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Looking for Suspension Advice

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Location
Midlothian
#1
Hey guys I'm thinking about buying the following for my 18 Fiesta ST:

http://www.piercemotorsport.com/2014-2018-fiesta-st-race-suspension-package/
This set includes the Rear Torsion Bar, Lower 6 Point Brace and Strut Brace. I read a few people saying this made the car handle much better and lessened the torque steer.

I also want to buy the Bilstein B8 Shocks and Whiteline Springs.


So my question is basically is this the best use of my money in regards to the suspension? I'm not looking for a pure track car or anything, but I would love to have the car feel sharper and more flat through the turns. I'll also be buying more aggressive tires, but not until the current ones are worn down in another 10k miles probably.

My current mods are just the Stratified Tune Stage 1 with RMM and Intake plus the Short Shifter.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks
 


Truth in Ruin

1000 Post Club
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#2
Hello, suboost. I’m sure a lot of people will chime in on this one. The three mods you chose so far are great ones.

Something to keep in mind about what people have said in the past about the FiST’s suspension: 17-19 have softer springs & shocks, but they have 33% stiffer torsion beam & 33% stiffer front sway bar. That said, in theory the pierce torsion brace should be less noticeable than it’d be on the 14-16.

If it were me- I’d probably skip-out on the torsion bar, and front shock tower brace. And I’d go with the 6-point brace, Whiteline Springs, and B8’s
 


OP
S
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Thread Starter #3
Hello, suboost. I’m sure a lot of people will chime in on this one. The three mods you chose so far are great ones.

Something to keep in mind about what people have said in the past about the FiST’s suspension: 17-19 have softer springs & shocks, but they have 33% stiffer torsion beam & 33% stiffer front sway bar. That said, in theory the pierce torsion brace should be less noticeable than it’d be on the 14-16.

If it were me- I’d probably skip-out on the torsion bar, and front shock tower brace. And I’d go with the 6-point brace, Whiteline Springs, and B8’s
Thanks a lot for the info! Definitely good to know. So I'll probably do that, just go for the 6 point and the shocks/springs. Would you recommend anything else that would make a big difference like control arms, etc?
 


Messages
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Location
El Paso
#5
I definitely want to throw my 2 cents in on this matter, before I say anything I have done an immense amount of research both real world and online and if you want to swap your springs and not go coilovers swift is the best choice why? Because even if you get coilovers they are usually available as an Upgrade.. if Fortune , BC and many other reputable companies think it's the best than it's the best. Also they usually ride much better than another spring with a comparable rate. Anyways before I sound like a swift salesman , pierce stuff Especially the torsion bar is a MUST. The difference is so night and day it feels like your car was missing a part before . Late 16 and up IS stiffer but the truth is you can never go too Stiff ;) also will help with cabin creaks and weird flex noises. So pierce stuff is yum. I went Koni's but honestly unless you race won't be able to tell much of a difference if you get yellow ( koni sport ) you can run softest setting and have a sporty Mercedes type of ride like I do =)
 


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El Paso
#6
B8's for fiesta hasn't been available since 2018 is what Ron (whoosh) told me . I ordered them got refunded went with konis.
 


Truth in Ruin

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#7
Thanks a lot for the info! Definitely good to know. So I'll probably do that, just go for the 6 point and the shocks/springs. Would you recommend anything else that would make a big difference like control arms, etc?
As far as recommendations that would make a big difference- you could use the extra money you’re saving by ditching the tower brace & torsion brace to purchase a bigger intercooler. That package from Pierce is expensive, and I’ve heard from a few members that the front tower brace didn't make a difference.
 


Messages
58
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Location
Eastvale
#8
I have an 18 and have also done a metric crap ton of research. Here’s my opinion.

Suspension is a matter of cost, reliability and purpose. I got some power mods done, now I started suspension. You gonna sell your stock stuff? If no, why not go with a super reputable spring like Swift? (Disclaimer, sponsored by them) They are made for the stock dampeners. Ride it for a while, then decide it that’s good or not. It’s like a free science project.

I came from the subie community. If braces are the same, they are only a part of suspension setups. The most important being shock/strut/sway bar. THEN look into bracing.

So, to recap, get some springs and a rear sway only if you want to get stiff. The front is already 33 percent stiffer. That’s a lot. Drive. Then invest where you see fit, that best suits your driving needs. Increments. Hope that helps. Good luck and have fun! Let us know what works and what doesn’t so someone else can learn!


