this is my cars ride height. i know it has king springs, and i think just standard shocks. do you think it has lows, or super lows in it?

it feels like its nice and controlled on small amplitude bumps, but on larger ones it crashes through to the bump stops too easily for my local roads. do you think new shocks (kyb likely) would stiffen it up, and stop the easy compression, or should i just go back to a higher height?

the shocks feel decent to me, it doesnt wallow as such, just doesnt seem to have any stiffness to it. on speed humps it compresses more than it seems it needs to once over the bump. thats at slow, proper speeds too. and the feeling is simialr on the 100/110kmh roads too. rebound feels ok though.

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa7/simonr23/IMAG0119-1.jpg

Id say its just lows by the ride height, and shocks are always going to have a huge effect on handling. it is common to just chuck some lows in on stock shocks and all done. I would jack her up and see whats under there! the springs/shocks will have a part number to identify.

ive been under the car yesterday. the springs dont have any tags anymore, and the general road grime sort of stains mean i cant see any sort of imprints on the shocks or springs, except for the spring brand.

shocks are just plain black though.

would new shocks make a difference to the firmness of the ride, or do they only affect rebound control? i'd be looking at kyb's, as it seems they have a pretty good rep on here for their money.

Shocks will have an effect on ride feel, especially if the old shocks were worn. The king springs we get in NZ are yellow and stamped with a part number, just a matter of cleaning them to find it. As for the KYB's, i have KYB excells in my car and they keep it very flat and no bouncing as you describe. I have VOGTLAND springs, so i dont know how they compare in springrate to kings, they are alot firmer than the DOBI low springs in my brothers 2nd gen.

thanks for the replies. i'll see if i can get in there and clean the springs to find the product numbers. my king springs are yellow too.

Yes your springs look like "lows". Its probably your shocks that are stuffed. Philcom Rally (one of our sponsors) here in Adelaide have Boge shocks at a good price. ph. 0434 828 207 (Shaun)

You might need new bump stops as well.