156 Suspension Upgrade

[Andrew156]

I can't help myself, I won't be able to live with floatiness of the standard Alfa suspension. Can I have some tips from those who have upgraded the suspension in their 156 sedan/wagon please? Mine is the wagon but I assume the parts are the same similar. I am trying to be dudget conscious too! Options are:

- Eibach Pro Kit springs (25mm lower?)
- Koni or Bilstein shocks
- Boge shocks
- Has anyone used King Springs?

Any help is appreciated thanks

Andrew

[Davidm1600]

Hi Andrew and welcome to both the forum, and Alfa ownership.  Well done, especially since this year celebrates 100 years of Alfa Romeo  .  Re your questions on suspension upgrades.  I too have a sportwagon, (an '03 JTS manual), owned it for the past two years and have been very happy with it.  I have only had one very minor problem with it (an engine management sensor died, cost about $240 inc. labour to fix). 

I know what you mean re the soft suspension and from what I have read on-line, the consistent advice is most definitely Eibach springs (though I think you do need to be a little careful with the lowering) and Konis.   Bilsteins are excellent but generally more expensive than konis.  I have no experience with Boge shocks so can't comment.  Ditto am not sure re King springs for 156s.  They certainly are used in other Italian cars (ie. Fiat 124 sports etc).

I havn't changed the suspension on my car, largely as it hasn't bothered me too much, but I may at least get some konis for it in the future.  I need new tyres for mine first though.

I have also had a ride in a mate's Twinspark 156 Monza sedan and he had gone through the suspension totally, and it changed the turn in/handling characteristics of his car.  It felt really good in the front, but in the rear was too stiff ??  Not quite sure of the setup he used.  I couldn't live with the car the way he had it setup.   

Re the belts needing to be changed, that most definitely is a high priority job, and should cost around about $800-1000.  It used to be more expensive but for some reason, this has reduced from what I am told.  I am yet to change the belts on my car.  The interval for change is approx every 60,000km.

All the best with your sportwagon, they are a really practical, economical and comfortable car, with plenty of Alfa in them.  Dave

[John Hanslow]

Hi there.  I have the 2002 sports pack and a few club members have had the Eibach option added to the car.  Also with the wagon, a stronger (thicker) sway bar may be an option.

Come along to a Club Night and chat to a few members on what's the go!

I have heard that the Twin Spark Monza with Koni yellow shockers is the most desirable match.  I suppose it depends on what you want really.

I find the Eibach sports pack a bit firm.  Good for track and freeways but not on shitty Melbourne inner city roads.

Cheers

[shiny_car]

floaty suspension (lack of rebound damping) suggests inadequate shock absorber performance (eg: worn). how many km's has your 156SW done?

when i had a TS 156, i fitted Eibach Pro Kit springs + KONI Sport shocks. i found this an excellent combination as the others have suggested.

however, you could simply fit new shocks with your standard springs if you want to minimise cost, and don't care about lowering.

Eibach 'Pro System' is a set of matched springs + shocks. i've read good reports about this setup too.

i've bought a lot of suspension parts for my cars from alfisti.net in Germany, so i highly recommend them. excellent service and email response. plus pricing is top value. to avoid GST/import duty - if your items cost over AUS$1000 - they happily oblige with sending the components in two (or more) parcels. whilst you pay a small premium in postage costs, it's still usually cheaper than paying tax.

http://shop.alfisti.net/Tuning-Styling/Alfa-156/Suspensions:::1_15_16.html

fitment is obviously an extra cost. but any Alfa mechanic should be able to do it without probs (or DIY if you have the tools/workspace).

[Andrew156]

Thanks for the assistance and replies. The 156 I've just purchased has a verified 63,000kms and am therefore a bit surprised they are as soft as they are. having said that, all the cars I test drove I found to be soft to varying degrees.

I am looking at the Koni yellows as a replacement but with the matched Koni springs rather than the Eibach units. I undestand they are the equal of the Eibachs but others can confirm or deny. Also they lower the car @ 20-30mm whereas the Eibachs are 30-40mm. I don't want it too low.

I got a quote from Larkspeed in the UK at under $1000 landed which seems quite competitive and this is the way I will likely go. I want it set up for some spirited driving but comfortable enough for the commute into St Kilda Road each day.

I will have to get to a club meeting shortly and meet and pick the brains of fellow enthusiasts.