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OP
S
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Thread Starter #10
I definitely want to throw my 2 cents in on this matter, before I say anything I have done an immense amount of research both real world and online and if you want to swap your springs and not go coilovers swift is the best choice why? Because even if you get coilovers they are usually available as an Upgrade.. if Fortune , BC and many other reputable companies think it's the best than it's the best. Also they usually ride much better than another spring with a comparable rate. Anyways before I sound like a swift salesman , pierce stuff Especially the torsion bar is a MUST. The difference is so night and day it feels like your car was missing a part before . Late 16 and up IS stiffer but the truth is you can never go too Stiff ;) also will help with cabin creaks and weird flex noises. So pierce stuff is yum. I went Koni's but honestly unless you race won't be able to tell much of a difference if you get yellow ( koni sport ) you can run softest setting and have a sporty Mercedes type of ride like I do =)
Thanks for the info. Yea I thought that I read just doing springs wasn't a good idea on the stock shocks. Am I wrong about that? It seems like for the price of the koni yellows with swift springs I could probably just get a set of ST coilovers or similar. Would those not be better than the Koni/Swift route? Thanks again for the advice!
 


OP
S
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Midlothian
Thread Starter #11
As far as recommendations that would make a big difference- you could use the extra money you’re saving by ditching the tower brace & torsion brace to purchase a bigger intercooler. That package from Pierce is expensive, and I’ve heard from a few members that the front tower brace didn't make a difference.
Can you tell me exactly what the larger intercooler would do for me power wise? I understand it would need an updated tune, but I guess to me I'm not sure another 20hp is really going to be more fun since I can't really put the power down in 1st at all now and 2nd isn't always great either. I've had STi's, Porsches, etc and of course more power in those cars made a huge difference, because I could actually put it down. I'm just worried more power won't mean much in the fun department unless I'm on the highway. I'd love to install an LSD, just can't justify the cost. Thanks again for the help and please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of this stuff.
 


OP
S
Messages
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Location
Midlothian
Thread Starter #12
I have an 18 and have also done a metric crap ton of research. Here’s my opinion.

Suspension is a matter of cost, reliability and purpose. I got some power mods done, now I started suspension. You gonna sell your stock stuff? If no, why not go with a super reputable spring like Swift? (Disclaimer, sponsored by them) They are made for the stock dampeners. Ride it for a while, then decide it that’s good or not. It’s like a free science project.

I came from the subie community. If braces are the same, they are only a part of suspension setups. The most important being shock/strut/sway bar. THEN look into bracing.

So, to recap, get some springs and a rear sway only if you want to get stiff. The front is already 33 percent stiffer. That’s a lot. Drive. Then invest where you see fit, that best suits your driving needs. Increments. Hope that helps. Good luck and have fun! Let us know what works and what doesn’t so someone else can learn!


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I may or may not sell the stock stuff, depending on what I can get for it. I thought I read it wasn't a good idea to install just springs on the stock shocks. Is that incorrect?

Which sway bar would you recommend? Also, would you do just rear or front also? Thanks
 


Messages
58
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25
Location
Eastvale
#13
So you’re gonna need to look into that. I can tell you anything, but you, as the owner need to verify all the things you get. Makes you better.

But, I know the guys at Swift Springs. These are made for the stock struts. I think Vogtland and Mountune are as well. Might be missing some. You can essentially put any spring on your stock struts. Just lowers their life. Instead of 60k, you might need new ones at 30. Stuff like that.

To answer your question about intercoolers, colder air temps are best for power. Personally, I have a Depot racing front mount. Fits in the stock location, no cutting needed, affordable and power proven. Awesome bang for your buck like the AP. But yes. Smoother power band ultimately. Long term stuff there. Needed? Now? Meh. But if you want to improve things later, look into it. It’s a pain to take the front of our cars off. Lol.

You’re going to find different people with different opinions. Some, want all the same brand. Some, want the cheapest crap out there. You gotta find what you want. Sometimes that requires trial and error.

I only say get the rear because we don’t have one the way our cars come. So adding one (most brands are good, just find one in your price range) will benefit you. Again, the front on ours is stiffer already, so you’re not going to have a company make one for ours quite yet as ours is most likely as stiff as an older aftermarket one. That’s why I say go in increments.


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Messages
35
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19
Location
El Paso
#14
Thanks for the info. Yea I thought that I read just doing springs wasn't a good idea on the stock shocks. Am I wrong about that? It seems like for the price of the koni yellows with swift springs I could probably just get a set of ST coilovers or similar. Would those not be better than the Koni/Swift route? Thanks again for the advice!
The reason I chose the koni swift route to be honest is that honestly nothing else in the 1500$ range offered better actual performance and lifetime warranty . I also didn't wanna mess with ride height swift is perfect for me, and the struts on our cars late 16 and later are softer and I do wanna autocross, road "course" race my car every now and then so wanted that extra stiffness. Also I got adjustable rear to dial in the rotation =) For example since i really wanted swifts the lowest cost option really was BC's with swift upgrade around $1300 for coilovers and really the only advantage is height adjustment which i didnt want to mess with. Anything else with Swift gets in close to the @2000 dollar range which for this car is not justifiable imo for my once in a while track days XD . I think the ultimate setup for me if it was a "race" car would be the fortunes with swift upgrade <3 Which is only available for focus ST atm X/
 


Mikey456

Active member
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Location
Los Angeles
#15
Thanks for the info. Yea I thought that I read just doing springs wasn't a good idea on the stock shocks. Am I wrong about that? It seems like for the price of the koni yellows with swift spri I could probably just get a set of ST coilovers or similar. Would those not be better than the Koni/Swift route? Thanks again for the advice!
I have ‘17 model and have Swift springs with stock shocks. Initially it was pretty stiff, but the ride has gotten better over the months. You will notice the limitations of the shock dampening (which I will eventually replace w bilstein), but for my budget I’m happy with the performance of the spring itself and the improved looks of the car.
 


