Eibach Pro-System

Has anyone used the Eibach Pro-System or Sport-System Plus kits?

i've heard good things about the pro system, but never used them. I've driven a couple cars with the pro kit springs and they are a good mix or ride height and spring rate.

The ZX2 SR had the pro kit. Good combination of lowering, ride and handling.

I had it on my B5 A4. It was real soft on the front for spirited driving, but comfy for the freeway. Did pretty well on gravel roads and rallyx's.

I just bought the Sport System for a Jetta, tell you in two weeks. I also had them on a 914, the Pro on a 914 is a little harsh and stiff. Fine for racing, sucky for dates.

Dan

We had the Prokit on our Escort, and it was scary-feeling. Not good.

I think thats what was on my Focus and it was scary as well.

Scary how?

I was looking at the whole kit. Swaybar, dampers and springs.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: We had the Prokit on our Escort, and it was scary-feeling. Not good.

pres589 wrote: Scary how?

I can't speak to Focus owners, I can speak to rwd Corollas...

IF the "Prokit" is what it use to be... they are ONLY good for crusing, and looks... "Pro" = progressive rate springs. For a performance car you DO NOT WANT progressive rate springs!!!

Look for linear springs... handling is far more predictable

Oh.... yeah, okay. I figure "Pro" = "Professional", which I know doesn't make sense for a spring or related bits but the term "pro" gets used so liberally on anything, you can probably understand the confusion. And yeah, I'd want linear rates as well.

Progressive rate springs, car had no middle ground between wallowing and ridiculously bouncy.. I had them on the car for two weeks before i decided they were flat out dangerous and didn't want my girlfriend driving a car with them on there.

What about the sport system?

The Pro Kit on the SR had shorter and stiffer struts to make a package. Just changing springs and keep worn out struts/shocks can lead to problems. so don't blame the springs. The progressive thing was actually redundant since once the springs are compressed, the close coils are in bind. I was often told that my SR with a bigger rear bar and wider wheels was the fastest FWD car through the corners during track days. If you put stiffer springs on, then you need stiffer shocks to control the bounce. This is a common thread on the ZX2 site.

iceracer wrote: Just changing springs and keep worn out struts/shocks can lead to problems. so don't blame the springs. The progressive thing was actually redundant since once the springs are compressed, the close coils are in bind.

1st... again I can only speak to my exp... and in my case I also had installed brand new Bilsteins... so worn out dampers were NOT an issue

and you are quite wrong about springs always being in bind... they aren't! At least not when you are driving... the car is dynamic... it moves and sways on the springs... you hit the brakes, the rears unload, and you are on the soft spring... accelrate again the spring binds... POP a new rate! Or go around a corner... suddenly the outer springs are all bound up and tight, and the springs on the inside are all on their soft mild coils... again now you have varying rates from side to side???? Progressive springs are total crap... and should not be thought of as a track capable part of any suspension

I had Tokico HPs on my Prokit... It was still scary.

Swapped the springs out for Megan Racing springs, and it was a world of difference.

Late to the party on this one. I just picked up some front Eibach Pros for cheap on CL. Going to find out how it does. Was it loose all over or was mainly in the front or rear?

I have had experience with eibach springs on 3 cars, the first was my friends 86 gti with boge dampers and sprtline springs, the rears were short enough that it had way to little travel and you would get snap oversteer if you hit a decent sized bump in the middle of a corner. The second car with a B13 sentra with sportlines and tokico hp dampers, and it handled ok on perfectly smooth pavement, but it would bottom out hard enough to rattle the whole car if you hit any kind of bump. the 3rd was a 99 pontiac GTP that had pro kit springs on the back when we got it, also horrible, extremely bouncy, and scraped on everything. Putting stock springs on the back (it has GMPP lowering springs on the front) made it much nicer. So, IMO, eibach lowering springs are ricer crap, and I feel like i have enough experience with good and bad handling cars to be able to say that.

N Sperlo wrote: Late to the party on this one. I just picked up some front Eibach Pros for cheap on CL. Going to find out how it does. Was it loose all over or was mainly in the front or rear?

It was hard to tell... it was just bad, period.

I'd say worse in the front, but then again, we're talking about an Escort GT which has no weight in the rear at all.

I just related to my 10 year experience with my ZX2SR with the Pro-kit and Eibach struts. The car handled beautifully on the track. Many commented on how fast it was, for an Escort. Again, the progressive part was not an issue. In fact, as far as I could see. only the rears were. And as I said, with the weight on the car, there was no pregressive left.

iceracer wrote: I just related to my 10 year experience with my ZX2SR with the Pro-kit and Eibach struts. The car handled beautifully on the track. Many commented on how fast it was, for an Escort. Again, the progressive part was not an issue. In fact, as far as I could see. only the rears were. And as I said, with the weight on the car, there was no pregressive left.

Those were Tokico struts valved specifically for that car and springs. I'm not saying that the Prokits "can't" work well, just that they don't pair well with most cars in an aftermarket setting.

Here is the plan for the Zx2. Eibach Pros in the front, stock in the back. I will be replacing the sway bar with a station wagon bar and some better bolts. Ive heard some good stories about this specific setup in Zx2s. Keep in mind, this is the DD.

You need stiffer springs in the back. Other wise it will push,aka: understeer more. A bigger rear bar will help a lot. With the Pro-kit, allowing for weight distribution. The rear is app.7% stiffer than the balance of the stock set up. This may be why Ford did not add a bigger bar on the SR.

Just keep in mind as a rule of thumb: If you have: : understeer- stiffen the rear or soften the front. oversteer- soften the rear or stiffen the front.