Track Only Car Suspension

[Daverb]

What would you go for out of:

- Spax RSX
- Bilstein B14
- KW Clubsports

The Spax and Bilsteins have less adjustablilty which I think i would prefer - I wouldnt want to adjust the coilsports all the time and try to figure out what differences it has made.

 

[Yiannis197]

Quite a big price difference there. Clubsports come with top mounts and cost around £2k, the other two are well below a grand.

If I wanted a track only suspension and had the budget (which clearly you do since you consider the clubsports) I'd go for ASTs.

 

[Daverb]

I do like AST's - had experience of them with Fiesta ST race cars.

AST 5100 plus topmounts. £2016.

Wonder what the Bilstein suspension with AST top mounts would be like. If they fit?

 

[karbonCup]

For mainly road and an occasional trackday I would go Bilstein or Spax and save your money but don't expect much from them.
For more track work I would suggest KW Clubsports or KW Competion or Intrax for racing.
The extra quality from the KWs pays off, believe me. If you decide to go KW Clubsports give me me a shout and I'll give you a quote as I can supply you these.

 

[Yiannis197]

I do like AST's - had experience of them with Fiesta ST race cars.

AST 5100 plus topmounts. £2016.

Wonder what the Bilstein suspension with AST top mounts would be like. If they fit?

Bilsteins are meant to be good as people do praise them. AST top mounts would fit yes but i'd rather go with Simo's camber adjustable top mounts.

For more track work I would suggest KW Clubsports or KW Competion or Intrax for racing.
The extra quality from the KWs pays off, believe me. If you decide to go KW Clubsports give me me a shout and I'll give you a quote as I can supply you these.

Without wanting to start a war here or something I beg to differ when it comes to KW and quality. A few in here had horrid experience with both quality and customer service so they will probably agree with me.

 

[TB Rich]

Bilsteins are meant to be good as people do praise them. AST top mounts would fit yes but i'd rather go with Simo's camber adjustable top mounts.



Without wanting to start a war here or something I beg to differ when it comes to KW and quality. A few in here had horrid experience with both quality and customer service so they will probably agree with me.

I agree, I've been a member of many forums and the frequency of leaking KW posts is far more than anything else I've seen. Bilstein are better quality and unless you're buying Clubsports - all KW are cheap twin tube dampers too.
KW seem to be excellent at marketing and less so at actually building suspension, IMO.

I'm a big Bilstein fan so would be looking at the Madeno Bilstein based kits too.

Yiannis, why wouldn't you use AST top mounts?

 

[Yiannis197]

Clubsports are twin tube architecture as well so even that £2k kit can't really compare with high end kits out there.

Ah I would use AST top mounts no question about it, but Simo's ones are of excellent quality anyway and cheaper that is all

 

[TB Rich]

Oh right, that's ****e then for the money. Seems only their Competition stuff is mono!

Ok cool, thought maybe was an issue with them and iirc is they don't fit standard suspension/kits other than AST??
Have you seen the Compbrake top mounts - looks like the only ones I can see with independent camber / caster adjustment. AST/Simo ones are only camber correct?

 

[Yiannis197]

Yes mate, they are only camber adjustable, I'd love a bit more caster though! I haven't seen the Compbrake ones *off to google

As far as I'm aware they fit, this is what Mark Fish told me in the past to be honest but never bothered me as I had Simo's at the time. He might have been wrong though?

 

[rosscoe]

Another vote for AST's here....fantastic pieces of kit for the track

 

[jacool]

AST top mounts increase caster simultaneously with camber (not independently) whereas Simo's change only camber.

 

[TB Rich]

Ah good work, shame it's not indepenent but thanks for the pics.

why don't any of these setups have markings etched in though!

 

[John Gordon]

I am torn between two different sets.

AST 5100 with topmounts

Madeno Racing BM14 with top mounts.

i have been trying to get a group buy together without sucess on the Madeno racing.

If we bought a set of BM14 Stage 1/2/3/4 with top-mounts together, I am sure we could get a little discount?

 

[Chris_200CUP]

AST's are good but the customer service is not so good. It'll take you weeks to get them and if ever need anything for them won't just get it the next day.

Sure KW do a competition coilovers for the Clio if want go mad money wise,

B14s and top mounts - that's what I'm running and it's spot on.

 

[RSinclair]

Kw clubsports worked a treat on my clio.
My friend has ast 5100 and there's not much in it.

 

[pdd144c]

Neither Spax, B14 or the KW club sports are really 'track only' worthy. They are more fast road setups. AST will at least offer valve get and springs to suit a proper race/track setup, and I'm sure Bilstein and KW will also if you pay enough. Annoying really that so little is available off the shelf for track use, because I want something myself!

 

[TB Rich]

Neither Spax, B14 or the KW club sports are really 'track only' worthy. They are more fast road setups. AST will at least offer valve get and springs to suit a proper race/track setup, and I'm sure Bilstein and KW will also if you pay enough. Annoying really that so little is available off the shelf for track use, because I want something myself!

I think the suspension on these cars is pretty well catered for, I'm not sure what else you'd need? Nitrons perhaps, and a Ohlins DFV Road & Track kit.

"Track"
Madeno BMR Bilstein kit
Madeno Ohlins kit
AST
X85 Renault Sport Cup Racer stuff
ORAP (with Cup Racer rates)

"Hybrid"
BMR stage 3, 4 & 5
KW Clubsport
AST

"Road"
B14
Madeno stage 1 & 2
Spax
KW

 

[John Gordon]

Neither Spax, B14 or the KW club sports are really 'track only' worthy. They are more fast road setups. AST will at least offer valve get and springs to suit a proper race/track setup, and I'm sure Bilstein and KW will also if you pay enough. Annoying really that so little is available off the shelf for track use, because I want something myself!

Madeno Re-valve and adjust the stroke of the B14 kit. Its custom valving and custom spring rates. Its just non damping adjustable.

 

[antnee]

Do GAZ make anything for the 197/200? They are very good value for money and can make something which is stiff enough for track work, they will make something to your own specs or can calculate it themselves.

 

[pdd144c]

Didn't know half of those were available to be honest Rich, I certainly didn't come across them when searching online. Madeno sound like the people to speak to then!