General Lowering springs
- Thread starter Jockcl500
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General Lowering springs
no experience of lower springs but
there's not a lot of clearance under a standard panda. I hit the front of the exhaust a few times a year as it is on farm tracks
there's not a lot of clearance under a standard panda. I hit the front of the exhaust a few times a year as it is on farm tracks
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Most lowering springs give a stiffer ride. The Panda is not exactly lightly sprung to begin with creating a choppy skippy ride. Just keep it "as is" and spend your money on other stuff.
I have just looked on ecp and the price has now increased to £151.96 that's a big increase.
As all the springs are rusty, also one of the front struts is slightly damp, so I was thinking I would swap-out both front struts, springs, rear shocks and springs, at about £350 for the parts.
I'm thinking maybe I should wait until the summer.
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I fitted a set of springs off a Fiat 500 to the rear of mine.
Lowered it around 15-20mm, but more importantly, they're slightly softer, so makes the ride a little less jumpy.
Combined with Koni shocks all the way around, it goes round bends like it's on rails, and no issues with speed bumps.
Only time I've ever had an issue, was when I was driving down to Spain fully loaded. Car was packed to the roof inside, and 3 mountain bikes on the back. On a bumpy bit of road through the Pyrenees, it scraped the exhaust a couple of times, but fine apart from that.
Lowered it around 15-20mm, but more importantly, they're slightly softer, so makes the ride a little less jumpy.
Combined with Koni shocks all the way around, it goes round bends like it's on rails, and no issues with speed bumps.
Only time I've ever had an issue, was when I was driving down to Spain fully loaded. Car was packed to the roof inside, and 3 mountain bikes on the back. On a bumpy bit of road through the Pyrenees, it scraped the exhaust a couple of times, but fine apart from that.
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I have 500 rear springs on the 100HP. The ride was a bit too low as I have the standard front springs, but a rubber cush fitted to both ends raises the ride height just enough and helps to protect the axle spring pans.
My wife's 1.2 Dynamic has a 500 axle complete with the same 500 spring setup because Panda springs were rock hard with the stiffer axle. The 500 axle has a built in anti-roll-bar so her car rides a bit stiffer but still a lot smoother and better handling than the OEM Panda setup.
The 500 rear axle is 50mm wider than the Panda 169 axle. It will not work with the 100HP wide wheels. It's fine with more ordinary wheels.
I do not know the 500 front spring ratings but would guess they also lower the car compared to the Panda. For what they cost used its worth a punt
My wife's 1.2 Dynamic has a 500 axle complete with the same 500 spring setup because Panda springs were rock hard with the stiffer axle. The 500 axle has a built in anti-roll-bar so her car rides a bit stiffer but still a lot smoother and better handling than the OEM Panda setup.
The 500 rear axle is 50mm wider than the Panda 169 axle. It will not work with the 100HP wide wheels. It's fine with more ordinary wheels.
I do not know the 500 front spring ratings but would guess they also lower the car compared to the Panda. For what they cost used its worth a punt
:yeahthat:
If / when I ever need to replace anything on the rear suspension, I'd follow DaveMcT's advice and go for a post-2012 rear axle with ARB built in and 500 springs.
Personally I would put in the extra cushions to maintain the ride height and protect the spring pans, but 500 springs alone sounds like a simple and effective way to lower it slightly.
My preference would be to try and get a recent as possible example from a breakers with dampers and springs included so that everything's new-ish (as I understand, it's the same rear set up on 2012+ FIAT 500, Panda and Ford Ka?), but new axles are being manufactured now and they're not expensive.
If / when I ever need to replace anything on the rear suspension, I'd follow DaveMcT's advice and go for a post-2012 rear axle with ARB built in and 500 springs.
Personally I would put in the extra cushions to maintain the ride height and protect the spring pans, but 500 springs alone sounds like a simple and effective way to lower it slightly.
My preference would be to try and get a recent as possible example from a breakers with dampers and springs included so that everything's new-ish (as I understand, it's the same rear set up on 2012+ FIAT 500, Panda and Ford Ka?), but new axles are being manufactured now and they're not expensive.
