Lowering kit gone wrong...

Hi all,

Just after some advice really. I fitted my new Koni TA kit this weekend, and although everything seemed to look right off the car, once I'd got it fitted, the car sat at an odd angle, with one front wheel lower than the other. Also, when I was checking the firmness of the new suspension, I could feel the suspension bottoming out on the side which was lower.

I think this must be due to a weak or wrong spring as opposed to the damper - am I correct? The dampers fitted in ok, and were both the same size, but I didn't check the springs were the same (although they fitted with what felt like the same amount of tension applied).

I'm very confused as to why this should be, as I built the two front struts up side by side, and I'm sure they have the same parts on each, but before I phone up for a replacement I want to check that I'm not being an idiot!

I've double checked the measurements from the centre of the front wheels to the underside of the arches - one side is 310mm, and the other is 290mm.

Could anyone shed any light on my problem?

Thanks

Rich

P.S. The rear suspension is fine and looks really nice!

As they are TAs have you got them adjusted up the same?? could be one is softer than the other??? Are the springs sitting correctly on the cups?

The fronts are pretty straight forward, so I can't see what would be wrong?
As said, check the springs are sitting correctly. Otherwise, you may have been given a wrong spring - Too short or maybe even the wrong spring rate.

You say you can "Bottom it out" when you press the wing down - Try cranking the damping adjuster right up to max and try again. If you can still move it, the damper is knackered, though I don't think this would cause it to sit funny.
I don't think you should be able to do this on the softest setting to be honest?!?  :dontknow:

Cheers for the advice guys…

The springs are definitely both sat correctly in the cups, so I don't think that's the problem. Also, when we cranked the dampers up to the max, they both became so stiff that we could hardly move the car at all! Don't think I'll need to use that setting…  but at least it suggests that the dampers are working properly, and are the right spec.

I'm beginning to think that the springs were either the wrong length or rate, like you say Al. I'm going to phone awesome GTI today to see what they say…

Thanks again

Rich

mcscrew said

we cranked the dampers up to the max, they both became so stiff that we could hardly move the car at all! Don't think I'll need to use that setting…  

Take it for a spin on a nice smooth twisty road and come back with your new opinion!  :wink:

Took a couple of weeks for my standard set up to settle down. About a week if I remember.

Peter.

what av you lowered it by sounds like youve got one 60mm spring and one 40mm with it being 20mm lower at one side

That's a good point actually. I hadn't thought about that…

It's supposed to be 40mm - I phoned awesome GTI who I bought the kit from, and they confirmed that I have the correct part numbers on the springs though (and both springs match).

I'm stripping the front suspension on Saturday to carry out some basic tests on the shocks and springs, and depending on what I find awesome will replace the faulty components as early as possible next week.

Awesome have been really helpful and have already reserved me a replacement set of springs. I can't recommend them enough actually - if anyone's thinking of buying from them I can assure you they are brilliant to deal with.

I'll keep ya'll posted as to how I get on…

Rich

Just in case anyone's interested…

I stripped the springs over the weekend, and they are definitely different strengths, despite having the same part number written on them.

I'll hopefully have a new pair delivered to work on Tuesday, so I'll fit them this week and give them a while to settle.

All part of the "joys of motoring" as people on here have said before!!!  

Rich

Glad you found the cause, though that is bad of awesome to have sent out a kit with mis-matched spring lengths!

AL_Mk1 said

Glad you found the cause, though that is bad of awesome to have sent out a kit with mis-matched spring lengths!

He said strengths al  

Just in case that still doesnt work this is from a post on Club gti

tim said

Jobs so far:
take off strip down rear n/s suspension - some one put the spring mount on upside down so that corner sat 2" higher than the rest of the car! lol

Thanks for the pointer…

Al - I knew what you meant

Also, I should say that awesome have been very helpful in sorting this out for me, and it was Koni's fault for supplying the mismatched springs to awesome.

However, Koni themselves have been helpful so far (touch wood) and my replacements are due to arrive today. They'd better as I'm fitting them tomorrow afternoon!

Rich

Glad they have been so good about it - you do hear horror stories with some companies!

The dampers actually play no part in the ride height of the vehicle whatsoever because they merely control the rebound rate of the suspension hence the term damper. The springs are often overlooked as the culprits in suspension problems.

Only a year ago I fitted a set of GSF rear springs on my cabby, these are being replaced with genuine VAG items at four times the cost. Within a couple of months, the rear of the cabby began to sag* so badly that it began to bottom on speed bumps at any speed.

Last week, I fitted some really lovely 15" BBS RA's and those GSF springs must go.

Tim Hale

*or was it all those pies?