Suspension setup recommendations daily driver / rough roads Options

[skota23]

Hi folks,

Now that I have my car running well it’s time to start making it handle how I want and would like some advice. It’s a 74 2.0

Here’s what it has now,
Front sway bar (factory)
Stock torsion bars
Struts, not sure but the car came with a used set of konis (rebuilding konis an option?)

Rear
Kyb’s these I’m thinking about replacing with bilstiens with adjustable spring perches
140# springs, I’m thinking 100# to replace them

Tires are old 205/60/15’s that I’m planning on replacing with 185/70 vredestein

I’d like to raise the car up a bit for ground clearance and comfort but not compromise handling too much.

I’d appreciate anyone’s thoughts.

Thank you,
Steve

[wonkipop]

@skota23

the tyres are half the trick to softening out the ride.
the 185/70 Vreds ought to be pretty good.

previous to my recommission i had been running 195 goodrich (back in the 1990s and early 2000s) and still had the original boges which were quite soft shocks.
i hated the goodrich tyres. really detested them. lower profile than original but it was all you could get back then.

with recommission i have been right through suspension.
nothing fancy. bushings the lot. running bilsteins maybe the fanciest bit.
and running michelin XAS 165 tyres.
skinny, but guess what. way sticker than the goodrich i once had on (Even when they were new). whatever the repro tyres are made from is not anything like original compound. way softer. suspect Vreds are similar.

the tyres are great. they really do suck up any jarring and harshness.
but hang on like crazy. the bilsteins are definitely a lot firmer than the original boges which i have a very good memory off from when i first got the car in the late 80s.

i still have the original rear springs, which i am pretty sure are the softest the factory fitted as it has a rear factory sway bar. i think the rear sway bar allowed for the softer springs.

its all pretty good. goes around corners like it never has.
and rides beautifully. the front feels especially tight and is much better with the bills.
the adjustable perches on the rear billsteins let you get the ride height just right compared to the old boges which had a fixed perch. you can really set the car up.
i have mine set dead level front to back. and relatively high compared to most folks.
but not with the stock nose up bum down look. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) just dead level.