Standard vs Lowered Springs

[sparehead3]

My integrale has just gone back onto standard springs. For future reference, here are some pictures of the standard and lowered wheels.
From my own experience, there is a world of difference. The ride is so much better and has the benefit that I can get the hosepipe under the arches Basically there are no more crashes going over potholes and , of course , it's slightly easier to get in and out of

Steve

[fay66]

Always gets me why aftermarket companys think they can do a better suspension job than the manufacturers, who spend millions of £'s and countless hours to determine the best suspension overall, I know that it's usually a compromise, and that other parameters enter into the argument, but the majority of them invariably spoil the ride.

Brian
8227

[thecolonel]

I think that's the point manufacturers compromise, aftermarket companies design suspension
for a specific purpose, it really depends on what you want to use the car for. I'm sure that
Lancia had a lot of suspension variations for the Delta depending on whether it was being
thrown around a forest stage or a tarmac stage or just being used on a road.

Geoff
(says the man whose just modified Cusco suspension for his Gamma)

[SteveGales]

Same here Steve. I put my car back onto standard springs a long time ago. When I bought my car in '98 it had Eibach uprated
and lowered springs, looked great and the handling was even more Kart like.....on smooth roads. It would have been unbearable
given the current state of the roads now. I had Walkers to do the work and when they drove it around from the workshop I wondered
what I had done as there was a huge gap above the tyres but the new springs soon settled and it looks just right now IMHO.

Obviously suspension design has moved on leaps and bounds in the last 20 years, we had a new shape fiesta as a hire car last August
in the French Alps and I was amazed at how good it was around the twisty stuff, great ride too .It didn't have the power and probably would have been a different outcome in the wet but in the dry I don't think the Delta would have been any quicker!

I would like to try an integrale fitted with coil-over suspension, have heard good things about them such as a vastly improved ride and
fully adjustable for the odd track day ,the trouble is they are not particularly cheap ranging from £700-£2000 and it's a lot of money if
they are not significantly better than standard.

I'll stick with standard for now, the handling (on public roads at least) makes you feel like Miki Biasion ,even if you can tell which side
 is facing up when you run over a coin !!

Steve

[sparehead3]

Well, my view that in order to do it properly I may as well have another car and do everything But this car is just fine as it came for me - I'm not out to break any records!

[thecolonel]

well mine now looks like this :

[andymc]

Well, my view that in order to do it properly I may as well have another car and do everything But this car is just fine as it came for me - I'm not out to break any records!

Steve, people in the know keep telling me to keep mine completely standard, which I have. New Standard dampers on mine transformed it as did moving to Michelin pilot exalto 2's. A quick blast on Sunday confirmed that it's a far more capable car than I am driver so no need to try and enhance it!
 

[Neil Lewis]

My integrale is used for road rallying and sits on standard height 16-valve springs but with spacers under the front strut tops to raise the car.  With the sump and tank guards robbing me of an inch of ground clearance I couldn't have it any other way - and you should see the scrapes on the sump guard!  For rallies which have off-road sections (like over the Eppynt military ranges) I put 8-valve springs on which are softer and higher.  Using higher profile gravel tyres I get about another 3/4 inch!  I've never noticed any problems with handling, turn-in etc although maybe I would on a race track...

It runs on slightly softened Koni top adjustables - they're far too stiff as standard - with a bit more negative camber.  Spherical joint front mounts (cheaper than the standard ones) and special strut nuts on the back which stop the rubber do-nuts falling out over yumps!

I also run a set of 7 inch Compomotive wheels which are heat-treated and virtually indistructable - the standard wheels are "very soft".  Shame 205/50x15 tyres are getting so hard to find nowadays...

My car can always be recognised when parked at AGMs because I can see its roof above the other integrales.

Neil

[fay66]

"My car can always be recognised when parked at AGMs because I can see its roof above the other integrales."

Much classier than a plastic carrier bag tied to the radio aerial

Brian
8227

[Neil Lewis]

"My car can always be recognised when parked at AGMs because I can see its roof above the other integrales."

Much classier than a plastic carrier bag tied to the radio aerial

Brian
8227

Well I've also got a small Italian flag which clips onto the window glass.  Bought during Euro 200?when everyone was sporting England flags!  The car wears this when competing on autosolos too.

[fay66]

"My car can always be recognised when parked at AGMs because I can see its roof above the other integrales."

Much classier than a plastic carrier bag tied to the radio aerial

Brian
8227

Well I've also got a small Italian flag which clips onto the window glass.  Bought during Euro 200?when everyone was sporting England flags!  The car wears this when competing on autosolos too.

So had I but it blew off when I didn't close the window fully and it rotated on the glass and disappeared
Brian
8227

[sparehead3]

Not long to wait till the next world cup - worth buying a job lot and selling at Italian car festivals for the next 4 years !