Slammed stiff suspension.

[Tommychu]

While I can't comment on your main question as I don't know much about coilovers, I really hope you're planning on doing an Aspire swap while you've got the suspension apart. That is if you expect to be able to stop with 1200 pounds of something-or-other on board, despite the less-than-subtle weight reduction that's been done to this car.
You could work out the spring rate and total strut height you need with a scale, some measuring tape and a little math though, and go from there.

Edit: another important consideration is where in (or outside) the car that load will be sitting...

[BUSTIVA]

What size wheels/tires will be on the car?

[Afro]

I have the Raceland brand coilovers on my Festiva and I will tell you it is STIFF. You can easily put 1200lbs in there and not be bottoming out. They're cheap for coilovers too. The spring rates are:
front - 350 lbs/inch
rear - 250 lbs/inch
Which is a lot for such a light car! (stock is 110 front and 90 rear I think).

There is also the Rokkor coilover which has:
front - 380
rear - 300
I think. But I know nothing about them. Maybe another member does.

As for the lowering of the car to 2 inches off the ground? These coilovers do considerably lower the car but I don't know if it will safely get you to 2 inches unless you adjust the spring perches down really far. On its own, this is a bad thing to do because when your wheel moves away from the car (like if you catch air, hit a big bump, go on a weird cambered onramp, hit a pot hole, etc.) the shock will extend beyond the point where the spring is providing tension. You can probably get taller helper springs (ebay?) though that would fix this and provides no extra lift really on their own. You could also reduce your tire size to lower the car. Depends on how important your gear/speed ratios are.

As Tommychu said, if you are racing it or driving it, or whatever, with that much extra weight and you have to be able to safely stop at an adequate speed, I would also recommend the Aspire break swap. Easy enough to do and gives you larger and vented brakes (go with Escort GT calipers and Hawk pads if you really need to stop).

EDIT: Looks like Raceland also has a "Ultimo" version of the same coilovers. It provides supposedly another inch of drop compared to the one's I mentioned before, and it has an even stiffer spring rate:
front - 390
rear - 380
I would never want to sit in that car when it drove around at those spring rates though. Might as well have a rigid suspension haha. Link to site:

http://www.racelandus.com/catalog/product/view/id/275/s/volkswagen-golf-mk2-ultimo-coilover-kit/

[drddan]

I havent lowered a Festy. but I know a few members here have. It will require you to extend the strut towers for sure, to do what you are wanting to do. Probably have extend the towers by 2 inchs taller.
The coilovers mentioned above will do the load you want.

Good luck, and take a lot of pictures! We all like to watch a cool build!

BTW, what is that hump...on the hood? You got something hidin' in there dontcha? :p

[shorestiva]

Racelands sitting on bumpstops in the front with 165/45/15 on 15x7 +40. Still working on the back need to pull the helper springs to get it this low.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

[sketchman]

Is comfort a concern at all?
Perhaps forget about the obvious and think about BIG cylinders of rubber/urethane where your springs are now. You can lower it all you want and pile on the pounds no worries. I've heard that's how old school coal truck trailers suspensions are done. "Stiff" will be an under statement, but you won't bottom ever, and it'll be easy and cheap.

[Panici]

I don't think you'll be able to get that low without cutting out the strut tops, raise them and weld them back in.

That was my thought as well after looking at the suspension up close.

I really hope you're planning on doing an Aspire swap while you've got the suspension apart.

The car won't be doing any significant speed when it has that much load on it, so not too worried about a brake swap.

As for the lowering of the car to 2 inches off the ground? These coilovers do considerably lower the car but I don't know if it will safely get you to 2 inches unless you adjust the spring perches down really far.

EDIT: Looks like Raceland also has a "Ultimo" version of the same coilovers. It provides supposedly another inch of drop compared to the one's I mentioned before, and it has an even stiffer spring rate:
front - 390
rear - 380
I would never want to sit in that car when it drove around at those spring rates though. Might as well have a rigid suspension haha. Link to site:
http://www.racelandus.com/catalog/pr...-coilover-kit/

Any idea how much of a drop the Ultimo kit would provide (at lowest setting) from stock ride height?

Is comfort a concern at all?
Perhaps forget about the obvious and think about BIG cylinders of rubber/urethane where your springs are now. You can lower it all you want and pile on the pounds no worries. I've heard that's how old school coal truck trailers suspensions are done. "Stiff" will be an under statement, but you won't bottom ever, and it'll be easy and cheap.

Now that's my kind of idea.
For any other car, i'd be very tempted to do it. But as this car will see a trackday at some point, I think sticking to conventional springs would be wise.

[WTFestiva]

We put some pretty stiff coilovers on our car. I'm no expert on lowering a car though. From what he's saying it needs to sit 1-2" off the ground then be able to carry the weight. My thought would be you can get whatever coilovers that'll lower your car to your specs, provided the wheels fit inside the fender. With all that weight your gonna need some hell of a spring rate springs for your car, you can get 1,200 spring rate springs which would only go down 1 inch for your 1,200 lbs, or should at least...

[shorestiva]

Any idea how much of a drop the Ultimo kit would provide (at lowest setting) from stock ride height?

Heres a pic of raceland set as low as possible. Its pretty much sitting on the struts I pulled the bumpstops out so its go that low.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

[Safety Guy]

Whispers...

(Hmmm, if I were building an electric car with a custom aero body for a track test, this would be a good start. And getting the car as low as possible with little suspension deflection would fit right into the plan. Shouldn't be too many bumps on a closed course, so comfort would not be an issue.)



Karl

[Panici]

Heres a pic of raceland set as low as possible. Its pretty much sitting on the struts I pulled the bumpstops out so its go that low.

Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

Definately going to have to modify the strut towers then. Thanks for the pic!

Whispers...

(Hmmm, if I were building an electric car with a custom aero body for a track test, this would be a good start. And getting the car as low as possible with little suspension deflection would fit right into the plan. Shouldn't be too many bumps on a closed course, so comfort would not be an issue.)



Karl

Creative guess, but wrong!



So onto the next question. Has anyone Cut/raised their strut towers? Thickness of steel to use? General tips/suggestions?

[shorestiva]

Found this with a quick search.

http://www.mk1dubz.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1074

Dig around on vw forums it's a pretty common thing there.
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

[Prafeston]

I've seen a Festiva on here that someone had raised the towers on...don't remember where it was though.

[Panici]

Found this with a quick search.

http://www.mk1dubz.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1074

Dig around on vw forums it's a pretty common thing there.
Sent from my C771 using Tapatalk 2

Thanks for the link! Looks like everything I need to know is there.

[BUSTIVA]

I've seen a Festiva on here that someone had raised the towers on...don't remember where it was though.

http://www.fordfestiva.com/forums/showthread.php?t=29547