Good evening guys!

I'm looking for a full suspension for my 115 stilo!
The current suspension was wrecked by the previous owner and even tho the car looks good and in smooth roads rides normal, I am going to get it fixed for the sake of the car and mine.

I intend to take the car on bumpy roads so I need more clearance but at the same time the car corners pretty nicely! I have been looking for a full suspension from bilstein B3 & B4 for about 350€ (stock height) and something that lasts a good time is also of concern.

Any sugestions are well received, thanks!

If your car is lowered, you'll get it how you describe by fitting a standard setup.

Kayaba makes good quality OE style dampers.. and springs are all over fleabay etc.

If you're going to the trouble, I'd replace the top mount bearings and also the rubber dust boot that protects the front damper rod.

Ralf S.

You advise me to use stock height then, right?
I'd like to make sure the springs are decent too, I don't know how good or bad do stock ones go.
Are the top mount bearings pricey? And in both front and back?
Also do the rubber dust boots not come with the shocks?

Also, I was looking for the bilstein kit because they were the only ones I found with the specific model for the 115, I don't want to end up with slightly tougher or bigger springs then it was supposed

asvybre said:

You advise me to use stock height then, right?
I'd like to make sure the springs are decent too, I don't know how good or bad do stock ones go.
Are the top mount bearings pricey? And in both front and back?
Also do the rubber dust boots not come with the shocks?

Click to expand...

If your springs are lowered by 35 - 40mm then the stock springs will give you more ride height and also more compliance.

I've seen QH (Quinton Hazell) and Sachs pattern springs for the Stilo and either of these will feel and act like standard. Quality wise they're as good as most pattern parts.. perhaps not 100% as good as the OE or premium brands.. but if they last 5 or 6 years then that's plenty. The car will be ancient by then.

For dampers just use Kayaba unless you can find a cheaper "good" brand. Again, they will feel and act like standard Fiat dampers.

The front suspension has a top mount bearing. If yours have had a hard life then you should replace them otherwise there's little point in changing the dampers and springs, if you're going to leave a worn bearing in there. They're not too bad.. about £50 for a pair (Febi etc.)

There's no bearing on the rear suspension.. just the damper, the spring, the bump stop and a cushion which is made from hard plastic and doesn't usually wear out.

The dust boot on the front damper is a separate part and they usually rot and fall off (you'll find some pieces of rubber around the damper body). If yours are in great condition you don't need to change them.. but they'll be 10 years old now so I'm guessing they might be split. They're not essential though.. they keep grit and dirt off the damper rod so that the seal lasts longer.

Ralf S.

They are probably lowered a bit more, don't know how much tho, if the stock spring height under load of the car is 170mm then I probably can mesure that and see how much I have now.

I can get stock bilstein for about 150€, I also found some monroe springs really cheap but all four go for about 150€ also because of the shipping fees.

What are some of the brands that you trust?

I am really overwhelmed with the amount of brands as specs that I can choose from, some opinions will surely help me decide!

If they fit your model then Bilstein shocks and Monroe springs will be a good solution.

I personally found replacement Kayaba / KYB shocks to go very hard and and harsh in my 2001 Brava so I wouldn't recommend them although they are a big company and affordable to buy. I changed the springs for Suplex ones from Ebay (they are VERY specific to the model and year so check with the supplier first) and new Ebay Gabriel shocks, the car was transformed and I was no longer embarrassed by the ride when carrying passengers.

Your car looks great but has clearly been lowered, it should be enjoyable when you get it sorted.

I browsed for the suplex springs and I must say I liked them! Probably going for those. As for the shocks I will probably stick with the Bilstein ones.

I hope it rides well after the new suspension!

Hello again, just doing an update.
I have now installed the full suspension!
I went with Supplex springs and Bilstein B4 shocks, here's some pics.









Before

After

At first there was an annoying sound from the front that seemed like there was some gap in the strut making the rod scrub every time there was a bump.
I have discovered that there is a big gap between the cap of the strut and the top mount of the spring and thought that this was the cause of the sound but from what I learned here that gap is actually normal so I don't know where that sound comes from...

Im running suplex and kyb excel g's on the front of my 150hp 3dr stilo.

Feels pretty good... needs lowering though so i may go for the bilstein / eibach kit next year.