Best Road Suspension Setup

[mos 1]

Hi

 

i know this has been done to death one way or the other, but after doing numerous searches and reading shed loads of post i still cant make my mind up

what in peoples opinion is the best setup for the road, the best balance between handling and everyday usability and comfort

i have a 309 wishbones already, i have just sorted out a front 309gti arb and i now have a 309gti rear beam that is being reconned over the next month.

what i can't decide is to stick with the standard 20mm tosion bars and a 24mm arb or opt for 22mm torsion bars matched to a 24mm arb, but will 22mm torsion bars be too much for a daily driver and is 24mm arb big enough or should i go for a 25mm jobbie

the other side of things is the springs and shocks, i was going to opt for sbc phase 1 kit, or as quite a few people seem to think the sprintline shocks are very similar to the sbc spec ones but loads cheaper, i was thinking sbc front springs and sprintline shocks.

but should i not be thinking coilovers of some description, especially if i go for 22mm torsion bars. i was thinking after reading numerous posts on here that 200lb springs - 10inch coilovers might be a good option but i dont know which brand to plum for if i do or is this over kill for the road.

the car has an s16 engine in it so is a little heavier at the front if this has any bearing.

 

 

i am just trying to canvas peoples opinion really, especially anyone who has been down this road before me, as i have to decide in the next couple of days and probably order the parts over the weekend

 

thanks

 

mark

[taylorspug 7]

Certainly a bigger rear ARB would be a good idea if you are using the 309 front bar, as it will balance the handling out nicely. TBH I wouldnt use the 309 front bar for the road at all, it will make the car understeer and lose traction off of roundabouts, and make it alot more skittish over bumpy roads. Personally for a decent all round package which wont cost the earth id either use the 309 beam (standard) and the sprintline kit with either Eibach or SBC springs, or for a bit more adjustment keep the 309 beam but use coilovers with adjustable top mounts so you can dial a bit of caster into the front setup.

 

As for coilovers I dont think you can beat Gaz stuff for the money, certainly the middle of the range kit (whatever its called) is very appealing to me for the future. Apart from that id either go with Ledas or Bilstein. All three are good makes with proven favourable results on 205s. Springs wise around 200lb will do fine for a general road car, or the ride will become a bit harsh.