BritishV8 Forum

Hi,

I have the original Monroe's that are shot.  Can anyone comment on Koni vs. Spax vs. QA1?  Any others?  I'm interested to know part numbers for both dampers and springs.  Thanks!

Jarred,

This is principally a matter of budget but also should take into consideration what you'll want to use the car for.
How much are you willing/able/wanting to spend?

BH

The Koni shock if they are the old "classic" series are not externally adjustible. They need to be removed, spacer washer taken out and then adjusted counting turns.  Koni also need a few turns in order to "pump up" and get firm. The Spax shocks are externally adjustible and have a good range from soft to firm. I know some guys with Lotus cars and SCCA IT spec racers use QA1s. Have you thought about GAZ? They seem to be a slightly cheaper than Spax and more adjustment.

Not really a performance decision.  The M series TVR's came with a variety of suspension settings based on model over several years and I'm not sure they even kept the same spring ID.  Therefore buying just shock absorbers can potentially cost as much as a coilover setup after you give it new springs and start adding custom spring spacers to the perches or weld on coilover threads.  In addition, if you ever looked under a TVR you might wonder how it's managed to hold onto its oil pan.  Coilovers solve a lot of problems out of the box.  I was therefore asking if anyone has actually put a suspension setup in an m-series TVR and can comment specifically on what issues exist.

I fitted a set of QA1 all around.  It was certainly easy. I've played with different springs and finally found something that's working OK.  My car is heavy in the front with it's Chevy 350 motor.

I picked up a set of the GAZ coilovers for a 3000m.  Their built to order since the demand obviously isn't very high.  They seemed to have an idea what to use for spring rates and damping, but I haven't found any info in the paperwork.  Cost was $800 including shipping so wasn't too bad.  Car is still going back together so haven't had a chance to test drive it yet.

Jarred,

Can you provide information on your set up yet?
Any/all of the items below would be much appreciated.
spring rate front
free length front
spring rate rear
free length rear
valving front
valving rear
shock length eye to eye open
shock length eye to eye closed
Are the spring perches adjustable on these?
If no, what is the installed length of the spring with the shock fully open?
part number (s)
driving impression
Who built these for you?

Thanks,
Bernard.