Ebay Coilover Spring Swap

[Matt]

Lol that's what I don't want to do, going on bumpstops is bad. That's why I was wondering if I upgrade the main spring could I do away with the helper and still stop myself from bumping so much as well as going to about 80/90mm

[Dan!]

Iv never looked into how feasable it is on a 306 before, but might be worth looking at cut down/shorter top mounts and maybe a turret raise aswel, could gain you around an extra 40mm drop or same height and extra 40mm shock travel.

[mark_airey]

Lol that's what I don't want to do, going on bumpstops is bad. That's why I was wondering if I upgrade the main spring could I do away with the helper and still stop myself from bumping so much as well as going to about 80/90mm

did you actually read anything I put in my first post in this thread??

Second paragraph................

and also if you remove the helper spring the car will sit higher in theory (as normally you wind the platform to the helper then once you lower the car to the ground it instantly drops 2-3" on the helper plus whatever the main spring compresses, without it you will wind the platform up to the main spring so there is no slack and the car will only drop the amount that the main spring compresses loosing you 2"-3" of drop) unless you sit the platform below the main spring with a gap when the car is raised and then the main spring will unseat every time the car goes over a bump and extends.

Stupid question Matt but yours are sat fully in the hubs at the bottom right?

Iv never looked into how feasable it is on a 306 before, but might be worth looking at cut down/shorter top mounts and maybe a turret raise aswel, could gain you around an extra 40mm drop or same height and extra 40mm shock travel.

the turrets are pretty close to the bottom of the bonnet but shortening the top mounts would work in theory as would shortened shocks if you can find someone to do it.................

[Matt]

Slim reading fail. Yeah everything is all fitted correctly. May take the helpers out see how it drives. I know others have done it before. Cheers mark for the info. And thanks dum for creating this thread. Gives me something to talk about haha

[Curt]

I reckon yours is as low as Mark's? Yeah they're definitely in the hub fully, I'm not that bad

Another thing, it won't sit any higher with the Lenso's as the mahoosive profiles of those 15's make up for it...

I'm not sure I'd want to remove the helpers TBH, obviously that's your call though

[Matt]

But I want more lows!!! Unless your handy with a welder

[Curt]

Lows are good, dangerous lows are not! Haha, no. Just no.

[Matt]

Let's get a welder out then move my top mounts lower

[Foxy-jim]

We need to find a definite length of the main spring on these! We can go from there once we know.

[Matt]

You offering to take yours off

[Foxy-jim]

Nope! Haha. I know Jammapic has the old springs in his garage, wonder if he could measure them for us?

[Matt]

Oh does he? Worth a go

[Foxy-jim]

Ye I may give him a pm then. Got some stuff to sort in a mo so won't be till later. Unless you wanna do it?

[Rippthrough]

But if you use just a higher lb rated spring, no helper, then should be able to go low?

No, it makes the car higher, as the spring rate is higher in the first few inches of travel, unless you have the springs unseating when the suspension extends, which is fine if you're suicidal.

Lots of people on here have got completely the wrong idea about helpers - they're very soft, they let you lower the car MORE and use a shorter, stiffer main spring to keep the car off the bumpstops.
To go lower, you want a shorter, stiffer main spring and a longer helper, not a longer main spring and removing the helper.... :naughty:

But you need to make sure you don't run out of damper travel, which is where buying decent suspension instead of chinese shit off ebay comes in

[mark_airey]

I reckon yours is as low as Mark's? Yeah they're definitely in the hub fully, I'm not that bad

Another thing, it won't sit any higher with the Lenso's as the mahoosive profiles of those 15's make up for it...

I'm not sure I'd want to remove the helpers TBH, obviously that's your call though

I think so too Curt, just mine has a splitter, I wasn't saying you were mate, just worth checking if he doesn't think its as low as it should be....
I wouldn't remove them either as it will make the car higher as I keep saying....

Let's get a welder out then move my top mounts lower

but if you move to top mounts lower matt that will make the car higher........you really ain't got your head around this yet have you

Also as curt says, the 16's will be the same size round the tyre (IIRC my 16's were slightly smaller than my 205 15" speedlines) so don't worry about that, maybe fit a splitter to it

No, it makes the car higher, as the spring rate is higher in the first few inches of travel, unless you have the springs unseating when the suspension extends, which is fine if you're suicidal.

I recall that someone else has said that in this thread too................

