How-To: Stock Height Rally Performance Springs for OEM/B6 style suspension

[Dialcaliper]

Here's a pic.

I'm a bit concerned by the front ride height. Seems like it might be getting lower. Left side may be slightly lower than the right. I wonder if the cheap springs I used in the front aren't very good.

The rear seems a bit higher than OEM. I'm tempted to cut a bit of height out...

Agreed, the rear looks close to factory “new” which if you look around online is the tire “centered” in the curve of both fenders. Your front is definitely low, but that just depends on personal preference of where you want it to sit

All springs will settle initially after a few hundred miles. Even my custom Bilstein setup built with entirely Swift springs settled between 1/2”-3/4” in the first month.

 

[Snrub]

I installed a set of these spring spacers in the front https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B07WGF224D/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=A3BEBWTOARC1WU&psc=1

It definitely raised the front of the car back up about 1" which is where I'd like it to be. I think on smooth roads it rides better, I suspected it was sitting on the bumpstops before.

I'm not sure if the first spring loop at the bottom is considered a fully "active" spring. If it is, I assume I increased the spring rate by 20-25%. On rougher roads the ride feels harsher. I haven't had a chance to push it much in corners yet.

 

[Snrub]

I think I'm happy with the cheap spring spacers. I think i like the way the car handles now. Ideally, I'd like the ride to be a bit better, but it's about where it was when I had the Indy 500 tires on stock springs, as opposed the ECS 02 now.

I'm not sure my variation of dialcaliper's recipe with front springs from cheap aftermarket R56 rear springs, cut slightly, with spacers , is one I can confidently recommend to all, but this kludge solution seems to work. Part of me wonders if the springs I used are of OEM quality.

 

[SVTBob]

Not as knowledgeable as some of the responders, so I followed Dialcaliper’s recipe to the letter. Have had them on for several months and several thousand miles using very low mileage OEM struts and shocks. In about 20k, will replace with B6’s. But have to say, that even with the stock struts/shocks, the ride is much more compliant and pleasant, especially over sharp road defects, and I have not noticed any deterioration of handling in aggressive street driving. So, for me, DialCaliper’s objective has been totally realized and I thank him again for his effort to do this to start with. And I strongly recommend this to anyone with a stockish FiST as a great improvement in increasing the enjoyability of the car on the street.

 

[gargamel]

It’s time to give these springs a final report card, and I think they deserve an A+

The car has been handling and surprisingly,
riding slightly better than stock on the stiffer springs - probably because they don’t bottom on the bumpstops nearly as often

I’ve run them on the car for a year and a half, and a bit over 11,000 miles, and they’ve held up well. The rubber gasket rings I added as spacers still look almost new even though I was worried about them.

Then springs didn’t really settle that much, but if anything they look even closer to stock than before. Aside from being a bit dusty from driving on dry dirt roads, they held up really well

I’m finally moving onto my fancier customized Bilstein suspension now that it’s finally ready, so these are being retired. Not sure whether I’ll keep them as spares or just find a new home for them.

Thanks for the writeup, I'm doing my own research to essentially do the same! If you decided you want to sell that setup, I'd be interested in the parts and/or full damper setup.

 

[Dialcaliper]

Thanks for the writeup, I'm doing my own research to essentially do the same! If you decided you want to sell that setup, I'd be interested in the parts and/or full damper setup.

I’ve actually passed it off to someone I know locally, but happy to answer questions if you have any!

 

[SVTBob]

Gargamel, if you’re intimidated by the write up if you’ve not done this before (as was the case with me), just do it. Buy the parts in Dialcaliper’s recipe, take your time, follow the instructions and refer to the pictures and I think you will find that it is actually pretty easy to do this. I am very happy with this setup, a big improvement.

 

[gargamel]

That's great to hear the positive feedback!

One question before I go about it, based on the feedback ""The 3” spring is about 1/8” too small for the top hat because of the taper on the stock plastic bearing so it won’t sit all the way “up” on the flat. Ideal diameter for the spacer is about 3.25”""

I am able to find 3.25ID coil springs with a useful spring rate for the front. Landrum brand. Would you advise going with 3.25 if available - or stick with the 3" since the spacer means it doesn't matter?

10" ones on this product list from Landrum. Found em at Summit.