I'm trying to understand the dif between coilovers and springs.

basically what i am getting is that coilies are adjustable springs 40mm 60mm whatever u want? but they also have shocks in them?? where as lowering springs are just springs set at the height already and u have to get shox by themselves?

is that right?

if so whats the advantage of either set up?

coilovers.

no question

but whats the diff... lol

trying to find some info - u gotta love the newbie questions!

Coilovers are adjustable and

springs are just fixed...

You need to word what you have written better :)

lol sorry mate!

so what is the advantrage of having coilies then? just that you can adjust them?

i guess thats why they're so pricey?

coilovers anyday of the week buddy, pay the extra money. springs are too bouncey, you'll get a much better ride from coilies, and you can propper slam your car,

completely depends upon what you after from your car.

for a dialled in track setup, then you cant really beat a good shock spring combo.

but for ultimate slammability then coilovers are the best way, and they allow you to raise it back up more easily.

if your car is too 'boucey' danny, then i suggest uprating your shocks. You shouldn't really be able to tell the difference between coilovers and shocks.

I'm not after looks tbh - i am trying to make the ride as comfortable and as quiet as possible...

then stock suspension is what you'll want.

Edited 18 April, 200818 yr by Joel

Coilovers are a set of springs and dampers built as one unit like what you would get on the rear of a motorbike or mountain bike they are normally much slimmer and lighter than stock and are usually but not always adjustable, this adjustment can be for preload which is where the spring is raised or lowered by rings on the damper the more the rings are tightened up the more the load on the spring. other adjustments are compression which is the rate at which the damper will be able to move upwards to soak up the bumps also there are coilovers that have rebound adjustment though these are less common rebound is the rate at which the shock will move downwards.

Springs are a chaeper way of changing characteristics like ride height or making the ride firmer or softer and are made to fit standard shocks, though differant springs are available for coilies too.

True ride height adjustable coilovers are normally race only itemms but can be bought and fitted to road cars. Most kits sold as ride height adjustable are just coilovers with preload adjusters that are commonly used to set ride height.

Hope this helps.

I'm not after looks tbh - i am trying to make the ride as comfortable and as quiet as possible...

I'm really struggling to understand what you are trying to achieve from reading your recent threads, I'm not having a go at you or anything mate just trying to establish what your after from your polo, but so far you have basically you have ripped into alot of the obvious mods but now want to do most of them??? seemto want the best of every world

coilovers anyday of the week buddy, pay the extra money. springs are too bouncey, you'll get a much better ride from coilies, and you can propper slam your car,

^^^ Total poop. The ride quality is solely down to the spring/damping rates that have been chosen for the kit. Since coil overs still use springs and dampers they behave in exactly the same manner as a fixed spring/shock kit. The only advantage that may be found is the fact that coilovers often use longer springs which goes some way to improving ride quality.

Coilovers are the best choice for those who require adjust ability (for performance reasons e.g. track driving) or for those who want to really lower their car a lot (60m+ sort of drop). When going really low on a shock + spring kit the springs required can become short enough to start to have an adverse effect on ride.

Some people talk some right bullshit at time.

Remember

DON'T GIVE OUT DUFF ADVICE. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER THEN DON'T ANSWER - SIMPLE!!!

Some people talk some right bullshit at time.

Remember

DON'T GIVE OUT DUFF ADVICE. IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER THEN DON'T ANSWER - SIMPLE!!!

Haha OWNED lol

Too right.

I'm not after looks tbh - i am trying to make the ride as comfortable and as quiet as possible...

I'm really struggling to understand what you are trying to achieve from reading your recent threads, I'm not having a go at you or anything mate just trying to establish what your after from your polo, but so far you have basically you have ripped into alot of the obvious mods but now want to do most of them??? seemto want the best of every world

i didnt 'rip' into mods - I'm jsut commented that there doesnt seem to be much variety in the mods -i.e. everyone doing the same thing/ didnt say it didnt look good though!?

cheers

I'm not after looks tbh - i am trying to make the ride as comfortable and as quiet as possible...

I'm really struggling to understand what you are trying to achieve from reading your recent threads, I'm not having a go at you or anything mate just trying to establish what your after from your polo, but so far you have basically you have ripped into alot of the obvious mods but now want to do most of them??? seemto want the best of every world

i didnt 'rip' into mods - I'm jsut commented that there doesnt seem to be much variety in the mods -i.e. everyone doing the same thing/ didnt say it didnt look good though!?

cheers

ok cool, i look forward to seeing the finished product

no hard feelings mate LOL

i am still confused - what is the bottom line on springs vs coilovers, I will enver put bigger wheels than 14s but am sticking with 13s as far as i can tell for now.

