What's Your Suspension Setup?

Prince

Torque King
Points
242
Location
Northampton, England
Car
BMW E36 318is Coupe
I thought it would be a good idea for everyone to post what suspension setup they are running, how it has affected the car (both good and bad) and what changes they plan to make.

Please apply the following template...

Car:
Setup:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Planned Changes:
 
Car: BMW E36 318is Coupe
Setup: HSD Coilovers (fully adjustable), Powerflex poly bushes all round (purple), lower X-brace. Camber: -3 all round, caster: 5 degrees.
Advantages: Car handles excellant. Sticks to road and allows quite a vast limit. I can out handle more powerful cars quite easily. Chassis flex is significantly reduced.
Disadvantages: Very stiff ride. It can be quite uncomfortable at times (although still worth it). Ride height can be restrictive on occasion.
Planned Changes: Thicker ARBs, front upper strut brace and rear strut brace. Caster will also be increased.

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That could grow into one grat topic!
Car: Seat Ibiza 1,9 TDI, 2003.
Setup: Platimex -40mm springs with Koni sport (yellow) dumpers, standard alignment, Cupra rear bushes on front arm.
Advantages: Adjustable rebound, low but not too low, not too firm
Disadvantages: Think I could like more stiff springs still got pretty lean in corners.
Planned Changes: In doubt! Maybe whiteline front and rear anti roll bars or changing springs for H&R 29333-3. Right now reading about caster and camber kits for my car - Kmac and D2.
Only two change is for sure - poly bushes all around and front uper strut brace.
 
Car:Volvo 850 T-5K
Setup:FK Coilover on the front, FK Shock absorbers And Dampers on the rear all set to -40mm, Polybushed wishbones Ultre race front and rear chassis braces Front and rear strut braces
Advantages: car handles quite well for a big old barge
Disadvantages: Very hard ride
Planned Changes:I might pollybush the rear suspension.
 
Car: 1967 Lotus Elan

Double wishbones front and rear with top wishbones adjustable. Steering rack and ARBs mounted to chassis with aluminium bushes but NO polybushes anywhere else.

No ARBs fitted in photos.

Track rod ends are 'Rose' joints.

Dampers will be from Black Art Designs - Either their 3 way adjustable remote canister race system or the 1.88" OD lightweight version (these will allow slightly wider rear tyres).

Advantages: Adjustable wishbones means the camber can be tuned and the solid rack mounts and rose jointed ends give more positive sterring without losing the dampening effect of the rubber bushes remaining in the wishbones. Adjustable dampers allow for fine tuning for road and track.

Disadvantages: Expensive!

The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that the temporary dampers appear to be mounted upside down. In fact, this is the correct way if you want to reduce unspriung weight :)

Unless the car is for race use only polybushes give a very hard ride. It may feel like it has improved, especially if they replaced knackered originals, but you are just kidding yourself.....IMO :)

Could anyone explain to me how I can insert photos without the link showing?

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Car: BMW E36 318is Coupe
Setup: HSD Coilovers (fully adjustable), Powerflex poly bushes all round (purple), lower X-brace. Camber: -3 all round, caster: 5 degrees.
Advantages: Car handles excellant. Sticks to road and allows quite a vast limit. I can out handle more powerful cars quite easily. Chassis flex is significantly reduced.
Disadvantages: Very stiff ride. It can be quite uncomfortable at times (although still worth it). Ride height can be restrictive on occasion.
Planned Changes: Thicker ARBs, front upper strut brace and rear strut brace. Caster will also be increased.

I notice that you have marked all the bolts. Well done, nice to see someone is doing the job properly.
 
When I get time I'll do a write up.

Thanks

Common sense surely? It's the quickest reference point for knowing if they've moved/loosened.

Ah, but common sense is in short supply, if many of the cars I have looked at are anything to go by.
 
Nice set ups there,
@ Clay, how are you finding the FK's? Was looking at some for the 205 td but I've heard a couple of horror stories about them not lasting very long and the quality being a bit poor.

@OG and Prince, I suppose it saves you from getting the torque wrench out everytime you have to do the bolts back up, but I personally don't find it a problem.
 
