Fiesta Suspension

[Kieran Sliwowski]

Hello everyone

At some point in the future I would like to do a few modifications to my fiesta now that I have just about got a years driving out of the way.

I was thinking a backbox (just for the nicer sound), some nice alloys and I would like to lower it a bit.

This is where I have seen conflicting points about lowering springs messing up shocks so I am unsure on what to do.

There are some lowering springs on euro car parts for around £100 but I also found some cheap coilovers which have decent reviews for £200 (Prosport ones)

Would springs be ok by themselves or should I invest in the coilovers?

Thanks

Kieran

 

  

 

[TomsFocus]

Cheap coilovers are just for looks really, they don't last long and the ride comfort is shocking but they do go as low as you want.

Springs are the way to go for a daily.  As long as you're not going lower than 40mm drop the standard shocks should be fine.  If you are going lower than that, bit some uprated shocks as well.  The downside of springs compared to coilovers is that they are a fixed height.

[Kieran Sliwowski]

20 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Cheap coilovers are just for looks really, they don't last long and the ride comfort is shocking but they do go as low as you want.

Springs are the way to go for a daily.  As long as you're not going lower than 40mm drop the standard shocks should be fine.  If you are going lower than that, bit some uprated shocks as well.  The downside of springs compared to coilovers is that they are a fixed height.

The ones that were on euro were a 35mm drop, I was just worried with the shocks breaking as I don't want to buy those aswell lol. Im not fussed about the fixed height, i just wanted it to be a bit lower and more aggressive. They are amax springs if you've heard of them, im not sure on the quality

I'd like to get some nice alloys too, im surprised how pricey they are! Is it recommended to stay on the exact same size wheel or cant you go bigger?

[TomsFocus]

1 hour ago, Kieran Sliwowski said:

The ones that were on euro were a 35mm drop, I was just worried with the shocks breaking as I don't want to buy those aswell lol. Im not fussed about the fixed height, i just wanted it to be a bit lower and more aggressive. They are amax springs if you've heard of them, im not sure on the quality

I'd like to get some nice alloys too, im surprised how pricey they are! Is it recommended to stay on the exact same size wheel or cant you go bigger?

Haven't heard of Amax myself, I'd always recommend Eibach but they are a bit more expensive.  Cheaper springs tend to ride a bit more harshly but nowhere near as bad as coilovers.

As for alloys, you can definitely go bigger, just have to reduce the tyre sidewall so that the overall circumference of wheel & tyre together stays roughly the same.

For example, if you want to fit 17" alloys (ST ones maybe), the tyre size would be 205/40/17.

Most people buy used alloys instead of brand new due to the price!  If you can find a set with decent tyres already fitted that's a bonus.

If you're looking at aftermarket alloys, you'll need to check they are the correct PCD which is 4x108, and also that the offset (ETxx) is with a reasonable tolerance so that they don't stick out too far or sit too far back.

[Kieran Sliwowski]

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

Haven't heard of Amax myself, I'd always recommend Eibach but they are a bit more expensive.  Cheaper springs tend to ride a bit more harshly but nowhere near as bad as coilovers.

As for alloys, you can definitely go bigger, just have to reduce the tyre sidewall so that the overall circumference of wheel & tyre together stays roughly the same.

For example, if you want to fit 17" alloys (ST ones maybe), the tyre size would be 205/40/17.

Most people buy used alloys instead of brand new due to the price!  If you can find a set with decent tyres already fitted that's a bonus.

If you're looking at aftermarket alloys, you'll need to check they are the correct PCD which is 4x108, and also that the offset (ETxx) is with a reasonable tolerance so that they don't stick out too far or sit too far back.

If im honest, ride quality don't bother me at all, I used to do karting and they had no suspension at all lol. I just want the shocks to be fine and hope the springs don't break.

I have read amax are the sister company to apex, not sure how true that is though.

I assume that is so the speedo will not need re calibration.

I guess I need to try and find a decent used deal, most are either pricey or cheap and are curbed. 

[TomsFocus]

12 hours ago, Kieran Sliwowski said:

If im honest, ride quality don't bother me at all, I used to do karting and they had no suspension at all lol. I just want the shocks to be fine and hope the springs don't break.

I have read amax are the sister company to apex, not sure how true that is though.

I assume that is so the speedo will not need re calibration.

I guess I need to try and find a decent used deal, most are either pricey or cheap and are curbed. 

Spending a couple of hours on a smooth Karting track isn't the same as driving over rough public roads every day tbf lol.  The shocks will be fine with 35mm springs.  But now I'm on PC instead of mobile, I can see your car is a 2007...the shocks are probably knackered by now if they haven't already been replaced!  It will also be worth checking the top strut mounts when changing springs.  Cheap springs don't tend to snap any quicker than standard ones in my experience.  On the subject of cheap springs, £100 for the Amax is way too much, they're only half that on eBay!  

