What suspension upgrades

[Dannybe11]

Hello, I have a SA mk2 escort 1600 sport and it still has original suspension. I have about £500-600 to spend on improving the suspension at the moment. I was thinking of getting new dampers all round and maybe some polybushes. Is there anything else worth doing? What would people recommend between spax, avo, gaz, bilstein for dampers?

[mjr]

Evaluate it as is, decide what is wrong or how you'd like it to be and that will tell you in which direction to go.

[dt36]

I've recently removed old leaf springs, Gp1 Bilsteins and 2" lowering blocks for 146ib standard single leaf springs, AVO adjustable shocks and 1" blocks.
This is on a road biased car that does no track time.
The ride now is more comfortable than the old setup with the Bilstein shocks and goes over speed bumps without banging and scraping.

[Dannybe11]

That is interesting, thanks. I’ve read about a lot of good experience with bilsteins but not much for other dampers. My car will be the same in the respect that it will be a road car. I want it to have reasonable handling but it’s never going to be a track car.

A quick question relating to front strut housings, are all strut housings that have the detachable steering arm/bolt at the bottom capable of being converted to coil overs/bilstein inserts?

[dt36]

That is interesting, thanks. I’ve read about a lot of good experience with bilsteins but not much for other dampers. My car will be the same in the respect that it will be a road car. I want it to have reasonable handling but it’s never going to be a track car.

A quick question relating to front strut housings, are all strut housings that have the detachable steering arm/bolt at the bottom capable of being converted to coil overs/bilstein inserts?

The GP1 Bilstiens were definitely too hard for normal road use and would knock your fillings out. :-)
I have dialed the AVO shocks to 12 turns. To match what felt the same as the Bilstiens, I had to dial them to 18 turns.
I feel the car handles very well now and is more pleasant to drive, while still handling well. I suppose the option is there to stiffen them up if I wanted to go on track at some time in the future.

Bushes in the springs are yellow Poly Sport.

With regards to the fronts, I can't help there as I am still running the traditional Bilstien legs.

[Frenchenstein]

I've recently removed old leaf springs, Gp1 Bilsteins and 2" lowering blocks for 146ib standard single leaf springs, AVO adjustable shocks and 1" blocks.
This is on a road biased car that does no track time.
The ride now is more comfortable than the old setup with the Bilstein shocks and goes over speed bumps without banging and scraping.

All this and dump the rear anti-roll bar.

[Frenchenstein]

30% uprated front & rear shocks (KYB on the rear are good enough for road use)(you’ll need to do a bit of research for the front)

Burton “Classic” CS102 front coil springs (1” lowered)

Standard rear leaf springs (plus 1.5” lowering blocks)

Panhard rod conversion at the rear (where else?)

Delete the rear anti-roll bar

Front steering toe setting should be one degree negative (as you’ve just altered the camber angle)

This creates a crisp, balanced, predictable set-up for the road.

Poly bush what you like.

Happy Easter

[Frenchenstein]

...and some Yokohama A539 185/60R13 tyres all round (forgot that bit).