shouldbeasy's 'not a build' build.

[shouldbeasy]

Focus RS Spring rates are :
Front spring rate. 40 N/mm (228 lb/inch) (4.07 kg/mm)
Rear spring rate. 44 N/mm (251 lb/inch) (4.48 kg/mm)



Fiesta ST Spring rates are :
Front spring rate. 30.1 N/mm (172 lb/inch) (3.07 kg/mm)
Rear spring rate. 25.0 N/mm (137 lb/inch) (2.44 kg/mm)



Yellospeedracing spring rates:
Front spring rate. 49.03 N/mm (280.0 lb/inch) (5.0 kg/mm) – percentage increase over stock = 63%
Rear spring rate. 39.23 N/mm (224.0 lb/inch) (4.0 kg/mm) – percentage increase over stock = 64%



MeisterR spring rates:
Front spring rate. 49.03 N/mm (280.0 lb/inch) (5.0 kg/mm) – percentage increase over stock = 63%
Rear spring rate. 29.42 N/mm (168.0 lb/inch) (3.0 kg/mm) – percentage increase over stock = 23%

 

[shouldbeasy]

YSR has yet to provide me with replacement shocks - the latest statement from YSR is as follows:

We have test fit the Ford Fiesta St Rally Gravel coilover kit with 4kg springs for an extended period of time, and this 4kg rear setup was quite soft and matched perfectly with our shock valving. We believe this customer has the shock stroke adjustment in the rear set incorrectly, so that’s why he believes the ride quality in the rear is too stiff. We only have a 3kg-180mm spring available, which is 20mm shorter than the existing spring. This would cause the rear of the vehicle to not be able to lift as tall as the front which would create issues for handling / control

So, even after telling them that I'm not even running the YSR shocks and am actually running Koni-Orange shocks and am experiencing an extremely bouncy ride, the conclusion is that I installed the YSR shocks wrong and that's why the ride, currently, with the different branded shock, is poor.

YSR hasn't even asked for the quality control card / packing card from the boxes which shows who signed off / released the products. Pretty hard to take quality control seriously when a customer has an issue and you don't track it down to the source.

YSR has also, CLEARLY, never driven a FiST with 4kg springs and at the same time claim it's 'quite soft'. It's insane.

So, now I'm back to using the MeisterR's while saving up for the FlatOut Suspension GR40 kit along with contacting Visa for a chargeback due to YSR not providing the product as advertised (changing the website after I pointed it out....) and not replacing the shocks which never worked.

TL: DR: DO NOT BUY YSR PRODUCTS

 

[shouldbeasy]

Pulled off all the YSR products today - surprise surprise, a front shock is blown and leaking oil already. Quality garbage they're selling!

Anyways, the car will definitely ride better with the MeisterR's and the ride height is acceptable... I think I managed to get an inch or so back with really maxing out the rear shocks and springs. The front has lots of room to adjust if needed, the issue is now the total length of the rear shock which limits the ride height (as my set up is currently preloading the spring 1/2" or so as the springs at the top of their perches too).

Cleaned up the skid plate and brought it forward a bit - properly mounted this time straight to the front crash bar I made. I can stand on it and the car moves, not the skid plate - no flex which is perfect. I'm expecting some decent downforce gains just by ducting the air from under the car in to the engine bay and out the hood vents. Sealing in the sides Should help too - considering even buying the M2 flares or just replacing my fenders and adding more aero bits. Canards and proper plates at the tips of the wings where the tire leading edge is are at the top of my list. Access panel is for oil change - I cut off some of the backside (right up to the mounting point where it meets the frame / front suspension carrier brace. MIG welding aluminum isn't super easy - the 3/16" plate for the base wasn't bad but I managed a couple burn throughs on the super thin side pieces. Just had to dial down the voltage and bust out the grinder! Pretty happy with the end result. I ended up filling the front holes and also adding a small trim piece along the plastic below the intercooler - cleans it up a bit.

And finally got my hood struts installed - So thankful to be rid of the prop rod!!

 

[M-Sport fan]

Does the back of that plate attach to the subframe/crossmember with bolts through those 4 holes, or further back along the exhaust tunnel?

 

[shouldbeasy]

Just the last two, I put the first two (the ones closest to the middle of the skid plate) in first and then realized that I forgot to account for the distance I extended the skid forward... Whoops! So I drilled two more holes and now it stops under the exhaust tunnel and bolts to the body to front suspension carrier support. I couldn't go further back without messing with their rearward mounting location so I cut the skid plate off shorter than it shows in the pictures.

 

[Woods247]

That's bad ass!

 

[shouldbeasy]

Working on corner balancing the car as close as I can get it just using the truck weigh scale (only accurate to 10kgs so not that accurate...). Still, having some comparison for numbers on each adjustment is nice.

Finally pulled the trigger on the M2 Motoring flares - I'll have to readjust the splitter in the wheel wells when that time comes but that's to be expected due to placing the wheels out further (I'll probably run spacers for now - bolt on - never had an issue with them on my 4x4). Contemplated going with new fenders but they're a couple hundred each and I'd have to paint match them so fuck it, go with the flares I've always wanted as they actually look good on the car and solve my problem of ugly fenders.

Just have to say how friggin' nice the Dark Ice Designs Hood Strut Kit is - so amazing to not have to put up the prop rod or even have to support the hood much when opening it. I had forgot to plug in a headlight when reinstalling them and pulled over quick to do so and just that small difference is so nice.

Last mod will be a flat floor in the back and probably a roll bar - no need for the rear seat so I'll pull that and give the dog more room.

 

[shouldbeasy]

Chargeback completed on the YSR transaction - quite fortunate they admitted what they sent vs what was ordered was different.

M2 Motoring also refunded my flare order due to not being able to ship to my PO Box and Whoosh declined to provide a shipping quote so I'm just gonna skip flares and go with new fenders.

So, cheap fenders ordered, I'll probably get the local CarStars to paint them up - saves me from adjusting the splitter further. Small spacers may be in the future.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Or, you could go 'whole hog' and get the Mk7 R5 bodywork, by robbing a couple of banks and selling any organs not necessary to stay alive. LOL

Sadly though, since M-Sport now uses exclusively Mk8s, even those kits are very scarce to non-existent, for ANY price.