I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Suspension
Hi, forgive me if this has been asked loads of times but i could not find it.
I have a 2011 sport back which has just failed its mot due to a cracked speing. Both rear bilsteins are shot so i cant imagine the fronts are far off. Im going to replace all 4 shocks + springs.
Can anyone recommend a budget friendly suspension setup? I dont really want to downgrade from the billies to standard ones. Is it worth getting better ones over oem?
I was looking at the meisterr coilovers but the only issue is declaring it on the insurance, im 18 and this is my second car so they absolutely rinse me. Are they a significant upgrade over standard shocks?
Also looking at bilstein b8 with 35mm eibach lowering speings. I think im right in saying the standard nc sits higher than the sport, how is this achieved? Is the sport model on lower springs as standard? If i put the eibachs springs on, is it lowered another 35mm on top of the factory lowering or just 35mm from standard?
Apologies if I have got things wrong, still learning! Let me know if you need anything clarifying.
I know it’s doesnt help but it’s a real shame, I recently fitted tein coilovers and sold off a full set of bilsteins complete that could of got you out of trouble.
Eibach should quote which car model the springs go to and hopefully which shock variants they should be paired with according to your chassis number if you can supply the seller with it and they have the ability to check. In this case the lowering ‘should’ be 35mm below the standard ride height unless they advise otherwise. This isn’t always the case though as in something like a Vauxhall corsa we had, the limited edition models had lower springs from the factory so when eibach etc are fitted they don’t lower as much as they suggest due to the already slightly lower ride height to begin with.
Can’t go wrong with the quality of the Meisters. Swapped mine for the same reasons (rear Bilsteins were leaking) and didn’t significantly impact my insurance.
Your only options are to upgrade with aftermarket and take the hit on your insurance or look for second hand Bilsteins in a good state as you can no longer buy new replacements. These are likely to be very expensive though I’m afraid.
Yeah ive seen really good reviews about them. They are much better value for money than replacing the oems as like you say they are quite expensive now.
I will try and talk the insurance down as they want to charge me 600 extra which is a joke. Might get away with not putting them on my policy as they didnt spot any mods on the last car i binned but its risky.
Best to probably not do that. Maybe call the insurer and whilst on the phone you could run through the different options and the affects it has on the premiums. Some insurers are able to waive or reduce certain costs to retain you as a customer, otherwise it may be cheaper to terminate your policy and go with another insurer but then you’d lose any in progress no claims. It is a difficult one when the alternative turns out to be a ‘performance upgrade’ when you’re simply going that route because it works out better or easier than buying standard replacement parts.
Unfortunately they won’t budge at all and are making me declare it which is a shame as I would save money now and they would in a claim. Looks like its going to have to be an expensive set of bilsteins, woo!
You can normally get a set of 2nd hand bilsteins for under £150. If the paint is a bit bad, strip them and paint then in Hammeride yellow and you can buy stickers from ebay.
Completely agree with this. I fitted a full set of low mileage bilsteins and springs for £120 to my NC a few years back. Also, as they usually come as complete units, it’s a quick and easy swap over if you’re doing it yourself. They come up often enough on forums, ebay etc from folks going down the adjustables route.
My rears have been starting to mist. How long did you leave it to change to MeisterR? Ana has her MOT in July, and I’m trying to work out if I can long out the suspension problem till next year.
I’ve got some really low mileage standard shocks and springs from my 2011 sport if your interested. Only changed them to upgrade. PM me if you’re interested. Cheers
you know I am fed up with this insurance rip off If you went and bought a car from a trader and they had sent it to have some work done the garage might have fitted non standard parts cos they are cheaper and have more profit .so jo bloggs comes along buys said car and dosnt know a lot about cars so he wouldn’t know what wheels manifold shock s or most other things, my missus wouldn’t know and wouldn’t care is everyone supposed to be mechanics or motor traders ,
Insurance companies should all wear masks stripped jerseys and a bag of swag
Don’ know if this helps but something I squirelled away ages ago turned up the other day, a set of used Billys from an 04 NBFL, I never got round to fitting them because it turned out I have an early NBFL that has different OEM shocks, anyway if someone can confirm these would be the same as fitted to your NC’s you’d be welcome to have them as they are just taking up valuable space.
Thanks for the offer but I think I’m going to go with a brand-new set as in theory they should last longer. Does anyone have any experience with the B12 kit?
Thats really generous thank you. Just wondering, even if I bought a 2nd hand set with low miles can they deteriorate with age? I was really tempted to get a 2nd hand set but I’m not sure if its something I will be dealing with again in 20k miles or so. Sorry if its a silly question.
