View Full Version : The great Nova Suspension thread
craig green
05-05-06, 12:46 PM
I wanted to start a thread on the suspension on Nova's.
I drive a Nova from a performance point of view. I havent got it to stare at down at McDonalds, so I expect it to perform. Most of my spirited driving is on twisty back lanes & B roads.
I was just wondering what experiences other owners have had with Nova suspension. Personally I have spent an utter fortune on various kits, trying to seek out the ride & handling that I expect.
Some of the stuff on the market is utter rubbish in my experience. Ive binned atleast 3 sets of front dampers, set of rears, binned a pair of snapped fr coil springs & literally wasted a lot of money.
My current set up is KONI fr adjustable dampers with KONI fr springs. I find the ride is good, but it could be sitting a bit lower. At the rear its on KYB dampers & courtenay springs.
Ive got quite a few chassis & other suspension mods aswell.
Anyone care to mention the stuff they either rate highly, or shame the stuff you wish you never bought.
Seems it really is a lottery as to what stuff works on a Nova.....
CG
womble sri
05-05-06, 01:11 PM
my sri was lowered with an apex x low kit which used to hold the road really good almost no roll but sometimes i like a bit of roll to let me know my limits as it just used to step out if you pushed it too hard. im currently on springs and standard shocks at the moment i still have the other kit but am waiting to get some tyres for my speedlines as i fear the extra drop will rub with my **** wheels. i like the way mine handles though on springs i think its prob better with a softer damopner than the one in the apex kit
johnny27
05-05-06, 01:47 PM
Has anyone tried the bilstein gas shocks on a Nova? How Do they preform?
I'm going to uprade the suspension on my SR, bilstein (sp?) is a very reputable comapny, and have been making dampers and springs for rally cars for years.
I've seen a website selling the parts in single shocks and kits also They are gas dampers which are suppose to be very good. The rear shocks are ?35 each, and i'm sure i can get a 2nd set of lowered springs cheap for them to.
Has anyone tried the bilstein gas shocks on a Nova? How Do they preform?
NovalutionGSi
05-05-06, 02:02 PM
Johnny, i think my Billys are the Gas ones, not 100% on that, picked them up 2nd hand from a local guy who was raving about them and i must abmit i'd back him up.
they are a full 60mm drop all round, all billy springs and shocks, they are very stiff and would be best suited to the track, number of times i've nearly dumpped my nova down a ditch on the back road blasts! i have noticed the difference at santa pod, giving me better launches as the rear doesnt squart as much now and have shaved about half a second off my times. but it does show up if your running kack tyres! if coulped with a set of Yokos or something like that you'd have great handling.
one kit i'd keep away from.... Spax Sport kits, had both rear spring snap on me before!
ive driven a fair few novas with various suspension and i have to say that for a semi budget setup that Billie Yellow cup dampers are absolutely amazing.
newer avo coilovers are really good if youve got them setup right.
Ive got Koni yellows front and rear on mine so ill find out how they behave in due tiem
NovalutionGSi
05-05-06, 02:08 PM
Stuart, this might sound silly, but the Yellow Cup dampers.... they wouldnt happen to be yellow would they??
if so i think thats what i'm running now.
Austin_Nova16
05-05-06, 02:11 PM
I made up some 20mm lower tie bar brackets, and found that they did a world of good for the FWD XE.
craig green
05-05-06, 02:34 PM
Good stuff.
Worth pointing out that thre are 3 types of Bilstein for a Nova.
Black (pants)
Yellow as per sprintline
Yellow cup dampers with the huge pistons.
+ the coil overs.
I've got Koni Adjustable Yellows, pretty good imo.
johnny27
05-05-06, 03:20 PM
whats the bilstein gas shocks like in a nova? Which ones the craig mentioned would be suitable for fast road use? cheers
The blistein black shocks are crap, as they are almost OE shocks, slightly uprated.
The blistein yellow shocks are much better.
johnny27
05-05-06, 04:30 PM
sorry did'nt see novalution posts, so question answered Thanks
How would a full set of yellow cup dampers cost? only dampers not the springs?
Where online are the yellow cup nova dampers for sale? i can only find the black ones.
craig green
05-05-06, 04:42 PM
Try Bilstein direct (or the UK distributors) euro car parts IIRC.
Will F has just posted some of the cup shocks in the For sale section.