Truth in Ruin

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#16
Can you tell me exactly what the larger intercooler would do for me power wise? I understand it would need an updated tune, but I guess to me I'm not sure another 20hp is really going to be more fun since I can't really put the power down in 1st at all now and 2nd isn't always great either. I've had STi's, Porsches, etc and of course more power in those cars made a huge difference, because I could actually put it down. I'm just worried more power won't mean much in the fun department unless I'm on the highway. I'd love to install an LSD, just can't justify the cost. Thanks again for the help and please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong on any of this stuff.
There’s a time and place for the extra power. For instance, I’m considered stage 2- running Stratified’s 91, 93, and E30 tunes and I prefer running the E30 tune. I have the Pierce 2-point brace and it actually does help with traction; so does Stratified’s traction control. Also, the extra power shines in 3rd and 4th gear, as well.
I went roll racing- prepped, E30 tuned, using Stratified’s traction control (setting #4), and I pulled away from a bolted 2001 Z28 Camaro, V-6 BMW, and a Speed3 that night.
 


Last edited:
OP
S
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Thread Starter #17
Well now maybe I'm thinking just the 6 point up front, lowering springs whiteline/swift and rear sway bar and see how that all feels. I contacted Ron at Whoosh about the springs and sway bar, but haven't heard back yet. Any other vendors on here that can give me a good deal on this stuff? Thanks a lot for all the help.

Also, I still might get the B8 shocks if they're available. And the only reason I'm considering the whiteline over the swift is I read a few great reviews on the forums. They didn't say they were better than the swift springs, but comparable and not worse. I figured if I can save over $100 and can't tell the difference then maybe it's worth it.
 


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Location
El Paso
#18
Well now maybe I'm thinking just the 6 point up front, lowering springs whiteline/swift and rear sway bar and see how that all feels. I contacted Ron at Whoosh about the springs and sway bar, but haven't heard back yet. Any other vendors on here that can give me a good deal on this stuff? Thanks a lot for all the help.

Also, I still might get the B8 shocks if they're available. And the only reason I'm considering the whiteline over the swift is I read a few great reviews on the forums. They didn't say they were better than the swift springs, but comparable and not worse. I figured if I can save over $100 and can't tell the difference then maybe it's worth it.
If you don't think you'll feel any difference over the springs you won't feel the difference between a 2 point and 6 point either , especially if you don't drive aggressive like me all the time , or combine track , road race days. Getting the 2 point is a better way to save a $100 dollars or so i think . Also just coming back from test driving my rear trunk bar install and i can say for sure that it got rid of the creaks inside from the trim and whatnot if anything , i kept coming in and out of my steep driveway and not a single flex noise which was one of the things i paid most attention to throughout my ownership. I can't wait to try their other stuff <3 Again I'm not sponsored by anyone ( I wish ) but it's hard to find a combination of quality parts and good workmanship at a good price another reason why i like MAPerformance <3 I saw you were looking for an intercooler deff check theirs out good luck on your build !

I asked for stickers as well and they didn't let me down X_D
Trunk Bar.jpg torsion bar.jpg charge pipe.jpg
 


jeff

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Evans
#19
I have installed all these on my car:

FRONT
Strut brace (removed, sold)
2 point lower brace (removed, sold)
6 point lower brace

REAR
Trunk brace
Torsion brace
Sway bar

The strut brace and trunk brace are useless. I removed the strut brace and sold it, I kept the trunk brace only because by the time I sold it + shipping I'd only have made $20 profit so meh.

The 2 point was good but the 6 point is the way to go, huge difference.

The torsion and sway make a noticeable difference too.

My theory is that the down-low stuff helps, anything over 12" high does not.
 


Ford ST

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#20
I read and research these cars to no end.
My conclusion on suspension upgrades 6 point brace no doubt about it, it is probably the best reviewed handling modification there is by far. Swift springs seem to be the best out there. You can run the B6 bilstein's on Swift springs if you want, I believe Ron actually recommends this. The Swift springs were designed to work with the stock height dampers b6 bilstein's are designed for non lowered cars. B8 bilstein's are designed for lowering. Yes I know Swift springs lower the car some but they made them to work with regular dampers. Rear torsion bar, or sway bar.

Now I have none of these I speak of at the time, but I have read and researched a ton.

Ron is probably busy but he has excellent customer service, and has done more for this community that any vendor on this site.

Go ahead and order a 6-point brace, and a torsion bar or sway bar. Install it and go from there that would be my advice. Best of luck to you with whatever you decided. Have fun.

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