Does Anyone Have Experience With Jamex Suspension?

[cybernck 402 1 Cars]

i have had their lowering springs on one of my 205's for a while and they were ok.

 

what i'm interested in here is what are their shock absorbers like, not for a 205 but for my 307 Break.

 

i don't expect them to be good for serious work, but should be fine on a road going people carrier i guess?

 

i just need to know if they're any good, or some crap that's going to go bang and/or leak very soon...?

 

thanks.

 

 

Technical facts surrounding the JAMEX range

JAMEX Sportspring and Sportsline kits are well known for supreme performance with a competitive edge in every respect. With a combination of top quality materials and efficient, modern manufacturing methods, JAMEX produce the most genuine value-for-money product in the market today.

 

Sportspring kits consist of two-or-four-spring kits depending on the vehicle's original specification, Sportsline kits contain both springs and shock absorbers/struts as required. All JAMEX products are developed and manufactured to complement each other and comply with several international quality standards; e.g. the German TüV standard.

Key technical facts:

● JAMEX springs are manufactured from highest grade SiCr steel.

● Quality assured via German TüV standard compliance.

● JAMEX springs are forged using the more reliable 'cold-drawn' method. Some competitors use the hot-forged method of manufacture, this has an adverse effect on the springs' tensile strength: i.e. consistent tension.

● Following the forging process, a temperature controlled oil based treatment is applied to the spring to ensure that the required hardness and tension is reached, thus giving full operational effectiveness throughout the springs' entire lifecycle.

 

● The SiCr steel is initially treated with Zinc-Phosphate, and finished in an Epoxy Resin to provide effective protection of the spring.

● The production process is fully automated to enable a high degree of consistency in the end product.

● JAMEX shock absorbers contain both oil and gas. The gas serves to cool the oil to produce a more consistent operation.

● Standard shock absorbers (for example - KONI brand) contain oil but no gas. This has a detrimental effect on quality and will reduce the lifecycle of the shock absorber significantly, even under normal driving conditions.

● JAMEX Pro-Street shock abs/orbers are constructed to allow the amount of gas contained to be increased, to allow their performance to be improved further.

● Jamex Sport shock absorbers improve damper performance by 30% compared to a standard unit.

 

● Jamex shock absorbers are lowered as well as the springs unlike most of our competitors

[Goliath 94]

I havent had any personal experience with jamex shocks although I do remember a thread on here a couple of months ago were i think it was decided they were not good value for money. hope this helps

 

Edit: should have said i seem to remember that the springs were decided to be good value, just the shocks that werent.

Edited May 2, 2008 by Goliath

[cybernck 402 1 Cars]

good memory mate - i even replied saying i've got Jamex springs :lol:.

 

the thing is - they're really cheap for what they are (front coilovers and rear shocks with springs).

 

they're the most basic shocks with no damping adjustment, but then again - i don't need that.

 

so the question is really weather they're worse than OE or at least as good .

 

thanks.

[MerlinGTI 3]

Ive got jamex shocks and springs on my 205 (untill my group buy GAZ turn up that is )

 

I cant knock the quality at all, no leaks, rust problems, etc.. at all. They have been on the car around 4 years. The problem lies with them being incredibly harsh and overly stiff (The setup on my car anyways)

[marksorrento205 80]

I know the bloke who imports them ( or did ) tony at TRS, hes sold loads and never has many issues with them if that helps, cheap and cheerfull.

[vern 0]

I had a set on my first CTi way back in the early 90's, and the fronts springs and shocks, were fine and had them on for several years, but the rears broke after about 20 miles, tried several sets of rears, to no avail the same problem every time. In the end I got a refund and a set of uprated gas ones.

It could have been a dodgy batch, or maybe the extra weight of the CTi was to much, who knows??, and I did not realize that Jamex was still around.

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Not tried the shocks but wouldn't after experiencing Jamex springs on an Alfa. They were just too hard and crap. I would go for some middle of the range Konis as I love the ones on my CTI.

 

I am looking at Eibach springs for my 307 on standard dampers (that have done 50k miles). Mostly for looks as the handling is actually better than you think and I like the comfort too. The big difference om my 307 was putting 17" wheels on. When it had 180 Atlantis wheels on with the wider track (7Jx17 ET25) and 40 profile tyres on, it drove superb. Now it has 307 Challenger wheels (6.5x17 ET31) with 50 profile tyres, it is more comfy but does not handle half as well, so I am thinking about some spacers too.

[cybernck 402 1 Cars]

Henry, i'm going to replace my 16" standard 5-spoke alloys with 205/55/16 tyres

with the Challengers i've got sitting in the garage, just need to get a set of tyres

for them. i was thinking of going for the standard 205/50/17 size so i wouldn't

loose much of the comfort, as i'm going to stiffen things up with coilovers.

skinnier tyres wouldn't fill those huge arches anyway .

 

i was also thinking of fitting a set of spacers, especially as i want to put my 406

Brembo's on the car too .

 

a set of brand new Eibach lowering springs on eBay.de went for a measely sum of

68 euros, while i was questioning the idea to lower the car in the first place .

 

anyway, here's the kit that i'm thinking of purchasing:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=290216252472

 

thanks .

[Henry Yorke 269 3 Cars]

Damn I had a search on for Eibach springs for a 307 and they never came up They are usually better to get from Germany than in the Uk as they seem more common over there.

 

The coilover kit does seem cheap, thoug I also missed a set of proper Billy yellows and Eibach springs that had done 1k miles for £150 They got advertised twice too as they didn't sell first time round

 

40 profile tyres on 17's look rubbish on a 307. The gap in the arches is massive and I even had the arch extensions on too.

 

Going for this look?!

 

Or a Eurolook like me on holiday!! lol

[cybernck 402 1 Cars]

well that one has 19's on .

 

de-roof-racking looks interesting, but i'd have to see some more pics of it.

 

 

i quite fancy Rieger front bumper though:

 

 

their spoilers are usually monstrositioes, but this one looks the biz i reckon.

 

 

p.s. those Eibachs:

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...em=140220947890

[C_W 3 1 Cars]

Unlike the older Peugeots, I think it's very easy to improve on the looks of the 307 front end!!!

 

Jamex did go bust but they reappeared a few years ago. My 205 has Jamex springs on since 1996 and they're still ok. I remember readings REVS magazine around this time when it first came out and they tested a 205GTi with loads of lowering springs using a guy from VENOM Motorsport or something like that. The Jamex were one of the worst rated!!! due to them complaining they were too soft. Probably different now, or their springs are mid-range (ie not too hard, not too soft) but their dampers are quite stiff.