GAZ Gold Or KW V2 Coilovers??

[jlw89]

Hi guys, Im stuck between a set of GAZ Gold Coilovers for my Corsa, £884 part number: "GAZGGA410"

and

KW V2s, £969 "15260002H" but i quite fancy the Gaz ...What should I go for?

I want reliability/durability mainly and would like to be able to have them serviced/repaired which you can with GAZ...
I doubt i will be going lower than 50-55mm

Can anyone tell me which i should go for?? ill order them tomorow night because I need them asap

part numbers are from larkspeed website, i dont know if the prices are good so if anyone knows anywhere cheaper id appreciate any help finding them cheaper

cheers

 

[jarrus]

GAZ gold's are really for motorsport/race cars, you'd be better off with there fast road/track day kit, and they taylor the kit to you, the recommend a spring rate and also valve it for you, they are height adjustable and rebound adjustable. and they cost a hell of a lot less, £499 and they will be plenty for the road and track days, I'm thinking about getting them for my Green 205 TD

http://gazcoilovers.com/corsa-b-gaz-road-trackday-coilover-kit-p-55.html

 

[jlw89]

cheers fella, have you brought from that website before?

ive looked on there and Larkspeed...I dont know which to buy from

 

[HDi fun]

What do coilovers actually do? Do they simply stiffen the springs, thus reducing compliance, or is there another physical factor involved?

Surely if the springs are harder then the damping needs to be uprated to cope with resonance.

 

[jarrus]

Correct,

Coilovers are just that.., A coil over a shock unlike a separate spring and shock a coilover unit is a built up unit which is matched together and gives you more adjustability, you can change ride height with out changing the spring rate and damper rate and suspension travel (sometimes)

@jlw89 havent bought from ethier of them but I'd buy direct because GAZ tailor them to you

 

[Prince]

I would investigate the spring/damper rates and go from there. I've only heard good things about both and there are so many people running both versions the decision is difficult.

The only reason I would choose Gaz is because of the customer service and the rebuild option they provide.

I run a setup in the middle of all out track car and comfortable road car and it's works fantastic, until you have to navigate over speed bumps and pot holes. You feel everything! So take this into consideration because roads you thought were smooth, won't be anymore.

 

[jarrus]

Surely then you want to soft your suspension a little then dude? If I'm right you should be able adjust them on the top,

 

[Prince]

Surely then you want to soft your suspension a little then dude? If I'm right you should be able adjust them on the top,

TBH you kinda get used to it. It makes for some great handling, you just have to put up with roughly surfaced roads. It's like a 50:50 trade.

 

[T9 man]

TBH you kinda get used to it. It makes for some great handling, you just have to put up with roughly surfaced roads. It's like a 50:50 trade.

Ain't that the truth! I thought my tooth fillings were about to part company with me when I first had my coilovers fitted, but as you say Prince, you soon get use to it; and now I would not change them for the world

 

[jlw89]

I ordered them last night so its the anxious wait now. i hope they get to me before the snow hits.

tyres next, winter and summer, think ill have a scout for some steelies for winter

 

[Prince]

I ordered them last night so its the anxious wait now. i hope they get to me before the snow hits.

tyres next, winter and summer, think ill have a scout for some steelies for winter

Tyres are next on my shopping list as well. I'm keeping 17s for winter though so I can clear my intended brake upgrade next year.

 

[T9 man]

I ordered them last night so its the anxious wait now. i hope they get to me before the snow hits.

tyres next, winter and summer, think ill have a scout for some steelies for winter

Don't forget to factor in the cost of a full geometry setup on your car once the coil overs have been fitted. This way the suspension will be tuned properly and it will extend the life of your new tyres also

 

[Prince]

Don't forget to factor in the cost of a full geometry setup on your car once the coil overs have been fitted. This way the suspension will be tuned properly and it will extend the life of your new tyres also

x2

Also, once fitted allow for around a further 10mm drop as the springs settle.

 

[jlw89]

Don't forget to factor in the cost of a full geometry setup on your car once the coil overs have been fitted. This way the suspension will be tuned properly and it will extend the life of your new tyres also

my car has needed the tracking corrected for some time now, its never been bad enough to cause any problems so ive put it off because of this very reason

how would I go about adjusting the Camber for the rear wheels? they are negative at the moment and i expect they will get worse when i fit the coilovers...

