Technical 100HP Rear shockers

[babbo umbro]

Sorry to interrupt the party, children, and almost regret starting this thread off in the first place. Spax have responded to my enquiry - they intend to offer a full kit for the 100HP but not rear dampers alone. So the faint whiff of havana drifts away on the wind.

I can't believe there's nothing on offer in Italy so I'll do a concentrated trawl (not troll) on the web and see what turns up.

 

[RobW]

Are these prices for a 4 corner kit? (I'm assuming so!).

I'd want to try out another 100HP before spending my hard earned first - even as a passenger. Should be quite easy to tell if the suspension keeps the handling good points of this car, but removes the weak points (like trying to bounce into the nearest ditch).

yes springs and dampers complete kit

 

[RobW]

Sorry to interrupt the party, children, and almost regret starting this thread off in the first place. Spax have responded to my enquiry - they intend to offer a full kit for the 100HP but not rear dampers alone. So the faint whiff of havana drifts away on the wind.

I can't believe there's nothing on offer in Italy so I'll do a concentrated trawl (not troll) on the web and see what turns up.

why wouldn't you want to fit a complete kit?

 

[babbo umbro]

RobW "why wouldn't you want to fit a complete kit?"

Firstly, because, if there is an area where the 100HP's suspension might be improvable - and I'm not particularly unhappy with it the way it is - I think it's the rebound damping on the rear - that's all I want to experiment with. Secondly, I suspect there are warranty issues if I do more than replace dampers. Thirdly, if I carry out any mods I have to inform my insurance company - replacing dampers is one thing but materially modifying the suspension is another. Fourthly, spending a couple of hundred quid on rear dampers seems reasonable but forking out 600-700 to completely rejig the suspension - almost ten percent of what I paid for the car, new, last October - suggests I made a mistake in choosing the car and - like one or two other forum members - I'm reluctant to admit to having been mistaken. Fifthly, the customer is always right - if no company is prepared to offer what I want they won't benefit from my custom.

I think that's probably enough.

 

[RobW]

RobW "why wouldn't you want to fit a complete kit?"

Firstly, because, if there is an area where the 100HP's suspension might be improvable - and I'm not particularly unhappy with it the way it is - I think it's the rebound damping on the rear - that's all I want to experiment with. Secondly, I suspect there are warranty issues if I do more than replace dampers. Thirdly, if I carry out any mods I have to inform my insurance company - replacing dampers is one thing but materially modifying the suspension is another. Fourthly, spending a couple of hundred quid on rear dampers seems reasonable but forking out 600-700 to completely rejig the suspension - almost ten percent of what I paid for the car, new, last October - suggests I made a mistake in choosing the car and - like one or two other forum members - I'm reluctant to admit to having been mistaken. Fifthly, the customer is always right - if no company is prepared to offer what I want they won't benefit from my custom.

I think that's probably enough.

chill! i only asked...

 

[306maxi]

I cannot be bothered discussing this further, particularly when the discussion has no bearing on the original poster's question - the reality is that neither Bilstein or Koni offer "100hp Rear shockers" :bang:

Actually Koni offer a front and rear dampers for the Panda which lower it by 40mm so I should think they'd suit the 100hp. Koni p/n is 8040-1347Sport (£90 each) for a single rear and 8741-1486LSport & 8741-1486RSport (£120 each) for the fronts if you were wanting to change them as well

Fronts are adjustable but rears aren't which is a little annoying!

babbo I'd have a chat to Koni and see what they say about those dampers suiting the 100hp.

Apparently the 100hp is 25mm lower than the standard Panda so I should think you'll lower the car by 15mm as well which if that's the look you're going for could be a positive for you.
http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/204245/fiat_panda_100hp.html

 

[trackdayqueen]

Whatever....

The funny thing is that TDQ and myself and RobW have pretty much done the same thing. Posted that we think one brand is great and that the other brand is not so great in our opinion. Yet for some reason RobW appears to have the disagreement Police on his side and TDQ and myself get branded as trolls.

Recently I've agreed with RobW on a few things and he's agreed with me on a few things. Do you not think if I was trolling I'd make a point of trying to disagree with RobW on every point I could and try to drive him off the forum or something.

and of course RobW starts with the insults like that it's that time of the month for TDQ or that we should go read a book. I swear some people are so blind to how people are on this forum it's not funny.....

I think that's a fair comment. Whilst I was not overly positive of spax, I didn't exactly berate Rob for his choices. I've tried spax, teins, koni's etc. I like Koni's. Tein are amazing, but amazingly expensive. I frequent a number of forums and I think debate is healthy, but if your opinion or viewpoint differs it seems that it's not welcome here. In fact i'd go as far to say that trolling is fine if you are in the clique, I mean look at the way some of the members troll me.. then I get accused of it! Brilliant!

 

[306maxi]

don't change a thing - the 100HP is a really sorted package

The thing is a lot of people disagree hence this thread and other threads like Stu's car being in Evo as a test car for some Cobra springs to sort out the rear of the car and it still didn't help because the bump stops were coming into play so the only options you've got will be

A. Stiffer dampers so you don't hit the bump stops
B. Smaller bump stops
C. Raise the ride height of the car up

Argh I've just looked at the Koni site and being an idiot I looked at the springs section when I was talking about the dampers lowering the car 40mm..... just forget what I said before.....

