Which Coilovers?

[Batfink 201]

Sorry for hijacking the topic, but how would the GAZ GHA's compare with KW Galvanised Variant 1, or Weitec sets?

(have 309 front ARB and 309 GTI 8v rear beam on the 205)

 

KW will be a far more comfortable ride. They work on getting very good spring rates.

 

How about Koni ?

 

Iv been advised that Koni are good for fast road use without having too much of the hard ride you get from Billies.

 

I'm not convinced on the quality of Koni TBH

[welshpug 1,658]

KW are Koni inserts IIRC !

 

Koni's have been fine on my ZX, got hold of some brand new AST's now though

[Batfink 201]

KW are Koni inserts IIRC !

 

Koni's have been fine on my ZX, got hold of some brand new AST's now though

 

really? I am phasing out selling FK as their damper seals seem crap. Those are Koni inserts. Never have a problem with KW. Saying that I wonder if its just the cheaper non-koni ones we have had issues with...

[AdamP 0]

The other thing about cheaper dampers is that they won't be matched. Top end dampers are built in batches, then dynoed and matched in close pairs. Cheaper dampers such as Gaz probably aren't (I know the Gaz shocks on my Locost were pretty far out when they were dynoed). You can end up with pretty large differences in damping and very different bump/rebound ratios side to side, giving some very odd ride/handling characteristics! With a 30 click adjustment you can end up with 10 on one being the same as 15 on another.

Edited November 30, 2010 by AdamP

[Baz 421]

How about Koni ?

 

Iv been advised that Koni are good for fast road use without having too much of the hard ride you get from Billies.

 

If anything i'd say it's slightly the other way round in that the Koni's are slightly harder/slower.

[welshpug 1,658]

depends what they are set to though, they do have 3 settings whereas the Bilsteins aren't adjustable at all.

[Anthony 1,003]

The adjustment on Koni's is questionable though - certainly on a largely road-going car, you really don't want to run them on anything but the softest settings IMO (in particular the rears) and even on track I don't think you'd ever want to dramatically increase the damping.

 

(that's for Koni yellows - I suspect that the milder Koni reds would have a better adjustment range than the hard, very hard, and back-breakingly hard adjustment choice that the yellow's offer)

[boombang 2]

Echo above, the yellow Konis on my 309 were actually at best when round to the very softest setting - even then I'm of the belief that they were too firm for the supplied springs.

[wicked 103 3 Cars]

I grabbed an almost new set Weitec Hicon GT coilovers for a bargain.

Does anyone know the (approx.) default spring rate of the springs on it?

[welshpug 1,658]

can't find any info on them other than the kit part number and prices, they are from the same company as KW, which IIRC use Koni rear dampers and inserts?

[Batfink 201]

Virtually all the spring manufacturers do not provide spring rates to dealers or customers.

Edited November 2, 2011 by Batfink

[welshpug 1,658]

hey kev, did you ever find a price for 60mm i.d springs?

 

 

pretty sure the info you get with the TUV papers with the german aprooved kits will have the spring rates.

[Batfink 201]

To be honest i completely forgot. Will dig them out on Friday. Working somewhere else tomorrow.

I've just gone through Bilstein TUV documents and theres nothing on spring rates, unloaded spring length, coil thickness and no of coils is included so I bet theres an equation to work it out.

Cannot find anything on Weitec using a 30second google.

[welshpug 1,658]

no probs

 

I'm sure I found the TUV papers for KW last year but can;t find anything at all now

[wicked 103 3 Cars]

Couldn't find anything on the web myself, but maybe someone has replaced the springs for stiffer ones and has an idea what rate the default springs are....

[welshpug 1,658]

if they are coilovers they will be printed on them somewhere.

[wicked 103 3 Cars]

No, only the size (60-170) is printed on them

[Vili 18]

No, only the size (60-170) is printed on them

 

I've never held coilover spring in my hand, but doesn't that translate to diameter 60 mm springrate 170 lbs/inch?

[Batfink 201]

could be spring length. Though its simple to measure to confirm..

[welshpug 1,658]

60 would be the N/mm and 170 the length.

 

its the metric spring measuring rather than imperial, its about 342 lb! They are German hence the metric, and hence the high spring rate

 

you'll need some big torsion bars to balance the car with those!

 

My Dutch AST's are 30/220 iirc!

Edited November 4, 2011 by welshpug

[ponz 2]

Any more opinions on the AST Sportline 1's or 2's? I'm considering for my current road 205 project.

 

http://www.kamracing.co.uk/peugeot/peugeot-205/suspension/coilover-kits/peugeot-205-1-6-1-9-gti-ast-sportline-i-coilovers.html

[Cameron 16]

60 would be the N/mm and 170 the length.

 

its the metric spring measuring rather than imperial, its about 342 lb! They are German hence the metric, and hence the high spring rate

 

you'll need some big torsion bars to balance the car with those!

 

My Dutch AST's are 30/220 iirc!

 

23mm TB's will do, I use 24mm but tbh I think the front springs are still a little soft.

[Anthony 1,003]

23mm TB's will do, I use 24mm but tbh I think the front springs are still a little soft.

Depends on personal preference / driving style and what engine you're running really.

 

On an alloy block XU in a 205, I'd want 25mm torsion bars with ~350lb springs for example.

[welshpug 1,658]

I'm using 23's now with my ast's mentioned above and its working very well but more so because 60mm springs are so much more expensive here than anything else

 

Not a single issue so far with my sportline 1's, been on the car for several thousand road miles.

 

dont quite understand why the road version of the kit is £100 more than the others though but I'd speak to Curtis at AST uk.

[feb 47]

Any more opinions on the AST Sportline 1's or 2's? I'm considering for my current road 205 project.

 

http://www.kamracing.co.uk/peugeot/peugeot-205/suspension/coilover-kits/peugeot-205-1-6-1-9-gti-ast-sportline-i-coilovers.html

 

Sportline II's are normally inverted monotube ones (for Subaru at least) with much thicker pistons.

But from the description on the site above it doesn't say so (unless it is wrong).

Also http://www.astsuspensionuk.com/sportline2.asp doesn't list II's for Peugeot

Edited November 17, 2011 by feb