I am thinking some 40mm springs and appropriate shox will do?

i have no need for coilovers as all i want is a better more comfy ride, and fromt he advioce i ahve been given on the board i have heard the following:

coilovers are only good coz you can adjust the height

springs are too boucy

coilovers give a to rigid/ stiff ride so it is uncomfortable for passengers...

anyone? i am lowering either way, just wondering which way to go - coilovers are obviously double the price so I'm guessing springs would be better???

basically to try and sum it up,

you get what you pay for, i know its a shit saying but if you go for cheap coilovers they will get you low but are really hard and don't give the best ride (i'd know) but like i said fine for a good cheap -120mm drop and give verstaitlty of setting the ride height at what you want.

You could buy some expensive coilovers £500+ this will give you the option of adjustable height and most probably depending on the models adjustable dampeing so the ride is ok for a lowered car.

The same applies to springs and damper sets expensive well known branded = an ok ride and vice versa

but if you are after comfort stick with your standard shocks and springs set up,

40mm won't get you very low mate a decent set of coilovers is probably the best way to go for you, if your worried about comfort like Weitec, Koni, KW

Edited 30 April, 200818 yr by jonnyblease

coilovers for fully adjustable firm sporty ride

springs, cheap alternative, still firm, fixed height.

springs arnt bouncy!

40mm shocks n springs will lower your car a small amount, i dint even tell difference on mine. but itl be firmer through the corners

you will not get a better ride quality from cheap shocks n springs, it will be harder and you will feel pretty much everything!

coilovers can be more forgiving but at the same time, cheap ones will be hard,

some more expensive shock and springs kits, e.i weitec will be more forgiving but still harder than standard suspension....

i am still confused - what is the bottom line on springs vs coilovers, I will enver put bigger wheels than 14s but am sticking with 13s as far as i can tell for now.

I am thinking some 40mm springs and appropriate shox will do?

i have no need for coilovers as all i want is a better more comfy ride, and fromt he advioce i ahve been given on the board i have heard the following:

coilovers are only good coz you can adjust the height

springs are too boucy

coilovers give a to rigid/ stiff ride so it is uncomfortable for passengers...

anyone? i am lowering either way, just wondering which way to go - coilovers are obviously double the price so I'm guessing springs would be better???

Please re-read my above post. The ride isn't effected by whether you choose a spring/damper kit or coilovers...it's down to how hard the springs are and the damping rates of the shocks.

You can by spring kits that are stiffer than coilovers...coilovers that are horrible and bouncy...or you can by lush soft ones that ride brilliantly. If a comfy ride is what you want then standard suspension would prob. be best?

aaah i see lol

cheers guys ace info!

OK so second q - will bigger wheels make the ride nicer? i have 13s was thinking of putting 15s/ 16s

also will the bigger wheels narrow the gap between wheel and arch?

:-) cheers!

yeh you won't feel the little bumps quite as much but it depends also if you are changing the profile of your tyre, if you are going from a standard steel wheel with larger tyres to a bigger wheel with lower profile tyres it will make it slightly less comfortable. and yes it will make the arch gap smaller, but agian depends what tyres you are going to use??

The wheel size doesn't matter as much as the tyres. As they absorb the bumps in the road as well as the suspension. So if you have really low profile tyres will be more crashy, if you have bigger baloony tyres will be softer. Idealy you want something thats got a reasonable tyre profile on it but not huge. Like say on a 14x6 wheel something like a 185/50/14 would be good. Lowish profile and nice width.

The wheel size doesn't matter as much as the tyres. As they absorb the bumps in the road as well as the suspension. So if you have really low profile tyres will be more crashy, if you have bigger baloony tyres will be softer. Idealy you want something thats got a reasonable tyre profile on it but not huge. Like say on a 14x6 wheel something like a 185/50/14 would be good. Lowish profile and nice width.

Yeah 185/50 should be pretty good with nice suspension. No point in having a small wheel to have big floppy side walls on the tyre...and no point in having a big wheel with elastic band tyres that don't absorb bumps.

Car manufacturers are normally pretty good at getting the comfort/handling balance right from the factory.