Floaty feel

[Error404]

Whats the symptoms of knackered dampers, everything is new on my car except the springs and dampers, car rides fine but feels really floaty - I've no confidence to throw it into a bend. alignment has been done a couple weeks ago and everything in spec except castor which is about 8 minutes out on one side (probably either cos the topmounts were fooked when i had it done or subframe is slightly skewed)

Thought it was topmounts casuing this, changed them yesterday for some new greens (they were proper fooked!) but no real improvment, less tramlining maybe...

Car still feels great once the suspension is loaded but doesn;t like quick direction changes and feels flaoty and unstable.

what are your thoughts guys?
Alex

[Costash]

Dead shock absorbers are the reason of floating beacause the springs now take the job of the shock absorbers .But this it s just my opinion!
Do you see any leaks from dampers?

[johne]

knackered dampers.

This then leads into the passionate debate about which are the best

As someone who's fitted Bilsteins, worn them out in 50k miles and then gratefully replaced them with the OE Boge ones, I don't rate them for use on S2s on our harsh roads.

John

[PeteUr]

Have you fitted the koni's yet?

[Kieron20V]

Yo Alex, reminds me of my thread when I had rebushed and mounted my coupe. Have another read through the last few pages. I threw some konis on mine and it was transformed. And I was ready to give up with it. One of my fronts was so junked the wheel would bounce in the arch on lock. Took it out and there was no resistance in it at all. Extreme case, but same early symptons.

Good luck!
Kieron.

[Error404]

cool, thanks for the vote of confidence guys

Yeah I remember suggesting in that thread that your dampers were fooked Kieron Mine rides fine and controls the springs adequately, just far less effective than neccessry I guess, although now that you mention it the car does judder a bit tunring at full lock

I've got a pair of almost new front Konis (cheers Pete!) and some H&Rs, just need a pair of rear Konis and will look forward to getting them fitted then


Inceidentally took some pics of the topmounts, from new yesterday and now having covered 25 miles they are already fooked, the retaining cup has popped up already - i do live right by a level crossing that probably doesn't help going over it all the time

Soon it will be just right.......

[lind4hl]

what topmounts?? :S

[Error404]

strut top bushing

[lind4hl]

i meant what brand on them?

[Error404]

oh right haha

I used new crappy OE green ones as i will use Pro-mounts or custom offset ones at some point soon when i fit Konis & H&Rs

[lind4hl]

i see!

[europeanme]

the descripiton mentioned is exactly what my avant has been suffereing with...looks like i may have to sort my dampers out!!...

[Rusty]

Get some nice stiff dampers on there and it'll be fine although on stock springs I've never found the turn in to be that confidence inspiring, once the car is loaded it's fine though. The HnRs feel soft on the initial roll but then stop rolling, takes a little getting used to but only when changing direction. I've got my konis set to 0.5 from stiff all round, I think I'd still like stiffer dampers, it's not as though the S2 has any ride quality to begin with so might as well go a little mad and get some performance benefit, stiffer Billies on the BM made a large difference over the nearly new Boge Turbos that were on there.