Keeping the same rolling radius has more benefits than just the speedo, if the tyres are too much bigger it has the effect of gearing up which makes the car slower and puts extra strain on the gearbox, as well as scrubbing the strut or wheel arch.  If you can find a really cheap kerbed set locally, you could always have them powder coated in a colour of your choice...

[Kieran Sliwowski]

1 hour ago, TomsFocus said:

Spending a couple of hours on a smooth Karting track isn't the same as driving over rough public roads every day tbf lol.  The shocks will be fine with 35mm springs.  But now I'm on PC instead of mobile, I can see your car is a 2007...the shocks are probably knackered by now if they haven't already been replaced!  It will also be worth checking the top strut mounts when changing springs.  Cheap springs don't tend to snap any quicker than standard ones in my experience.  On the subject of cheap springs, £100 for the Amax is way too much, they're only half that on ebay!  

Keeping the same rolling radius has more benefits than just the speedo, if the tyres are too much bigger it has the effect of gearing up which makes the car slower and puts extra strain on the gearbox, as well as scrubbing the strut or wheel arch.  If you can find a really cheap kerbed set locally, you could always have them powder coated in a colour of your choice...

I'm honestly not sure if the shocks have been replaced at all, I would have to check that with my dad. It's only just had an MOT so I would assume most stuff is fine logically. Oh the ones I were viewing were the apex ones, the amax were £69 I believe but I will check eBay too.

Is there a way to calulate the rolling radius so I know what wheels/tyres would be suitable? I know someone who can get some powder coated, its just most examples seem to be curbed to the extent where its actually scored the alloy.

Edit: That's sort of why i was thinking that coilover kit as it comes with shocks too, but im not sure if they would actually last.

 

[TomsFocus]

2 hours ago, Kieran Sliwowski said:

I'm honestly not sure if the shocks have been replaced at all, I would have to check that with my dad. It's only just had an MOT so I would assume most stuff is fine logically. Oh the ones I were viewing were the apex ones, the amax were £69 I believe but I will check ebay too.

Is there a way to calulate the rolling radius so I know what wheels/tyres would be suitable? I know someone who can get some powder coated, its just most examples seem to be curbed to the extent where its actually scored the alloy.

Edit: That's sort of why i was thinking that coilover kit as it comes with shocks too, but im not sure if they would actually last.

 

Cheap coilover shocks are often poor quality tbh, I've had 2 different branded sets where one shock has failed between 1 to 2 years old!  😮  Warranty is usually only a year and the refurb cost was so high it wasn't worth doing.  As I say, they're good for a really low static stance for shows, but I can't find any other benefits lol.  MOT only really checks shocks for leaks, it doesn't detect slightly weak shocks.

Most powder coaters will repair alloys with filler if they're that bad, you would have to pay extra though.  There are various tyre size calculators online for rolling radius such as https://tiresize.com/tyre-size-calculator/ 

Just put your current tyre size in the top, the new size in the bottom and it'll tell you the difference between them.  There are some standard sizes for the Fiesta though, 195/45/16, 205/40/17 etc.

[Kieran Sliwowski]

21 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Cheap coilover shocks are often poor quality tbh, I've had 2 different branded sets where one shock has failed between 1 to 2 years old!  😮  Warranty is usually only a year and the refurb cost was so high it wasn't worth doing.  As I say, they're good for a really low static stance for shows, but I can't find any other benefits lol.  MOT only really checks shocks for leaks, it doesn't detect slightly weak shocks.

Most powder coaters will repair alloys with filler if they're that bad, you would have to pay extra though.  There are various tyre size calculators online for rolling radius such as https://tiresize.com/tyre-size-calculator/ 

Just put your current tyre size in the top, the new size in the bottom and it'll tell you the difference between them.  There are some standard sizes for the Fiesta though, 195/45/16, 205/40/17 etc.

Thanks for the help!

I will find out how old the shocks are and see what sort of condition they are in, from what i feel they are fine but you never know.

I will probably go for the amax ones as it will save me a fair deal which can go towards wheels. I could powder coat the stock alloys but im not sure if i would like the look lol.

The only problem is that I will be paranoid that im going to break the shocks. I should probably add that I have no idea on how to fit the springs. My dad will have a decent know how so i guess it will be some trial and error!

 

[CallumMk6]

Hi there. 

I’m looking at fitting stiffer anti roll bars to my mk6 finesse. Can I get away with fitting the ST bars or would I need to go for something like the H&R kit?

[jamescrum22]

Just wanted to say, Japan Racing do fairly budget alloys, most of them come in the 4x108 configuration too. Would have to be careful with wheel offset and width however as I've just put 8" ones on my fiesta with offset ET25 and they poke out a little on the front, which would make it fail an MOT. 

AP coilover kits aren't too expensive and seem to last well too.