Nice set ups there,
@ Clay, how are you finding the FK's? Was looking at some for the 205 td but I've heard a couple of horror stories about them not lasting very long and the quality being a bit poor.
I have nothing to compare them with, they've transformed the handling of the Volvo, but then again just about anything would improve the handling of a Volvo :)
 
@OG and Prince, I suppose it saves you from getting the torque wrench out everytime you have to do the bolts back up, but I personally don't find it a problem.

The marking of nuts allows you to check that the bolts are tight WITHOUT having to get the torque wrench out. If the bolts are of the correct spec and have been done up to the correct torque, they shouldn't need checking but the paint is a safety check. More importantly, as you mark each time a nut is tightened for the final time it makes sure that you haven't forgotten any (it is easy to get distracted and miss a bolt). Standard race car build procedure.

As there have been many instances of bits falling off cars due to not being bolted on properly anyone working on cars should consider doing it. It is cheap and easy to do with the added advantage that it looks like you know what you are doing :)
 
Fair enough chap, might go round mine service time, I'll get me a repair manuel for the 205 and check them all, I doubt that it has ever been done with the exception of parts being replaced.
 
Always worth doing. I bought a Sierra 2WD Cosworth a couple of years back that had been fitted with a Quaife ATB rear diff. I ragged it around for a couple of weeks checking out the diff :)

However. the modified exhaust rattled and the front wheels rubbed the arches so I decided it was time to strip it. When I got under the back I found 23 of the 24 CV bolts hand tight and 5 of them unwound by nearly 10mm!
The guy who fitted the diff didn't do them up properly and could have killed me. That won't happen again.
 
@OG, bloody hell mate.... you got lucky there, it's a good job that you do these sorts of things...

@clay, fair enough mate, I wasn't poking fun at you or anything I just wanted to know how they were, how many miles have you done on them? and how long ago did you fit them? Also which specific kit do you have as there are loads of coilover kits FK do....

Ok then time I added to this....

Car: Peugeot 306 1.9 TD, (will post back when i have the 2.1 in as it is a heavier engine.)
Setup: Koni Sports suspension kit which consists of Koni Yellow sports shocks/dampers and Koni lowering springs -40 mm for the front and Koni Yellow shocks for the back, rebound adjustable. Powerflex/spoox motorsport wishbone bushes
Citoren Xsara VTS steering rack, GTI6 rear beam/axle using the standard GTI6 ARB and standard GTI6 torsion bars set at standard height.
Advantages: Handles much better than the floppy old suspension, ride is firmer but not harsh at all, not so low as to cause any scraping on the front even over box humps.
Disadvantages: Can make pot holes and speed humps seem much harsher.The shocks must be taken off the car to be adjusted which is a real let down considering most of there competitors items can be adjusted while still in situe. (I probably would have bought something else if I had known to be honest....)
Planned Changes: New rear beam mounts probably OEM replacement, maybe a thicker rear arb and torsion bars, front upper and lower strut braces.

Overall it's a very good setup but the front can be bouncy sometimes which I've been told I need to up the rebound rate to compenstate for, I would think these shocks have been developed on a GTI6 and the gti6 engine is heavier so the current setting might be ok for the gti6 and it might also work for the 2.1 XUD I'm fitting, also on another note, I'm using Yokohama Parada spec 2 tyres 195/50R15 and they compliment the suspension really well never seem to break a sweat...
 
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CAR, Rover 200 coupe

SETUP, G-max sports suspension, lowered 40mm front & rear, powerflex polybushes on the torque steer bars & front anti roll bar.

ADVANTAGES, firmly planted on the road, handles very well at both moderate and high speed, virtually no body roll at all.

DISADVANTAGES, the slightest bump causes spinal injury ;) , the front is too low for practical use, torque steer seems to have increased, at really high speed the back end gets a little twitchy (i know this sounds like a downforce issue but i think the rear camber wants tweeking).

PLANNED CHANGES, adjustable rear cambers, rear polybushes, strut braces,
 
I think that polybushing the rear will only increase the skittishness. With the car being low and stiff the tyres will have trouble staying in contact with the tarmac. I would suggest looking at softening the ride before adding anything else in order to give the tyres a chance to grip the road. I don't think it will be a downforce issue at highway speeds.
 
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With the state of British roads it's not worth too much stiffening at all in my opinion. My car rides too harshly anyway, in my opinion.

Suspension settings are possibly the biggest compromises any of us will need encounter.

I've long been a fan of Citroen's unique Oleopneumatic active systems. The current C5 is very impressive indeed. A complex multi link arrangement with active ride control on top.
 
