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[wombatcurry]

Last weekend I replaced the wishbones, drop links and all 4 shocks.
Since then I've done about 2k miles so everything should be well settled in by now.
Only thing is that I seem to feel through the seat every joint in the road surface - this isn't too bad normally, but I did almost 100 miles down a "concrete-block" motorway & started to think that something still isnt quite right.
I can't remember if the car was like this when new - is it typical? If not - any suggestions where to look please?


PS: apart from this, the handling of the car has been transformed - one motorway corner in particular on which the car behaved seriously badly 2 weeks ago at 70mph, I took at 90 last night & it felt as if the car was on rails!

[Markjay]

Were the shocks original Vx? Or were they aftermarket 'sporty' ones?


That's how my Astra felt after I put Konis on all four corners  

So it does seem that you have sport-rated shocks - not a bad thing by itself, if you like this sort of thing that is... as you say yourself it transformed the car's handling, but as you discovered it does make the car 'crash' into every pothole.

Small price to pay some would say!  

[wombatcurry]

They're Monroes - I didn't expect them to be "sport rated" - but if that's the price for better handling - then so be it!

[MikeDundee]

unfortunately thats the problem, i have irmscher springs on mine and yes you feel every bump, but the handling is something else

[Turk]

I fitted Monroes about 3yrs ago. I was pondering over Koni Adjustables at the time but was advised that Monroes would be fine for std road use as they were uprated, and even standard non-uprated shox would be better than the tired old originals.
Not that my originals were showing any loss of damping etc. (mileage about 175k at that point). I changed them as I was fitting shorter uprated springs which lowered the car by 40mm. (tho' 30mm would have been better as I had to junk the engine bay splash guard due to rubbing over the larger speed humps).
That combined with a set of 235/45-17 tyres on 17" alloys (less flex in sidewall than the std 205/65-17's) resulted in a car that handles much better than something that size should...and still an acceptable ride.
You won't get a soft ride and good "fast road" handling.
It's called compromise.
By the way, the Monroes are still doing their thing and mileage is now 217k. (Wish I could say the same for my steering box...that's gone now...Doh !!)