 

[T9 man]

my car has needed the tracking corrected for some time now, its never been bad enough to cause any problems so ive put it off because of this very reason

how would I go about adjusting the Camber for the rear wheels? they are negative at the moment and i expect they will get worse when i fit the coilovers...

Pointless attempting anything until after you have had the coil overs fitted.
Get the full geometry done by professionals, usually these people will also fit the coil overs for you. If you attempt the geometry yourself it will be at best just guess work. You will not be sorry after the initial outlay for the geometry setup with the handling of the car; assuming everything else is in order?

Think of it this way; would you drive a Ferrari with the handbrake halfway up?
This is what you will effectively be doing if you omit the full geometry setup.
I hope this makes sense to you? Spend wisely and once only!

 

[ErikNL]

I ordered them last night so its the anxious wait now. i hope they get to me before the snow hits.

tyres next, winter and summer, think ill have a scout for some steelies for winter

How about secondhand alloys instead of steelies? You will probably drive four months or more per year on winter tyres. Would be worth it in my opinion. Just a thought.

Greets, Erik.

 

[jarrus]

So I take it you bought those Gaz units then?

They will be on my shopping list for the 205 when I've sorted my 306

 

[jlw89]

How about secondhand alloys instead of steelies? You will probably drive four months or more per year on winter tyres. Would be worth it in my opinion. Just a thought.

Greets, Erik.

if i can find a set cheap enough i will, Steelies are usually unwanted to most people, especially modders.

So I take it you bought those Gaz units then?

They will be on my shopping list for the 205 when I've sorted my 306

ye I went for the Trackday/Road use ones - £500 delivered..

They say it takes roughly 3 weeks to build and deliver them so im anxious now with snow forecast for next month

 

[jarrus]

Didn't know they were made to order.
I'm intreged to see the changes these make to your motor, you'll have to post some pictures up

 

[jlw89]

just a quick update, the coilovers were delivered monday and Im planning on fitting them saturday

 

[T9 man]

just a quick update, the coilovers were delivered monday and Im planning on fitting them saturday

Marvellous stuff, don't forget the full geometry set up as well if funds will allow!

 

[jarrus]

Yeah what T9 said....
Also get some pictures up also of them of the car and on the car

 

[Prince]

Good stuff mate! Looking forward to the next update, just don't forget the pics!

 

[jlw89]

Marvellous stuff, don't forget the full geometry set up as well if funds will allow!

one perk being an apprentice mechanic is having the use of college wheel allignment ramp. So I can actively measure and adjust all the necessary camber, castor, toe and rake angles my self at no cost, so funds are not an issue in this case :bigsmile:.

Yeah what T9 said....
Also get some pictures up also of them of the car and on the car

I will upload pictures when I get time, before, during and after fitting, which will hopefully be Saturday, if time is available. If I do fit them saturday the pics will either be uploaded early hours sunday or late afternoon.

Does anyone know the best way of protecting the threads against the elements??
I was thinking either grease, wax-oil or tape. I dont care about how they look, I just want them protected so I know I can adjust them in 5/6 months time without taking them off the car and using a vice and other 'persuasion' tools.

 

[Prince]

Copper grease would be my selection. Not too much though.

 

[MasterAuron]

Don't need to if you have KW's with stainless bodies you get what you pay for

 

[jlw89]

thats true MA.

I couldnt wait until Saturday to fit my coilovers so I decided to have a late one at work tonight to do it :bigsmile:

Due to some slight chasis petrusion at the rear, I had to 'modify' / beat some of it back to allow the coil spring to line up with the strut top. Not something I like doing but it had to be done. I can safely say there is plenty of body in them areas with no corrosion :toung:

I also fitted new Red wheel studs for peace of mind, the impact gun in work is very aggressive and i have a feeling it has stretched the old ones.

heres some pics of the coils, starting with the rear..

 

[jlw89]

more pics, my strut brace and the front shocks before fitting Coils...

