Neon 2000+speedbumps=despirate need of help

Vincentvh · Post by **Vincentvh** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 1:49 pm

Hi all,

I have a question regarding the suspension of my 2000 Neon and used the search but could not find a satisfactory answere to my question.

In my street I have to travel 4 speedbumps over a distance of a quarter mile.
Now my car isn't lowered (yet), but still the front airdam scrapes on all of them while crawling at approx 5 mph (go any faster and you feel the radiatorsupport hit the deck).
A lot of cars in my street have this but I am not far behind of the Corvette C5 which scrapes even worse.

Now here is my question, I have ordered at set of vogtland springs, which lower it by 1.6" all around. What kind of struts/shocks can I use to prevend my car from scraping? My options are quite limited we can get KONI (Dutch company

) Monroe sensa-trac or should I order some tokico blue's from ebay?

btw:I found out later I should have gone with some used srt-4 springs instead to get rid of Hummer H2 look, but the vogtlands are paid and shipped.

Hope you can shed some light on this for me!

Grtz
Vincent

neonpla · Post by **neonpla** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 9:09 pm

could you get a pic of this speed bump, lol i want to see how high it is that it can scratch a stock neon. lol.. btw have you tried to go at angles, basically one wheel at a time.. thats what i have to do in my old neon.

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:42 pm

go airbags and laugh at speed bumps forever.....lol

neon_ert3 · Post by **neon_ert3** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:31 am

KrackstaR wrote:go airbags and laugh at speed bumps forever.....lol

joe, you have made my sig

Vincentvh · Post by **Vincentvh** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 10:02 am

yeah airbags would cure a lot, but I dont have the budget unfort.

btw if I want them I would have bought one of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citroen_BX for 400usd iso a Neon lol
its is equipped standard with some kind of airbags.....

wouldnt stiffer struts solve that problem along with 205/50/16 tires?

MyNeonSaysHi · Post by **MyNeonSaysHi** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 11:58 am

Now here is my question, I have ordered at set of vogtland springs, which lower it by 1.6" all around. What kind of struts/shocks can I use to prevend my car from scraping?

Okay.. let me get this straight... You ordered some lowering springs that will make it even worse on your car going over those speed bumps and you think struts will help the scraping? :S Put it this way, your car will be l.ower than it already is by 1.6 all aorund, so its going to be worse no matter what struts you use. also.. is there anyway to avoid this area with the speed bumps?

silverneon · Post by **silverneon** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:32 pm

The speedbumps are in every city here in the Netherlands, but if i take them whith an angle, i've got no problem. My neon is lowerd with megan racing springs 2 inch at the front and 1.9 inch at the back. My front struts are still the original ones and the rear ones are frome monroe, but i think the koni's whould be better. My tir size is 205/40-17.
B.T.W. for an dutch neon forum check www.neonsonline.nl

Vincentvh · Post by **Vincentvh** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:07 pm

well yeah I was hoping stiffer struts would help making the Neon scrape less then it does.
Unfort there is now way to take an other route the street parallel to mine has the same layout

. Thank you Amsterdam.............
Like I said I found out afterwards I should have looked for srt-4 springs instead.

I tried going sideways over the bumps 2day that helped alot already but it looks kinda flip. Oh well cant have it all.

Anyway in my situation what kind of struts should I go 4?

@silverneon: heb er in Feb. al eens gekeken maar vond dat er weinig leven in zat. Heb me net ff aangemeld trouwens als vincentvh1.

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:28 pm

Yea diffrent struts wouldnt matter would you could do is use the lowering springs you currently are getting which is 1.6 and then get rims that are 2 inches taller. I.E. if you have 15's get 17's, this will lowerer your wheel gap but raise the entire car back up . you could even go three sizes bigger and this will really help get rid of wheel gap and then raise the car higher but again getting bigger rims will cost $.

Vincentvh · Post by **Vincentvh** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:42 pm

I have some dcx stratus alloy wheels laying around which are
16inch. and I get 4 almost new michelin tires tomorrow 4 just 100usd.
According to that miata.org.com.net wheelsize thingy this combo will be
1cm higher than the standard stuff thats on there now.

