AST 2 Way Adjustable Coilover Suspension

[SteveP]

Why

Like a lot of modifications replacing the suspension and moving to coilovers isn't a must for everyone, but for handling and cosmetic reasons it's the best way of improving both of these.

The benefit of the coilovers for me is the ability to fine tune things for your personal requirements.

In this case my target was for handling only as the current project is slightly more track focused  

As part of buying my car from VW Racing I had the option to take a set of new Coilovers they where due to be getting from Nitron, however after waiting for some time I choose to look for some alternatives that where readily available.

So after some research and advice from a few different companies / tuners, I selected a set of 2 way adjustable AST Coilovers.


What

The AST Coilovers for me combined a number of the features I liked from the others I had considered. The key things I was looking for where: -

Monotube design
Easy access to adjustment
Support for camber adjustable top mounts (and ones that can be adjusted on the car)
Low Maintenance, i.e. not a full on race damper that needed rebuilding every few thousand miles

Here are some pic's of them installed on my car: -

Fronts: -



Comes with their own drop links



Mounted into AST's own adjustable top mounts



Easy to access the adjustment knob on the base on the strut



And the Rears: -

Rather than the normal damper and separate springs, the AST's use a rear coilover



And again easy access to the adjustment knob on the base of the damper



Sourcing

I sourced mine through and had them installed by: -

KPM Racing

Phone: 01327 358645
E-mail: info@kpmracing.com

Address:
Unit 6, Silverstone Business Park
Shacks Barn Farm
Silverstone
Northamptonshire
NN12 8TB

Cost TBC (Need to dig out the invoice)


Fitting

Fitting time is around a 4-5 hours including the reseting of the tracking etc. Some will recommend corner weighing for the optimal setup but for most fast road cars this isn't going make to hugh difference IMHO.

Other versions

Other kits I considered where: -

KW V3's or Clubsports
Bilstein B16
Koni Coilovers

Plus Points

• Vastly improved handling
• Large adjustment range on the damping/rebound and the height
• Extra front camber, when combined with the camber adjustable top mount

Minus Points

Nothing for me, but as the ride comfort wasn't a consideration for me the reduction in on the road manner wasn't an issue, but a different spring rate can be selected that would be more compliant on the road.

Summary

Having previously had KW V3's, AP Coilovers and H&R Springs on stock dampers on my old Mk5/Mk6 GTI's and can 100% say the AST's beat these all hands down in the build quality, adjustably and out and out handling improvements these bring to the car.

The feedback from some Mk5 owners that where passengers at a recent track day confirmed how much of a difference these made  

Also now having had chance to work on the setup of the car on track with the support of KPM it's really shows how much difference using the adjustably of the dampers alone can make.

So for me I don't believe you will find a better suspension kit for a track focused or more hard edged fast road car.  
 

[rich83]

I wonder what the benefits of the rear coilover are? Certainly looks like quality kit!

[danishmkvgti]

I wonder what the benefits of the rear coilover are? Certainly looks like quality kit!

IMO the further from the center the better the spring can be made to adjust, as it get's a longer travel to work with. That's a plus in my book.
A minus from looking at the photos is the height adjustment on the front. There's nothing from stopping the tool slide out of the notches in the ring that you adjust it with. Same flaw i find in the KW design. Though this looks a bit better as it's not fiberreinforced plastic mut alloy from the loks of it.

How do you adjust front camber and rebound ?(the top adjustment)?

How do you adjust rebound? (the top adjustment) on the rear?

The spring setup front consisting of 2 springs, is the progressive or linear springs?

Are they utilizing up side down technology?

[SteveP]

How do you adjust front camber and rebound ?(the top adjustment)?

Camber is adjusted on the top of the top mounts: -



Rebound isn't controlled separately to the damping on the 2 way kit.

The spring setup front consisting of 2 springs, is the progressive or linear springs?

Not sure, I will ask the question.

Are they utilizing up side down technology?