The black ones really should be avoided at all costs. Ive had umpteen front ones on warranty & the rears dumped all theyre oil on my drive within about a year, funnily enough both at the same time.
I guess they are conistently crap!
Agree with Long Live... Koni's certainly seem fine.
What are peoples thoughts on the FK coilovers, seem a bit poncey from the ads but Ive not been in a car with them fitted.
novamadman
05-05-06, 05:51 PM
i agree the bilstein cup suspension is superb been running it in a rally car for quite a while and still going as good as ever. very good value for money
craig - u are making me **** myself literally i have a streetline kit coming on tuesday for my road car which is black and u say its pants lol - have u any bad experiences?? i wont be horsing the crap out of the car all the time but i am genuinly really worried now after seeing this lol
shane
I have a set of fully adjustable SPAX coilovers and i find them pretty good its lowered -60mm and its so easy to mess around with the damper settings and get the exact ride you want weather you wanna thrash it on the bends and it sticks for you with no role or softin it up if your just pussyen around to the shops lol I also have front and rear antiroll bars and a strut brace so i think that keeps things nice in tight:thumb:
front arb is a no no
WHY ???
Matt Pickering
05-05-06, 06:50 PM
I have bilstein set up on mine with apex 60mm springs , not sure what type they are but they are yellow and stamped with the irmscher logo too, cost me ?450 through vauxhall a few year back now
the ride is good too but they are not adjustable
What are peoples thoughts on the FK coilovers, seem a bit poncey from the ads but Ive not been in a car with them fitted.
I've heard there are quite good for money, quite well built etc.
I was going to get a set but short of cash :cry:lol
WHY ???
imho it causes undsersteer when giving it large on the road/on track etc... and if the tarmac rally boys dont run one then its obv good lol.
i tried one on a std 1.2 years ago and it made the front end skittish, plus all the really well handling cars (dans, jims etc) dont run the front arb. (rear oneYES)
novamadman
05-05-06, 08:38 PM
imho it causes undsersteer when giving it large on the road/on track etc... and if the tarmac rally boys dont run one then its obv good lol.
i tried one on a std 1.2 years ago and it made the front end skittish, plus all the really well handling cars (dans, jims etc) dont run the front arb. (rear oneYES)
lot of people have different opinions on this
but why would it cause understeer surely its just tighting and stififng everything up for better handling
stuart explain the theory to me lol or someone with brains bigger than a pea
shane
craig green
05-05-06, 08:42 PM
i agree the bilstein cup suspension is superb been running it in a rally car for quite a while and still going as good as ever. very good value for money
craig - u are making me **** myself literally i have a streetline kit coming on tuesday for my road car which is black and u say its pants lol - have u any bad experiences?? i wont be horsing the crap out of the car all the time but i am genuinly really worried now after seeing this lol
shane
I hate to say it mate but heres my story. . . .
Fitted full streetline kit. Was perfectly happy for about 2 months, then the front went really soft & bouncy, and just generally rode awfully. It was bottoming out too easily, under hard braking on uneven surfaces the car would bounce really badly & it felt like when riding over some bumps the front end would actually get 'flicked' up in the air. As it unweighted itself you can imagine how unnerving this felt, esp as on some occasions you could hear minute chirps of tyre squeal as the traction came & went.
Anyway 2 new fr shocks on warranty. Same deal.
New fr springs (warranty), feels good for about 3 hrs, then same.
Whole new set of springs of my choice, Pi (warranty) again OK for couple days then went bouncy. turned out th Pi stuff had same part nos as Bilstein/Terra stuff.
So I bought a pr of KYB dampers myself. Marginal improvement but still using the dreaded (60/149) springset.
Then the rears dumped all the oil out, by now warranty is out.
So I put it all in the bin & bought Konis.
Theres much more to the story but I cant remember it all.
Only thing I can say is that Bilstein warranty is good. After all those days off swapping suspension around I am some what an expert at stripping out struts now.
The thing I dont get how that it was fine for a while at first, then never returned to that performance.
