Technical Changing the suspension - change in ride quality?

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Technical Changing the suspension - change in ride quality?

boywonder

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May 28, 2003
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I'm a bit tired already of the soggy handling of my Abarth and was thinking of changing the springs on the car and having sports springs fitted. I had Eibach springs put on my last Punto and they worked very well but naturally the ride was quite hard.

The ride in the Abarth is quite hard now and you do feel every mark on the road so I was just wondering if anyone has fitted sports suspension and had much of a change in the ride quality? I bought the car to be a comfortable GT type car but would like to sort the handling out a bit so don't want it getting uncomfortable.

So, anyone changed the suspension on their Stilo? If you have please let me know how you've got on with it. Is the ride quality much worse?

Steve

Fiat Stilo Abarth 3dr. Loden Green, Beige Leather, Sky Window, Cold Climate Pack, 17" Alloys, CD Changer, 260w 8 Speaker Stereo.
 
Will be interested to hear just how hard the ride is after you do it....

Roja

2003 Silver 3-Door Abarth with graphite wheels and all the toys
 
As will I.

Would you mind telling us how much it is costing? Is it a local, independant garage that is fitting them?

_________________________
2003 Stilo 1.6 Dynamic 3dr, Orion Grey, 17" Alloys, Dual Zone Climate Control, Aluminum Sills, Clarion DXZ928R, Kenwood DualMags, Clarion SRX1784, de-badged.
I accept no responsibility for the content of my posts, nor any decisions you make based on them.[^]
 
Hi, I searched the net for the Eibach springs, they were £143 from Eibach Direct, £120 from Demon Tweeks and I got them from Proline Sports in the end for £110, these prices include VAT and delivery. Funnilly enough, although I paid Proline Sports in Scotland, they arrived to me in Peterborough from Eibach Direct in Leicester the very next day, strange but true. My local garage is charging me £60 to do the job. Hope this helps.
 
:)Yeah, sorry, it's a local independent garage doing the work, FIAT wanted double the money to do it and they told me that regardless of them or an independent garage doing the work my warranty would be void should any problems arise in the future, so yep, I'm going to let my tried and trusted independent friends do the work.

[}:)]I HATE my local FIAT dealership they make gun ownership look like an attractive option! I'd shoot the lot of them.
 
Hi chaps

I had the Eibach springs fitted today, what a difference, the car sits lower, looks better, doesn't wallow around and goes where you point it, a massive improvement! The car should be set up like this from factory. Also the ride is not noticably harsh you wouldn't even know they had been changed in terms of comfort.

Highly recommended.:D
 
Hope you had the shockers changed to shortened length shockers and stiffer. Also hope you had the tracking done as lowering your car changes wheel geometry. Tyres arnt cheap for stilos
 
Hi FiatExpert

Thanks for that, but the Eibach springs are designed to work with the standard shockers, it says that in the technical bumpf that comes with the kit, also I am having four wheel laser alignment tomorrow as I ran out of time today.

Cheers!
 
I agree with twincamms, had eibach springs on my punto as above and you don't need to change the shocks or geometry. If the drop was more than 3cm which is about normal for Eibach springs then perhaps some work might need to be done....

Fiat Stilo Abarth 3dr. Loden Green, Beige Leather, Sky Window, Cold Climate Pack, 17" Alloys, CD Changer, 260w 8 Speaker Stereo.
 
Thanks for your support Boywonder.

Are you going to get them fitted to your motor?

I've just got in from work and the drive home was so much better, I can't believe it's the same car, no wallowy, marshmallowy, soggy drive, firm, responsive and sweet!

:D:D:D
 
<blockquote id="quote"> face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by twincamms
:)...regardless of them or an independent garage doing the work my warranty would be void...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

:(

Looks like I won't be doing it now. Just don't want to risk it.

_________________________
2003 Stilo 1.6 Dynamic 3dr, Orion Grey, 17" Alloys, Dual Zone Climate Control, Aluminum Sills, Clarion DXZ928R, Kenwood DualMags, Clarion SRX1784, de-badged.
I accept no responsibility for the content of my posts, nor any decisions you make based on them.[^]
 
Hi Lead

Yeah you say that, but it doesn't void your warranty completely, only any issues that arise concerning the suspension. Also I've looked at the photos of your Stilo and it looks like it's in the air, now that I've lowered mine I've realised how bad it looked, I'll get some photos on soon and you can judge for yourself!

Cheers.
 
Hi Twincamms,

Have you got the website address for proline Sports or a phone number?, I`m going to get some eibachs for my Abarth. Thanks for posting, atlast an end to the roundabout rolllllllllllllllllllll!!!

Silver 2.4 Abarth
 
That depends, My friend of mine had his punto mk2 lowered by 40 mm , and his gearbox blow up. The differential come out of the side of the gearbox. Fiat would not pay for repairs as they said it have put extra strain ont he gearbox and driveshaft being lowered, eventually i fit a recon gearbox for him...Beware
 
I don't understand how that would put additional strain on the gearbox. If the diameter of the wheels was changed without compensating with different profile tyres, yes, but not the ride height.