Don't believe so, but will ask this as well

[danishmkvgti]

How do you adjust front camber and rebound ?(the top adjustment)?

Camber is adjusted on the top of the top mounts: -



Rebound isn't controlled separately to the damping on the 2 way kit.

The spring setup front consisting of 2 springs, is the progressive or linear springs?

Not sure, I will ask the question.

Are they utilizing up side down technology?

Don't believe so, but will ask this as well

Thx Steve,

Just trying to place them compared to the other options:
So as i see it it has spring diameter as the KW Clubsport which gives you a wider adjustment camber wise compared to Bilstein B16 Pss10 as they have the stock diameter to allow for reuse of the stock suspension (tops)? front 
Adjustment wise the 2 way indicates that they have height adjustment and one knob in the bottom same as the Bilsteins, this allows adjustment of both compression oan rebound at a fixed rate, same as Bilstein. Whereas the KW V3 and Clubsports has seperate comp. rebound adjustments and of course height adjustment.

The big bonus with these IMO is the utilization of fitting the spings around the rear dampers, giving the longer travel and better control over the regulation of the cars movement.

Is that almost right Steve?? 

[SteveP]

All sounds correct to me Jake 

[danishmkvgti]

Looks like a great bit of kit Steve, please let us know how you get on with it 

[SteveP]

Well 3 track days down and I can say without a doubt these are worth every penny over the the KW V3's they replaced 

[danishmkvgti]

Well 3 track days down and I can say without a doubt these are worth every penny over the the KW V3's they replaced 

With my own experience with KW, that doesn't say much 
Still without having tried them,,,,, yet  i rate them just above my own Bilstein B16 PSS10, due to rear spring position and camber adjustable plates front. How are they placed pricewice compared to KW and Bilstein? 

[vRSAlex]

By the looks of it the height adjustment ring has holes for the adjustment tool. Very secure way to move the lock ring.

The top mounts require the hole on the car to be chopped out too so bear that in line for the DIY fitting.

Pies quoted me around £1650 plus vat iirc.  They look great and I really want a set.

[danishmkvgti]

After looking at the Photos i can see the are Upside down, same as Bilstein, meaning a bit less unsprung weight. another plus for me 

[the bruce]

Nice piece of kit !! 

Some will recommend corner weighing for the optimal setup but for most fast road cars this isn't going make to hugh difference IMHO.

In respect to the high spring rates (90 and 110 N/mm) corner weighting is a must, Steve !!

The spring setup front consisting of 2 springs, is the progressive or linear springs?

The main springs are linear.
The helper springs are softer than the main springs. I bet they are ''closed'' when the car sits on ground.
So they keep tension when car is lifted or a wheel looses ground contact. This also improves traction
on corner exit slightly.

Furthermore I wonder why AST uses such high spring rate on rear. Depending the coilover construction
used on rear as well the rear spring virtually acts much stiffer than on stock position.
Factory (and most aftermarket) springs (for factory position) are equal to or softer than front spring.

So in the case of AST both aspekts tend to stiffen the rear: outwards positioning and the stiffer spring
itself. This should turn the handling away from understeer to a remarkble amount of oversteer imo.

[SteveP]

^^^ The spring rate was select for me by KPM and is closer to the spec they use on the VW Cup Race cars, this is why it's very stiff.

I wouldn't say is has a remarkable amount of oversteer but is more balanced that way with the dampers set to a firmer setting, if you slack off the dampers and move the arb to medium it reverts back to more understeer bias 

[the bruce]

I'd like to drive this setup on track.  

Yes, it must be more neutral/oversteer than with a KW Clubsport,
which has stock spring position on rear and 90/70 N/mm front/rear.

But don't forget corner weighing.

[Poverty]

I tried these on the Golf R. Very very impressed, waiting for a set for my TT now.

Neutral handling, the front end stayed poised and precise, and it made the golf R so chuckable and easy to drive, like a go kart in effect.

Road manners where very good too, awesome kit.