[ryan stokes]

My mechanic has a full 03 Turbo S suspension that he has offered to put on my Y2K 2.0 GLS. The money is right ($100 total for parts) but I am concerned that it might negatively impact the handling.

Does anyone have any experience in this area? Will it lower or raise the car? I have the OEM 16-inch rims and the car is all standard. I was going to go with Bilsteins and keep the original springs, but on paper this seems to be a better deal. I did research on the old forum, but I can't determine if it is the springs that are different or the shocks, or both.

Thanks in advance.

Ryan

 

[noR]

It might lower the car a smidge, but it'll work just perfect. They'll fit and they'll give you a little stiffer suspension. (unless they're wore out from 2 yrs of abuse)

I'd say go for it. For $100 it should be worth the springs at least, and you can still get Bilsteins later.

 

[NJ Turbo]

The Turbo S springs should be @.5" lower than the standard 2.0 springs.
The Turbo S has the "factory sport suspension" which is also on the 1.8T NBs. So it is a slight increase in performance compared to the stock 2.0 suspension.

I would say do the springs and the shocks/struts (if they're in great shape). The shocks/struts tend to be pretty shot by 60k+ miles.

 

[ryan stokes]

I had to give a follow-up to the install. All is well. Car has a lot less lean and feels much more aggressive. However, it is still not too stiff for regular driving. The shop charged me $100 for the complete suspension and $300 for the install.

When I was driving it home I thought I had made a mistake. It was really, really, really tight and stiff. I just knew that I had made a bad decision. But I got home and checked the tire pressure...they had pumped me up to 34psi (cold). I dropped them to 28psi, and it changed everything.

I really can't imagine going any more stiff in the suspension. A sway bar perhaps, but I don't think the car is top heavy enough for a sway bar to make that much difference. Lowering the center of gravity a smidge or two (if you have to have an alignment afterward, you probably went too far) and then a little stiffer spring is definately the way to go. Now I know what it really feels like to drive a GLX and/or Turbo S. The GLS setup was just a little soft.

If you have a 2.0 and/or GLS setup, go for springs and shocks when it is time. Its a good upgrade that you won't regret.

 

[heyou]

Thanks for the positive comments about an upgrade! I'm thinking about doing similar suspension mods to my 2.0 in the future.

 

[ryan stokes]

Hmmm...tire pressure. What a source of confusion. I think it depends on the year of your car, but basically, it has nothing to do with what the "tire" says.

My 2000 car tag (thing insid the gas lid) states 28 front and 28 rear at half load. Full load is 31 front and 34 rear. Don't go by the tire, go by what pressure you need for the car.

All that said, I think a little harder tire might yield a little better gas mileage...but that would be at the expense of the suspension (i.e. tires need to absorb some motion themselves) and my/your back (personally, my back is not that great). A radial tire, which is what we all drive on these days, should have a little bulge in the sidewall at the contact patch.

I have a few cars and trucks...I run all of them at the reccomended pressure for half load. The pressures you state sound awfully high even for full load.