Yep, it's another suspension thread and it's a fairly long winded one, but...... It's time to move on from my B14s. It's important that I choose well this time, mainly because it's fairly expensive, but also because whatever I end up choosing will form part of the catalogue of upgrades I'll be selling/fitting when my new business (hopefully) gets going in a month or so.
What's the current full relevant spec? B14s at their lowest setting. Rear adjuster deletes and front machined top mounts which = approx 80, maybe 85mm lowering in my mostly empty T32 kombi with staggered 20" wheels.
Why am I moving on?
1. They're simply too firm. I've run them long enough now (approx 14000 miles over about 9 months) to really understand them and on the poorly finished roads local to me they are just too firm. They are brilliant on good roads, but on anything other than a good road they are too firm. Pot holes? Ouch! Scarred surfaces? Oooff! Speed Bumps? Slow Down, right down!
2. They're are just so many other options out there at the moment. The market has changed a great deal since I bought these and was changing at the time, but I was in a hurry so couldn't wait to see what came next!
What do I want next?
Ideally, I want belly scraping low on 17" banded steels, but for my driving, it's just not practical. I never usually put practicality ahead of aesthetics, but this is one concession I have to make. Air would solve that, but it's too expensive and I'm not sure I trust it enough for 20000 miles a year and I'm not really sure it's as comfortable as good static suspension when run low. Maybe SoLows? That would be perfect for aesthetics, but as I've said, practicality just about wins this time.
What am I considering?
Well, I've been researching the options for months and spent many, many hours reading up on stuff. I've also been talking to experts and owners to try and see through the marketing (everything sounds amazing in the world of marketing after all) and I've come up with a shortlist. I need to be able to match the stance I have now, so it has to be able to go as low as B14s, which rules out some of the other available options, but that may be a good thing or I would never make a decision! So, in current order of preference, bearing in mind I haven't driven any of these yet:
1. H&R/Koni Coilovers from CRS Performance
2. STX Coilovers
3. Twin Monotube Project
4. B14 Komfort
Why that order?
1. H&R/Koni kit. a) Genuine threaded body coil over kit, not an adapted sleeve over. b) damping rate adjustable (on the van), I know, I know, perhaps not really necessary, but good for bragging rights. c) Dual tube Koni shock internals that should be more comfortable than the B14 high pressure monotube shocks. d) Decent value when you consider the quality and features. e) These go low enough to get the stance I want whilst getting rid of the machined front top mounts. f) Stunning to look at, gorgeous stainless steel front shock body.
2. STX. a) Genuine threaded body coil over kit. b) Dual tube for comfort. c) Made by KW so should be high quality. d) The cheapest of the contenders. Note: These aren't manufactured for a T32, but with the trick bracket from CRS they will fit and be able to get low enough. Good thing is that they are rated to take the T32 axle weights, they just don't come with the correct fitment for T32 hubs as standard.
3. Twin Monotube Project. Two contenders here, both their offerings would suit my needs. a) Dual tube b) Damping adjustable (before installation, not on the van). Negative here is a sleeve over rather that proper coilover. I appreciate this doesn't directly affect the ride quality, but to me it makes a difference to the overall quality of the package.
4. B14 komfort. To be honest, these are only here because they are the latest Bilstein offering and I'm running Bilstein now. The more I look at them, the more I think they are just far too expensive. They are the most expensive kit on my list. When looking on line they are on average £400 more expensive than the Twin Monotube Project, use the same springs as them, but don't have any adjustability and, like them are a sleeve over design rather than proper coilover.
Test Drives?
I'm booked in to test drive the top two on my list next week with Steve, so that'll be a great opportunity to compare the ride of both offerings and see if the extra money is worth it.
If there's anyone within an hour or so of me who can offer a test drive of number 3 or 4 (on their lowest setting), then it would still be great to have a go. I would love to test drive all of these so that I can have 100% satisfaction that I made the right choice.