 

[jlw89]

some more pics of the front with the Coils going on and setting my first height to get an idea of the drop. i think i guessed quite well for a quick setup

 

[jlw89]

last pictures...

 

[T9 man]

Excellent stuff, so I suppose your going to go out and find all the roads with the twisty bends now!
Don't forget to give us some feedback on how they perform.

 

[Prince]

Nice work mate! They look miles better! How do they feel?

Feel free to add your supsension setup to this thread here.

 

[jlw89]

Excellent stuff, so I suppose your going to go out and find all the roads with the twisty bends now!
Don't forget to give us some feedback on how they perform.

Ive only driven it to and from work but it currently feels a bit bouncy...I havnt played with the dampening/rebound adjusters yet. I think they may need to be adjusted so they are a bit firmer, I could be wrong.

Its so different to the lowering kit. It felt tighter on the roundabouts with less body roll. Maybe Im going to have to wait a few days for them to fully set :-?

Can anyone tell be the best way of adjusting the rebound please. I know its just a knob but i dont like adjusting things i cant measure. Id guess it's just trial and test drive?

I may have to raise it when i put my winter wheels on because im currently rolling on 195 45 15's and my winter tyres are 185 60 14's and I dont want to be snow ploughing if we do have a freak shower.

 

[Prince]

Mark the knob before you adjust it so you can easily adjust it back. Just a simple line will do. It will be a case of trial and error so good luck.

They will take a couple weeks to set depending on how much you use it. Allow for around a further 10mm drop.

 

[jlw89]

I took it for a drive last night and it was very bouncy, it feels like a bouncy castle going over small dips and the yellow lines that help you slow down before roundabouts.

Do I need to go stiffer? I had to try and adjust the fronts while i was out because it was barely driveable. I noticed they were set to completely soft (-) so i turned each 15 clicks but didnt seem to make much difference...The mrs thinks it was bouncing on the back but I cant tell because its up and down everywhere. Also its firm over little bumps but im guessing its dude to being setup too soft??

I need to modify the rear chasis a bit more because the springs are catching.

 

[T9 man]

Yes keep adjusting them down. The garage said this to me when I had mine done, if it was too hard for my liking that they can always soften it back up.
I supposed I missed the meaning of the term "adjustable", no complaints though as they got it right for me first time!

 

[jarrus]

Copper grease would be my selection. Not too much though.

To cover them in before fitting?

 

[MasterAuron]

I took it for a drive last night and it was very bouncy, it feels like a bouncy castle going over small dips and the yellow lines that help you slow down before roundabouts.

Do I need to go stiffer? I had to try and adjust the fronts while i was out because it was barely driveable. I noticed they were set to completely soft (-) so i turned each 15 clicks but didnt seem to make much difference...The mrs thinks it was bouncing on the back but I cant tell because its up and down everywhere. Also its firm over little bumps but im guessing its dude to being setup too soft??

I need to modify the rear chasis a bit more because the springs are catching.

A feature of cheap coilovers I'm afraid. Despite the fact that they have about 30 million "clicks" of adjustment, the adjustment range is actually very small, and the soft setting very bouncy. It's hard or bouncy with cheap adjustable coilovers

Yes keep adjusting them down. The garage said this to me when I had mine done, if it was too hard for my liking that they can always soften it back up.
I supposed I missed the meaning of the term "adjustable", no complaints though as they got it right for me first time!

What have you got? ££££££???

 

[Prince]

To cover them in before fitting?

Any nuts and bolts that he wants to remove/adjust etc in the future. If you use to much though you'll find it attracts all the dirt.

 

[jlw89]

A feature of cheap coilovers I'm afraid. Despite the fact that they have about 30 million "clicks" of adjustment, the adjustment range is actually very small, and the soft setting very bouncy. It's hard or bouncy with cheap adjustable coilovers

I know they are not the best money can buy but I dont consider £500 to be very cheap, especially given the fact I drive a car which I paid the same amount for :amazed:

Im used to a back breaking ride from my konis when they gaveup so the stiff ride shouldnt be too much trouble for me. I just cant handle driving a boat where I cant even see straight when bouncing everywhere :blink: