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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 58
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 58 |
well, i dont plan on really slamming my tour, my main points are to even out the fender gap, gain some stiffness for the corners (street driving) and have the freedom to go all the way back up (for what its worth on GCs) when the ohio winter rolls around. which is why i dont think i will necessarily need konis, because i would guess my lowering wouldnt exceed 1.5" on the GCs, but thats plus/minus a less than an inch to even out the fender gap. i can't figure out the big difference between spax non-adj. and bilstein, but for the price of bilstein (only vendor i know is SP-@ 122.50/corner) i might as well go koni (i found them for 152.60/corner) so on 1.5 inch lowering, +/- a small amount, do you think the spax would be up to the job then? 
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 21,653
I have no life
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I have no life
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 21,653 |
I don't really know about how GCs work too much. If they have a higher spring rate, then maybe not. IDK really know. And I'm afriad noone here can officially tell you if non-adj. spax are or aren't up to the job.
98.5 SVT
91 Escort GT (almost sold)
96 ATX Zetec (i brake to watch you swerve)
FS: SVT rear sway bar
WTB: Very cheap beater
CEG Dragon Run - October 13-15
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,163
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,163 |
interesting quotes from 1999 about spax quality for a different make
"At 2:34 pm -0400 22/4/99, James G. wrote:
>>I'm looking at replacing the Hor springs with Neuspeed or Spax. The
>
>Ack!! No, don't buy spax either.... Spax makes good 1-year suspension
>parts. After that 1 year, they're garbage IME... the springs sagged and
>the shocks died. Spax is only an upgrade from stock, and only as a
>stop-gap improvement. :P
>Riley McDowall
> "spax suck"
>Don't do the Spax!!
>
>This has gone 'round on the list a few times, and a number of complaints
>have been made about Spax, especially about the shocks, but I've heard a
>few
>bad things about the springs, too. I just met a guy last week who has a '98
>GTI that had Spax shocks and springs. He already replaced the shocks 'cause
>they were so bad (remember, the whole car is only a year old!). He wants to
>replace the springs, too.
>
>A lot of people that I've talked to (Including Mike Potter and the local
>watercooled club here in Minneapolis) seem to prefer Neuspeed or H&R. There
>are probably other good brands out there, but I just ordered a set of H&Rs
>from the Potterman.
>
>Anyone have experience with Eibach? A local Firestone dealer recommended
>them with Koni shocks. I know that some of their racing application stuff
>is
>real good, but haven't heard anything from street VW people like most of
>us...
>
>Neal
> "spax suck" What about Eibach?
"
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 58
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 58 |
is there anybody here who actually has the spax adjustables on their contour?? i talked to bat and the long and short is their supposed to be comparable to koni but with short rods to be used with lowering springs, but that last post about the VW spax struts scared me a bit...although that was coming from a VW owner so i'll take it with a grain of salt 
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,867
Hard-core CEG'er
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Hard-core CEG'er
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 3,867 |
Originally posted by nudespeed:
is there anybody here who actually has the spax adjustables on their contour?? i talked to bat and the long and short is their supposed to be comparable to koni but with short rods to be used with lowering springs, but that last post about the VW spax struts scared me a bit...although that was coming from a VW owner so i'll take it with a grain of salt
Let's clear this up.
All of the suitable struts have shortened rods. Koni, BAT, Spax, etc.
KYB, Sachs, Stock, ST200, do not. This is a chief contributor to early wear with lowering springs.
Are you sure you "need" GC's?
I just put Koni/Roush on the car and I'm bottoming less than I did before with the stock setup.
GC's seems like an expensive route to take just so you can raise a car for winter.
The Spax reputation went to hell for a while, but they were bought out and what I had read was that the new management had got them back in shape around the mid-90's. I'm surprised to find a post from 1999 that still pans them. Could be they still suck? Who knows.
Last edited by RogerB; 03/24/05 06:46 PM.
Function before fashion.
'96 Contour SE
"Toss the Contour into a corner, and it's as easy to catch as a softball thrown by a preschooler." -Edmunds, 1998
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 58
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 58 |
I think i need them, because I want the flexibility of being adjustable. not so much just because of the winters. I want to be able to adjust them to be slammed like some of the recent pics i've seen on here, but if/when i do change my mind, i can adjust them back to streetable comfort (for what its worth). plus i have heard they're linear, which also appeals to me. I've wanted GCs for years and finally settled on keeping a car, so now im ready to make the move, but there were so many opinions on struts it got me thinking...but after all the thinking...looks like its gonna be koni.
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,163
Hard-core CEG\'er
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Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,163 |
"...looks like its gonna be koni."
stazi is happy
I think there is a group buy on going for them at the this time
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Joined: May 2000
Posts: 96
CEG\'er
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CEG\'er
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 96 |
I've had both Spax and Koni's on my 99 Contour SVT...this is what I've found
Spax give a better, more comforatable ride, even when tightened down...Koni's are harsher, but better for the track...I like the Koni's myself...but it makes the car uncomfortable to drive any distance. I only drive it to the airport and back every week, so it's not a big deal but if it was a daily driver I couldn't take it. The koni's have a better warranty as well.
I did have trouble adjusting the back shock's so I just carved down the knob...no big deal.
I've also just bought Koni classics for my GT6...but I'm gonna vintage race that....replaced the Spax that went after 1 year..just after the warranty...I'm sure that doesn't happen all the time but it sure "P'd" me off.
99 SVT (Black) # 2642 of 2760
So Many Mods...So Little Time!!
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