Technical jtd 3 door very soft suspension, bottoms on speed bumps

[coupedummy]

As above our stilo seems to bottom out on speed bumps and getting on and off the drive.My fiat coupe seems loads better.

Im assume the shocks and springs are compressing to much?

I have found some original dampers online but thinking of swapping lowering springs onto them?

Anyone had problems with lowering springs?

Is there a guide for removing the suspension strut?

 

[Yellow Peril]

If you're already bottoming and intend to lower, I would suggest you need to consider fitting uprated dampers at the same time.

There is a guide to strut removal here:

https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo-guides/101535-removing-front-strut.html

 

[coupedummy]

Thanks for the guide,my first option is to replace for standard spring and dampers.

Hoping this should cure the bottoming,can go over a speed bump without it hitting the bump.

 

[Argonought]

You sure you're not missing the obvious like broken front springs (they tend to break at the very bottom so not always noticed straight away) or undertray hanging loose :chin:

 

[seboni121]

Hi,iv'e a 5 door and its a similar thing,because the stilo has a soft suspension,it ok until you drive enthusiastically it will feel as it does bottom out , fine otherwise thing to do is slow down on speed bumps,I think the stilo has a very long travel on the shocks,but its wonderful on the open road just soaks up those bumps in the road,what we need to do is get rid of the bloody bumps.:slayer:

 

[Greggers]

That's so sad. I am disappointed.

It does sound like your dampers are shot as that's the main resistance to sudden bumps. If you compress the suspension on a corner and then release it, does it bounce more than once? If so, then your dampers are done...

If you're going to change the suspension for shorter springs, you'll need to match them to shorter shocks. I believe that Eibach do matched springs and dampers for the Stilo

 

[Stilomeister]

I fitted lowered springs (PI) to mine and it hit speed bumps for fun! I went back to quality standard springs (Lesjofors) and would recommend that. People will tell you they have no problems lowering the 3dr JTD, but I would dispute that as it sits so low afterwards.

 

[coupedummy]

looks as the front is low,just getting off the girlfriends drive the front scrapes and not even steep.The coupe gets off fine. Looks like excess travel really.

Seems fine but get to a speed bump and scrape. Its hitting the diffuser on the bottom of the front bumper. This is all with slowing down to 5-10mph.
The car is bit bouncy going into a corner aswell
Guess its a change to fresh standard springs and shocks and go from there

Is there anything else i should change with it?New bolts?top mounts etc?

 

[coupedummy]

are the three door springs the same as 5 door?

Also anyone using kyb springs and shocks?

Are these standard?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FRONT-SPRING-...arParts_SM?hash=item25576348e3#ht_2315wt_1165

http://www.buypartsby.co.uk/kyb-shock-absorbers-buy.php

Theres two different shocks listed on bypartsby?

 

[Argonought]

I fitted lowered springs (PI) to mine and it hit speed bumps for fun! I went back to quality standard springs (Lesjofors) and would recommend that. People will tell you they have no problems lowering the 3dr JTD, but I would dispute that as it sits so low afterwards.

That's exactly what I did (thought I was the only one )

Did you notice it also grips the road a lot better too ?

are the three door springs the same as 5 door?

I'm running springs from a 3 door Abarth on my 5 door JTD perfectly well so I think the answer must be yes (you can't intermix springs within the whole range though)

 

[john55]

I'm running springs from a 3 door Abarth on my 5 door JTD perfectly well so I think the answer must be yes

JTD and Abarth use same springs on both 3 and 5 door due to heavy engine.
1.2 -1.8 use same springs on both 3 and 5 door.

Estates use different rear springs.

It is quite possible you have springs for a petrol Stilo on your JTD which would give this problem.

 

[coupedummy]

Thanks guys,for the price a fresh standard shock and springs wont do any harm.

 

[B3NNETT]

I fitted lowered springs (PI) to mine and it hit speed bumps for fun! I went back to quality standard springs (Lesjofors) and would recommend that. People will tell you they have no problems lowering the 3dr JTD, but I would dispute that as it sits so low afterwards.

i beg to differ, never had any problem with it bottoming out on speed bumps or for that matter even coming close to touching them.
only thing that has been affected is that when a rabbit is stood up infront of you at 60mph it will take the splitter off and make a blood stain.
upshot to that is free dinner

 

[Stilomeister]

i beg to differ, never had any problem with it bottoming out on speed bumps or for that matter even coming close to touching them.
only thing that has been affected is that when a rabbit is stood up infront of you at 60mph it will take the splitter off and make a blood stain.
upshot to that is free dinner

Ok fair enough, take a picture of your 'scratch free underneath' , post it on here and prove me wrong then

 

[Stilomeister]

That's exactly what I did (thought I was the only one )

Did you notice it also grips the road a lot better too ?

Well when lowered it did handle nicely on level cornering etc, but the replacement standard springs are much better overall as you say. I don't rate the Fiat standard springs however, compared to the Lesjofors.

I often carry 2 or 3 passengers and when lowered it was just a pain, especially with full fuel tank etc.

 

[B3NNETT]

Ok fair enough, take a picture of your 'scratch free underneath' , post it on here and prove me wrong then

There os no scratches undeneath my car, like I said it DOESN'T catch.
But you will never believe that as having no undertray you can't see properly in pics. And the undertray wasn't ripped off, it wasn't on the car when I bought it.

 

[Argonought]

I don't rate the Fiat standard springs however, compared to the Lesjofors.

I often carry 2 or 3 passengers and when lowered it was just a pain, especially with full fuel tank etc.

I suspect there's very little real difference between oem & Lesjofors (that's why people fit them after all). Don't forget new springs will always feel better than the old soggy ones being replaced.

There os no scratches undeneath my car, like I said it DOESN'T catch.
But you will never believe that as having no undertray you can't see properly in pics. And the undertray wasn't ripped off, it wasn't on the car when I bought it.

It really is a bit pointless to argue that being 35mm closer to the road (in fact Pi springs put you even closer to the road on a JTD at the front) isn't going to increase the chances of hitting speed bumps and the like

Not having an undertray just removes the warning so one day you might just see parts of the diff appearing in the rear view (unless you studiously keep to very good roads)

I notice you drive a 120 but unless the engine's a lot lighter then I can't see how it can be that different to a 115

 

[B3NNETT]

30mm on Eibach springs, not a single scratch to the underside of the car



tbh there is absolutely no chance of the diff hitting road
there is no need for an undertray, unless i am the only one that is sensible enough to NOT speed over speed bumps i cannot see how you can touch them so often, up and over or straddle types never even come close at over or under the limit.
the warning system that you call it, (not neccersary) would be my boost hose which aint gonna get touched tbh

 

[Argonought]

Bottom of gearbox/diff is lowest part of the car so let's just assume for now the nearest you get to going off-road is your driveway

In any case, you responded to a post about Pi springs and yet you have Eibach fitted - which, in my view, is an unsafe comparison

 

[B3NNETT]

Bottom of gearbox/diff is lowest part of the car so let's just assume for now the nearest you get to going off-road is your driveway

In any case, you responded to a post about Pi springs and yet you have Eibach fitted - which, in my view, is an unsafe comparison

the sump is actually visibly lower than the gearbox and as there are hoses lower than the bottom of the gearbox I beg to differ.
Yes parents driveway and my carpark is closest I get to going off road you know why it's not a flaming landrover it's a 3dr hatchback ffs

unsafe as eibach are miles batter than PI?