Andrew

[Andrew156]

OK, Another question....has anyone had the pleasure of having to change the lower control arms on theor 156?

If so,
- Do you recall what sort of dollars were involved and
- can someone tell me why the originals have to be replaced rather than rebushed
- How long should the job take assuming it was done by a semi-competent hacker (me  )

As usual your help is appreciated.

[L4OMEO]

Hi Andrew

The standard shocks in the 156 are pretty ordinary, no question. This is best illustrated by the alarming amount of fore and aft pitch you get when going over a speed-bump - it's just so easy to smack the sump or other dirty bits (stop me anytime if I'm getting too technical for you) into the tarmac as the front seemingly offers no resistance to compression. You might think this would translate into a wallowy drive, but in general cornering you wouldn't call it softly set-up (it's all relative – keep in mind the type of car it is) - body control is good and roll isn't excessive, yet the primary ride is actually quite fidgety and it's easily knocked off line by mid-corner bumps. A mixed bag then and lots of room for improvement, where you put your money depends on what your needs are.

I have the Eibach Pro System kit (springs and shock). Unfortunately this is still sitting in a box in the boot so the only effect it's had on handling so far is a slight 'bump' each time it slides from one side of the boot to the other. Anyway, I went the Eibach route on the basis that it's reputed to achieve a marked improvement in handling without compromising the ride toooo greatly. It's meant to drop the car by 30mm and while the car needs that visually I'm hoping it's no more than that for practicality's sake. In terms of other options, from what I understand (and this is based on a mixture of research for the 156 and some experience with previous cars), Koni shocks are ultimately regarded as a better option for outright handling (and they're adjustable) but they do have a reputation for a harder ride. I have found this true in the Suds and *** cough *** MX5 I've put them in, but they were very well suited to the GTV6.  Not sure how King Springs work in the 156 but many of the guys in the UK use H&R springs successfully. Bilsteins are highly regarded and have a range of options for the 156 depending on the springs you use, I presumed they were out of my self-imposed budget but on a recalculation after I had already committed to the Eibach set-up it came in closer than expected.  I probably would have gone with a Bilstein shock/Eibach spring combo given the choice.

My kit arrived in Brisbane at $910 landed from Alfisti.net in Germany (price is based on a current special), excellent service and delivered in 8 working days. Recommended. Larkspeed is also well regarded in this community although my own experience of them was not so positive. I'm prepared to accept this was an isolated incident but personally I would be wary of using them again.

Control arms .... sorry, not had the pleasure. Let us know how you get on.

Cheers
Rory

[Andrew156]

Thanks for the advice L4OMEO and don't excuse yourself about the MX5, we've owned two of them and to date I have not driven such an awesome car straight out of the box!

I'm probably over analytical about these things but I want to know exactly what to expect when I spend money, especially on the car.

[Andrew156]

Still over analysing my suspension work

I suspect i know the answer to this question but Bilstein shocks tend to be much firmer and used in heavy duty/race applications. Has anyone found that the Bilstein B4 is significantly better than standard, or if I use Bilstein should i just look at the B6??

Let me ask it another way, is the Koni yellow adjustable comparing like with like to the Bilstein B6??

I don't really want to lower the car but am looking for a sports oriented ride

[shiny_car]

KONI Sport is comparable to Bilstein B6 in terms of market position.

I haven't tried B6 on a 156 platform, but I did have them in my 155. They are a monotube design; in very general terms (ie: not always applicable to specific cars), these are stronger, have better heat dissipation, but firmer. Whether it's the design or the valving, I found them too hard on compression and lacking rebound damping, when teamed with Eibach Pro Kit springs. Perhaps they were not a good combo. I've since changed to H&R for this car.

KONI Sport are a double tube design, and you can adjust the rebound damping. I have always liked their performance and comfort.

B4 is probably better than factory shocks. Even being 'brand new' would make a difference. But if you're prepared to spend more, I'd choose KONI Sport over B6. Personal preference of course!

Lower wishbone arms are replaced as a whole piece. The bushings are moulded into the arm during manufacture (it is possible to remove them and use polyurethane bushes instead but that's a whole 'nother story). I've not changed them on a 156, but they look very do-able if you have the right tools, and a copy of the workshop manual for reference and torque specs.

[156oro]

Does anyone have the full KONI spring & damper/shock set up?
What is it like & what did it cost & from where?

Thanks