Bilstein B6 w/ stock springs

[M-Sport fan]

Any thoughts on the best coilover in this range for daily driving? I'm at 82k so with all the extra bits added perhaps it makes more sense for a full coil. I get to drive twisty new England roads but the pavement is garbage and I have an infant so I can't worsen the ride- hence diving down the B6 rabbit hole!

Yes, like Kevin says, the B6/B8 paired with either a Spec R or factory spring is most likely your best bet.

Even more so if you drive that car right through the new England winters which will quickly destroy most of the cheaper (especially the steel bodied ones) coil overs out there with the salt soup on the roads for 5 months of the year.

There are VERY few (affordable) coil over setups sold for this ride which even allow you to get anywhere near factory ride height, which is what you want for your bombed-out roads.

The Swift Spec R/Bilstein B6 setup will not lower the car all that much (usually less {even only 0.5" most of the time} than the advertised by Swift 1.0" all around), so the car will still not be as 'slammed' as most of (not all) the cheapo coil over setups at their highest height adjustment.

Despite the cost of the above setup being almost/approaching the same (depending on where you purchase all of the parts) as the cheaper/cheapest coil overs, I am going this route as soon as I get the brakes and slave cylinder settled on my car.

I have decided that it is just not worth it for me to go to that type of suspension unless I could (do it correctly with) the full-on, co$t$ more than half of what the car is worth, ~$9K Reiger R2, 3 way adjustable, remote reservoir, tarmac setup (like exactly ONE member on here, from GB, has done, albeit with a much less prohibitive rebuilt/revalved used set).

 

[GregF]

I guess it's settled then, thanks guys. I'm at 82k so I'll be replacing all of the other bits mentioned on the previous page- wondering if you think it would be worth it to splurge on some top mounts?

https://whoosh-motorsports.myshopif...ng-top-mount-coilover-kit-2014-2019-fiesta-st
Looking at this one, worth it to add some negative camber up front for the street?

Also thinking about superpro control arms, any idea if this all makes a coherent setup? If so would you add caster?

Anything else while in there? I haven't noticed any wear, but maybe tie rod ends or something like that?

 

[M-Sport fan]

I am only at ~45K miles and I am going to replace the factory top mount (front AND rear) with the KYB OEM type replacements while everything is apart, as well as new bellows and bump stops (F&R) when this suspension gets replaced.

I never really trusted those top mount adjusters (including the ones in the cheaper coil over kits) for anything but glass smooth roads (even bashing them over road course curbing would possibly upset/throw off the settings, it would seem ), but I am sure there are many on here who would vehemently counter that mindset.

In any case, unless you need radical/full race level negative camber to fender lip clear a low numerical ET wheel/tire combo, you can get up to -2.0* camber with one of the many brand camber bolts sold by Ron.

When the day comes that I need new control arm bushings/hardware, I am going with the SuperPros myself.

 

[Dialcaliper]

Any thoughts on the best coilover in this range for daily driving? I'm at 82k so with all the extra bits added perhaps it makes more sense for a full coil. I get to drive twisty new England roads but the pavement is garbage and I have an infant so I can't worsen the ride- hence diving down the B6 rabbit hole!

Just a plug for my off the shelf DIY Spring+B6 solution.

https://www.fiestastforum.com/threa...-rally-springs-for-stock-b6-suspension.30829/

Stiffer rates and better handling (similar to swift), and arguably better ride quality vs OEM paired with B6 shocks. I regularly take the car bombing down crappy roads in the Santa Cruz mountains and the occasional unpaved excursion, and the ride is still good enough for my wife and kid that was previously in a booster seat. I also run 16” 200TW tires with pretty stiff sidewalls that are still better than the OEM 17’s

I attribute the better ride to the rubber spacers up front, full usable shock travel, and using “true” linear coil over springs both front and rear with fairly light preload, which is something no lowering spring can actually claim due to simple physics. You can’t replace a factory linear spring with a lower static ride height and still have the same or stiffer spring rate.

Even the Spec-R that claim “linear” have to use a dual-rate linear spring + helper winding that opens in droop (which is not the same thing as progressive springs). Just think about it. Stiffer spring rate in lb/in, stock shock droop and also more static compression to lower the car simply doesn’t work even with zero preload if the car isn’t getting heavier.



Unfortunately I’ve only had one other local FiST owner that’s ridden in my car so far, but his impression was also a slightly better ride than his 2019 on OEM suspension. Still hoping someone else will try it to get a true second opinion and confirm I’m not just blowing smoke…

Note, I’m not arguing the Swifts aren’t a great setup - if anything their spring rates are just about right which is why I ended up with a similar target, they’re just not a stock height spring kit no matter how hard you squint at them.

I’m also not claiming any sort of “Mercedes” like ride. It’s definitely Firm, just like the Swifts, just less harsh than the OEM suspension tuning with better body control.

 

[GregF]

Thanks- I'm not afraid of lowering just a bit with the swifts, although it might be tight with my current 205/50/16 setup. Planning to switch to a 215/45 PS3 soon after suspension is upgraded.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Planning to switch to a 215/45 PS3 soon after suspension is upgraded.

Were you able to find those tires for <$200.00 each anywhere?

Also, does anyone know the actual TREAD width of these tires?

I've pulled enough weight out of my car that between that, combined with the static ride height 'jacking' of the B6 Bilsteins will most likely not lower this car more than 0.5", IF that.
(It currently sits higher than most everyone else's full weight/interior/added audio equipment rides on the factory suspension, especially in the back.)

But yes, I do 'get' what Dialcaliper is saying about proper suspension geometry, and full wheel travel (the 'ride quality' factor, per se, does not bother me one iota though. ).

I just do not want to be bothered sourcing all of the bits and pieces to do what he did, and abhor the idea of using zip ties to keep the tender springs attached to the main springs.
Besides, I can handle up to a half inch of lowering as far as road surfaces, speed bumps/compressions/etc., and yes, even working on ARA rallies (with a skid plate installed, of course!), goes.

But yes, any more than that is both useless to me, and out of the question as far as I am concerned, even before one gets to the ruined suspension geometry factors (I do not know how all of the 'slammin' stancers' keep their sump pans, subframes, etc. in one piece, let alone the tire gouging fender rub, even on perfectly smooth roads!)

 

[GregF]

Nope they're not cheap... haven't done enough research for other options yet but I think I'd like to go 215/45/16 performance tire on my dekagrams and suffer through winter on the oem wheels

 

[M-Sport fan]

Nope they're not cheap... haven't done enough research for other options yet but I think I'd like to go 215/45/16 performance tire on my dekagrams and suffer through winter on the oem wheels

Yes, that tire is one of the only over 200 tread wear options in that size, albeit still a 320 tread wear, summer only donut.
I just wonder how much longer Michelin is going to continue to produce them, seeing how they are already 3 years into the Pilot Sport S5 at this point.

If I knew that they were not a ridiculous < 7.0" in tread width (like some of the other options out there in this size), I would have considered them for my 2nd set of Dekagrams for street summer use, despite their co$t.