Cheap and Cheerful coilovers vs Eibach Sportlines with standard dampers

[ThomWalker]

Evening all,

Im after some opinions regarding the above.
Wanting to lower, not necessarily slam my GTI. Don't want to spend too much so i'm thinking these are my options.

Concerns:
how much pressure the Sportlines will put on the standard dampers. Will they handle them fine?  

Cheap coilovers over Eibach being a brand i can trust

 

[karl210]

i had jom coilovers on my last golf and you couldnt really argue for the money, the rear didnt go as low as i wanted and i had to cut a few inches off the coil to get it to sit nice. The ride was awful the car was bouncing everywhere, looked nice and low though but i really couldnt be arsed with that again dodging speedbumps and worrying about ripping my milltek off. Ive got eibach on my golf now with standard dampers and the ride is absoloutly perfect, and it sits at the perfect height. Theyve been on the car over 3 years now and the dampers are holding up just fine, if they eventually go i would upgrade or probably just buy standard again. so Eibach all the way

[Bignod00]

^^^^^^^^^^^This...............

I ran the Sportlines for a couple of years and they were great. I only changed them when I started doing trackdays as they weren't up to the serious Track abuse!

[xjay1337]

I had JOMs and Eibach Sportlines on stock dampers and the JOMs handled better and were more comfortable. Everyone who went in my car agreed.
I ran Eibach springs for 8 months and JOMs for 18 months.
I now have air ride as well and can confirm that air is more comfortable than the JOMs but in turn the joms were more comfortable than the Eibach Springs on stock dampers.

Karl was that on a mk4? Because Joms on the Mk5 ride very nicely indeed, definately not bouncy.

They go plenty low at the back (you can get not far off air ride height with adjusters out) , it's the front that don't go that low.
The springs will be fine with stock dampers honestly do not worry to much.

But Eibach springs are pointless IMHO I'd always go for a coilover solution so you have height adjustment.

[martziniuk]

I've just bought a set of AP coilovers, budget but not rubbish budget. They're supposed to be similar to the Weitecs but with a zinc coated body.

[flatout]

I've just bought a set of AP coilovers, budget but not rubbish budget. They're supposed to be similar to the Weitecs but with a zinc coated body.

let me know what you think to them matey.

[xjay1337]

APs are mid range coilovers, not budgety at all.
Although identical in appearance to JOMs...

[karl210]

I had JOMs and Eibach Sportlines on stock dampers and the JOMs handled better and were more comfortable. Everyone who went in my car agreed.
I ran Eibach springs for 8 months and JOMs for 18 months.
I now have air ride as well and can confirm that air is more comfortable than the JOMs but in turn the joms were more comfortable than the Eibach Springs on stock dampers.

Karl was that on a mk4? Because Joms on the Mk5 ride very nicely indeed, definately not bouncy.

They go plenty low at the back (you can get not far off air ride height with adjusters out) , it's the front that don't go that low.
The springs will be fine with stock dampers honestly do not worry to much.

But Eibach springs are pointless IMHO I'd always go for a coilover solution so you have height adjustment.

They were both on a mk5, i will have a dig out for some old pics and see if i can find them and upload them. But i bought them from Venom Motorsport in Preston, fitted them and noticed the back sat about 25mm higher with them both on the lowest setting, i rang them up and they said give it about 2 weeks, i gave it 4 weeks but the back was still noticably higher so i took the adjusters out but it still seemed high to me so ended up cutting a bit off the spring just so it sat that 10mm lower, then it was fine. Thats really strange because my eibachs and 10 times more comfortable, cant comment on the handling because my old car was a 1.4 and this is a gti so it will handle different anyway. Mabie either JOM or Eibach have sorted there design out somewhere along the line because the joms were so much worse, I had the Joms in late 2010 and the Eibachs are about 3 years old now, or mabie the eibachs have soffened up? Also i coated my JOMs in copper grease and they still corroded badly so would need a really good,heavy grease or protection to keep them in good enough nick to be able to adjust them. Couldnt argue atall for £200 though

[xjay1337]

I was still able to adjust my coils after 15 months . However by then the drop link bracket on the front had snapped which is common if you're running uprated ARBs (as I seemingly found it)  
However I kept my undercarriage and arches very clean compared to most people maybe that's something to do with it? 

I guess it's all personal experience and opinion really.
Are you sure the lowest was actually the lowest? As theres no way if fitted correctly the JOMs would be higher than the Eibach springs!


The GTI and 1.4 is ultimately the same chassis minus the engine weight differences and what not

Here are how my JOMs sat.



On 17s with 225/45 tyres.
rear adjusters still in, about 2/3rds of the way down.
Fronts at lowest possible setting.

Here's my car on Eibach Sportlines



Basically same angle.
Same wheels
Same tyre sizes.

[karl210]

would the gti have thicker anti-roll bars than the 1.4?. Your jom's sit much much lower than mine did. The first pic is on 17" wheels, not sure of the tyre profile though, im pretty sure this was before i cut the spring at the back but the fronts were about 90% low and the backs were with the adjusters out.

2nd pic is with the spring slightly cut but on 18" wheels, not sure with 35 or 40 profile though

3rd pic is my gti now on eibachs.


#


Not the best comparison pics i suppose. They surely have changed the design at some point if mine where that much different to yours and so much stiffer, mabie they just sofened the springs up on the joms a little bit? im sure you've figured i go for the black car/ black wheel idea....

[xjay1337]

that is odd man, I can see what you're saying.
The rears of the JOMs should have gone much lower  

You are right the roll bars are slightly different but the chassis itself is the same. Just minor component changes all of which are transferable.   Even steering rack is the same ;)
I don't think JOM changed anything with their coilovers throughout the production of them. After all they are a budget brand unlikely to do somethinig like that
I don't even think they made different ones EG for spring rating..

[karl210]

yeah, weird. Unless my eibachs are nicely worn in? but i would of thought they would outlast the dampers. Come to think of it they could be over 3 years old as they was already on the car before the previous owner bought the car 3 years ago hence the 3 years guess. The paint has flaked off in places and they are showing corrosion so they could be quite old and bedded in, if thats the case the op should definitely buy used eibachs there honestly spot on 
Could do with some more people chiming in who have had experiance of both aswell.