whats the best springs for an S3?

[bobbybo]

Bought an S3 last year, its in good condition chassis wise but has done 90,000 miles, have been concerned for some time that its very low, has bottomed a couple of times coming into the drive, went to put axle stands under it the other day and it only has about 3" between garage floor and exhaust, so im planning to take it to farmers autocare and see if it needs new springs & or shocks, can anyone recommend a good size of spring? is there a trade off between having a slightly higher spring & ride height versus handling?

would welcome any comments

thanks

[bobbybo]

quick note to add to my first post. When I get the springs replaced what other things should I be changing at the same time, any recommendations?

[ketvrin]

Hi Rob

are you still on original Konis and assuming you can buy replacement springs for the existing shockers ?

I suspect you will be in the market for replacement springs and shockers. theres plenty advice on here already, look in the forum search but the FAQ on the topic looks way out of date:
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... need new shocks and springs. What should I go for?&mid=73125
my guess is you will receive some opinions/advice here soon but you need to figure out what you are looking for in terms of ride quality before you pays your money...

good luck

K

[bobbybo]

Thanks for reply Kevin, ive been reading through some old posts, as im no expert, judging by past pots the ride height seems to drop with age & cause handling problems as well as bottoming out, I was concerned/disapointed that the car got really squirrly at speeds above 75, local garage could see no faults when i asked them to thoroghly check steering, but reading other people's same experience it seems to be an old suspension problem that effects handling.

Dont have a fixed budget & i want to keep the car long term so im willing to pay within reason for a good long term solution, i dont do track days only tootling about & B road tours.

People that have bought cheap shocks & springs seem to have had mixed luck, so I dont want to 'pay cheap pay twice' would prefer to invest in something decent. Also loads of different opinions on firmness between 375 & 450 for front etc etc, and many have bought springs that are too long and end up with car like a 4x4!

Also interested in replacing any other parts that would improve handling, eg bushes, any parts that wear with age and that could be replaced when the suspension is apart anyway, if someone had a list that would be very much appreciated.

Thanks! :-)

[Gerald-TVR]

Talk to Derek Ab Shocks on here www.absolutelyshocks.com he is de man

[phillpot]

Gerald-TVR said:

Talk to Derek

+1

This guy turns up at SCH (about the only supplier who does) and following a chat with him last year, after I'd bought a n other brand, can confirm he knows his stuff and certainly doesn't come "the hard sell"

[ketvrin]

OK others will advise on shockers etc as I have not done them yet...

Last winter I replaced:

wishbone bushes - poly
shock absorber bushes - poly
steering rack bushes - rubber as I couldnt source poly which are available now.
ARB bushes - poly
track rod ends
top ball joints
my bottom ball joints were ok...
drop links - made my own with rose joints etc... I did a post somewhere on here see pic below...
lower steering column UJ - top one was fine.
Brake hoses and new pads were fitted. discs were fine.

I also replaced engine mounts as ARB to sump clearance was poor and gearbox mount.

you should take a good look at the bulkhead bearing on your steering column

I always thought the S handled well but was very pleased with the overall improvement I saw after this little lot...

TVR Carparts supplied the poly (superflex) and ebay the rest.

good luck

K

[PYNEY]

i replaced my shocks with gaz gold pros from derek
350 springs on rear and 450 on the front seems fine "derek will advice you"
the springs were 8" long

keith

[Jed-S]

If I was buying some dampers again I would buy some from Protech.

[bobbybo]

thanks for all replies, Dereks name comes up repeatedly for new suspension so I will call him and get the parts he recommends.

appreciate your time in list of poly bushes Kevin, I need to work up a final list of stuff to replace while the suspension is being done, Was it expensive for that lot?

Any other parts anyone can think of would be appreciated!

[bobbybo]

yes, checked tonight still original red Koni's , defo needs new springs n shocks, no doubt.

