Any strut suggestions????

I don't trust ads as much as people who have no benefit from providing the info (I actually did check that post and went to the three sites suggested to find them)... I researched these stuts.. I want personal opinions of users. The guys at the mechanics today told me that Monroe struts were great for my car and despite me arguing with them that I didn't think they were they had a computer to back them up! I left without any struts and gunned it home to check out the CEG info and opinions... I read the ads... I want to know what the people think... I guess you think that these are great?

Will the BAT struts work well with a Ground Contol Coil Over Adjustable Suspension Kit?

What struts are available?
Brand/ Model/ Adjustable?/ Lowering Advised?
Spax/ Sport/ No/ YES in moderation

And no BAT struts aren't good with coilovers.

I kind of want to drop the car and keep my 17's but NY is real bumpy so maybe I'll put some BAT Struts with thier springs and put some 18's... I think that I would over do it with the ability to drop the car 3" with those coil overs...

Originally posted by Matt R:
Covered many times...

If you had read the FAQ, you would see there are only 3 struts recommended with lowering springs - Koni, BAT and Bilstein. Each has been discussed to death and you would have found plenty of information simply by using this little feature.

Though Spax are just as good as BAT struts for moderate drops. The FAQ is wrong.
For serious drops/coilovers, Koni or Bilsteins are the only way to go.

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Though Spax are just as good as BAT struts for moderate drops. The FAQ is wrong.
For serious drops/coilovers, Koni or Bilsteins are the only way to go.

Thank You! Someone actually has a pulse... I ended up just ordering the BAT kit since my car is more for driving and not show. I need the feel of the ride to be decent.

Originally posted by GTO Pete:

Originally posted by Matt R:
Covered many times...

If you had read the FAQ, you would see there are only 3 struts recommended with lowering springs - Koni, BAT and Bilstein. Each has been discussed to death and you would have found plenty of information simply by using this little feature.

This little feature only brings up the topics that I started if I search "Coil Overs"... I do know about the search feature... What I don't know much about is suspensions! I'm a nurse/musician for gods sake!!!

Originally posted by Rayn:

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
Though Spax are just as good as BAT struts for moderate drops. The FAQ is wrong.
For serious drops/coilovers, Koni or Bilsteins are the only way to go.

Thank You! Someone actually has a pulse... I ended up just ordering the BAT kit since my car is more for driving and not show. I need the feel of the ride to be decent.

I came in a little late, sorry. I'm in the process of installing a BAT kit on my SECOND Contique and you will be quite pleased with the results. Closest you can come to BMW or BETTER without spending $20,000.

Sounds very promising!!!

TourDeFroce is right, the ride height and stance are nice (not like a KONI kit, but...) the handling and ride quality are AMAZING as all hell. My CSVT was 1.25" lower all around-perfect for 17 or 18's. You will be extraordinarily happy with your purchase.

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
The FAQ is wrong.

If you feel it's wrong then make a post with corrected information. Otherwise your statement means nothing.

Originally posted by Rayn:
This little feature only brings up the topics that I started if I search "Coil Overs"... I do know about the search feature... What I don't know much about is suspensions! I'm a nurse/musician for gods sake!!!

I'm a finacial analyst, so what? What does that have to do with knowing about suspensions? Your looking struts, the FAQ has struts listed. Searching for "BAT", "Koni", "Bilstein", "Spax" would have netted a ton of results.

It means that I know nothing about them! I have no real knowledge on struts and coil overs and all that stuff. I'm attempting to obtain some type of ground but instead of reading into my questions you guys are just quick to reply "COVERED MANY TIMES" There is no post about coil overs I had to search a bunch of sites before I even knew what they were. Some people may need more detail than just what's in a FAQ... Pardon for being inquisitive...

Originally posted by CoopOfG6:
TourDeFroce is right, the ride height and stance are nice (not like a KONI kit, but...) the handling and ride quality are AMAZING as all hell. My CSVT was 1.25" lower all around-perfect for 17 or 18's. You will be extraordinarily happy with your purchase.

