eek, this is expensive! I've got a worn drivers wishbone and rear corroded springs and i've got no history of the dampers ever being replaced. so ..

New wishbones, drop-links currently being fitted locally.

Phoned up my insurance company to ask if there was a premium in getting lowered suspension, Mr Adrian Flux said no, so I said great and put the phone down I made sure they'll send me a letter confirming the lower suspension as part of the car policy.

Rang up AA, I'll have some Eibach springs, Billies (on the group buy), new top mounts and bearing kits and some rear bump stops (although I don't think I really need them with the eibachs?).

I'm not sure whether i'm going to like the ride/handling but i'll give it a go as it's a well tested option. On standard wheels i've thought the car does need lowering to look good especially as the plus model has got the body kit on it and strut brace, so IMO they should have been on lowered springs to begin with.

I guess if I don't like it then I can always keep the Billies, buy standard springs and sell off the Eibachs. Hoping i'll like it especially as the European Fiat Coupe catalogue did show Eibach springs as an option.

I haven't added the cost of that little lot up but seeing as the originals are corroding and have been on the car for 10 years, i've justified it to myself

its going to feel like a new car mate!

money wel spent if you ask me!

I had new wishbones and drop-links done last year and it was such a great improvment.

Three weeks until I get my Billies, Eibachs, top brace and camber bolts fitted.

shit, Camber Bolts, do I need these as well lol?!

didnt you buy set on my GB???

no you didnt...

...i need to lay of the drugs...

call these guys, they can help you out mate!

erm, can't see a phone number Marco ?!

so what do these bolts do for an aftermarket suspension setup?

You will notice the difference.

I had my suspension completely overhauled two weeks ago. Fiat OE Springs, Shocks, Track Rod Ends, Wishbones, Droplinks and Top Mounts.

It is like a new car now.

I had mine in with JBT Replacing just about everything.
I had droplinks,wishbones,strut mounts, eibach springs and the non-adjustable osravs as an alternative to the billies, The impression I got from talking to JBT is that he didn't rate them as good as the billys but the car feels so much more planted at speed, round fast bends and even changing direction. One thing i did notice though is that the rear end can be a bit bouncy if the road is a bit rough.

I have no trouble driving over any speed bumps all except the sleeping policemen type which ground my car between the front and back wheels which means I can no longer drive the missus to the door of her works and I have to drop her off at the main entrance instead.

It was expensive but definitely worth it.

Is your exhaust hanging really low or something?

Sounds like something that can be fixed as it shouldnt be grounding out like that.

I don't think so I Will check tomorrow just to be safe, One of the speed bumps I am referring to, catches almost all cars that drive over it apparently and the coupe before it got lowered, it now catches on everyone. The time I drove over them pedestrians were wincing as the grinding noise was emanating from underneath

That's the thing that worries me the most about putting the Eibach's on, not being able to get into car parks, grinding over speed bumps etc

Sounds like the next step for me.. Trouble is no one is letting on about the cost!!! Guess one's bank balance will take a little hit...

A rough cost:

Wishbones 70 -120
Arb drop links - 20
Track rod ends - 30
Top mounts - 100
Billies - 400
Eibachs - 200
Fitting - ???

I had a full suspension refresh done about a year ago. I forget how low it is until I see the Coop parked along other cars. It's low very low, but, taking your time over speed bumps etc you will be fine. I have among other things, top & bottom braces & camber bolts. Now without going into too much detail, done properly this set up works really well. Its like a different car if you go from a tired old suspension to this.

I'm still considering uprated ARB's, but that can wait for the moment.

just to add to this, ive just had loads of work done by johnybravoturbo, all for a really good price, didnt do the actual shocks or springs because that would have been too expensive, but my car feels completely different, it goes where i point it and i actually have confidence in pushing it round corners now.

Phase 1 complete and what a difference so far, after a round trip of 360 miles to an old mate over motorway and A & B Roads.

Going over bumps in the road has been (in most of my one year of ownership) quite noisy and I actually thought this was normal!

Since doing phase 1 this has quietened up a lot and the steering feels tighter and more focussed (if that makes any sense?!). Also it's worth mentioning that the old wishbones that came off my car, 1 was a Fiat OE and the other an aftermarket one.


Phase 1:

new wishbones
new trackrod ends
new drop-links
new bushes


Hoping Phase 2 will take it to being a new car! :

- Eibach springs
- Bilstein Shocks
- Top Mounts and Bearings


Prices were pretty much as Gunzi quoted. The labour was £100 for phase 1 but I had a nearly burst brake pipe replaced for that as well.

Don't forget that in a suspension refresh you should also consider the rear subframe and swing-arm bushes.

is doing the rear subframe mounts a tough/expensive job?

mine are looking a little worse for wear.....

...I assume its a specialist type job.

erm, is that also known as the 'rear radius arm' ?

Yeah. Did I miss a mention of them in your posts? I don't see it...

Not much point sorting out the up'n'down if the back end lets it move sideways...

Many pictures here: http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/nailed_barnacle/coupe%20suspension%20rebuild/ - the 20vt is very similar.

I thought it was the same thing.

The near side arm has been replaced (and that was only because the bearing had completely seized and couldn't be removed), not done the off-side.

more things to do!!

Eibachs drop 30-35 mm - You'll have no problem with grounding but you need to be more careful riding over bumps/sleeping policemen etc. It will be stiffer (matron)

Is the drop mainly over the rear wheels? I've read but can't find any definite posts here, that the rear drops more than the front when on the Eibachs.

When I go to my MOT garage, just like many driveways with a steep ramp, I don't ground the front splitter when going up but get two banging noises on exiting. One I think is the transportation eye hook which hangs down and the other is the front splitter. God knows what that will be like on the Eibachs, think I may have to try reversing out

I always take extra care when going over the speedbumps but my new paranoia now is going up/down driveway ramps!

Try going up and down the ramp at an angle eg close to 45 to the entrance. That works for me with my, albeit, standard ride height, otherwise I used to scrape on the way out. It's a complete arse as the ramps quite high over a short distance.

, Will try that next time

Or bring your own wood to create a nice slope in front of their ramp

Duncan the drop to me is over all 4 corners so the car sits uniformly lower..... To me its the 'must have' option on the Coupe as the stance looks so much better.

there's only one way to deal with lumps humps and speed bumps and thats one wheel on, one off, even if it means going over to the gutter i never scrape mine and mines been lowered and with h and s which sat low..
theres only one way to deal with sleeping policemen... but thats another story

One week to go until my parts get fitted.