Technical Identify springs...

[woj]

Hi there again,

Could anybody try to give me a hint as for where my springs are from (pic below). I boufht the car with them on and have no clue what they are... Any chance these are standard (car originated in Germany) fiat springs? If not, what is this animal? (The rear ones are also red.) Just realised they are fubared, need to get new ones and I do not want to go for any extreme lowering, but not standard ones either... .

 

[custard]

they are not standard.theres a thread on cento lowering heights so you measure yours and compare

 

[custard]

https://www.fiatforum.com/cinq-sei-styling/6592-definate-guide-lowering-springs.html there you go

 

[woj]

Thanks Custard, missed that thread. This only tells me that my Cinq is lower around 20-25mm. The make of the springs is still a mystery though... /Woj

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

Apex springs then maybe? they are a 30mm drop IIRC, or maybe springs that drop an SX 40mm, hence yours being 20-25mm lower.

 

[woj]

Maybe, but not sure. The only thing I know is that they most probably have German origin...

The problem with lowering for me is that in winter I drive on winter tyres, which are a bit bigger than the standard ones. As it is now, the winter tyres hardly fit inside the arch. So, if I lower it more by getting wrong springs, the tyres won't fit, on the other hand I do not want to drive on standard springs So need to work out a compromise...

/W

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

I'd say get some lowering springs that drop an SX 40mm, that will lower your sporting by 20mm in theory.

 

[custard]

your not going ot get much less than a 35mm drop really so i would assume thats what you have and it being a sporting accounts ofr the 10mm

 

[rallycinq]

What winter tyres do you use? I use 155/70 x 13 and they fir fine on a lowered car.

Cheers

D

 

[woj]

165/65/R13 GY Ultragrip 6.

Edit: and they are not perfect (too wide), but the only ones I could get here. 155/65 would be just right...

 

[rallycinq]

I use Colway rally tyres in 155/70.

Cheers

D

 

[woj]

One last (perhaps stupid) question:

Are you absolutely positive that lowered springs designed for Cinquecento 900 will fit a Sporting? No stupid detail differences like the upper/lower coil diamater, profile diamater, etc...?

Cheers,

Woj

 

[SkinzCinqSporting]

One last (perhaps stupid) question:

Are you absolutely positive that lowered springs designed for Cinquecento 900 will fit a Sporting? No stupid detail differences like the upper/lower coil diamater, profile diamater, etc...?

Cheers,

Woj

Im sure I've read somewhere they are the same, just sportings are 20mm lower. Best to clarify though.

 

[woj]

Aha, it can actually be tricker than this. Just studied my polish service manual:

The rested cc 900 springs are: 320mm
Mounted: 172mm

The rested cc 1.1 springs are: 324mm
Mounted: 154mm

Which for me means: since 1.1 is heavier, mounting -40 mm cc900 springs can result in an actual drop even below 60mm on a Sporting. In other words: the weight of cc 1.1 can kill cc900 springs... Correct me if I am wrong.

On the other hand, all the calculations I did convince me that -40 Sporting springs should still be high enough for my winter tyres...

Cheers,

Woj

 

[Liam]

They look like very old Eibachs to me, the drop is consistent as is the colour and the rubber sheath over the last few coils at each end.

Liam

 

[StoneNewt]

Woj, could be a different spring winding on the sporting to there are lots of factors that effect how a spring compresses.

 

[woj]

Yes, could be. My manual also tells me that (at least for the standard fiat springs) the diamater of the profile differes between 900 and 1.1. For 900 it is 11.5mm, for 1.1 11.2mm.

Liam, could you also tell me (if you have a clue) what would be the default drop for those eibachs...?

/Woj

 

[Liam]

-25 or -30mm I reckon, catalogue said -10mm at the time but they went way lower than that so deduced that they were -25 or 30mm going by the measurements in the link near the beginning of this thread.

Liam

 

[woj]

So, they turned out to be Eibachs, when dismounted I found a logo on them. Liam, you were right They are quite worn out too, see the pic:

The one on the left is the Eibach I took out, the one on the right a new OMP -40mm. No wonder I was puzzeled by my car sitting so low

Me and my brohther we were wondering what could cause such a wear in a spring, and we still have no clue The car is now 80kkm, and those worn-out springs were not there from the beginnig I guess, so I assume they did 70kkm tops, and last 15kkm on bilstein shocks.

/Woj