I recieved my BAT kit today! It's in my living room. Can't wait until Saturday to get it installed!!!!

I hope they are as good as you guys say...

Rayn, let me know what you think of the BAT kit on the streets of Brooklyn once you finally get it installed. I used to live in Bklyn and drive up fairly often and I plan on going with an aftermarket suspension and was advised the BAT kit is the best for NYC streets. Also, let me know what it cost to get it installed in NYC and where. Thanks

Originally posted by BlueMystique:
Rayn, let me know what you think of the BAT kit on the streets of Brooklyn once you finally get it installed. I used to live in Bklyn and drive up fairly often and I plan on going with an aftermarket suspension and was advised the BAT kit is the best for NYC streets. Also, let me know what it cost to get it installed in NYC and where. Thanks

The ride WILL be firmer than stock because of the springs mostly. If you have heavily potholed streets, you'll feel them a bit more than you would in a soft GL spring setup but you won't rattle your bones or anything like that. The SE springs are fairly firm to begin with, so the difference in ride will be less obvious & you'll get used to it easily.

The big benefit will be the handling. Huge benefit. Almost no nose dive on braking, great road holding around corners, and a very balanced, sophisticated feel in maneuvers.

Tour D, Thanks for the info. I have a Mystique LS and unfortunately the car is in the Shop here in NYC right now; apparently the right front spring was cracked and that is being replaced by Ford under recall warranty. The struts are being replaced under warranty. I have only had the car about a month and it seems that the spring was cracked from the get go, so I don't really know what the stock ride is supposed to be like; the car nosed dived pretty bad and heading was upset on high frequency potholes, not jarring but unstable and the car would crunch on low frequency holes and speed bumps. I had driven some SE's and thought they had a nice ride handling trade off, but I was told the Tique LS suspension was softer than the Tour SE set up?

I just want something handles well but is livable on trips to NYC. Once I get the car back and I am sure that everything under warranty is okay I will be doing some mods the first is likely to be the suspension. I thought about Koni adjustables I figured I could turn up when in NC/MD and turn down when in NYC, but was told it lowered the car a bit much for NYC streets. I know a lot of this stuff is sort of addressed in other threads (I have read most of them) But I noticed that Rayn is in Brooklyn, which is a whole different world in terms of pot holes

Pix will have to wait till this weekend. I have no way to post them here at work. The sites I use are blocked.

BlueMystique,
Both the Koni kit and BAT kit are great suspensions. The BAT kit will give you a more gentle ride than the Koni's, but you don't have any control over the adjustability of the ride. The Koni kit is I think, ~$100 more than the BAT kit, but well worth it in my eyes. I've got Koni's w/ Eibach and roll with them on full stiff at all times. I don't feel the ride to be TOO bad either. Koni also has a lifetime warranty on their on their struts.

Mark

Originally posted by BlueMystique:
Rayn, let me know what you think of the BAT kit on the streets of Brooklyn once you finally get it installed. I used to live in Bklyn and drive up fairly often and I plan on going with an aftermarket suspension and was advised the BAT kit is the best for NYC streets. Also, let me know what it cost to get it installed in NYC and where. Thanks

No Doubt! I'll let you know. From what everyone is saying it seems like these are really good and reasonably priced... NYC tears cars up! I hardly do more than creap out here because there's always that pothole lurking aiming to destroy your suspension, rims and provide you with some body damage. When I do get to open up in the safe havens, I'm very impressed (compared to other cars) by the stock handling so I can't imagine how I will feel tomorrow afternoon when I have my BAT Kit installed...

Koni Kit $819.95
BAT Kit $595.00

Originally posted by Rayn:
Koni Kit $819.95
BAT Kit $595.00

LoadedSVT found the Koni Kit for under $700 shipped. He might chime in on where he found it.

Mark

If so then that's a great price... I had my BAT kit put in today... I still have some noise coming from the back which I'm a little pissed about, but I don't have crunching knocking strut noise anymore

. I was a little dissapointed with the disposition of the drop but I know that it takes time for the car to settle (I hope not too much time). It looks about the same though. As for firmness of handling, yes you can feel the difference (not that the SVT suspension was bad at all). My mechanic is in an area called Flatbush out in Brooklyn. The main street "Flatbush Avenue" is not only bumpy, it also has craters that can swallow a Mini Cooper! Those struts held on tight despite the workout on that block. I understand now the difference of when you have normal shocks or struts for comfort then the car bounces alot, these struts are like a hug from a person with velcro arms! You never feel a loss of control. They are better than the SVT struts. I wish I could have a tad bit more drop but, I probably don't need it out here... I haven't had a chance to test em out on the highway just yet, street test they get an "A" for now.. By the way BAT shipped them really quick!!!!!

Rayn, Cool glad that the struts worked out for you I know how Flatbush ave is I grew up right off of Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn. I think I may go for the BAT kit because I am not looking for a radical drop about an inch is all I am looking for. I am still considering the BAT springs with Koni adjustables, this way I could have the ride height I like and adjustability; but it seems that even on their softest settings the Koni's are firmer than the BAT struts.

As far as the noise, you may want to check your sway bar mounts if it is a clunking type noise.

I will check (the sway bar mounts) thanks... I was on Atlantic today dodging those manhole covers! The drop still seems the same on day 2... I think the Koni's only adjust about another 1/2" more if i'm not mistakened. The reason I bought the whole BAT kit was because they said that the springs and the struts were tuned to work together. I don't know how much difference that makes.

Originally posted by BlueMystique:
As far as the noise, you may want to check your sway bar mounts if it is a clunking type noise.

Clunking? End links...

"I was a little dissapointed with the disposition of the drop but I know that it takes time for the car to settle (I hope not too much time). It looks about the same though."

Don't worry bro...it'll drop nicely...

Originally posted by Mod-Deth:
"I was a little dissapointed with the disposition of the drop but I know that it takes time for the car to settle (I hope not too much time). It looks about the same though."

Don't worry bro...it'll drop nicely...

Thanks for the reassurance... How long do they usually take to settle?
(The difference in the ride is definitely immediate!)
I will also check out the end links tomorrow (taking her back to the shop)

Rear sway mount (I think???) on the same side that the rear strut went bad, it was broken. It was like a metal wrap that held the sway bar in place (not at the end but right before the bend). They were on both sides of the sway bar. The other one was still intact. They repaired it and it is significantly more quiet (only occassional knocking when the pothole is big).. Is it possible to have a virtually silent suspension/ride (without owning a $50,000 car)?

Originally posted by GTO Pete:

Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
The FAQ is wrong.

If you feel it's wrong then make a post with corrected information. Otherwise your statement means nothing.

I did, a full year ago. I don't get how it means nothing or anything, but whatever just trying to help.

I thought the Bilsteins from BAT were awesome and they are very tough, but you'll need H&R's or Eibachs to lower the car with them as they're very stiff

Good luck to you!

Originally posted by Rayn:
Rear sway mount (I think???) on the same side that the rear strut went bad, it was broken. It was like a metal wrap that held the sway bar in place (not at the end but right before the bend). They were on both sides of the sway bar. The other one was still intact. They repaired it and it is significantly more quiet (only occassional knocking when the pothole is big).. Is it possible to have a virtually silent suspension/ride (without owning a $50,000 car)?

I had the mechanic tack weld the RR sway bar bushing to its mounting point. Noise is gone. BTW, the crazy piece (accurately described by you as a "metal wrap") was $55.

