Omega Owners Forum
Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: mr carl on 03 June 2011, 12:33:56
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searching ebay and found a set of 40mm lowering springs, i just want conformation as to wether these will fit my x plate 2.5 saloon?
i tried to contact the seller but it said something about them being to busy and would not let me "ask the seller a question"
thanks for helping
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/VAUXHALL-OMEGA-6cyl-94-GMAX-LOWERING-SPRINGS-40MM-/300547566027?_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D4%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D381921944694910690
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I think the seller's attitude says it all, and one to avoid.
40mm is probably too much, and remember, the shock plays an important part as well
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Think you may have already answered your own question.
If they can't be bothered to help or let you ask a question, perhaps that's telling you should shop elsewhere. ::)
If this is the service they are giving before you buy the item, what sort of level of after sales service would you might get if you had to make a complaint or it was the wrong item! :-?
Damn it TB......., I must type faster !!!!!!!!!! ;D
You can get away with using standard shocks down to -30mm, anymore than that you're better off getting shocks made with less than standard ride height in mind.
As for what springs and shocks, it's a personal choice! :y
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I'm not changing the shocks till late July.
It was a ebay pop up that said something about the high demand of questions means I can not ask the seller a question.
Think I may have to find a different seller :(
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how about right from the gmax website..
they only list two types of spring, one for the 4 cylinder and one set for the 6 cylinder, are all 6 cylinder springs the same?
http://www.gmaxsuspension.co.uk/gmax-vauxhall-omega-saloon-6-cylinder--51994-spring-kit-lowers-by-40mm-30-va-41_p1250435.htm
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never heard of gmax to be fair i would go for eibach for piece of mind, don't get pissed around by ebay sellers i've been there and it aint friendly!
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Lol how have you never heard of gmax?
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I'd Like to see the end coils of the rear springs before deciding on any spring set. They need to be progressively wound rather than constant diameter IMO.
40 mill is too much with anything other than an empty car, and then the rear can become choppy. Also consider the boot space being massive and extra load lowering further still the potential to get caught out without some sort of level control is increased.
Further Still, there are those on here in the know that suggest lowering beyond the designed standard ride hight is detrimental to handling, so lowering beyond 15mill from stock to match lowered sports chassis on the mv6 is not recommended by them.
Shocks need to be able to account for the drop in ride hight or they'll bottom out. See how well it handles then.
Plus, on a personal level, I don't like the rear wheels to disappear up into wheel arch on overly lowered cars. Reminds me of certain citroens of old. Yuk.
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I am sure it will be fine, other cars manage okay and I have seen a few proper low omegas
If I had found 60mm springs I would be fitting them instead.
I only drive 35 miles a week mainly with just me in the car. Anyway with lowered suspension comes a stiffer suspension so it should not bottom out at all at 40mm with 225/45/16
I think that will be the size tyre I go for. But it totally depends on how it looks.
The car is a nice cruiser and I don't need the sportiness to drive like a mainiac, I am purely going for looks..... a euro look if you will :)
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Looks at the expense of all else is idiotic frankly, but it's your car mate, if you want the "failed citroen suspension" look fire away. ;D
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I'm going to fire away, don't worry about that. I don't know why anyone would not want it low...it drives like a boat and looks like a tractor the standard springs are that high.
:P
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So why ask? In answer to your title question, there are no "correct" lowering springs for you'd model beyond lowered sports chassis. Anything else is "wrong"! ;)
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What?
I wanted to know if these will fit the car, I don't understand what you are on about, Ford fiesta springs would be "wrong" omega estate I am guessing would be wrong...?
My question was if I buy these springs then would they fit...the reason I ask is because this is a omega forum and the parts I am looking to fit are for a omega, however my confusion is more between the facelifts for example would springs from a 1994 omega fit my 2000 plate.
So if they do fit, how would anything other than sports chassis be wrong?
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This is how I am trying to get it to look, I have measured the gap on the wheel arch and a 40mm drop should bring the arch just above the tyre on the front and slightly higher still on the rear.
And mildly tinted windows. I am finding it hard deciding if I should change the wheels or not, I really like the std wheels and can't find a set I feel suits the car...so I will probably buy some slightly smaller profile tyres for it....however i am a little worried that they won't fill the arches very well after shelling out on new rubber :(
(http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk311/mrcarlxx/carlnewcartinted.jpg)
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What?
I wanted to know if these will fit the car, I don't understand what you are on about, Ford fiesta springs would be "wrong" omega estate I am guessing would be wrong...?
My question was if I buy these springs then would they fit...the reason I ask is because this is a omega forum and the parts I am looking to fit are for a omega, however my confusion is more between the facelifts for example would springs from a 1994 omega fit my 2000 plate.
So if they do fit, how would anything other than sports chassis be wrong?
Any omega spring will physically fit on the car provided they are for saloon or estate. Vx never designed the car to work with anything lower than standard less 15mill with lsc. So therefor anything else is wrong. Lower than that your altering contact patch distribution(usually accounted for by increased camber), suspension arm ride hight which on the front can give odd results as the roll centre will be different to the designed pivot points. The geometry will be altered beyond that of full geo set up.
Now that's a rather fussy view granted, but you'll get away with it down to 30mill. More than that and your looking at lateral forces affecting pivot points and potential adverse affect on suspension movement as a result.
Now, if all your going to do is look at the car, why bother with suspension at all? Just bolt a threaded adjuster in place of the struts and adjust it to suit. If your actually going to drive it then the only point in lowering is for performance, and you'll need to drive it to a level that exceeds the current set up, hence the improvements.