BMW's have always been known to be too harsh for British roads, probably because they were setup for german roads which we all know are far smoother than ours.
However the french have had it down really well for ages....
 
BMW's have always been known to be too harsh for British roads, probably because they were setup for german roads which we all know are far smoother than ours.
However the french have had it down really well for ages....

Mine is not even the Sport variant. It's a 528i SE which has the same suspension as the base 528i and even so I think it's too firm for British roads at the moment.

It does handle superbly in fairness (and I've driven stacks of cars over the years) with loads of grip, quick steering and strong driver feedback. But I cannot help wondering if it might be a little more accomplished were it that the springs were a little softer, even if the firm damping remained in situ.

I am trying, in my mind, to pitch it against the P11 Nissan Primera I had some years ago. The Nissan probably had the edge in steering urgency and an equally unforgiving ride. But in terms of outright grip there's little to choose between them.
 
You'd like my fathers Land Rover Discovery 3 it has the terrain responce air suspension system in it as standard and the ride comfort is sublime to say the least, it actually makes my sister ill has shes says (and these are her words) "it's too floaty"

And given that it's a 4x4 and it weighs 2.7 tonnes it's handles pretty well although the new generation engine would be nice as the 2.7 TDV6 (pretty much the same as the Peugeot 2.7 HDi just with some changes to suit the application..) is a little under powered in my opinion even though it is very smooth and hardly makes any noise, however it does sound rather good at idle, almost v8'ish but when revved a little it just make a kind of wooshing sound....

I think it would suit you rather well Mr Anderson.... (no movie pun intended...)
 
I think that polybushing the rear will only increase the skittishness. With the car being low and stiff the tyres will have trouble staying in contact with the tarmac. I would suggest looking at softening the ride before adding anything else in order to give the tyres a chance to grip the road. I don't think it will be a downforce issue at highway speeds.

that may help but when i said at really high speed i mean it only becomes an issue at about 145mph, far too fast for the public highway, so it really does seem like a downforce issue, just the back end seems to gently work in a circular motion up ,right, down and left. a rover turbo specialist said its because when you lower them by more than 30mm you should adjust the rear camber, could be that hes trying to sell me the adjustable arms, but the car doesnt feel like it wants to take off when your driving, just feels like the tyres are trying to make better contact by pulling themselves into a better position, not like its loosing grip. obviously at those speeds you dont want to take a chance, could be the last thing you ever do
 
I think that polybushing the rear will only increase the skittishness. With the car being low and stiff the tyres will have trouble staying in contact with the tarmac. I would suggest looking at softening the ride before adding anything else in order to give the tyres a chance to grip the road. I don't think it will be a downforce issue at highway speeds.

It could be that the bushes just need replacing. Alternatively budget tyres can cause this effect.
 
that may help but when i said at really high speed i mean it only becomes an issue at about 145mph, far too fast for the public highway, so it really does seem like a downforce issue, just the back end seems to gently work in a circular motion up ,right, down and left. a rover turbo specialist said its because when you lower them by more than 30mm you should adjust the rear camber, could be that hes trying to sell me the adjustable arms, but the car doesnt feel like it wants to take off when your driving, just feels like the tyres are trying to make better contact by pulling themselves into a better position, not like its loosing grip. obviously at those speeds you dont want to take a chance, could be the last thing you ever do

Well, I tend to agree with the specialist, as lowering a car tends to increase camber due to the top wishbones usually being shorter than the bottom ones.

Where are you doing 145mph? I plan to be approaching 200mph so will be leaving the setting up of the car to the experts, as iIalso don't want to die just yet :) Playing around changing this and adjusting that is a recipe for disaster.

If you lived nearer to Essex I would have suggested talking to Graham Hatherway (Google him) who has been building racing cars for many years and will be sorting my car out.
 
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My alternative barge set up

Barge is(was) a Nissan stagea comfortable AWD skyline estate

changes

Suspension Bilstein monotube dampers ( just for og :bigsmile:)
Whiteline wagon springs
Whiteline poly bushes
Whiteline subframe bushes
Much larger stiffer White line anti roll bars
LSD from 33 GTR
Adjustable arms as Stageas never have enough camber.
Front strut brace beefed up with kanzai item
Rear strut brace was made using a R33gtr front strut brace.
To come.
I have sourced a set of Nismo adjustable S tune suspension which is specificly designed for the stagea . this will go on over the winter with some GTR alloy hubs - needed as the bottom suspension fitting needs to be changed from eye to fork,
If money allows may fit a set of adjustable driftwork arms at the same time.

