Cheap ebay lowering kit - will it do the job?

[gratz2]

hello,
After reading lots of posts re:how crap my car is for tuning, am thinking of just making it look nice + handling better... I have seen on ebay someone selling complete set of shocks/springs to lower by 40mm for £109... Does the fact that they are tuv/ce + everything else approved and have a warranty actually mean anything in terms of their performance? They are obviously very cheap compared to the top notch stuff, but is there really that much difference... Am on a fairly tight budget so the price is very attractive

 

[pikey motorsports]

in my experience cheap suspension kits dont really deliver in terms of performance.
however, they should be better than standard due to fact they are springs and dampers and not just springs.

cheap stuff is always hit and miss, sometimes its fine, others it aint!

one thing to watch out for though when you ask for an opinion on a cheap kit, is that most of the replies will be from people who have only ever had experience of cheap kit, and so will tell you its awesome, when in reality, compared to a £300 kit, its actually quite poor.

Brakes and suspension are the 2 key areas where i dont skimp, you really do get what you pay for mate

 

[lutonmatt]

pikey hit it there on 2 spots

cheap stuff is always hit and miss, sometimes its fine, others it aint!

you really do get what you pay for mate


i have had cheap stuff before and its done its time well
other times i wish i had spent a bit more money and got a better make

 

[herb]

ill be honest i have a cheap coilover set on my leon its firmer and lower than the standard shocks and springs!! (so looks and handles slightly better but not by much)
but i know for a fact a more expensive set would have been better!!! (but like you i was on a budget:sad2:

so for £100 i would give them a go! (it cant be any worse than standard!)

would you fit them yourself???

 

[obi_waynne]

The only real bargains on ebay are where people are selling unused or unwanted stuff at a loss. Find out the brand name and we'll try to see if they are worth getting.

 

[old-git]

so for £100 i would give them a go! (it cant be any worse than standard!)

Oh yes, they can! The car manufacturer spent millions designing and testing the suspension for your car and you expect a £100 cheapo kit to be better?

The cheap set may be better than your worn out existing, but fitting new OE dampers and springs will transform the car.

Why do you think they are cheap?

I am on a budget but compromising on handling performance isn't an option as far as I am concerned. Save up for a decent setup - you will be buying it later anyway

A proper set up is designed for the car it is going to be fitted to, anything else is a compromise.

The company supplying my dampers and springs (Black Art Designs Ltd) required the following information in order to provide me with a system that will best suit my car:
Total ciorner weight front and rear
Unsprung corner weight front and rear
Axle height front and rear
C of G centre height
Roll centre front and rear
Track front and rear
Anti roll bar diameters, bores and lengths
Wheel movement / anti roll bar movement
Wheel movement / Spring movement
Damper open and closed lengths
Maximum possible suspension travel
Minimum possible closed length
Total travel

They also needed to know what the car would be used for so they could provide me with suitable settings for road, drag racing and sprints. We also had a long chat and I have now made alterations to my front anti roll bar mounting location in order to get the handling spot on.

That is why proper damper/spring setups aren't cheap but worth every penny. However, I am not suggesting that you need to go to these extremes for a normal road car

 

[herb]

ok i should have stated better than a worn setup
but i will stand by what i said for £100 i would give them a go!

 

[old-git]

ok i should have stated better than a worn setup
but i will stand by what i said for £100 i would give them a go!

However, I still think the money should be put towards a decent set. You will be doing this anyway so why waste the time and money? Save up another £400 and you should be able get a reasonably decent road car set. Just make sure you get the right spring rate.

 

[gratz2]

Thanks guys, yeah would definitely fit my self, advice/opinion has been v. useful. Sadly dont know brand, they are that cheap!!!

 

[old-git]

Thanks guys, yeah would definitely fit my self, advice/opinion has been v. useful. Sadly dont know brand, they are that cheap!!!

Oh dear

So you have still bought dampers that are so cheap they are not even labelled and have no idea of their specification? Are they adjustable?

 

[HDi fun]

Tell you what.............

return the dampers and just let the air out of the tyres. That'll lower the ride height for free

 

[gratz2]

Haven't bought yet - that's why am asking for advice...

Oh dear

So you have still bought dampers that are so cheap they are not even labelled and have no idea of their specification? Are they adjustable?

 

[gratz2]

Tell you what.............

return the dampers and just let the air out of the tyres. That'll lower the ride height for free

Oh dear, oh dear - I fear my sides may split... What repartee...

 

[HDi fun]

Oh dear, oh dear - I fear my sides may split... What repartee...

It's not all bad. Torque Cars is a good forum and offers loads of advice and opinion. Clearly it's up to you to what you choose to do.

I'm not a great fan of all in one lowering kits. Not a fan of any lowering kits, to be honest.

Can I rewind a bit and ask this:- What are you looking to achieve with your car?

 

[gratz2]

It's not all bad. Torque Cars is a good forum and offers loads of advice and opinion. Clearly it's up to you to what you choose to do.

I'm not a great fan of all in one lowering kits. Not a fan of any lowering kits, to be honest.

Can I rewind a bit and ask this:- What are you looking to achieve with your car?

Just looking to improve look of car really, any improvement in handling would be a bonus...As my shocks are completely gubbed atm and I am no Lewis Hamilton and have the cornering ability of a flat cap wearing caravan tower on dope with no money, price is the main consideration - I may be wrong, but I drive infrequently (use a motorbike most of the time), so it seems a waste of cash to shell out £500 plus on gear that will never be used to its full capacity... Am I being daft or what?

 

[HDi fun]

You're being what, not daft.

 

[dpsubaru]

have had a number of lowering springs/dampers, but not as low as gbp100 - is this for a full set? would be decidedly suspicious of this. Currently have Tein's which are pricey but do a sterling job. Previously used much cheaper brands on my escort but then again it didnt have the same performance and have to do the same job. As they arent even stamped/labelled with any name can you be sure they would even fit?
as per your last post, if you dont use the car that much then why dont you buy a decent set of ones that have been used (but obviously check them carefully first for wear and tear.

 

[obi_waynne]

I guess another question to ask is whether cheap suspension kits would perform better than the worn shocks (sorry OG - dampers!)

There are a few budget brands out there I would consider such as those in http://torquecars.potn.com where theyare not up to competition standard but are better than worn out old suspension components.

A decent set of tyres can also make a big difference to handlign and cornering and you should also be considering new bushes, strut brace and anti roll bar.

 

[gratz2]

Have just found out, make is JOM...

 

[dpsubaru]

German company (doubt they are German made), advertised on their own site at E149.95 for the cheapest set excluding shipping costs. never heard of them and frankly the woman on the website is a bit scary........ perhaps the ones on ebay are used or bought already?

 

[gratz2]

Here's where i found them... http://www.veedubmachine.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3_20_78&products_id=501

 

[dpsubaru]

fyi: www.jom.de (note that the price veedubmachine are quoting does not include European VAT - from what i understand?).

 

[pgarner]

joms are cheap kits, not sure on the spring kits but the coilovers are well liked because they are cheap and go to something like a 100mm drop
they do come with a 2 year warranty dont know how as most os the dampner leak pretty quickly