Gaz Golds 375Front 300Rear or 425 /325ib shocks, help?

[bobbybo]

Apologies for going over old ground but i have decided to go with Gaz Gold & would appreciate any reviews from current users before parting with my £600.

Im not track daying ever, odd B road blast and like tootling around town a bit so looking for decent ride height, got a V6 S2.

Spoke with Derek at absolutely shocks & he has recommended the 375/300 option, but some people in past threads have complained about them.

Thanks

Robert

[tozerman]

I went for 425 front and 325 rear. I wanted to go harder than normal as I take my car to the nurburgring every year and will be doing other track days in it as well, I have my shox set at 10 clicks from soft (half way) front and back for normal road use and find it just spot on for me personally,Lots of owners on here run much harder springs than me so it really is personal choice.

Cheers.....Tony..

[Ralph S3]

I have standard Gaz on mine and I started with the 375/300 springs. I just use my car on the road (no track days) and I found that I had to stiffen the shocks to such an extent that the ride was very harsh and crashy (thats a technical term..!!).

I have since switched to 450/375 and wound back the shocks and its much much better.


Ralph

[PYNEY]

i have 450 / 350 from advice on here

[bobbybo]

thanks for the feedback, ill hopefully hear some more then take the plunge, any difference in ride height between the different ratings?

[Matt]

Hi, for what it's worth I've gone for 400 front and 325 at the rear with the Gaz (V8s). Chassis still away being repaired although due back soon... I didn't want to go for too harder springs at the front because the roads are so rough. I guess it's a combination of damper rate and stiffness that matters though. Springs are fairly cheap to swap so may end up changing them at a later date. Hope that hasn't confused things further, I know I spent ages working out what rates to get!
Matt

[King Fisher]

Nick had 375 front and 300 backs; excellent handling, kept the pace with a 3 litre Z4 and RX8 no problem. However, Nick being Nick, he had to go and get 500lb fronts and put the old 375s on the back...it'll be interesting to see how it handles now. However, it is sat VERY high at the back, with very little room before it'll bottom out. More on this later though....

[macL]

"I have standard Gaz on mine and I started with the 375/300 springs. I just use my car on the road (no track days) and I found that I had to stiffen the shocks to such an extent that the ride was very harsh and crashy (thats a technical term..!!)."



I found the same as Ralph, just bought some 450 springs for the front, the existing front springs are going on the back, I'll keep you posted to see if the changes make a big difference

[bobbybo]

wow, this is tricky, Derek at absolutely shocks swears by the 375/300's , does anyone actualy have these fitted and like them?

[bobbybo]

Matt, have you tried the 400/325's out yet? or have you just got them fitted to the chassis?

thanks

Robert

[jwoffshore]

I have been running 400/325 for a while and it's fine except for hard track use where it leans on the outside front too much. I am now going up to 450/375, but this is on V8S with Nitron shocks and 215/45-17 tyres.

[v8s4me]

Please let me know the results on this as I'm thinking about Nitrons form my V8S. Joe

[CTE]

I have tried all sorts of combinations and have ended with Gaz standard shock which are ideally suited to about 450lb/in...so I have these front and rear, and this compromise suits me best. I have gone as hard as 700 on the rear, but they were a bit extreme for road use, but not as extreme as you might think...it was more of a case that the shocks were not valved for the spring rate.
My next move might be to fit some gas filled dampers, which should work a lot better than the oil filled type....better at conrtrolling high speed bump, so should reduce any crashing.
My geo was set up at Guglielmi`s, so its good, with new bushes etc.

[stourbridges2tvr]

bobbybo said:

wow, this is tricky, Derek at absolutely shocks swears by the 375/300's , does anyone actualy have these fitted and like them?

I got Gaz shocks from Derek, he sold me the same combo.
I found that i had to have the damping set very firm and the height set as high as it would go or it was grounding all over the place.
Having read threads on here i decided to go 425 front and put the 375s on the rear,
I now have the damping set much softer, the ride is superb, with no more grounding out.
Thr car does sit a little high, but the handling is well worth it.

I virtually had to beg Derek to sell me the heavier shocks! he kept muttering stuff about non-sense on forums, but 425 front 375 rear has sorted my car a treat.

[bobbybo]

thanks for all replies, would have been a nightmare having an S with no pistonheads advice

im going with 425/325, unless someone changes my mind this evening..;-)

Robert

[GreenV8S]

jwoffshore said:

I have been running 400/325 for a while and it's fine except for hard track use where it leans on the outside front too much. I am now going up to 450/375, but this is on V8S with Nitron shocks and 215/45-17 tyres.

As you stiffen the suspension the quality of the dampers becomes more and more critical. Cheap dampers with hard springs is a recipe for disaster, and if you're looking at these high spring rates in my opinion the money spent on really good dampers like Nitrons is money well spent. (I run 600/400 on a V8S, with poly bushes and solid bearings in the dampers. It's harder than most people would want on rough roads, but excellent on a smooth track.)

[Matt]

bobbybo said:

Matt, have you tried the 400/325's out yet? or have you just got them fitted to the chassis?

thanks

Robert

No, I bought them before the VAT rise in prepation for the chassis rebuild. Good luck and let the forum know how you get on.
Matt