Springs & Things

[Keith]

Suspension Suggestions?

I have driven a standard 1.4SE (16" wheels) for about 2yrs & 25k miles, mostly on motorways, and am reaching the point where I want to try & improve the suspension, as I dont beleive the A2 has an ideal setup.

For me the hard in-town ride is a bit annoying, but I dont think anything can be done about this, apart from going for 15" rims, which visually are the wrong size for the car. (Vanity prevails!) However what is really getting to me is the higher-speed bounce & rock effects, made worse on the petrol versions I think as they're lighter.

I reckon the suspension action is quite underdamped, and am thinking about putting Koni Sport shock-absorbers on to help improve the stability. I was thinking of keeping the standard springs however, to preserve the suspension travel, at the expense of roll-angles.

Should I consider lowered (harder) springs instead. A2 "Sport" ones are 10mm lower, but other makes available seem to offer 25 or 32mm.


Is the trade-off of harder springs worth having? Bearing in mind this is for UK-roads not German ones!

Has anyone played about with suspension setings yet?

 

[NikHL]

Someone at the german forum just asked quite the same question.

Some A2ers fitted 35mm springs with the original absorbers and disfitted them after only some weeks of driving as they changed the behaviour of the suspension system to ultra-hard.

It might depend on the lowering springs you buy - there are a variety of products available here.

As a former Koni-suspension-driver (Passat) I must say that the factory-fitted supsension in my 1.4 Petrol A2 feels even harder than the 40mm lowered and Koni-improved Passat. Thats what made me forget about any lowering of the A2. As streets in my hometown are in a very bad condition, even the original suspension is too hard for me.

Nevertheless is a lowered A2 looking fantastic. [2]


Nik

A2 1.4 Petrol 2001
Delivery options: Cobalt blue, opensky, aircondition, APS, DIS
Retrofitted: Aerotwin (Floppy) wiper, Becker-Navigation, rear cupholders, iPod, 16" Ronal

 

[gerard]

Doesn't lowering your car produce an even harder/harsher ride?

i think the ride on our new A2 1.6se (16" wheels) FSI is a bit sporty (translation: hard)

but i'm not compaining... just wondering what the sport suspension must feel like on a UK road! heh heh....


-gerard

2003 1.6 SE FSI Cobalt Blue & 1968 Dodge Charger

 

[gerard]

Don't tell anyone i said this, but after a few drives in the A2 i did entertain the notion of trying to get a softer ride as the bumpy roads near our house were a bit of a menace...

but now i've gotten used to the A2's ride after taking a few spins in a Mini Cooper S....


Has anyone tried to make the suspension softer in their A2?

-gerard

2003 1.6 SE FSI Cobalt Blue & 1968 Dodge Charger

 

[EF MAX]

I tend to think, simpilstically, of springs as the means to control left to right body roll and back to front body roll and dampers as the up and down control.

In this respect then to reduce roll but not comfort would you need to consider changing the height of the springs but not their "poundage/spring rate".

I am in the nead to lower my rear only slightly but increase the spring rate for a stiffer one and lower my front dramatically and only marginally increase the spring rate.

I have already got the sports suspension but the car needs to be tighten up on those nippy corners and needs a more flater turn in.

I can live with a firm ride as this car is still softer than my previous cars and my bum and my bones have adapted over time.

Does anyone know the standard height and spring rate of the sports suspension.

 

[shao_khan]

Mine has H&R springs with 17" wheels and it is quite firm to say the least, so much so infact that I do tend to try to avoid blemishes in the road - you know like ants, grains of sand and stuff!!!! Does handle nice on the smoother roads though and to be honest it isnt to bad - my lupo was far worse.

 

[Mal]

I,ve got the factory 'sports' suspension on 17"s.......I find the ride firm,but not uncomfortable or crashing in any way.

I tried a standard A2 on 16"s,and found the ride on slighly softer than the 'sports',but the body control wasn't as good.

 

[Ricardo]

Eibach make the best springs in the world and they usually have variable rate ones when reducing height (lowering the car).

If you go for lower springs and try to keep the same spring rate then the car will end up hitting the bump stops in compression ie.you will go from soft to infinitely hard instantly. Because Eibach do rising rate they are soft-ish initially (although firmer than standard) then gradually stiffen up as the spring compresses (coils variably wound).

Koni adjustable dampers tend to hard to very hard. The ideal solution (and expensive) would be to get some proper adjustable damper units mated to some Eibach springs that way you could adjust ride height, pre-load, compression and rebound and potentially camber! Not sure who makes them though, Ledar sometimes do them but as the A2 isnt exactly a "sportscar" it may be tricky.

Personally I am more than happy with the A2 TDi Sport on the standard 17" 40 profile tyres which I think is pretty stiff.

Ricardo