Alfa V6

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Seems like the Koni's often suffer from poor build quality it seems. Often said about the Bilstein's as well due to not being stainless steel construction with less than adequate rust protection. The Eibach Pro S Street seems to be of stainless steel construction and also the KW's seems to be as well.

The KW & Eibach kits seem to be about 40-50% more than the Koni or Bilstein but I guess you get what you pay for.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Thanks Dicky. After all my research I think the Eibach Pro-S Street seems the way forward. It uses the KW V1 dampers made by KW anyway with stainless steel body.

The rears don't seem original to me and look exposed also rusty. Plenty have said the Bilsteins and other non stainless bodies rust badly. On the GT it seems to suffer from exposure more possibly.
 

zagatoes30

Member
Messages
20,759
Personally I think coilovers are too hard for road use, my Q4 has them they are great on super smooth tracks but to firm for the road and make the car twitchy. The GT needs compliant suspension to soak up bumps and protect the over sensitive suspension arms.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
I'm a novice in this area of mods so learning as I go along. I guess you need to experience and live with mods and have knowledge of a few to know what is good, bad or indifferent.

So much conflicting info out there makes it hard to make a reasonably accurate informed decision.
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,075
I’ve not been in an Alfa with KWs but all the Porsches and BMWs I’ve been in with them are too hard for road use in my opinion.

It depends what you like, if you get in an S-Line Audi and think “this is harder than Mike Tyson” KWs aren’t for you.
 

rockits

Member
Messages
9,167
Thanks. Yes, I would get in an SLine and likely think it was too hard. It has half the reason I ditched the TT a few years back.

Maybe further thinking required.
 

zagatoes30

Member
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20,759
From what I have seen in the open forum world is that the harder the suspension the better it gets rated whereas I believe suspension is there to soak up road imperfections and allow the car to remain in control at all times. The suspension on my 80s Giulietta is the best I have ever driven, it soaks up bumps without being thrown offline, it controls body roll and stops the weight working against the tyre footprint and it allows smooth progression in direction change. It is softer than most would expect but allows all the suspension components to work together and it manages to stop nearly all road imperfections being transmitted through the body.

Alfas are designed to allow the suspension to move to absorb impacts and the suspension arms work with this movement well, firming the ride too much transfers the forces into the suspension arms, bushes and body mounts which causes premature wear and IMO an uncontrollable ride. This is why I don't like coilovers on Alfas, decent dampers to allow movement but keep it under control allow the suspension to work as designed whilst reducing body roll hence why Paul at A4Alfa recommends the Konis, standard springs and Eibach rollbars.

Ultimately you make your own choice
 

Oneball

Member
Messages
11,075
I was reading a review in the motoring press of one of the latest uber fast hot hatches and his comments were that because it hopped and skipped over bumps, couldn’t put the power down and was generally out of control made it feel racy and that’s what he looked for in something sporty. I just don’t get it, in my mind that’s unsafe.

To put the racy thing into perspective over hard damping looses about 5 secs a lap round somewhere like Snetterton and that’s not a particularly bumpy circuit.
 

dem maser

Moderator
Messages
34,221
If anyone is interested my GTV V6 could be sold if i got a decent offer
2002 62k silver witt red leather, bodywork not great but mechanically excellent
 

Kincath

Member
Messages
358
The engine bay wiring loom is weak. The heat in there causes damage. This is an issue on 156 and 147 GTAs. Ask me how I know :-(

Also gearboxes go bang so try and get one with Q2 diff. Great cars.