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Help me choose #1665744
14/06/2023 19:11
14/06/2023 19:11
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 75
Bucharest, Romania
Fre3_D0om Offline OP
Reaping the fruits
Fre3_D0om  Offline OP
Reaping the fruits

Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 75
Bucharest, Romania
So I am quite new to this vast sea of various modifications available. One such unknown territory are suspensions.

I am looking to change my original suspension. The shocks are quite old, the springs as well and the strut mounts definitely need changing. After some looking around here and there, I have come to the conclusion that these are my options:
1. Bc racing kit

I have no idea how good this is any kind of way. I've seen people talking about it but never actually mention how it is. Is it at all comfortable? Is it really harsh? Does the Coupe handle like a dream with it? Is it worth the extra money for it?
As I am looking to build a slightly modified Coupe, with some handling mods here and there and some engine mods are also in my view, I want to enjoy it on the public roads. I don't plan to attend many track days with this car, as I already participate in a racing series and don't really see the need to trash my own personal car around a track when I am already paying money to trash another shitbox around some bends.
So.. yeah. Let's get back on topic. Are the BC racing coilovers a good choice if I am looking for comfortable-ish ride and good handling?
Or should I only consider them if I am seriously thinking about making a performance car?

2. Rear B6 Bilstein + Front TRW/Monroe with some Eibach lowering springs

This seems to also be a fan favorite of the forums and also something which is actually available here in Romania.
It is cheaper and a mish mash from a few brands. I obviously don't expect these to be nearly as good as the BC's but I am curious how good they actually are.
Are they good enough for a Sunday drive when the weather is clear and you have an open set of twisty bends in front of you? What about a track day? Is it enjoyable or should I just not bother?
Are they comfortable enough to go for a long trip with them?

3. KW V1 coilovers

These seem to be slightly cheaper than the BC's but are pretty much never mentioned here. Why is that?
I have tried some KW coilovers before (on the race car, which I mentioned earlier, it's a e46 330) and they were really good. No idea how they handle on the Coupe or on public roads.

4. D2 Racing kit

Another set of coilovers which people on here seem to ignore. Only found some really old posts mentioning these.
After a quick google search, they seem to a be an alternative for the BC racing kit.
These also have an advantage over the others, as I have found a supplier who is asking a reasonable 640£ for them, brand new.
Same questions: How do they handle on road, track, city etc.?

5. Osrav KGA 379

These seem to be the holy grail of all that is holy according to this sub. Why exactly? What makes them so special? Besides, obviously, the stupid long shipping time.
Why are these so looked up to? Does this set make the car incredibly good to drive for any kind of occasion? Whether that is a track day, a relaxing Sunday evening drive or a "stroll" through traffic?
Please do tell me, so that I can better understand the reasoning behind them.

Also, regarding the Osrav set, I can't seem to find any information regarding the springs they offer. There is a separate spring set from Osrav called KSM 330 (if I recall correctly) but can't seem to find how much they actually lower the car.
If that is a mystery for everyone else as much as it is to me, I'll just stick with the ol' reliable Eibachs.



I might have missed some info so I'll leave it all here at the end to make it easier for everyone to follow.
Car: 20v turbo
Used for: Public roads, sporty driving, occasional track days
Suspension should be: comfortable on long journeys, good performance on twisty roads; can handle bumps well (this especially since the roads here in Romania are quite terrible)
Budget: around 1000£, preferably lower as I want to buy other chassis strengthening tools, such as a strut bar, firmer rear ARB and all other things Nigel mentioned in his lengthy post about what to change when looking to improve handling (I am aiming for a fast road car type of setup)

Re: Help me choose [Re: Fre3_D0om] #1665746
14/06/2023 21:03
14/06/2023 21:03
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 588
Guildford
wink Offline
Enjoying the ride
wink  Offline
Enjoying the ride

Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 588
Guildford
I can't offer any advice about coilovers, but over 20 plus years I've looked for a decent fast road setup on my Coupe that improved the 'normal' rather crashy ride. I uaed to trackday the car, on the original suspension, and thought it was not too bad at the time.
I've had the following:
1. Standard setup - was ok for a long time, but eventually it got clonky and crashy, so I refurbed it:
2. Bilstein B6 dampers and everything polybushed, new top mounts. Was a good improvement but only for 2 years then the Bilsteins pretty much stopped working, ride got very crashy and springs were visibly shorter than they used to be, so time for:
3. New OEM springs and Monroe dampers all round. Plus new wishbones & top mounts. Supposedly back to standard, but I have a feeling that these springs are actually slighter softer than the originals. The Monroe dampers were unimpressive, ride was bouncy and underdamped so after asking for solutions on the forum, I chose:
4. OSRAV adjustable dampers all round. Still using the springs above. It's substantially better than the setup #3 - whether it's better than when the car was new, I can't remember.
I couldn't say that I've found the Holy Grail of Coupe handling - our Alfa Giulietta certainly rides & handles better, but I can feel that the OSRAVs are actually controlling the springing, which the Monroes didn't do. And they're adjustable so there's a decent chance of getting a compromise that you will like. I might think about some different springs in the future.
Hope you find it helpful, good luck in your quest.