FWIW, I just had 4 x Monroe Sensatracs installed + a new spring in the LR corner. The front was getting a bit floaty and the RR felt like it was cocking its leg at a fire hydrant. Not BAT struts by any means but all this $$ transformed the car. I love the way these things handle...very European/German. Better than any Jetta or Passat that I've owned and I've owned a few.

My daughter just got her learner's permit today. She gets the Mystique for this. Mom won't let her touch the Freestar Sport and Dad (me) won't let her touch the CRX Si. I just installed 4 adjustable Koni reds, and adjustable-for-drop HP Sport springs. This is a killer combination and perfectly matched. I don't know if you can get a similar nice combination for the Contour/Mystique/Mondeo but I *do* know that anything Koni touches turns to gold. You can see pictures of this setup at http://crx.unixlover.com

TTYL,

Eric

Thanks Eric... I will get them to do that on both mounts. I know by now they think i'm crazy at the mechanics because i'm so picky with my car, but hey it's my SVT and I have been dying for it for years. I was wondering... Will the eibach springs have my car sitting lower than the BAT ones?
Oh yeah Nice CRX!!!

Originally posted by Rayn:
Thanks Eric... I will get them to do that on both mounts. I know by now they think i'm crazy at the mechanics because i'm so picky with my car, but hey it's my SVT and I have been dying for it for years. I was wondering... Will the eibach springs have my car sitting lower than the BAT ones?
Oh yeah Nice CRX!!!

I don't know anything about Eibach springs. I do know that any spring will allow you to drop the car with adjustable perches. That said, (and as been said in this Forum) it is absolutely necessary to properly match the springs / dampers (shocks). I had some really crappy Arospeed adjustable springs on my CRX for about 4 months. They looked great. The car was lowered 2.0" but the car bounced like a pogo stick on steroids....no control since the shocks were compressed past their "sweet spot" by the springs and there was only about 2" of travel, near the end of the compression stroke of the struts. Near the end of the stroke of a good variable-rate shock is the nasty zone where the shock is trying like crazy to keep you away from full compression. Brought new meaning to the term "slamming" a car.

Live and learn I guess. I managed to snag my 4 Konis, 4 custom perches, 4 HP sport springs and 4 camber kits for about $850 Cdn. An extremely good deal on new stuff. I was willing to pay the $$ for a really good setup but these things dropped into my lap at exactly the right moment. Should've gone out to buy a lottery ticket!

Anyway, I'm rambling. Gotta go. Good luck with your BATs. Drool drool.

I think that was your lottery ticket... My BAT's haven't settled any lower. I can't do the pogo stick thing. I guess I'll wait until pimp my ride comes to New York.... On the Koni's I thought the pressure of the shocks was only adjustable the specs I read were not much a farther drop than the ones I have. Are you happy with your drop and the drive now?

Originally posted by Rayn:
I think that was your lottery ticket... My BAT's haven't settled any lower. I can't do the pogo stick thing. I guess I'll wait until pimp my ride comes to New York.... On the Koni's I thought the pressure of the shocks was only adjustable the specs I read were not much a farther drop than the ones I have. Are you happy with your drop and the drive now?

You're right. The Konis have 4 settings: too soft, soft, normalish and sporty. They do not adjust for height (none do) but they match well with the HP Sport springs which are *designed to be* dropped with the adjustable perches.

I haven't found an ideal combination of ride height (w/ the springs) and damping force (shocks), but with so many combinations of height & damping to choose from that's half the fun! Incidentally, between the camber kit (a must for serious lowering) and the adjustable springs I have a choice of anything between -.5" to +4.0" drop. ("-" meaning higher than stock) Whether the Konis are happy with anything beyond 1.5" is debatable since the CRX has much less suspension travel than the Contour/Mystiques.

I'm going to fool around with settings again in the spring since the car's in storage now.

/Eric

Good luck hope you make some major break throughs... I had a sad moment when I sat in my boys Charger today... His suspension was so quiet. I know that his car is new but damn. I want a quiet suspension too (and a nice drop of course!)...