Again, it's a tough call to judge without any techincal data. The pictures of TH's upcoming setup were definitely NOT for the CDW27 application.. So who knows!
Don't get the impression that a coilover suspension has to be rough and harsh, simply because most of them are. Some design parameters can't co-exist.. When track handling characteristics go up, street comfort goes down. The spring rates supplied with the GC kit, and the linear nature of those springs makes it impossible to have a smooth ride with them. It's not the end of the world, mind you, if you team them with the very best struts (Konis), but still... far from what people would call comfortable.
There's some general geometry considerations when it comes to the Contour that prevent doing things like the Honda boys can.. They can run a 4" drop, and still have enough suspension travel available for daily driving.. this means the mfg's can supply "street" coilover kits with much softer springs, closer to stock, and then the cars ride real smooth.
On the Contour, the rear is fine... it gets complicated up front. With a 3" drop (GC's at the bottom) and chopped bump stops there is about 1.25" of compression travel available before the car hits the bump stops. Even the 500lb/in spring that's supplied can't possibly catch the car in 1" or less after you hit a large wallowing bump. Even if it does, it overwhelms the Koni's ability to control it.. which gives you the "bounce back" that most people dread. There is no workaround this, aside from using dampers with dramatically shorter bodies, which don't exist, save for the Leda dampers I had designed.
Plus with the front sway bar attachment point, the threads can't go down low enough to use a long spring. There are issues with coil bind when too short a spring is used, which is also the case with the GC kit.
Damn, I'm rambling forever here.. what was the question again??
Aaah, yes.
- Coilover + comfy = almost impossible on Contour. Unless you change to soft springs. But then you need to raise the car. Which defeats the purpose. Sorry.
- Coilover + acceptable = GC on Konis. No less.
- Coilover + perfect = Custom design. Mucho $$. Unless TH's kit adresses all the issues. Gonna hafta relocate those front sway bar end-links though.