Re: Help me choose [Re: Fre3_D0om] #1665748
14/06/2023 22:24
14/06/2023 22:24
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,071
Drakelow
Jamiepm Offline
Club member 1989
Jamiepm  Offline
Club member 1989
Enjoying the ride

Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,071
Drakelow
Having driven a BC kitted coupe, I can say they are pretty firm on the softest settings. So depending on how bad a condition your local roads should be a consideration

I have the osravs, with the Eibach springs, and with a 23mm arb and 1.5 negative camber. The car can be set soft for day to day driving or by quickly adjusting the fronts it can be a track weapon.

All of the understeer is gone, the car is almost PlayStation in that I’ve yet to provoke oversteer despite driving it very hard on a few tracks.

Next year I might buy the quaife diff to complement it, but for now it handles superbly


She's alive!
Re: Help me choose [Re: Fre3_D0om] #1665756
15/06/2023 12:13
15/06/2023 12:13
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,227
FCSS 01684 593187
Countrycruising Offline
Club Rep Europe, member 914
Countrycruising  Offline
Club Rep Europe, member 914
Forum veteran

Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 17,227
FCSS 01684 593187
If you want comfortable on long journeys stay away from a coil over design, Osrav would be my choice allowing you to stiffen the rebound for those days you're on circuit.

Re: Help me choose [Re: Fre3_D0om] #1665761
15/06/2023 18:11
15/06/2023 18:11
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 75
Bucharest, Romania
Fre3_D0om Offline OP
Reaping the fruits
Fre3_D0om  Offline OP
Reaping the fruits

Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 75
Bucharest, Romania
Yeah, after taking a closer look at the coilovers, I think I'll want to stay away from them. Don't want to ruin the ride.

Another question, has anyone heard of competizione.cz?
I've found a set of Osravs for way less than the one Zagato offers.
https://www.competizione.cz/cz-deta...vitelnou-tuhosti-o.s.r.a.v-kga-sada.html

Just translate it from Czech to English and you'll see what I mean. I tried getting in contact with them the other but they still haven't answered my email yet...
They look legit, just don't know whether they actually are or not. If anyone knows something about them, please let me know.

But yeah, I think that Osrav + Eibach springs is the setup I will go for. Still not quite so sure about the springs.
Any other ideas for the springs?
Maybe some that don't lower the car as much. Or could even a stock pair of stock springs do the trick?

Re: Help me choose [Re: Fre3_D0om] #1666263
08/07/2023 11:11
08/07/2023 11:11
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 75
Bucharest, Romania
Fre3_D0om Offline OP
Reaping the fruits
Fre3_D0om  Offline OP
Reaping the fruits

Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 75
Bucharest, Romania
Well, I've bought the Osrav shock absorbers + spring set from Zagato Lancia.
The springs I am talking about are the KSM 330. They are offered by Osrav, although pretty much no one seemed to mention they also provide a spring set. I've had a chat with someone about this springs and they should be slightly better than the ones offered by Eibach (handling wise, I've heard they're a but stiffer)
Will have to wait until late Septembet to actually give a review on that!

Thanks for helping me choose! I'll come back with news regarding this set when I'll finally receive it.
Cheers!

Re: Help me choose [Re: Fre3_D0om] #1668710
15/11/2023 17:43
15/11/2023 17:43
Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 75
Bucharest, Romania
Fre3_D0om Offline OP
Reaping the fruits
Fre3_D0om  Offline OP
Reaping the fruits

Joined: Dec 2022
Posts: 75
Bucharest, Romania
Well, some months have passed and I have been enjoying the new suspension for about a month now.

It's a lot better than the original one and honestly, still rides well. I have not adjusted the dampers at all. I just used them straight out of the box. Probably should have dome something, maybe a tad bit softer but they're fine as is. The car also looks way better with the reduced ride height. At the moment, I am waiting for the delivery of the sparco front strut bar. Really curious how that will also affect handling. Next on the list is a rear anti roll bar.

In conclusion, I am happy with my purchase. Only thing I am unhappy about is the wrong price estimate from Zagato Lancia. They said I should get around 100£, maybe even more, off the listed price, because I would not pay any import fees and the good would be delivered straight to me, in Romania. I would get this refund once I have confirmed the receival of the goods. After doing so, it appears that I would only get £36.27 back. The shipping cost was higher than expected so that pretty much cancelled out the import fees.
Anyway, I still got a discount so I can't be mad at them. They were really professional and helpful.

Now it's time for me too see how long these dampers last on the shit roads from my country love


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