Help Me Choose Suspension

[B Dubbin]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

I definitely want a forgiving ride.

For those who prefer the FK hitek set-up - if we took price out of the equation (i.e. they were the same price) would you still prefer the FK kit? (Keeping in mind my particular requirements around being lower, but maintaining as much ride comfort as possible?)

[Kor]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

I definitely want a forgiving ride.

For those who prefer the FK hitek set-up - if we took price out of the equation (i.e. they were the same price) would you still prefer the FK kit? (Keeping in mind my particular requirements around being lower, but maintaining as much ride comfort as possible?)

It sounds like you should definitely get the H&R especially if the prices are close enough for you to be considering both. You will not find a better ride anywhere else for the height, and you seem to really care about the ride comfort.

[R_Ethug]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

oh since you have a vr6 if you drop 2" you'll need to get a new front swaybar
so if you want to avoid that your best bet would be the H&R sport and bilstein combo.. boy racer(simon) can get this for you to.

[B Dubbin]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

It sounds like you should definitely get the H&R especially if the prices are close enough for you to be considering both. You will not find a better ride anywhere else for the height, and you seem to really care about the ride comfort.

It's not so much that the price gap isn't such a consideration - it's that I want to decide what's best for me first and then add price to the equation.

What's a new front swaybar cost these days? And how will that affect the handling? My understanding was that, in this application, it would tighten up the front end and create more understeer? 2" pretty much guarantees I'll need a sway bar?

But the H&R/Bilstein combo is even more than the cup kit?

Looks like I'm going to have to hunt for the deal of the year!

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

Just a tip an H&R cup kit is with Bilsteins

[R_Ethug]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

yea exactly my billys are yellow the H&R kit are just painted silver.. same shocks/struts

[Khyron]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

I dunno about the FK kit being harsh - I think it's fine, and more importantly, my wife didn't complain about it either. And as someone who has paid for a new oilpan, I wouldn't go much lower. :P

Khyron

[Kor]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

Its okay for me but I have had passengers ask WTF is with the bumpy ride

[thorin33]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

I will see what I can do about the price, it seems a few people have dropped their prices. Time to call my suppliers...

Simon,

Can you let me know when/if you get new pricing on the H&R cupkit?

[Tuna]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

I'm finding this topic quite informative so don't want it to get too off track, but I have a MK3 question....

Blair how low is your Jetta? After talking with Kris and Simon L last night i'm thinking about possibly getting a cup kit, I just don't think that'll be low enough if I run 15's (but might save me from comments like Kris gets ) It looks like they'd be a lot cheaper too.

[Canadian Turbo]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

Well I am really not sure how low my car is but I would estimate it at around 2.5" It is very low I rub a lot (with 17s) and the ride is very harsh and rough. I think my next car will also have a cup kit, coils are cool to be low but for an everyday driver they can get a bit tedious, but it looks so cool though is the biggest plus. With 15s lower will be better but you wont look hideous with a cup kit drop.

[Silverstoned]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

One thing that hasn't been mentioned in this thread, and was a key factor in my decision to go with FK. You mentioned you wanted an even drop. The only kit that will give you that without mixing and matching springs from 2 different kits, is the FK 35/40. On a VR6, the H&R kit is going to drop a lot mroe in the front than the rear, especially on a Golf. My VR6 is within 1/4" of being level now with the 35/40 kit on it. I don't find the ride harsh at all, with one exception being square edged pavement when the city boys chew up the asphalt and leave a 1-1.5" ridge. If you hit it square with 18's it's going to be harsh. If I was to do everything over again, I would still go FK springs for sure, and would either stick with the FK shocks, or possibly look at Bilsteins to give it a little better damping. I'm sure you can find pics of my car kicking around if you want an idea for how it looks on 18s with this kit on a VR6.

Jeff

[B Dubbin]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

Yeah, ideally I'd really like to have a level drop on the VR. That's why, for a while, I was considering coilovers. But once I found out that I can't use coilovers to bring the car back to stock height (in most cases), I tossed that option (and the cost!).

I hadn't thought of the FK spring, Bilstein combo.

So which Bilsteins (model, product number, whatever uniquely identifies it) am I looking for? I went to the Bilstein site but came up empty. Their Application Listing doesn't list a 'Sport type' shock for the VR6. In fact it doesn't list any shocks separately, only the PSS and PSS9 kits.

Is everybody with a VR using the shocks designed for the 4 cylinder?

[Silverstoned]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

The FK 35/40 has two different kits, one for VR6, one for 1.8T. I'm not too familar with the Bilsteins as I just went FK with my car.

[Boy Racer]

Re: Help Me Choose Suspension

A spring is pretty much a spring, spring rate is pretty much all we should be concerned about for this element (linear wound as in our application we can pretty much ignore progressive wound effects). The largest bulk of money goes to the shock and this is where the most effect can be seen on ride vs. handling. Bump and rebound for various compression and extension speeds will drastically change these factors. A good shock will respond quickly to impulses such as bumps in the road but still dampen oscillation and at the same time provide tight control over body movement during slower loading as seen when taking corners (in the right balance of front vs. rear). Bilstein does seem to acheive this well with their shocks, you could even try Koni's if you want some adjustability although I would only recommend those for people who really know what they are doing. The cup kit is designed with Bilsteins so at least you know the damper settings are correct for the spring rates.