However your posts suggest otherwise and that your driving it just for looks with no intention or concern over reaching a level of performance. At which point I'm going to have to apologize in advance for my opinion, that that's the most idiotic wanky approach I have ever heard. Sorry. I fully expect your lowering project to take priority over cam belt life, oil and water levels and the motor to seize solid fairly soon. But that's ok "koz" at least it looks cool init! It's a poverty spec CD FFS.
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my calibra always felt a little odd come to think of it, it almost felt like i was driving on bike tyres, and that was lowered -40mm..it did feel twitchy but totally liveable
no need to get bitchy, the car has had a full service and cambelt done just before i bought it, not that it has anything to do with my want for lowering springs, or anything to do with you...
all i wanted was to know if they would fit, not to be told that my cambelt would snap and oil life would suffer as a result of my fitting springs ;D
freak ::)
ofcourse i am driving the car for looks, if i wanted something that preformed better i would have bought a differnt car, i have nether want nor desire to drive at a million miles an hour around country bends. but lowering makes it does make it look more desireable, to me...your preferance is different than mine and that is fine.
to many opinions for a simple question innt bruv.
other than YOUR opinion on how i should mod my car, i am greatful for the info :y
i love the way that my want for lowering springs automaticly turns me into a chav, even though i have three well behaved kids, a "grandads car" and live in a cottage in the country ;D
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Bitchy? And a Chav.... ;D
Do your self a favor. Go to the maintenance and FAQ sections and read the lot as forum guidelines, do all the servicing and preventative maintenance to keep your car on the road at best cost, THEN start looking at "improvements", and if nothing else it will save time writing guides that we already have. ;)
Btw, as a recommendation. Try Bilstein b4 shocks with irmscher(or stienmetz) springs as recommended on here, if you need the performance that is. (snigger)
Dear oh dear..... ;D
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Now now, boys and girls (or is that boyz and girlz?), play nicely...
To answer the question, if the manufacturer claims they are for an Omega, then they should fit standard models. If not, assuming you buy from a bona fide company, you have SoG to get a refund (but no refund for fitting work and geo work). Not sure many people here will know specifically about that brand of lowering spring for the reasons below.
As chrisgixer points out, the Omega is designed around its standard setup. Its actually very capable in corners in the right hands (and if anybody's isn't, then either the suspension is tired, or its in the wrong hands). Its certainly possible to utterly destroy the handling by overlowering, in the same way you can bugger up handling by over tyre-ing a car.
Having spoken to people who are trained in car design, I vaguely understand some of the points and reasons for some of the components, and why they are designed as they are. Most things in the suspension are going to be a compromise, and the design of it puts markers as to how far you can stretch that compromise in another direction. The biggest advantage with RWD, is you don't have to compromise towards bone shaker suspension just to get the power down, as is the case with any powerful FWD car. So you only need to compromise between ride comfort and cornering ability.
As you lower, you need to stiffen to reduce any bottoming out, and this reduces the car's ability to soak the bumps, which tends to result in the car getting a bit skittish in the corners, as the tyres fight for sufficient grip over any undulations.
So, my own personal opinion, if the manufacturer claims they will fit, who are we to argue, but I do think its too low (as in too much of a difference to the stock design), and will make a mess of the handling (though those coming from FWD might get the placebo effect, believing stiffer must be better). You will also be chewing through tyres at a decent rate of knots, so you will need to budget that in as well.
This is why I, personally, wouldn't recommend a drop of more than 30mm as an absolute maximum from standard. Irmscher/Steinmetz springs with B4 shocks seem to be the preferred setup for those members lowering their cars, but wishing to retain good cornering and most of the ride comfort.
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thanks for that guy's.
i will *probably* go with -30mm :) but the child in me may just click the -40mm ;D
how much does it cost to get the geo set up, are vaux any good at it? or is it better to take it to that garage i hear everyone raving about, although i think the nearest one to me is somthing like 2 hours drive away :-/
i will follow the guide to get it as close to std as i can, but it would be nice to get it riding flat.
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or 35mm? PI springs...like i have just fitted
They handle great, not crashy or too stiff, give a bit less body roll.
Only "issues" i'm having are to do with ride height when loaded with my gear in the boot.
It's low enough then for the exhaust middle or cat to catch on most speed bumps.
So i just have to be careful around them.
besides that, it's a pleasure to drive with them on. And that's without changing the shocks at all.
They dont bottom out.
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or 35mm? PI springs...like i have just fitted
They handle great, not crashy or too stiff, give a bit less body roll.
Only "issues" i'm having are to do with ride height when loaded with my gear in the boot.
It's low enough then for the exhaust middle or cat to catch on most speed bumps.
So i just have to be careful around them.
besides that, it's a pleasure to drive with them on. And that's without changing the shocks at all.
They dont bottom out.
sweet, will try and look for some 35's, i think i seen some on ebay
i am lucky as i dont really have any speed bumps around my area at all other than near schools, the only place i take my car is to work (about a mile from my house) and up to the gym (again just over a mile away)
i only do about 2000 miles a year so not even tyre wear will be much of a prolem for me :)
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or 35mm? PI springs...like i have just fitted
They handle great, not crashy or too stiff, give a bit less body roll.
Only "issues" i'm having are to do with ride height when loaded with my gear in the boot.
It's low enough then for the exhaust middle or cat to catch on most speed bumps.
So i just have to be careful around them.
besides that, it's a pleasure to drive with them on. And that's without changing the shocks at all.
They dont bottom out.
Yet. Remember springs will sag over time, indeed conciderable settling takes place over the first month. Ride hight and quality will alter. Gm shocks have quite spongy bump stops, meaning bottom out may not be immediately obvious, but restrictive suspension movement may still take place.
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fair enough,
with that in mind i will have a feel for it.
But they're not getting changed till they dont work anymore lol.
I've done enough work to it already for now.
most i am willing to do atm is an oil change.