If you've read all of that, great, I'll let you know what I end up with in a week or so! Hopefully this post will be helpful to others who are in a similar position looking for a set of coilovers.
What's the current full relevant spec? B14s at their lowest setting. Rear adjuster deletes and front machined top mounts which = approx 80, maybe 85mm lowering in my mostly empty T32 kombi with staggered 20" wheels.
Why am I moving on?
1. They're simply too firm. I've run them long enough now (approx 14000 miles over about 9 months) to really understand them and on the poorly finished roads local to me they are just too firm. They are brilliant on good roads, but on anything other than a good road they are too firm. Pot holes? Ouch! Scarred surfaces? Oooff! Speed Bumps? Slow Down, right down!
2. They're are just so many other options out there at the moment. The market has changed a great deal since I bought these and was changing at the time, but I was in a hurry so couldn't wait to see what came next!
What do I want next?
Ideally, I want belly scraping low on 17" banded steels, but for my driving, it's just not practical. I never usually put practicality ahead of aesthetics, but this is one concession I have to make. Air would solve that, but it's too expensive and I'm not sure I trust it enough for 20000 miles a year and I'm not really sure it's as comfortable as good static suspension when run low. Maybe SoLows? That would be perfect for aesthetics, but as I've said, practicality just about wins this time.
What am I considering?
Well, I've been researching the options for months and spent many, many hours reading up on stuff. I've also been talking to experts and owners to try and see through the marketing (everything sounds amazing in the world of marketing after all) and I've come up with a shortlist. I need to be able to match the stance I have now, so it has to be able to go as low as B14s, which rules out some of the other available options, but that may be a good thing or I would never make a decision! So, in current order of preference, bearing in mind I haven't driven any of these yet:
1. H&R/Koni Coilovers from CRS Performance
2. STX Coilovers
3. Twin Monotube Project
4. B14 Komfort
Why that order?
1. H&R/Koni kit. a) Genuine threaded body coil over kit, not an adapted sleeve over. b) damping rate adjustable (on the van), I know, I know, perhaps not really necessary, but good for bragging rights. c) Dual tube Koni shock internals that should be more comfortable than the B14 high pressure monotube shocks. d) Decent value when you consider the quality and features. e) These go low enough to get the stance I want whilst getting rid of the machined front top mounts. f) Stunning to look at, gorgeous stainless steel front shock body.
2. STX. a) Genuine threaded body coil over kit. b) Dual tube for comfort. c) Made by KW so should be high quality. d) The cheapest of the contenders. Note: These aren't manufactured for a T32, but with the trick bracket from CRS they will fit and be able to get low enough. Good thing is that they are rated to take the T32 axle weights, they just don't come with the correct fitment for T32 hubs as standard.
3. Twin Monotube Project. Two contenders here, both their offerings would suit my needs. a) Dual tube b) Damping adjustable (before installation, not on the van). Negative here is a sleeve over rather that proper coilover. I appreciate this doesn't directly affect the ride quality, but to me it makes a difference to the overall quality of the package.
4. B14 komfort. To be honest, these are only here because they are the latest Bilstein offering and I'm running Bilstein now. The more I look at them, the more I think they are just far too expensive. They are the most expensive kit on my list. When looking on line they are on average £400 more expensive than the Twin Monotube Project, use the same springs as them, but don't have any adjustability and, like them are a sleeve over design rather than proper coilover.
Test Drives?
I'm booked in to test drive the top two on my list next week with Steve, so that'll be a great opportunity to compare the ride of both offerings and see if the extra money is worth it.
If there's anyone within an hour or so of me who can offer a test drive of number 3 or 4 (on their lowest setting), then it would still be great to have a go. I would love to test drive all of these so that I can have 100% satisfaction that I made the right choice.
If you've read all of that, great, I'll let you know what I end up with in a week or so! Hopefully this post will be helpful to others who are in a similar position looking for a set of coilovers.
weekday trip now the kids are back...
