Yiannis197
Paid Member
My car had the cup chassis and it was great, if only the car wasn't that high! After I bought the clio I wanted it a bit lower, so after asking around and even though I was failing to see how only one H&R kit is designed to work ok with 4 different dampers (197 ff, cup, 200 ff, cup) I decided to go for the H&R 30mm all around (prefer the rear higher) with 200 cup dampers (stiffer) and Simo's adjustable top mounts. For the newcomers here is the link to this part.
http://www.clio197.net/forum/showthread.php?t=19159
I didn't like the lowering springs. Even though the ride wasn't that much stiffer (I don't mind a stiff ride anyway) the rear was bouncy and on a bumpy B-road totally unpredictable (under my driving). That wasn't the case on smooth roads/track but our roads are not smooth so they had to go.
So after doing quite some research regarding damping technology I opted for the AST sportline II kit. It is just...too much of a suspension for its money. My decision was based on the following:
1. Most importantly it is monotube like all the high end kits out there. I'm not going to go into details about the advantages of this new design against the twin tube setups (koni, bilstein kw etc), there is endless info on the internet.
2. They are also inverted. Less unsprung weight.
3. They are shorter so the car gets lower as soon as you fit them, ideal for lower setups.
4. Its design allows to adjust the height without loosing any suspension travel!
5. Aluminium spring seats.
6. You can have them rebuilt and re valved.
7. They are customizable.
8. One knob at the bottom adjusts rebound/compression in 12 fine settings. Makes it much easier for people like me who don't know much about suspension tuning to adjust. Linear adjustability.
9. Coilover design at the back as well.
For their prize it was not a brainer. I had them fitted with the above mentioned top mounts (track kit, 80nm front 110nm rear as Mark mentioned). The outcome? Well...10/10 and I want to rate them higher than that. The car is so well behaved, it will kill whatever you give it. Rapid change of direction? Predictability? Grip? My English is so poor to give a proper review but this kit has transformed the car fullstop.
The only downside is the price but if your are looking to spend around £1300 it's worth doing the extra step, even without the mounts. I believe the kit costs around £1550 plus around £300 for top mounts. Here are some pics from my thread.
http://www.clio197.net/forum/showthread.php?t=19159
I didn't like the lowering springs. Even though the ride wasn't that much stiffer (I don't mind a stiff ride anyway) the rear was bouncy and on a bumpy B-road totally unpredictable (under my driving). That wasn't the case on smooth roads/track but our roads are not smooth so they had to go.
So after doing quite some research regarding damping technology I opted for the AST sportline II kit. It is just...too much of a suspension for its money. My decision was based on the following:
1. Most importantly it is monotube like all the high end kits out there. I'm not going to go into details about the advantages of this new design against the twin tube setups (koni, bilstein kw etc), there is endless info on the internet.
2. They are also inverted. Less unsprung weight.
3. They are shorter so the car gets lower as soon as you fit them, ideal for lower setups.
4. Its design allows to adjust the height without loosing any suspension travel!
5. Aluminium spring seats.
6. You can have them rebuilt and re valved.
7. They are customizable.
8. One knob at the bottom adjusts rebound/compression in 12 fine settings. Makes it much easier for people like me who don't know much about suspension tuning to adjust. Linear adjustability.
9. Coilover design at the back as well.
For their prize it was not a brainer. I had them fitted with the above mentioned top mounts (track kit, 80nm front 110nm rear as Mark mentioned). The outcome? Well...10/10 and I want to rate them higher than that. The car is so well behaved, it will kill whatever you give it. Rapid change of direction? Predictability? Grip? My English is so poor to give a proper review but this kit has transformed the car fullstop.
The only downside is the price but if your are looking to spend around £1300 it's worth doing the extra step, even without the mounts. I believe the kit costs around £1550 plus around £300 for top mounts. Here are some pics from my thread.
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