Can you please advise what the difference is between the different lowering springs? I was going to get Eibachs pro (30mm) drop but would it actually make any difference in your opinion if I went for cheaper options, PI etc.
All i know is that the Eibach springs are well made, well finished and lower the car by the amount they say they do.
I've got the Pro Kit springs on my GTi and they work well. i have got Bilstein Sport dampers as well though.
I don't know what cheaper springs are like but if you aren't doing it on a low budget then go for the best you can. I think they come with a lifetime warranty as well.
Hi I have not fitted springs etc to the peugeot as we are getting too old for all that boy racer stuff but I used to sell suspension kits and have fitted some in the past so can offer this.
The springs are there to hold the car off of the axles they can be bought in different compression strengths for competition use but usually lowering kits offer the "best" spring rate for the vehicle.
Lowering springs are shorter than the originals so the car gets closer to the axle (and therefore the ground)
If your suspension only consisted of springs you would be very very sick and crash a lot as your car would start bouncing as you pulled away and continue bouncing until about 5 mins after you parked it, to stop this you have dampers or shock absorbers.
Dampers (shock absorbers) damp the movement of the springs to stop the car bouncing and on sophisticated models can be adjusted for compression damping (car going downwards) and rebound damping (car coming up again) dampers are what make for a harder (or softer) ride.
If you have ever driven an old car that handled like a boat then it was in need of new dampers.
Anti roll bars and torsion bars are devices which mechanically control the suspension, for example an anti roll bar is designed to react mechanically to cornering loads by pushing the outer wheel back down onto the road as the inner wheel and suspenion compresses, otherwise the car would topple over, you can change the anti roll bar for a stiffer one if you want to corner harder, but you would need to be pretty dedicated to find the limit of a standard one to be honest so they tend to be the domain of race tuners.
Strut braces which fit accross the top of the suspension like a scaffold pole over the engine which is bolted to the top of the wheel arches where the struts poke through are more useful for fast road as they stop the body deforming as you corner hard making the geometry work better than it would if the car starts to twist (which they do)
Having considered your question and taken the wifes 206 cc out on a controlled test track (officer) on a dry day I reckon that the suspension is a bit soft on the 206cc and suffers particulally when you put the roof down (and the weight shifts to the rear of the car) anyones lowered springs and dampers will help but you would be able to tweak the damping to get the most out of your investment on adjustable set ups, the other issue if you really go for it is torque steer or bump steer and this might be cured by lowering and firming up the suspension, (although it might just turn into wheel spin with firmer suspension)
I would suggest that you go for the best quality set of springs and shocks (dampers) that you can afford if you are going to really use it hard, preferably spaxs adjustables or bilstiens, so you can set it up to perfection OR if you are more interested in lowering it than hammering it round bends buy whatever takes your fancy as long as it comes as a complete set.
30mm lowered is popular but think about speed humps and stuff that you need to use on a daily basis, on my old rallye sport escort sleeping policemen (speed humps) took on a whole new dimension as things started touching down that were previously 30mm higher off the ground.
Do remember though that when you change the height of the suspension and the dampers you will change the handling characteristics of the car and sometimes this can lead to understeer as the suspension forces the wheels to slide rather than soaking up bumps and this can be particulally obvious on front wheel drive cars in the wet, also be aware that on some cars with ABS firmer suspension can affect the sensors and cause it to function slightly differently (although manufacturers allow for this with their kits)
One of my previous cars which I lowered was unrecognisable once set up I swear that you were pulling G before it started to drift and you could turn your passengers green with high speed flicks quite saflely so it can be really worthwhile, on another a much bigger car it was better than standard in the dry but just fell to pieces on icy and snowy roads and failed to turn in..... much as you learn to cope it does come as a hell of a shock the first time you snowplough across the road.
Hi I have not fitted springs etc to the peugeot as we are getting too old for all that boy racer stuff but I used to sell suspension kits and have fitted some in the past so can offer this.
The springs are there to hold the car off of the axles they can be bought in different compression strengths for competition use but usually lowering kits offer the "best" spring rate for the vehicle.
Lowering springs are shorter than the originals so the car gets closer to the axle (and therefore the ground)
If your suspension only consisted of springs you would be very very sick and crash a lot as your car would start bouncing as you pulled away and continue bouncing until about 5 mins after you parked it, to stop this you have dampers or shock absorbers.
Dampers (shock absorbers) damp the movement of the springs to stop the car bouncing and on sophisticated models can be adjusted for compression damping (car going downwards) and rebound damping (car coming up again) dampers are what make for a harder (or softer) ride.
If you have ever driven an old car that handled like a boat then it was in need of new dampers.
Anti roll bars and torsion bars are devices which mechanically control the suspension, for example an anti roll bar is designed to react mechanically to cornering loads by pushing the outer wheel back down onto the road as the inner wheel and suspenion compresses, otherwise the car would topple over, you can change the anti roll bar for a stiffer one if you want to corner harder, but you would need to be pretty dedicated to find the limit of a standard one to be honest so they tend to be the domain of race tuners.
Strut braces which fit accross the top of the suspension like a scaffold pole over the engine which is bolted to the top of the wheel arches where the struts poke through are more useful for fast road as they stop the body deforming as you corner hard making the geometry work better than it would if the car starts to twist (which they do)
Having considered your question and taken the wifes 206 cc out on a controlled test track (officer) on a dry day I reckon that the suspension is a bit soft on the 206cc and suffers particulally when you put the roof down (and the weight shifts to the rear of the car) anyones lowered springs and dampers will help but you would be able to tweak the damping to get the most out of your investment on adjustable set ups, the other issue if you really go for it is torque steer or bump steer and this might be cured by lowering and firming up the suspension, (although it might just turn into wheel spin with firmer suspension)
I would suggest that you go for the best quality set of springs and shocks (dampers) that you can afford if you are going to really use it hard, preferably spaxs adjustables or bilstiens, so you can set it up to perfection OR if you are more interested in lowering it than hammering it round bends buy whatever takes your fancy as long as it comes as a complete set.
30mm lowered is popular but think about speed humps and stuff that you need to use on a daily basis, on my old rallye sport escort sleeping policemen (speed humps) took on a whole new dimension as things started touching down that were previously 30mm higher off the ground.
Do remember though that when you change the height of the suspension and the dampers you will change the handling characteristics of the car and sometimes this can lead to understeer as the suspension forces the wheels to slide rather than soaking up bumps and this can be particulally obvious on front wheel drive cars in the wet, also be aware that on some cars with ABS firmer suspension can affect the sensors and cause it to function slightly differently (although manufacturers allow for this with their kits)
One of my previous cars which I lowered was unrecognisable once set up I swear that you were pulling G before it started to drift and you could turn your passengers green with high speed flicks quite saflely so it can be really worthwhile, on another a much bigger car it was better than standard in the dry but just fell to pieces on icy and snowy roads and failed to turn in..... much as you learn to cope it does come as a hell of a shock the first time you snowplough across the road.