CG
the stiffer the "difference" between the suspension eg fitting the ARB thenthe suspension cant really perform properly and it makes things too stiff....
if things are too stiff then the front end will start to skip/push (yank understeer)... i cant be ****d to explain more as im drinking :p
craig green
05-05-06, 08:55 PM
the ride is good too but they are not adjustable
Adj isnt the be all & end all. If they are valved right they dont need to be adjusted.
novamadman
05-05-06, 08:56 PM
the stiffer the "difference" between the suspension eg fitting the ARB thenthe suspension cant really perform properly and it makes things too stiff....
if things are too stiff then the front end will start to skip/push (yank understeer)... i cant be ****d to explain more as im drinking :p
lmao
i can understand what your trying to say but then what is the point in rose jointing e.t.c if things are going to be too stiff
lol
shane
making each side stiff is fine, its jsut the gash ARB that links them that causes the problems
novamadman
05-05-06, 09:05 PM
right ill take your word for it and not use anti roll bar see how she goes
@ craig - i hate you for not telling me before i payed for this suspension :cry:
shane
i'm not using a arb as my current setup is too stiff as it is (AVO non-adjustable shock and springs plus omp solid upper strut brace) got a guy fabricating me a lower strut brace when i design it. where would i get a rear arb?
Ash
Mark Beeson
06-05-06, 12:50 AM
Has anyone tried the bilstein gas shocks on a Nova? How Do they preform?
I'm going to uprade the suspension on my SR, bilstein (sp?) is a very reputable comapny, and have been making dampers and springs for rally cars for years.
I've seen a website selling the parts in single shocks and kits also They are gas dampers which are suppose to be very good. The rear shocks are ?35 each, and i'm sure i can get a 2nd set of lowered springs cheap for them to.
Has anyone tried the bilstein gas shocks on a Nova? How Do they preform?
I have Billy fat dampers and there really good. Although I took the Front anti roll bar of years ago im going to refit it to see how she fairs. After seeing the video of how my car handled into very tight slow corners (Silverstone Luffield 1) im going to refit. Hopefully it'll stabilise the car a bit more. lol Power is nothing without control!!! lol
jamie gsi16v
06-05-06, 01:12 AM
AVO COILOVERS
/\
Hrmm, i''ve heard there quite poor, and keep breaking seals and leaking etc.
My first Nova which was a 1 litre until 3 weeks ago was 'shocking', almost fell over in the wind (only had it 4 months).
Went from this to an XE with Koni yellows (purple springs). Running the front on max stiff setting and rears on 1 1/4 turn (out of 2) firm.
With Yoko AVS (old style with dimples), visited Nurburgring last weekend. Well, what can I say, absolutely blistering. Rear ride height is a little too high for track, a little too much lift off oversteer, but for the road ok. Will be getting some 80mm spring for the rear for track use.
BTW, no ARB, no problem out of the corners. Possibly need a diff though as 170 brake through the front wheels is a little difficult to make it stick.
/\
Hrmm, i''ve heard there quite poor, and keep breaking seals and leaking etc.
well you heard from a few unlucky people then as i will contest that, mine have been on for 18months, although only used for 12 so far they have been hammered big time on track and used daily for a long period of that time with no visible problems at all
Mark Beeson
07-05-06, 11:49 PM
Took my billys apart over the weekend and under the dust shields there was a build up of grease.Anything to worry about? Once wiped seen to operate fine
well you heard from a few unlucky people then as i will contest that, mine have been on for 18months, although only used for 12 so far they have been hammered big time on track and used daily for a long period of that time with no visible problems at all
Fair do's :)
craig green
08-05-06, 05:05 PM
Anyone ever seen the GAZ grasstrack coil overs for Nova??
Yes, I use Gaz and they seem pretty good to me. But as someone said further up the thread what ever you get they will need to be the right poundage springs then all set up properly to get the best out of them.
craig green
09-05-06, 06:56 PM
I see Pi make coil overs now. God help us!
CG
Rick Draper
09-05-06, 07:20 PM
Leda's.
craig green
10-05-06, 11:49 AM
Leda's.
Have you driven with them yet Rick?
CG
NovaNeil
10-05-06, 12:53 PM
Avo Coilovers and Defo No ARB!!! Ran my Coilovers for nearly 2 years on plenty of track outings and Daily driving with no problems what so ever.
Removing the ARB improves Turn in no end as it allows each side to move independant to each other, with it fitted when cornering fast with stiff/low suspension the ARB is actually be trying to lift the outside wheel off the ground which obvioulsy gives less grip and traction.
The ARB was basically just a cheap way for Vauxhall trying to stiffen there suspension for the GTE/GSi Models, and it did. Its just when you lower the car and fit uprated shocks it becomes a hinderance to the suspension.
Neil
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