Koni sport kit which lowers your car by 40mm and replaces springs and dampers is here and looks cheaper than the Spax offering

http://www.koni-suspension.co.uk/p1357655.htm

 

[trackdayqueen]

this may be due in part to people pre-conceptions - i do not know anyone that has actually used Spax and been disappointed

therefore perhaps their opinion is not based on experience

Years ago (when I was 19) I bought a set of spax dampers. The reason for choosing spax was mainly based on the price. Okay at 19 what did I know? They were definately an improvement over the 20 year old standard dampers, but I have since learnt that they were to an extent fairly crude compared to cars i've had over the 8 years that have mainly used koni's. So I prefer Koni's. Also the adjustment was better/easier on the koni's. I get to drive a friend of mine's various cars and she is a bit of a tein fan. Absolutely loves the in-car adjustable ones. Have to say when they are well set up (and her cars always are) the teins are just stonking. But at about a grand you'd expect them to be good!

 

[RobW]

Argh I've just looked at the Koni site and being an idiot I looked at the springs section when I was talking about the dampers lowering the car 40mm..... just forget what I said before.....

Koni sport kit which lowers your car by 40mm and replaces springs and dampers is here and looks cheaper than the Spax offering

http://www.koni-suspension.co.uk/p1357655.htm

good find

only adjustable damping though so equivalent to SPAX PSX, not adjustable height and damping like the SPAX RSX

be interesting to see how it compares

 

[HP]

I think that's a fair comment. Whilst I was not overly positive of spax, I didn't exactly berate Rob for his choices. I've tried spax, teins, koni's etc. I like Koni's. Tein are amazing, but amazingly expensive. I frequent a number of forums and I think debate is healthy, but if your opinion or viewpoint differs it seems that it's not welcome here.

The views are always welcome, it's the way some people refuse to accept that others may have differing experiences and opinions.

In fact i'd go as far to say that trolling is fine if you are in the clique, I mean look at the way some of the members troll me.. then I get accused of it! Brilliant!

Have you ever thought maybe you invite the comments with your 'posting style'?

 

[306maxi]

The views are always welcome, it's the way some people refuse to accept that others may have differing experiences and opinions.

Where did TDQ not "accept" Rob's experiences and opinions?

 

[RobW]

Just because Rob has had a good experience with Spax does not mean that they are a better option than bilstein or Koni which I understand he hasn't actually tried.

looks like a pretty good example of "not accepting" my experiences and opinions

 

[HP]

Where did TDQ not "accept" Rob's experiences and opinions?

I have to go back to work on Friday, there simply isn't enough time to compile a list of examples posted by TDDQ about others

 

[babbo umbro]

306maxi "Actually Koni offer a front and rear dampers for the Panda which lower it by 40mm so I should think they'd suit the 100hp. Koni p/n is 8040-1347Sport (£90 each) for a single rear and 8741-1486LSport & 8741-1486RSport (£120 each) for the fronts if you were wanting to change them as well

Fronts are adjustable but rears aren't which is a little annoying!

babbo I'd have a chat to Koni and see what they say about those dampers suiting the 100hp.

Apparently the 100hp is 25mm lower than the standard Panda so I should think you'll lower the car by 15mm as well which if that's the look you're going for could be a positive for you."

Thanks for that - and for bringing a much-needed note of sanity to the thread - I'd finally come up with that Koni ref no for 1.1, 1.2 and MJ non-4x4s - but hadn't realised they're non-adjustable - as I can't imagine the minimum length of the damper (ie on maximum suspension compression) is less for the 100HP than other Pandae they shouldn't do themselves a mischief but the very different spring rates mean that adjustability is essential. Didn't understand how rear dampers could lower the car - and fitting rears only would make it look a bit odd if they did - but I gather that was an aberration. I'm not looking for any lowering - apart from anything else, in Italy we have to drive up a couple of kilometres of white road, where the Cinquecento Sporting occasionally grounded, so lowering is not a practical option. There's also a Bilstein number - 3117, but they're B4s, which I gather are also non-adjustable. Drawn a blank so far looking on Italian sites.

 

[babbo umbro]

By the way, the Koni site reckons that the 8040 1347SPORT rear damper for the Panda has on-the-car adjustability for rebound damping.

 

[306maxi]

Didn't understand how rear dampers could lower the car - and fitting rears only would make it look a bit odd if they did - but I gather that was an aberration.

It's the springs that lower it. I must have been smoking something when I posted that of course

 

[306maxi]

looks like a pretty good example of "not accepting" my experiences and opinions

Well obviously it's an oversight to say you've not tried Bilstein's or Koni's but that still doesn't change the fact that just because you've had a good experience that this means Spax are up there with Koni's or Bilstein's which are generally regarded as being very very good.

 

[ThisBitterPill]

Well obviously it's an oversight to say you've not tried Bilstein's or Koni's but that still doesn't change the fact that just because you've had a good experience that this means Spax are up there with Koni's or Bilstein's which are generally regarded as being very very good.

I have deja vu....

 

[306maxi]

I have deja vu....

Seriously are you just here to argue? If you've got nothing to add in terms of suspension then please do leave us alone. I've done my best to help the OP but you're just annoying and causing arguments and more of a troll than anyone else on this thread....