ORIGINAL: zcacogp
ORIGINAL: ChasR
1) Uprated dampers : Konis are OK but the Bilstein B6s are great if they fit on your damper cases. Being a '91 car I don't think those Turbos came with adjustable coilovers.
2) KWv3s. I used to think they were a waste of money until I went in a Turbo with them. I then owned a Turbo with them already fitted! IMHO they are very hard to beat. There are not many suspension systems that allow you to ride roads in relative comfort with a car being lower than stock whilst transforming the car on the limit. Bar the price you really can have your cake and eat with the KWs.
I would have said to go for OE Boge Turbos but on two dailies I have not been satisfied with their performance (or availability) against what comes from the dealer in terms of performance and longevity.
Once again (and as usual) Chas is on the money, although I disagree with him on a couple of points.
2. My experience with KWv3's is limited (I've never owned a car with them on) but I
haven't been that impressed with them whenever I have driven cars with them fitted. Having said that, everyone who has sold the necessary organs to afford them has always raved about them so perhaps they are worth the money.
Oli.
P.s. Chas - aren't OE Boge Turbo's what the dealer supply? If so, I don't understand your closing statement.
Firstly Oli, quit with the praise, it'll only get to my head
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They are meant to be but as always what the dealers tend to get is different to what they give the suppliers.
As an example (well, a few!)
A Dayco Belt from GSF is not the same as a Dayco belt that Peugeot get ; The Stealer belt is thicker, slightly wider and has a different part no. Put the stealer belt number into GSF and it comes back with their 'equivalent'...
Ford supply 4 or 5 different springs and dampers for the Mondeo if you exclude the ST220 (depending on wheel size and engine) which are made by Sachs. From ECP? One spring and one damper(from the lightweight 1.8 to the rather heavier 3.0), and that is from Sachs, the OE supplier for Ford.
Same with upper arms on Alfa 147s/156s. Lemforder items barely cover 10-20k before wearing and being an MOT failure. The genuine Alfa items will do almost 3 times that going by what people have said but Poly is meant to be the true cure in this application.
I say my comments since on two or three occasions (in the Mundaneos I got bitten):
The first 2.0 I got off my dad came with Boge Turbos which he fitted before passing the car onto me. After 3 months it was not alot better than what came off.
The second time on the 2.5 V6 Auto we did the same with GSF telling us that the Lesjofer spring and Boge dampers were OE. They were not. The car lowered itself after 3 months (I guess the springs had fatigued) with the front beginning to catch speed bumps if I drove over them too fast (well, slightly quickly (15MPH)) in addition to it killing tyres due to excess camber. The genuine Ford setup I later got for that car to replace the front was far superior and lasted over twice as long and kept the ride height spot on (I believe the car is still on that setup up front). On the rear I did got cheaper again for Sachs Springs and Bilstein B4 dampers. After 2 months that car was far worse at lift off oversteer than my 205 GTi ever was. Likewise when I sold the car the rear of the car sank lower than the front. It is something my local garage found as well with pattern bits.
Maybe I have been unlucky with the above but it is my experience with using them. Bilstein B6s seem to be as good as OE (in America they are called HD) and seem to give a superb ride as well as being good VFM IMO. It is a shame you cannot get them to fit Porsche dampers so easily.
Anyway, enough of my waffling! What did you not find so great about the KWs? I am intrigued. I shall admit that even if I do drive someone else's car I am quite careful
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