Coilovers in the Cupra!!!!

[Cupra]

Well I finally got time to put my new coilovers in the ibiza ( thanks evorobin ). Started with the rears on Sunday morning, no real problems although my first height setting was a little optimistic, I couldn't get my trolley jack out from under the car. I pulled the front end out & realized that my spring compressors are playing hide & seek in the garage & there doing a great job of not being found!

So I put the front back together & drove it to work yesterday..... what an experience that was! 9 year old standard cupra front end with new coilover rear!! I thought i had unleashed satan, she was pitching around & very uncomfortable to drive between 40 & 60ks. I got to work & really had some doubts about what I had just done to my little toy.

I picked up some new spring compressors on the way home & to my surprise my old ones weren't waiting for me in the garage..... anyway, I had a good play with the front end last night ( the vw way of doing things is so different to the Jap way, my last moded car was a mazda R100) and it all went together without any problems.

So how does it drive? it's fantastic.....it is very firm at normal speeds, 40-50k around Richmond ( The hawkesbury has the best roads in the country......NOT!) but as it goes quicker the ride seems more purposeful if that makes sense? it feels like it wants to do business, turn in is much sharper & mid corner control is just brilliant. There are a series of bends at the back of Richmond RAAF base that are badly rutted & the car used to get untidy over 70-80, I went through at 100 this morning without thinking about it! I think I might have to do a track day to really find out what they are like.

These are the ebay coilovers (branded "RaceLand")which I got through evorobin here on the forum & they have transform the car. I read a lot about them here & on other vw & seat forums & even though there are as many bad stories as good I decided to give them a go. Part of the problem could be that in their rush to fit the fronts people don't take time to understand how the top of our front suspension actually works & how to put the bearing to the top of the coilover so that it sits correctly.

Pictures soon & hopefully when they settle down I'll be just as happy!

Phil

[Bora Sport]

I've had KW V2's in my Cupra for around 8 months and I know what you are talking about. I just love the way it goes around corners. Do yours have adjustable shockies?

[KI11Z]

Sounds king! cant wait for mine

[Cupra]

Unfortunately non adjustable shocks, but i'm not complaining for the price.

The car has always felt very front end heavy ( I know, I know it has a big lump of metal in the front & no bum!) and the the rear was just tagging along to the party that the front was going to but now it just all feels right.

[jayjay]

nice nice.. you must have a pretty quick car now ehy? i too am feeling this hottuning love. how far have you wound them down?

[Cupra]

nice nice.. you must have a pretty quick car now ehy? i too am feeling this hottuning love. how far have you wound them down?

I haven't dropped it to far yet, to many speed bumps & big pot holes here in the Hawkesbury, & now I remember why I got the car in the first place!

[NiGhtCRaWlEr]

now all you need is some 20mm spacers on the rears and it will sit lovely and youl notice how it grips the road too

[IbizaGTI]

Phil,

I'm putting in the same coils into my '95 GTi, could you tell me how much you wound the springs up; if you can remember (or easily check)

I measure from the bottom of the thread to the underside of the bottom nut (the locknut).

Thanks buddy..

Orr

[Cupra]

Phil,

I'm putting in the same coils into my '95 GTi, could you tell me how much you wound the springs up; if you can remember (or easily check)

I measure from the bottom of the thread to the underside of the bottom nut (the locknut).

Thanks buddy..

Orr

I can't remember the measurement after I dropped it the second time. I know now that the height keeper spring (the lower spring) is now just off full compression which lowered the car & improved the ride quality without much effect on the handling. I've had them in the car a couple of months now without any problems so far.

I'll remeasure on the weekend for you from the bottom of the thread. I think the fronts might be 9 cm & the rears 6cm but i'm not sure

this is how the car is sitting now

[thestu]

looking sweet!

[IbizaGTI]

I can't remember the measurement after I dropped it the second time. I know now that the height keeper spring (the lower spring) is now just off full compression which lowered the car & improved the ride quality without much effect on the handling. I've had them in the car a couple of months now without any problems so far.

I'll remeasure on the weekend for you from the bottom of the thread. I think the fronts might be 9 cm & the rears 6cm but i'm not sure

this is how the car is sitting now

Sweet, that's about what I wanted to know; I got my rears in at about the same height last weekend and will be putting in the fronts this weekend.

It's a lot of hard work winding those nuts up, do you know if I could use spring compressors to make the job easier? or is that too dangerous to contemplate? or have you got any suggestions to make it easier?

thanks

[Golf Loon]

Its really easy to wind the coils up when the car is not resting on em.
Jack it up high and use stands, takes the strain off.

[Cupra]

I used spring compressors for the fronts, it just made setting up the top bearing so much easier ( with the coilovers out of the car). Also if you haven't already got one buy an adjustable C spanner from a tool shop, it's so much better for your hand!

Phil

[Cupra]

Don't forget the cupra is on 16's with 45 profile rubber so if you're running the standard alloys you will have a different setting for a similar look.

[IbizaGTI]

thanks Phil, thanks loon.

I'm running 205/45 R16's too but their offset is a lil wrong coz I hit the rubber against the guards on hard bumps! I think it's just marginally on the inner edge of the guard, but I think I'll have to roll them up or at least the inner 'lip' inwards... This only happens on the backs by the way, no rubbing at all infront; hopefully stays that way once the coils are in... ???