At circa 1650kg it will never be a lotus exige but at the moment the car is set up for the road and handles pretty well for a large barge. Hopefully the upgrades will cope with the power better on faster corners.
 
Yes, it probably won't handle a Lotus Exige but I bet it makes much bigger black lines on the pavement...lol I'd love a hooning machine... which I bet this is good at...
 
If everyone on here is to be believed everyone's car handles extremely well in an age when most people still think lower and harder is always better.

How a car can be firmly planted on the road yet be twitchy or handle very welll but have increased torque steer is beyond me! Part of handling is how well a car can put it's power down coming out of the corners too imo...
 
Indeed it is true mate, I went for a kind of fast road setup on my 306, bit lower bit stiffer, but it is a bit bouncey on the front, the new engine might sort it out because it is a tad heavier, I don't get any torque steer...(yet) if thats the case then I may splash out on an ATB diff (yes I can get one off the shelf...)
No twitchyness whatso ever, was more twitchy on the standard stuff.
 
Glad you think so, lol

Seriously though I think these dampers were setup using a GTI6 as a testbed, (they advertised them for the XU petrols and all the diesel 306's) but the GTI6 engine is heavier so would need a higher rebound rate, I've set them to the middle setting and the rear are spot on just the front can be a bit bouncy but not really bad or on controlable, just slightly anoying if I'm in a grumpy mood, problem is that to adjust them I need to dismantle the whole strut, not a hard job yes but just a pain in the arse considering all the contenders stuff can be adjusted while at the road side.... they are very good just a pain to adjust.
 
Yeah but once you've got them right you never really go back to adjust coilovers anyway tbh even if you can on the car! Most people don't anyway.

You should get it corner-weighted and setup properly though imo once it's all built.
 
If everyone on here is to be believed everyone's car handles extremely well in an age when most people still think lower and harder is always better.

How a car can be firmly planted on the road yet be twitchy or handle very welll but have increased torque steer is beyond me! Part of handling is how well a car can put it's power down coming out of the corners too imo...


Not really sure who this is aimed at but AFAIK not everyone said their car now handles extremely well.
At least two of said handles well for a barge

Also power can have a major effect on how the car handles.
If mine only had 400bhp Im pretty sure I wouldnt have a problem accellerating out of corners

Oh and it is extremely difficult to lay down big black lines .
Even with full launch control the AWD system seems to cope since I fitted 888s .
that is of course as long as its dry.
 
Well my own little chariot handles quite well for what it is. It has certainly benefited from having the coil-overs fitted, front and rear strut braces added with a custom 6 point subframe brace installed, and by having the full geometry tinkered with by people who know what they are doing.

The handling is much better than the standard setup that's for sure ;)

Not familiar with corner weighted work :embarrest: I have seen this expression used a few times on here, but I have not understood fully what it means and if I would benefit more by having this done to my car. I thought at one stage that I had this done on the car, but after some consultation I had obviously confused this handling enhancement with something else. Still learning I'm afraid :amuse:

I shall look into this in more depth early next year when the AWD project gets under way!
 
Put simply, so that I can understand it, corner weighing is used to get the pressure acting on the front left tyre to be the same as that acting on the front left tyre. Ditto the rear. This can be done by either moving car components about or adjusting the spring seat height.

However, adjusting spring seat heights isn't a simple task as adjusting one spring will affect the weight acting on the diagonally opposite wheel :)

The most accurate way to do it is using scales under each tyre. However, simply parking the car on a flat surface and measuring the chassis height at each corner and adjusting so that it is level is fine for normal road use and a little track action. If you want to be a little more accurate, have someone who weighs the same as you, or an equivalent weight, sitting in the driver's seat.

Bear in mind that, unless the fuel tank is located centally, the amount of fuel in the tank can have a big affect.
 
So reading through the lines here OG I would not really gain anything by having this procedure done to the car! I carry different loads of equipment in the car from time to time and the fuel is always up and down. Ah well, thanks for the informed heads up anyway OG ;)
 
Pretty much dude, I would say really this is beat left for weekend toys or track day cars really and obviously any cars that wants to be competitive
 

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