What suspension set up would you recommend for a Mk2?

[Beddo88]

Mine go from 20mm-120mm i believe. HotTuning made, bought from ukno1tuning on ebay. Cost me £150. I'll see if i've got a photo i can upload to show ya. Will be well worth replacing you're topmountsat the same time, as well as bushes on wishbones etc. Should really tighten the car up.

I spent about £30 on the mounts for mine, front + rear. Havent chaged the bushes yet, (very poor atm) :( so not sure how that affects it, but should be an improvement!

[Beddo88]

Couple of images, showing both sides. Standard 14" wheels, although the front tyres have now been replaced with slightly smaller 185/55/14s as the 60s used to scrub alot. I've also raised it probably 5mm since then.

[Cpt Custom]

If I was buying new suspension now I'd get cheapy coilovers from ebay. However I might have a different opinion if it was my daily driver. Oil filled shocks and decent springs should give a more comfortable ride. The wheels/tyres also have a big effect on ride quality.

Thanks for that Stuart. Not sure yet if she will be a daily driver, but I will want to get to more shows next year and want to be comfy on those long runs. Especially important being over 6ft tall with a dodgy back.

As for the wheels and tyres, initially it'll be on the 15" Hockenheims I got from bensspares, which came with 195/50s.

[Cpt Custom]

Couple of images, showing both sides. Standard 14" wheels ...

Thanks for not only posting the advice, but for going to the trouble of posting the photos - just what I was after.

If I've done my calculations right I reckon your car is now about 55-60mm lower than standard. I think it looks great, but as I don't want to fill the arches too much and will be running 15" rims initially, maybe even 16" in time, I'm now thinking I want to go 30-40mm max.

Thanks again mate ... you've helped me a lot.

[Beddo88]

Yea if you're sticking with 15/16s i'd lower it less, as you'll obv have lesss gap between the tyres and arch. I would look into the set height suspension kits if thats the case, as they tend to have better handling characteristics, and i think are normally kinder on the body

And the obvious one... try and get the best set you can afford. As with everything, you get what you pay for!

[andyneedham2]

These look pretty good. And they start the lowering from 30mm (which is what I'm after too). 2 year guarantee (as with most budget coilies).

Am I right in thinking that mk1 golf suspension will fit a mk2 Roc?!?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RACELAND-LOWERING ... 011wt_1139

[Risocco]

These look pretty good. And they start the lowering from 30mm (which is what I'm after too). 2 year guarantee (as with most budget coilies).

Am I right in thinking that mk1 golf suspension will fit a mk2 Roc?!?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RACELAND-LOWERING ... 011wt_1139

Yeah it will fit mate.

Just put these on my ladies Polo, blown away with the quality of the ride, cheap coilover companies are really pushing the higher end boys these days IMHO.

Alex

[Beddo88]

Worth having a look around ebay as well, There are several different suppliers, some of which will take offers. I got mine down from 169 to 150, so theres even more money to be saved! All in all, unless you're looking at doing serious trackdays, most cheap coilies should be more than adequate :)

[Mr Funk]

Suspension is a massive can of worms but keep in mind that it isn't just that that'll effect the ride and handling. The front lower brace will transform the handling and can be picked up dead cheap, add some uprated/new bushes and it'll feel like a new car.
Personally I went weitecs/poly bushes/strut braces and am blown away, have never driven such a fun car. Height wise I'm guessing it's 90mm lower with rolled arches but I'm still in bee so can't post any pics
No doubt about it though some of the cheap coileys are superb and pretty much the same as the more expensive ones but repackaged.

[Beddo88]

No doubt about it though some of the cheap coileys are superb and pretty much the same as the more expensive ones but repackaged.

Agreed, i think its HotTuning that produce a large % of them? Guess its kind of down to the luck of the draw as to which ones you end up with. Cant remember if its been mentioned but you'll also have to adjust camber, castor etc as lowering will throw all of them out, making the car horrible and potentially dangerous to drive.

[Cpt Custom]

Yea if you're sticking with 15/16s i'd lower it less, as you'll obv have lesss gap between the tyres and arch. I would look into the set height suspension kits if thats the case, as they tend to have better handling characteristics, and i think are normally kinder on the body

And the obvious one... try and get the best set you can afford. As with everything, you get what you pay for!

Couple of people have mentioned the Weitech GT kit as being a good option. Seems it handles and rides well and I've seen some photos of it with 14s and it looked quite good.

Decisions, decisions ...

[Cpt Custom]

Suspension is a massive can of worms but keep in mind that it isn't just that that'll effect the ride and handling. The front lower brace will transform the handling and can be picked up dead cheap, add some uprated/new bushes and it'll feel like a new car.
Personally I went weitecs/poly bushes/strut braces and am blown away, have never driven such a fun car. Height wise I'm guessing it's 90mm lower with rolled arches but I'm still in bee so can't post any pics
No doubt about it though some of the cheap coileys are superb and pretty much the same as the more expensive ones but repackaged.

Thanks for the advice Mr Funk.

I hadn't thought about the lower strut brace until someone mentioned it recently so I'll certainly need to look into that. I've already got a complete poly set ready to go on.

As for the Weitecs interesting you should mention them as I was down at Ant's Rocco Grotto" last weekend and Sean (GTXTRA) said he'd fitted a Weitec GT kit on one of his cars and been fairly impressed with it. I know it won't be as flexible when it comes to lowering it given it's on a fixed setting, but it might be what I need ... just can't make my mind up.

Don't suppose it was the GT kit you went with by any chance?

[Mr Funk]

Nope, mine's adjustable.
Front lower brace is the best 30 quid you'll spend on the car

[Cpt Custom]

Any more votes for fitting the Weitec GT set-up?

[DT1]

I notice that you mentioned 16" wheels eventually (maybe).

Mine has struts and coils with a ~30mm drop and 16" alloys.

I'll try and get a pic from a lower angle later to give a better idea of clearance.