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[38MV6]

I'm looking to replace my worn and leaking rear load-levelling shocks, but having seen the prices I'm think of replacing the complete suspension with a 40mm lowered spring set, however the kit I'm looking at is non-load levelling, which is fine by me.  But I'm unsure if they will fit?  Any advice will be gratefully received.

[Lazydocker]

As long as you replace the springs and remove the relay for the self levelling pump then it will be fine.

However, a drop of 40mm will mean that it is impossible to get the rear geometry correct

[38MV6]

What issues will I have?

[05omegav6]

Ridiculous inner edge wear, and iffy rear toe settings... the rear toe and camber are set by one adjustment so it's all a compromise...

Also, any suspension kit you buy that SAVES you money compared to replacing genuine self leveling ones will be shit

[chrisgixer]

I'd say 40mm is too much generally anyway.

With no load, -20mm rear is max achievable for geometry. Add load to that, and your over with no self levelling. It's not instant disaster, but inner edge wear gets progressively worse accordingly from the -20mm it's set up to. And it will need set up.

You could fit the -40mm kit, but needs a couple of extra insulation pads to raise it back up "IF" there's enough of the centre peg left to locate the spring. Too many pads and the spring could POTENTIALLY fall out as the pegs are relatively shorter for the spring to sit on. I know -30 springs are ok with a 10mm extra pad arrangement, as I've fitted them previously, but do remember thinking -40 would be a bit dodgy spacing out with that many pads iirc.

So, if lowering I'd say no more than 30mm drop, but add 10mm worth of insulation pads to get the rear back up to no more than 20mm drop. But if you carry loads, which is arguably the point of an estate, then stick with sl. If you get trade club access they are, or where, £150 odd. Half the retail price...!

Still not massively cheap, but cheaper than a whole set of springs and full geo set up.

[chrisgixer]

Just to add, if removing self levelling shocks, the springs MUST be changed as well, as sl springs are way too soft to work without the added support of the sl shocks, and the car will drag its arris all over the floor.

Don't think it's necessary to say that going by the op's post, but just in case

[106pete]

My estate is lowered 40mm and I find it fine on tyres, there is increased camber which gives the rear some awesome grip. I had to keep the self leveling shocks to take extra loads every now and then so just remove the relay when it's not needed.

I've been like this for 5 months I guess and no bad effects yet!

[vauxsull]

Out of curiosity what is the cost of replacing the SL shocks with new ones if you needed to?

[Lazydocker]

My estate is lowered 40mm and I find it fine on tyres, there is increased camber which gives the rear some awesome grip. I had to keep the self leveling shocks to take extra loads every now and then so just remove the relay when it's not needed.

I've been like this for 5 months I guess and no bad effects yet!

Not sure how increasing the camber, thus reducing the contact patch of the rear tyres, has increased grip? Especially as SL shocks are not the greatest shocks when coping with lowering beyond their operational limits.

Additionally, 5 months may not be long enough to show the wear if you are only doing low mileage?

To the OP.... Experience here with lots of experimentation shows that 20mm is the most you can lower the rear and get the geometry close to right. Which means that the Irmscher suspension (-30mm) is really a bit much and lots of us have tried it and found that out!!!

[chrisgixer]

My estate is lowered 40mm and I find it fine on tyres, there is increased camber which gives the rear some awesome grip. I had to keep the self leveling shocks to take extra loads every now and then so just remove the relay when it's not needed.

I've been like this for 5 months I guess and no bad effects yet!

Rear adjustment is a combination of toe and camber. It's that combination that needs to be correct. Ideally. Camber and scrub from excess toe isn't good. It WILL shorten tyre life as the inner edge wears more.

Removing the relay from a working self levelling set up means the bladders are likely running deflated(eventually) on working active suspension. If the air leaks out, they will chafe themselves to bits as the shock base rises and falls with suspension movement with no air to keep the bladders away from the shock body.

How many miles since the -40?

[chrisgixer]

Out of curiosity what is the cost of replacing the SL shocks with new ones if you needed to?

Used to be £300 retail £150 on tc
But prices have gone up apparently so tc price is nearer £170 last I heard. This is why we bang on about trade club.

[TheBoy]

As others have stated, 30mm is too much.  Not only does the arse drag everywhere and catch on everything, but it also buggers up the handling noticeably. Possibly due to compromised camber and/or toe (which cannot be tuned out when that low).

One of mine is on 30mm lowering springs, but with a 10mm spacer on the rears. Not only does it handle better, but it doesn't catch coming off every speed bump, or constantly drag the diff down single track roads where the crown is high.


SL shocks can deal with a max of about a 15-20mm drop from standard Elite spec. Even with a tech2 to recalibrate it.

[38MV6]

Thanks for all the information, I think I maybe giving the 40mm Kit a miss, even at £255 for front and rear springs and shocks.

[Lazydocker]

Thanks for all the information, I think I maybe giving the 40mm Kit a miss, even at £255 for front and rear springs and shocks.

At that price I would question the quality... Although I've seen cheaper crap kits!

[106pete]

Well more camber does give more grip until you go to far and start looking like one of them kids in their civics that just look broken.

I think I've done about 3k with the car like it is and haven't had any uneven tyre wear but then I do drive it hard so tyres don't last all that long anyway, I also don't have this problem of the car scraping over speed humps... Maybe the huge ones that you need to do 5mph over anyway, the rest just take it carefully.

Quite possibly I need to do something about the rear shocks running with no air but that's just a case of moving the sensor rod.

Just so the thread owner doesn't think about it. Do not buy the coilovers from eBay!