Les Ross
Certified by a
Professional
 
Hi DaveG

This is the website for the Eibach springs.

www.motorsportworld.co.uk

Remember, don't buy direct from the web-site, email their customer services and tell them that Demontweeks said they'd do them for £120, then they'll email you back saying they'll beat them and do them for £109 inclusive of VAT and delivery. Eibach actually delivered them from their outlet in Leicester and invoiced Proline, the invoice was in the parcel and although it was supposed to be invisible, I made it out and they invoiced MSW for £89.98, so push them and they'll go lower!

Here is Eibach literature on their springs.

Question:
What shocks should I use with an Eibach spring system?
Answer:
Basically, Eibach spring systems are designed to work with original equipment shocks provided they are in good working condition. Aftermarket performance shocks - especially the Eibach Pro-Damper - will increase the overall performance of your suspension and are a recommended complement to the Eibach spring systems.

Question:
Will it be necessary to have my vehicle re-aligned after the installation of an Eibach spring system?
Answer:
Yes. After the installation of an Eibach spring system, the alignment of a vehicle should always be checked and in most cases adjusted. For further information on alignment, please see our general mounting instructions on the next page.

Question:
Will I have proper tire clearance with a “plus size” tire and wheel package after installing an Eibach spring system?
Answer:
All Eibach spring systems are designed and tested in combination with the original equipment wheels and tires. Installation of an Eibach spring system does not alter the original range of wheel travel and as a result, can never be the cause of clearance problems. It is best to work with a reputable wheel and tire dealer who is knowledgeable in the proper wheel size, width and offset that is correct for your vehicle in order to prevent clearance problems caused by improper tire and wheel packages.

Question:
Is it wrong to heat or cut a coil spring to lower a vehicle?
Answer:
Heating or cutting a coil spring in order to lower a vehicle is just plain foolish. These procedures are very dangerous and at the very least result in poor handling due to the changing of the original spring characteristic and pre-load requirements.

Stilo Part Number 10-30-001-01-22


The Pro-Kit is Eibach's premium suspension product and is considered to be one of the world's top performance suspension products. The performance and reliability has been proven in millions of Pro-Kit spring sets sold in all five continents and in over more than 40 countries around the world.

The Eibach Pro-Kit spring system is the first choice for enthusiasts when upgrading their vehicle's suspension, improving both the vehicle's performance and appearance. The Pro-Kit provides, quite simply... "The Look That Performs".

High ground clearance and huge fender-well gap inherent from the factory give your vehicle an unfinished look. Whether you plan to stay with your factory tires and wheels or adding performance wheels and tires, chances are, your car has "the lifted look". In reality a "Plus 1" or "Plus 2" wheel and tire package with a lower profile tire will exaggerate the large gap even more.

An Eibach Pro-Kit is designed to reduce the fender-well gap by safely lowering your vehicle, giving it a more attractive, sportier stance. The Pro-Kit is the perfect compliment to any vehicle, whether in stock form or fitted with a larger tire and wheel package. The Pro-Kit will set your vehicle off from others, giving it "The Look" you want.

All Eibach Pro-Kits are designed by experienced engineers specialized in chassis dynamics and are tested by seasoned qualified drivers. They are designed to properly and safely lower your vehicle's center of gravity through the use of proprietary progressive spring rates; reducing squat during acceleration, body roll in the turns, and nose dive under braking. Upon installation, your vehicle becomes exceptionally stable and secure under a much wider range of conditions and will provide years of enhanced driving pleasure, whether you are twisting your way through a mountain pass or cruising down the interstate or tempting the Autobahn.

Vehicles equipped with performance wheels and tires also need the additional performance provided by the Eibach Pro-Kit. Performance wheels and tires create a larger contact patch which increases the adhesion resulting in additional body roll. The Eibach Pro-Kit is designed to control this additional body roll becoming the heart of your performance suspension package.

Pro-Kits are available for nearly every model produced by over 40 European, American, Japanese, Australian and other main vehicle manufacturers out of Korea and Malaysia.

Getting your vehicle to look and perform "just right" is not an elusive recipe, in fact it's down right simple; wheels... tires... Eibach Springs.

Installing an Eibach Pro-Kit will take your passion for driving to a whole new level, one that can be further enhanced with the addition of other Eibach products such as our Anti-Roll-Kit or Pro-Control-Bar. For the demanding enthusiast or the daily commuter, an Eibach equipped vehicle provides the best balance between appearance, performance, safety, and ride quality.

Advantages of the Eibach Pro-Kit:

Excellent ride quality - comfortable in cruising
Sportive handling in cornering, resulting in improved performance
Lowered center of gravity, increased stability
Enhanced appearance of vehicle
Manufactured according to ISO 9001 quality system as well as TÜV approved
10 year product warranty
To find out if an Eibach Pro-Kit is available for your vehicle, go to the Application Guide on the menu to the left. To find the nearest dealer, use the Dealer Look-up.


Hope you get them on soon, it's a major improvement and dont listen to the scare stories.

Cheers!:D
 
Brilliant!, thanks very much Twincamms, I will let you know how I get on. Thanks again for the info.

Silver Abarth
 
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