Hi,

I need help deciding! I'm curious if there are members in this forum who have purchased and installed these lowering springs. I would greatly appreciate your feedback.

I've done a lot of research and understand that H&Rs are not good for the Vantage Sports suspension (Bilstein). Looks like the VelocityAP springs would fit the bill . . . but I'd rather ask the experts before I pull the trigger.

Current set up I have is: 2013 AMV8V with Sports Pack, 20" wheels, 9" wheel width front, 11" wheel width in the rear.

Some questions I have are below. Any general feedback would be awesome!
1. How's the quality of the ride? Pogo effect?
2. How much was the total drop after settling in?
3. What is your exact set up? Such as, 20" wheels? Wheel width? Tire ratio?
4. Do you have any before/after photos?

Thanks so much!

http://www.velocityap.com/Aston-Mart...mv8springs.htm

 

I have a 2007 non-sport pack car, so I can only help with the drop. After settling, it was in the 5/8" - 3/4" range. Pogo effect can still be found, but noticeably less so than stock, and FAR less than with the H&R's I previously had. Nothing worse than one bounce-rebound-bounce, and that's only on the greatest of bumps. Zero pogo effect on the highway. Stock tire sizes.

This photo of my car is around 1500 miles since installation of the VAP springs. And it looks like it hasn't been washed since then!

 

Thanks! Question: I thought they were supposed to be a 7/8" drop. No?

 

I love your set up btw!

 

Now that you mention it, I recall 20mm being floated around at the shop that did the measuring and installing. And once you're married, will that extra 1/8" make any difference anyway?

 

I have them on my 08 Vert. I do like the drop and feel the springs do not ride harsher than OEM. I don't have any pics but could email you some if you want. Just pm me.

I also installed spacers at the same time, but am still using the stock rims, and stock size tires, though I have switched to Michelin PSS.

Regarding the "pogo" feeling: I have said this before, and still feel the same, this is a matter of the car being under damped. Because I have the vert, I don't have the sport suspension, so can't comment on that. However, it's my feeling that the effect is due to the dampners being insufficient, or not well matched, for the springs.

 

VAP springs on sport suspension, 2009 V8V:





Can't tell for the ride, I have not driven it since installation...

 

Beautiful stance! Thank you for posting and info.

 

Hi! Yes please! I will send you my email address via PM. Thanks for your thoughts. Much appreciated.

 

True true. But with these cars, even a mm can make a difference, in a positive or negative way.

 

How is the ride now?

Your picture is the first VAP spring I see with Sport Pack wheels what seem to change the fender gap.

From google pictures, I like the H&R drop but what I read here the ride is terrible with Sport pack suspension.

what is this Pogo effect?
What I understand it bounces but when a shock doesn't do it's job, It's a bad shock?!

 

Right, the "pogo" effect is when the car keeps bouncing after going over a bump. But it isn't necessarily because of a bad shock (though it can be). Suspension (specifically the shock and spring) is supposed to absorb bumps on the road. The bump pushes the coilovers (basically the shock/damper/strut and spring/coil assembly) into the car, the weight of which pushes back, causing the coilover to compress. As the bump goes away and/or the weight of the car adjusts to the push from the bump, the coilover decompresses.

Ideally, the suspension will absorb the bump and return to its neutral state in one 'compress-decompress' cycle. However, if the spring and damper aren't properly matched, it'll take a few cycles of compression and decompression to return to its neutral state.

Think about hopping on a Pogo Stick. If you bounce it one time and then stay still on it, the Pogo Stick will continue bouncing. The bounce will be less and less for each bounce (the 'compress-decompress' cycle) until it eventually stops bouncing. Pogo Sticks are designed to do this on purpose - for fun - and it was done by mismatching the spring and shock to ensure the bouncing continues after a single jump on it.

For a car, that's a very bad thing. Each time the compress-decompress cycle happens, your traction is changing. The pressure of your tires onto the pavement is changing with the change in compression/decompression in your suspension. If you hit a bump and the suspension handles it in one cycle, you're quickly back at optimal traction. If it takes a few cycles, you are gaining and losing traction with each one. If you give the car throttle, braking, or steering inputs while the traction is changing, you can lose control of the car. Plus, the continued bouncing isn't exactly comfortable for the people in the car.

The H&R springs were designed with the standard shocks in mind, and are mismatched to the Sport shocks in a way that causes the pogo effect.

I hope that makes sense, I kinda just started typing and didn't look back lol.

 

Thanks for the detailed explanation!

Interesting that a mismatch of shocks and springs can recreate a bad shock effect.

 

No problemo.

When the shock goes bad, it doesn't maintain its original damping, rebound, etc. When those change, the mismatch with the spring occurs. So it's the same end result, but for different reasons.

 

Sir,

I could have gone with any setup I wanted to for my DB9 w/ 09 bilstiens and springs. I chose VAPs springs for several reason.

1. The reviews are really good for many different platforms. All buyers have said the ride is so much better than the factory ones. The handling seems to be better also.
2. Of course the looks are better than OEM. H&R says 1" drop all the way around. The VAP seems to be .75in. I am worried about clearance issues already, so .75in is plenty for me.

I might have to spill some concrete along the curb of the driveway one night if this is an issue. But, I was already getting parts from Stuart so this new addition was easy. He supports the forum and participates frequently, so my money will go there. Makes it easier if there is an issue.