[jcgt]

Hi there

Car : GT 3,2 2005

first question :

Have had a few different spring/dampers combination so far, but none is really any god.

Original: did not last long and was very soft but at the same time crash when hitting sharp edges. quite expensive to replace with OEM parts.

Koni Fsd/Eibach: a fault in the construction of the front dampers meant that the front of the
car was 2 cm higher than the rear - not a pretty sight... so no good
... Koni has accepted this problem on the GT (not a problem on the GTA)

AP Fahrwerke adjustable coil overs: The screw to adjust the rebound broke the first time of adjustment on the rear dampers. not good quality .. the ride is firm and compliant on good tarmac, but as soon as the car hist uneven tarmac it bounces and is all over the place. when hitting sharp tarmac edges or holes it feels like the car is falling apart (actually my new bushes has been destroyed by this suspension in 1 year). I must admit that i do a lot of town driving on Copenhagens bad roads.

So what is the best suspension if you wan't a sporty but still comfortable ride ... ?

next problem:

when starting the car in the morning a weird rattle from the engine bay is present. At the same time the revs go up to 2000 rpm when cold (not a problem when the car is warmed up). The problem is present as well when i start to drive even when the car is warmed up: if i start in first go second gear and then release the clutch the revs go up ..

Have had the car to many different workshops, but nobody knows what's wrong ? really hope you out there can help me with this..

regards, jeppe carlsen, Denmark

 

[shiny_car]

KW Versions 2 or 3 would be on my shortlist as 'the best' for a street car.

However, I am perfectly happy with my KONI Sport/Eibach combo. Perfect balance of performance and ride comfort for me. I had the front suspension modified slightly to drop the rideheight by about 20mm, though unlike the FSD, the out-of-the-box height was exactly the same as OE (not raised). So for me, the KONI Sport/Eibach is 'the best', but modified. But because most people would prefer not to modify, KW would be my suggestion.

The rattle could be something like a headshield. But hard for us to know without hearing it, and what your mechanic has excluded.

 

[gotcha]

On two 147s I used:

• OEM springs
• Eibach springs
• H&R springs
• OEM dampers
• Bilstein B8 (sprint) dampers
• Autodelta/Intrax adjustable coilovers
• KW V3 coilovers

If you can afford, really go for KW v2 or maybe v3. They are both very expensive, but testing various spring/dampers combinations or low-cost coilovers is even more expensive in the end. Over the years I already learned hat the most expensive alternative is usually the cheapest in the end if you plan to keep he car. Eibach Pro Street S coilovers are fine as well, its basically re-branded KW V1.

I would not recommend Bilstein B14, far too hard for daily road use.

If you can find a distributor or buy from overseas, XYZ supersport coilovers are very good as well, I have driven them recently on 156 2,5V6 and I was impressed.

As a cheapest but very very good alternative, if you still have the Eibach springs you mentioned with FSD than throw FSDs away and buy Billstein B8 dampers that are really amazing and will last the life of the car. Is the best non-coilover damper I have ever driven in my or my friends cars (I don't have real experience with FSD, but read far too many negative comments on compatibility, built quality and wear rate....)

 

[jcgt]

thanks a lot - i'll give it some thoughts and decide in near future

As for the rattle when the engine is cold, I'm on the verve of giving up .. it's still there, and the engine is also running very rough when cold, but according to my mechanic, everything is as it should be ?? The rattle though is just getting worse over time..