QP GT Sport new Dampers ?
- Thread starter Gixerboy
- Start date
Gixerboy
New Member
- Messages
- 549
Thank you
Mr K
Member
- Messages
- 321
That'll be me. Mine had FD lowering springs on the standard dampers - I swapped the FD sprngs and anti-roll bars for standard parts, so don't have dampers available.
Lots of people say the >2007 Sport GTS single-rate Bilstein setup is better than the standard Sport GT's Skyhook system. It's lowered a bit (not as much as the FD setup). I can't comment on that, other than I've had 2 Sport GTs and I really rate it in the firmer Sport setting for hard cornering at high speed - bendy unlimited German autobahns and twisting Italian autostrade. Then when you switch to poorly mantained bumpy, rutted, minor roads, the standard setting does a pretty good job of absorbing it all, considering it has 30 & 35-profile tyres on 20" rims.
One thing I noticed after putting standard springs on was an increase in ride height compared to the (standard) 45k mile Sport GT I had last year. So I reckon that at 45k the standard springs had sagged a little, and you might be seeing this more with your 85k car. Standard dampers are designed to work with standard length springs, so you're getting a bit less damping because of that as well as damper wear and weaker springs. I'm going to measure my ride height when I get back from Italy so can compare with yours then.
In your position I'd get the full setup - spring and dampers. First choice would be original spec, but if the GTS Bilstein setup was a lot cheaper I'd go for that.
One thing people forget about the Skyhook system is that it's not just 2 settings, soft and firm. It's adaptive and reduces squat under acceleration and dive under braking as well as various other clever stuff. I'd be reluctant to throw that away by going for single rate shocks, but on an 85k car maybe I'd not be so eager to spend.