[Gerald-TVR]

See this

Norman

[DJ8226]

Sounds familiar - My S3 was scary at 60mph it felt like it wanted to leave the road at any opportunity! Remedy - GAZ GOLDS now fitted - SSCCTVR North of York did the work cracking deal included free fitting. Also had top ball joints and track rods done plus tracking and suspension set up for road use. Result - It's a totally different car to drive now. Check your springs arn't coil bound at the front i.e all scrunched up so not really doing what they should. If original they will be knocking on 20 years old and therefore ready for a birthday. Good advice for all other mods but IMHO it depends what you want to do with your car. Most don't go above 70-80mph and round the bends a lot slower. Yeah I agree new bushes and arb upgrade etc will change / improve characteristics of your car but unless you are a serious track dayer or budding racer is it worth the additional expense? Just my opinion of course. My advice - Start with springs and shocks and take it from there. Good Luck

[bobbybo]

just pondering now wether to get the shocks/springs & let Farmer autocare fit them locally, they are normally good with my previous cars and do tracking etc, or wether to drive to a TVR specialist & get it serviced as well, will have a look see who's close to Edinburgh..

[ketvrin]

bobbybo said:

Was it expensive for that lot?

Hell yes it was bl00dy expensive, but then I'm mean... (but you're Scottish )
there was no benefit in going direct instead of TVR Carparts so I would check their site to get a feel for prices and if its expensive by your standards ...

suffice to say it was worth every penny...

Original Koni's might not be 20 year old of course, check your service history... mine were replaced with Koni's again at 74000 miles so are not as old as the rest of the car

K;)

[GreenV8S]

While looking at the old springs bear in mind that the original ones were quite posh rising rate ones with the top four coils wound much closer together than the rest - they will actually be coil bound (or very nearly) with the weight on the vehicle on its wheels. Some people mistake this for sagging springs, whereas it's actually normal.

The aftermarket springs you replace them with will not be rising rate, and will usually be around 20% stiffer than the originals. Combined with new dampers the ride will feel much more positive as a result.

There's really no difference between springs from any of the well know suppliers so get your springs supplied with the dampers and let the damper supplier spec them for you. Most of the TVR specialist suppliers will talk through your requirements and recommend a set of springs+dampers to suit you.

Always always replace all four together, don't under any circumstances mix different age/brand/type on the same car.

There are plenty of well known brands offering dampers from £50 to a couple of hundred quid per corner. The performance difference in this price range is enormous and this is the very last place you want to save money on your TVR because it makes a fundamental difference to the handling and ride quality. If you can afford it, I would always recommend Nitrons. Being priced between the ordinary 'budget' aftermarket dampers and seriously expensive race dampers they're relatively expensive compared to the budget dampers, but if you ever get to compare them you'll see how thoroughly they show up the cheaper dampers.

[HvdWeerden]

GreenV8S said:

While looking at the old springs bear in mind that the original ones were quite posh rising rate ones with the top four coils wound much closer together than the rest - they will actually be coil bound (or very nearly) with the weight on the vehicle on its wheels. Some people mistake this for sagging springs, whereas it's actually normal.

Original Koni's are even more posh because they also have adjustable damper setting !

Han

[GreenV8S]

HvdWeerden said:

GreenV8S said:

While looking at the old springs bear in mind that the original ones were quite posh rising rate ones with the top four coils wound much closer together than the rest - they will actually be coil bound (or very nearly) with the weight on the vehicle on its wheels. Some people mistake this for sagging springs, whereas it's actually normal.

Original Koni's are even more posh because they also have adjustable damper setting !

Han

Just about every aftermarket damper will have adjustable damping, and most of them will have adjustable ride height. On most of them, you don't have to dismantle half your suspension to adjust the dampers.

[bobbybo]

the Gaz Golds seem to appear a lot as a mid priced but good performance for the non track day owner, any good?

[bobbybo]

Kevin, thoguht Bell was Scottish surname? you might be lucky and have some of the thrifty gene ;-)

wouldnt mind a drive south of the border if it wasnt for all the salt and grit on the roads, want to get it all ready to hit the road when the first day of sun comes!