suspension for 156 1.8

[sakhs1961]

hello i am a new member and i need your help. I must change my alfa's 156 1.8 suspension with CONI SPORT and EIBACH SPRINGS .what is your opinion? the price is 800euro fitted.

[KJE]

Hi

I assume you mean Koni shocks/dampers and Eibach springs?

Sorry, no experience with these on an Alfa, but I put Tokico shocks and Eibach springs on my Ford Taurus SHO back in the USA. The SHO is another relatively heavy 4 door, albeit one with 230 hp :)

I really liked the Eibachs, mine were of the "progressive" type that are initially soft/compliant, but get stiffer as they load up. Some serious racers prefer "linear" springs because they are consistently stiff, but I had mine out one several road courses and found the handling fine. Since I drove about 95% on the roads, I wanted at least some semblance of smoothness (other SHO owners with adjustable Konis/linear springs report that even at their softest setting the Konis were quite stiff).

$800 sounds like a fair price - parts alone for my shocks/struts was about $600, and doing suspenion work on rusted/dirty/frozen is not a lot of fun. Get them to throw in a 4 wheel alignment/corner balance and I say go for it. Also replace all the bushings while they are in there.

I wish my rental 156 2L JTS had a tighter suspension. At the Nurburgring I was squealing and swaying while my friend in his Spider (sprot springs, shocks and 17" rims) was carving turns at a much higher speed. But then again driving on the cobblestoned streets in my town would be painful...

Kurt