modified suspension come from?

Stupidity. And Fast&Furious. Is it redundant to say both of those things?

[robinessex]

Car handling criteria from one Colin Chapman Esq. Make the springs as soft as possible, and immaculate damping. Watch a rally car in action. You have zero grip if the wheels are off the ground!

[jimbobsimmonds]

My volvo is on coilovers. I dont have them too low and have them set up relatively soft, especially at the front. It definitely improves handling and isn't unbearable, but I do have 17s fitted. Any bigger would be silly! Fwiw mine is tall enough yo get over bumps etc withput smashing the sump..any lower and its pointless on the road. ..

for those

[Devil2575]

I wonder how many people who have fitted adjustable suspension to their road car actually ever adjust it and how easy is it to screw the ride up?

The last thing i'd want on a road car is adjustable anything. Can you imagine leaving the house and before you set off adjusting the suspension to suit the route you plan on taking?