Good to know that my thinking is correct though

[Rippthrough]

Let's get a welder out then move my top mounts lower

You're really confused about this aren't you

[mark_airey]

Let's get a welder out then move my top mounts lower

You're really confused about this aren't you

*nods*

[Matt]

Seriously guys my brain is hurting. Basically leave them alone yeah?

[mark_airey]

Seriously guys my brain is hurting. Basically leave them alone yeah?

Pretty much mate that and "buy a splitter"

[Matt]

Also I asked the guys that sell them about spring length and poundage etc and they replied

"sorry we do not hold that kind of technical data"

So they can't use a tape measure to see the lenth? Haha

[Chris]

Basically if you want to go low, remove the helpers, wind the collars to as low as they go and job done.
The rides better that mine is atm (wound up 25mm no helpers)

At the chrimbo meet (pic below) it was on the stops.

[mark_airey]

Basically if you want to go low, remove the helpers, wind the collars to as low as they go and job done.
The rides better that mine is atm (wound up 25mm no helpers)

At the chrimbo meet (pic below) it was on the stops.

and then don't drive down any road with any bumps in at all so that the springs don't unseat themselves when the shocks extend.................

[Rippthrough]

Also I asked the guys that sell them about spring length and poundage etc and they replied

"sorry we do not hold that kind of technical data"

So they can't use a tape measure to see the lenth? Haha

It'll be on the TUV documents.

Provided it went through the TUV and they didn't just certify them themselves. Makes you confident they're well made for the car when they don't know what springs are on 'em though eh? 8-)


Chris, you do know if that spring goes sideways when it's loose at full droop, it'll gouge the damper shaft, jam the suspension solid and probably bend the whole lot, right? :!:

[Chris]

Actually mark, they are raised up atm, about the same hight as yours, and there a damn site worse that they were all the way down. The cars all over the road due to them bottoming out and bouncing off the stops.

And for the springs to unseat I'd actually have to get a wheel off the ground, and thats not going to happen any time soon.
I can even jack one side off the floor and there still seated tightly.

[mark_airey]

Actually mark, they are raised up atm, about the same hight as yours, and there a damn site worse that they were all the way down. The cars all over the road due to them bottoming out and bouncing off the stops.

And for the springs to unseat I'd actually have to get a wheel off the ground, and thats not going to happen any time soon.
I can even jack one side off the floor and there still seated tightly.

:roll: :clap:

Each to their own, I'm not starting an argument with you but if (following the instructions from your previous post) the platform is at the bottom with no helper spring then their will clearly be a gap (surprisingly the size of the helper spring) then at full extension the spring is never in a million years going to be seated properly now is it............

Also if the springs are loose when the car is jacked up then is it not an MOT failure for the above reason of the spring unseating?!

[Curt]

I think so too Curt, just mine has a splitter, I wasn't saying you were mate, just worth checking if he doesn't think its as low as it should be....
I wouldn't remove them either as it will make the car higher as I keep saying....

That's cool man, I know you weren't .



Well my opinion of it is: I think your car is a good height as it is, for looks anyway. I think it's a lot of fannying about to get it down more for a show... But I see what you're saying about them not being heavy enough. I reckon, you should just get some higher poundage springs, and keep the helpers. It depends how much money and work becomes involved, as you may as well flog 'em and buy some more expensive ones after all the hassle .

It's strange, you'd think these would all be basically the same. But My JOM's on the Audi, I think, must be a bit stiffer. I did have mine wound down at least -90mm on the front... before the wishbone bushes failed (didn't take long, lol) it was fine and easily liveable with. Even now, the only thing that's an issue is my tyres munching on what's left of my arch liners... But that's 'cos they're a bit big

Anyway, I've got stuff to do, enough waffling

[Dan!]

Agree with that Curt, mine are fairly stiff already although I think il get some stiffer springs anyway at that price (on the first page) and also, mine go plenty low enough tbh, I still have the helpers in and about 15mm travel on the coils and its this low


DSC_2060 by Daan!, on Flickr


8-)

[Connor]

My Gaz coilies didnt come with helpers, just the main spring and I wound them down as far as they would go with the spring still staying seated and there was still loads of thread left

[Dum-Dum]

Matt something is up with yours, i think you may have the bearing in wrong or something cos mine is now a similar height and i could wind them down another 30mm

[Rippthrough]

My Gaz coilies didnt come with helpers, just the main spring and I wound them down as far as they would go with the spring still staying seated and there was still loads of thread left

Shorter dampers + more compression travel on the shafts