Suspension

[Victor Meldrew]

Your basicaly wanting new shocks because your starting to sense the cars limitations..

Best bet is to get in touch with the man who is a legend Steve Butts..

Tell him what you will be mostly doing and as much about you car and then listen to what he suggests and do exactly that.. you will be amazed at it.

After about a year or so the car will begin to feel a bit too soft again.. but thats only because youve learned to drive it better and are starting to find it "new" limitations.. then you need to speek to that Bloke who does the custom Nitron set up with helper springs.. cant remember where but it is linked somewhere on SE.

[campbell]

It's the springs and where the groove the circlips are positioned in the damper body that determine the ride height with the Steve Butts kits. All S2 setups will need to change the rear brackets.

But if you buy the Lotus kit, unless you are a dab hand with spring compressors and have the details to hand (and fresh brackets), you cannot achieve the ride height options offered by Steve.

Agree that in all cases *at least* the rear brackets need changed.

Was just making the observation for those who - like me - are bothered about how the car looks

[woody]

It's the springs and where the groove the circlips are positioned in the damper body that determine the ride height with the Steve Butts kits. All S2 setups will need to change the rear brackets.

But if you buy the Lotus kit, unless you are a dab hand with spring compressors and have the details to hand (and fresh brackets), you cannot achieve the ride height options offered by Steve.

Agree that in all cases *at least* the rear brackets need changed.

Was just making the observation for those who - like me - are bothered about how the car looks

I think you miss the point. Your previous post suggested that various brackets are available to give different ride heights, when in fact it is the circlip position and springs that will determine the ride height. Bilsteins on an S1 must use the Lotus conversion bracket that will come with the kits regardless of ride height.

Mine will be back at 100/110 next year (it's hibernating from next week) with new front brackets on S2 LSS.

[robin]

For the front at least, it's both. The bracket is a relatively course adjustment having two possible fitting position and I think there may also be two different brackets to start with, while the circlip position appears to be a relatively fine adjustment (haven't actually moved one this way, but just remember thinking the three grooves were quite closely spaced).

Cheers,
Robin

[campbell]

I think we are all very close to agreeing and without digging out emails from Steve Butts, I haven't got the energy to write up the finer detail

The fundamental difference between the kit offered direct from Lotus and the kit offered via Steve, other than core pricing which for B&C volume buys seems to be keener, is the opportunity to select a ride height combo of your choice with the latter when ordering. Steve sets em up and ships the matching brackets for front and rear.

The former you get what you get and that's it.

As for S2 LSS on an S1, that is an entirely different ballgame because the damper tubes have adjustable spring platforms enabling very fine ride height tuning and of course corner-weighting too if you are that way inclined