Technical 100HP suspension - again

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Technical 100HP suspension - again

Joined
May 19, 2006
Messages
367
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Location
Tonbridge, Kent
Hello there - I'm on my second 100HP and inevitably, after bouncing around Kent's shocking roads tonight, have turned to wondering about suspension mods, mostly to make the ride a little more comfortable (or to keep it on the ground at least some of the time :D).

Appreciate this is well-worn territory, but - would it be completely daft to try fitting some 1.2 (or diesel) standard springs/dampers? I realise the ride height will increase. But I've never found standard Pandas particularly wanting in the ride/handling department - and the weight can't be much different?

Just a thought...

Otherwise, is the best bet to change dampers, or springs? If the former, presumably Konis; if the latter, I guess it would be Eibachs (but I don't want to go any lower...)

Sorry if this induces groans - I did do a search but not sure what the consensus was....!

Nick H

Tonbridge, Kent

'07 Panda 100HP (Electroclash)
'55 Stilo Prestigio (1 of 27!)
'X' Brava HSX
 
Otherwise, is the best bet to change dampers, or springs? If the former, presumably Konis; if the latter, I guess it would be Eibachs (but I don't want to go any lower...)

I'd go for Koni dampers and Eibach springs.

Eibach makes a load of different spring options, progressive, different spring rates etc. in stock heights as well, so you don't have to lower it just because you put aftermarket springs on (y)

I'm putting Koni shocks on my Multijet once the stock items have worn out. I hope it'll cure a bit of the well-known Panda bounciness.
 
Just don't fit the parts from a 1.2, it's like driving a motorised pogo stick now, with the bit of extra power from the 100HP you'd be in danger of whiplash whenever you hit a bump.
 
I've been reading various threads on suspension for the 100hp and it seems we all agree that the rear suspension is woeful over certain surfaces / bumps.
Mine is an 07 with 17k miles and the rear may as well have been from a cheap trailer for all the feel it had.....hop'd about mid corner at every opportunity especially on a motorway exit that has a joint in the tarmac mid bend and at 40mph the rear skipped sideways every time.
So not wanting to spend big money on the car I opt'd for a complete front / rear suspension kit from FK Automotive...just regular units and springs not the coilovers that some have.
Full kit was £150ish delivered and first off fitted the rear springs and dampers along with shortening the bump stops.......end result...lovely handling over any road flaw and reasonable speed bump behaviour.
So 10/10 for value and for now about 7 or 8 / 10 for quality....i've used Koni / Bilstein in the past on other cars and yes they are smoother etc but not by much.
Time will tell how they degrade with mileage but i'm well happy.
 
I've been reading various threads on suspension for the 100hp and it seems we all agree that the rear suspension is woeful over certain surfaces / bumps.
Mine is an 07 with 17k miles and the rear may as well have been from a cheap trailer for all the feel it had.....hop'd about mid corner at every opportunity especially on a motorway exit that has a joint in the tarmac mid bend and at 40mph the rear skipped sideways every time.
So not wanting to spend big money on the car I opt'd for a complete front / rear suspension kit from FK Automotive...just regular units and springs not the coilovers that some have.
Full kit was £150ish delivered and first off fitted the rear springs and dampers along with shortening the bump stops.......end result...lovely handling over any road flaw and reasonable speed bump behaviour.
So 10/10 for value and for now about 7 or 8 / 10 for quality....i've used Koni / Bilstein in the past on other cars and yes they are smoother etc but not by much.
Time will tell how they degrade with mileage but i'm well happy.

Can you confirm that the rear ride height stays the same with this setup? I wouldn't want to lower it - and can't anyway because of the white road to our home in Italy - and would anticipate putting Konis on the back with shorter bumpstops but it sounds as though these springs would also be a good idea.
 
Can you confirm that the rear ride height stays the same with this setup? I wouldn't want to lower it - and can't anyway because of the white road to our home in Italy - and would anticipate putting Konis on the back with shorter bumpstops but it sounds as though these springs would also be a good idea.

Babbo, if I were you I wouldn't bother with FK stuff, it's probably not much better than the OE Fiat crap. Buy some nice Koni's.
 
Babbo, if I were you I wouldn't bother with FK stuff, it's probably not much better than the OE Fiat crap. Buy some nice Koni's.

On reflection I'm inclined to agree, though I suspect that some more progressive springs would be useful - shortened bumpstops and Koni FSDs seem to be the way to go, certainly as a first step.
 
On reflection I'm inclined to agree, though I suspect that some more progressive springs would be useful - shortened bumpstops and Koni FSDs seem to be the way to go, certainly as a first step.

Do they do FSD's for the Panda? Can't remember what lewey said was different about the suspension on the Panda vs the 500 so the 500 ones may well fit.
 
Bumping rather than starting another thread, I'll see how it goes.

Had my 100HP 6 weeks and have been enduring a fairly horrific sounding amount of noise coming from the front end on bumpy corners and entering driveways with lowered kerbs - at my work for example. I got 3 months warranty so today I've had the drop links replaced at the place I bought it. The service manager advised that it seemed fine on the test drive he gave it but it still made the death rattle over the lowered kerb of their forecourt. He said they'd looked at the wishbones, top mounts, dampers and springs etc and all seemed ok, so my question is, is this all part of the famed 100hp ride or is there something else that needs looking at?

Cheers

Martin
 
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