Coilovers for a mk1

[sports racer]

Lots of talk here about how great the car handles with XXX brand modifications but no benchmark. If anyone lives/drives in Parramatta can you do me a favour, drive westward down Victoria Rd and take the James Ruse exit. It's a 270 degree constant radius corner. Let me know what speed you can take the corner.

15 years ago my GLS with a lot of self modified bits could take the corner at a constant 75 kph, if I took it to 80k's at the 3/4 mark the car would do a 4 wheel drift out of the corner, just missing the cement barrier. Very impressive to anyone watching and very controlable, just use the throttle to get the drift angle you wanted and still get through the corner faster than anyone else.

By comparison my V8 EB Fairmont could only manage 60 through the corned before it started to feel really unsettled.

Cheers

Paul

[Preen59]

Lots of talk here about how great the car handles with XXX brand modifications but no benchmark. If anyone lives/drives in Parramatta can you do me a favour, drive westward down Victoria Rd and take the James Ruse exit. It's a 270 degree constant radius corner. Let me know what speed you can take the corner.

15 years ago my GLS with a lot of self modified bits could take the corner at a constant 75 kph, if I took it to 80k's at the 3/4 mark the car would do a 4 wheel drift out of the corner, just missing the cement barrier. Very impressive to anyone watching and very controlable, just use the throttle to get the drift angle you wanted and still get through the corner faster than anyone else.

By comparison my V8 EB Fairmont could only manage 60 through the corned before it started to feel really unsettled.

Cheers

Paul

Mate, that's all well and good but driver skill levels vary and therefore someone who is a more talented driver will be able to take the corner faster than someone with limited ability, with the same gear, and both will be "on the limit". Also, time of day, weather, Tires, etc.. So many variables. All this i'm sure you are aware of as you seem to be well educated as far as this stuff goes, but i figured it needed to be pointed out.

The only real way to say what is the best equipment is to go to a specific track with one car and a number of different shock combinations and test them.

I've ridden in Josh's Mk1 with hot tuning coilovers and standard wheels and tyres. It wasn't too bad, but reasonably firm, and obviously not bump/rebound adjustable.

I've driven Tim's Mk1 with KW V3 coilovers with a bump and rebound setup to be more suited for the track and 16 inch wheels. It was firm, but rode better than Josh's, far more shock control and from the limited drive i had in it, performed very very well.

The KW's are also rebuildable, whereas a cheaper shock, like Hot Tuning, are not (as far as i know).


But basically, the more you spend, the better the equipment will be. It really depends on what you want to do with it.

[Golf Houso]

Lots of talk here about how great the car handles with XXX brand modifications but no benchmark. If anyone lives/drives in Parramatta can you do me a favour, drive westward down Victoria Rd and take the James Ruse exit. It's a 270 degree constant radius corner. Let me know what speed you can take the corner.

15 years ago my GLS with a lot of self modified bits could take the corner at a constant 75 kph, if I took it to 80k's at the 3/4 mark the car would do a 4 wheel drift out of the corner, just missing the cement barrier. Very impressive to anyone watching and very controlable, just use the throttle to get the drift angle you wanted and still get through the corner faster than anyone else.

By comparison my V8 EB Fairmont could only manage 60 through the corned before it started to feel really unsettled.

Cheers

Paul

75 in the GL That was quite close to the cement as well mind you ...

[gldgti]

RIGHT!

well, i took delivery of the TECHNIKS (thats hottuning's brand) coilovers a little while back and have only fitted the rears so far (gotta fix up my front strut towers before i fit the fronts).

before, i had koni adjustable rear struts and king springs. the shocks were set and the hardest setting. (bump)

the techniks are more pliable than the koni's over rough bumps, but feel like they offer a faster rate increase with travel, since the small spring is not completely squished when stationary, there is a little bit of "soft" travel before the hard big spring kicks in. this makes for a great combination of straight smooth road comfort and good anti-roll characteristics. certianly less weight transfer than before.

the bodies are also able to be dismantled completely which means that different shock's could be fitted no problems, and ofcourse different springs if one so wished.

will comment further once the front is fixed up. so far, i'm very pleased.

[DubSteve]

Ayden how much were they and how low could you go?

[sports racer]

Mate, that's all well and good but driver skill levels vary and therefore someone who is a more talented driver will be able to take the corner faster than someone with limited ability, with the same gear, and both will be "on the limit". Also, time of day, weather, Tires, etc.. So many variables. All this i'm sure you are aware of as you seem to be well educated as far as this stuff goes, but i figured it needed to be pointed out.

The variables aren't as much as you think. I could repeat this cornering speed every time I came home through this corner except when it rained. Because it is such a long corner there is a lot of time to slowly increase the speed to a level where you feel comfortable and backoff if you pushed it that little bit too much. My GLS would tighten up slightly if I backed off through a corner which contributed to the safe feeling that nothing could go wrong. It is this one thing that made the car so great through corners - you would NEVER get caught out. If it started to slide it was very predictable and happened so slowly that you knew it was coming.

This is the point I'm trying to get across. You can have a car that easily outcorners my old Golf but if it snaps out of line so quickly you can't trust it at the limit or need to have F1 driver reflexes then really how good is your expensive suspension? I'm not a great driver (just ask the missus) but the GLS was so forgiving even I could push it very hard through corners. My question as to how fast someone else could take the James Ruse exit is more in knowing if my cornering speed was any good or am I talking through my a$$.

Thanks for the feedback though, one of the great things about this forum is just how knowledgeable some of you guys are. Except new Polo owners.

Just kidding, I'm going to get a Polo GTi just as soon as we sell the house.

Cheers

Paul

[gldgti]

well i put the other 2 coilovers in hte front today!

i must say i'm impressed. out with the old hard as nails bilsteins and in with the more pliable technix (which look surprisingly exactly the same as the FK's pictured in alex's photo...) and the little LS is riding better than before, and a little lower.

the car is much more settled over rough bumps compared with before, and i'm loving the big rate increase that comes with cornering. coupled with my BIG aftermarket front mount sway bar, the car feels like there's NO body roll at all (obviously there would be a little) but the car is so sharp now.

for a cheap full suspension, i must say i'm very impressed with the hottunings so far. i am SURE that both the front and rear spring rates (on hte main spring) are a bit too hard for the damping rate of the shocks, and i think this is probably to do with ensuring the shocks dont bottom out when the coils are set REALLY low. for those of us using a more realistic ride height, im sure that some slightly softer main springs would improve the ride and handling a fair bit.

[Brisben]

700 and something, cannot remember exactly !

[finemk1]

i had all-round H&R coil-overs on my mk1 with a lower front strut brace when i had it, it was the more expensive option at $2950 $3300 fitted and setup. but it was amazing, very controllable even when you loose control. wasn't to bad for the street either not to harsh, would reccomened straightening your front strut towers to.

[revnit]

I run the hottuning coil overs aswell after having 3 blown shocks i needed something quick i find them really good for the street not to hard very cruisey and you can thought it around abit i don't think there up to the challenge of alot of circuit work maybe be a bit soft and not sure how long the shocks will last being the cheaper option over somethings like the KWs

but the bonus of the hottunings are the changeable inserts though something like a koni insert and you should be on the money