Lowering my VTR - advice needed please

[weve33]

Hey everyone

I recently took ownership of a X reg Saxo VTR and i'm looking to lower it. I've had a few hot hatches in my time and when I went down the lowering route I brought just the springs.

I've read on here on numerous posts about people using different height springs on the front & rear and lowering the torsion beam??

My queston is, when lowering these VTRs is it not a simple case of buying 4 lowering springs (2 front & 2 back) and replace them with the standard springs thats on the car? Why the need to have 2 different heights and what does the torsion beam needs lowering??

I only want to lower my car around 35mm - 40mm.

Thanks in advance!

[Gandi699]

The front uses conventional mac. struts so two springs are needed and usually uprated dampers depending on how low you go.
There is no conventional coil spring on these cars - The torsion bars at the back are your spring setup, which when going over bumps etc the trailing arms try to twist these bars, and the torsional strength of the bar tries to return back to its normal position thus being your "spring".
You change the ride height by altering the position of the trailing arms on these splined bars, thus raising or lowering the rear. Uprated dampers on the back are advised, once again depending on how low you want to go.

[weve33]

Ah i see, thanks for the info Gandi, has cleared it up. I only want to go around 35 - 40mm.

Do you have any recommendations on what springs / dampers (if needed for this height) to get for the front and rear?

In terms of lowering the rear? do i need to take it to specialist or can any garage do it?

[RubenVTS]

These 2 links are both guides on how to lower the back of your car:
http://www.badgermotorsport.co.uk/lowering.htm
http://www.suzukituning.com/PSA/Suspension/Lowering.htm

The front can be done without guide imo, just replace the springs (you'll need spring compressors for that) ;)

For lowering the car up to 40mm you won't need anything but the springs (and the tools of course).

[ns9900]

Ah i see, thanks for the info Gandi, has cleared it up. I only want to go around 35 - 40mm.

Do you have any recommendations on what springs / dampers (if needed for this height) to get for the front and rear?

In terms of lowering the rear? do i need to take it to specialist or can any garage do it?

depends on how competent a mechanic you feel and how much time u have. last time i got ym done by wilsy, took him the best part of 5-6 hours. done a cracking job but by no means a quick and simple one

[weve33]

I've found a company in norwich that has loads of experience with saxo's, 106 gti etc but the question is what's a good front lowering spring for 35 - 40mm??? Apex, spax....

[ns9900]

what for? for looks, anything u like. just a word of advice tho, any lower then 40 on fronts and u want better shocks otherwise there is no damping as the ride hieght is too low. i got some apex rears :)

[weve33]

For looks, build quality and for better handling. In the past I've always used eibach's so just wondering for Saxos if there was a preferred make that people used.

Height wise between 35 - 40mm, def no more than 40mm. Ideally would prefer 35mm, has any got a pic of that height?

[ns9900]

mine;s on 35 koni at the front. 40 back. think the front looks ore like 25!
http://i1326.photobucket.com/albums/u658/Peter_Tae_Wan/2013-04-16105634_zpsdfa28406.jpg (http://s1326.photobucket.com/user/Peter_Tae_Wan/media/2013-04-16105634_zpsdfa28406.jpg.html)

[weve33]

Cheers for the pic, hmmm looks like def 40mm all round then for me

[weve33]

Right does any one have a pic of there saxo with the following springs, if so could you be kindly enough to post a pic up?

Apex 50mm
Apex 35mm

I've narrowed the springs to these two but not sure which height to go for

[ThrushMotorsport]

On one of my last VTR's i used apex shocks, mixed with spax -60mm springs, can say it handled AWESOME

My VTS's ive had mixture of suspensions, best set being Gaz coilovers, if you can streach to gaz coilovers - do it, there fully adjustable, and so are the rear shocks!

Ive always had mine low, mainly as to me, function over form may be plausable, but at anything higher than 60mm just dosent appeal to me

Think my new VRS has been the only car ive not owned that i havent lowered, but then again.. i have years of warrenty left to invalidate lol

[weve33]

Thanks for the input, I would like to get coilovers, but at the moment budget only stretch to springs. So ideally one of the above mentioned springs is my route to go until I can afford coilovers perhaps.

At the moment I just can't stand the 4x4 look on the vtr! Lol

[ns9900]

it is at tractor :) personally, i prefer the nose down look but habing the back down a little more, judging by the sideskirts, make the car look level?!

[weve33]

Just brought a pair of front spax ssx lowering springs. Suppose to be 40mm so will see!

[Nufcregvtr]

The front are apex 50 mm and I slammed the back I need to lower the front another 10 mmhttp://i1274.photobucket.com/albums/y421/Nufcreg/image_zps4353103f.jpg (http://s1274.photobucket.com/user/Nufcreg/media/image_zps4353103f.jpg.html)

[ns9900]

Must ride like a bag of nails! Can never understand slamming of any kind but it's your car, who am Ito say otherwise?

[Nufcregvtr]

It holds the road well just playing about with it at the min

[ns9900]

it will hold sufficiently for reasonable driving on normal roads. long term, you're looking at new suspension parts with that drop. just a heads up

[weve33]

I'll be happy with 50mm if mine looked like that, but personally wouldn't want to go lower.