So if I understand everyone correctly stiffer struts won't work, go over the speedbumps in an angle and I think I turn up the stereo real loud so I won't hear the scraping.

But if I want different struts what brand should I get in my situation?

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:49 pm

IMO i think that Koni's are the best the adjustable kind. Its more of a preference sort of thing.

silverneon · Post by **silverneon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:13 am

Struts for an Neon are dificult to get in Holland, good luck.

In 2gn.org zit meer leven. In nederland zijn er niet zoveel neon's, maar er zijn er nu een paar gasten flink aan het tunen met hun neon bij neonsonline.nl. Zelf volg ik beide forums.

LaidNeon · Post by **LaidNeon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:38 am

just move lol

Vincentvh · Post by **Vincentvh** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 5:50 am

Moving is not an option, moved after I had the Neon lol.

Coming to think of it: If I use SRT4 struts wich would raise
the car initally and use the vogtlands on them
would that be an idea to do? Or are there any hickups?

silverneon · Post by **silverneon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 6:22 am

Koni is not an option they're not availlibal for the 2gn here in the netherlans.

Helaas zijn er alleen KONI dempers leverbaar voor de Neon van 1995-1998.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Emmy Mettes

EFKA IMPORT BV
Max Planckstraat 34
2041 CZ Zandvoort
Tel. 023-5740999
Fax 023-5740990

neon_ert3 · Post by **neon_ert3** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 6:49 am

sell your spings and every other suspension stuff you got and get coilovers!

Vincentvh · Post by **Vincentvh** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 7:02 am

koni's are available just have them check for the dodge neon!

http://www.extreme-carstyling.nl/produc ... ctID=69127

Unfortunatly I do'nt have coilover money (1200usd without install)

So any one got input on the srt-4 struts idea?

silverneon · Post by **silverneon** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 8:07 am

Thanx i need new struts at the front. They say that max drop of 1.6 inch (4 cm) is alloud. Are there people here who are using koni's with very low springs?

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 9:10 am

silverneon wrote:Koni is not an option they're not availlibal for the 2gn here in the netherlans.

Helaas zijn er alleen KONI dempers leverbaar voor de Neon van 1995-1998.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Emmy Mettes

EFKA IMPORT BV
Max Planckstraat 34
2041 CZ Zandvoort
Tel. 023-5740999
Fax 023-5740990

Why cant you just order them from an online store like modern and have them shipped to you .

dblsg · Post by **dblsg** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:21 am

KrackstaR wrote:go airbags and laugh at speed bumps forever.....lol

until you forget to raise the car right before the speedbump....

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 10:28 am

well iam going to need you to never forget to do that sam.

Wisher2 · Post by **Wisher2** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 12:37 pm

silverneon wrote:Koni is not an option they're not availlibal for the 2gn here in the netherlans.

Helaas zijn er alleen KONI dempers leverbaar voor de Neon van 1995-1998.

Met vriendelijke groet,

Emmy Mettes

EFKA IMPORT BV
Max Planckstraat 34
2041 CZ Zandvoort
Tel. 023-5740999
Fax 023-5740990

You are asking for advise but it kinda seems like every bit of info you have an excuse to not be able to do or get or whatever. Modern ships international so unless there are some kinda import laws forbidding them to enter the country there is no reason why you couldnt get them. Modern will also usually get you stuff that they dont sell themselves if you need it. really good business

Oh and by the way. I would go with Koni inserts myself or you could go the cheap route and get some Tokico Blues

Vincentvh · Post by **Vincentvh** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 5:05 pm

Yeah I know I started sounding like a whiner.....

What I am really looking for is a strut that has a
stiffer compression rate so that they dont go all
the way down as the original ones.
Sorry dont know how to explain in english.......

So either Koni yellow or tokico blue it should be?
Lets see if I can get a price quote for koni incl.
rebuild of the strut.

@wisher2: your qouting silverneon, according to a
koni shop they aren't available, but I found a
webshop who has them.
I have used MPx in the past and I was quite satified
with them.

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:24 pm

Vincentvh wrote:Yeah I know I started sounding like a whiner.....

What I am really looking for is a strut that has a
stiffer compression rate so that they dont go all
the way down as the original ones.
Sorry dont know how to explain in english.......

Your not a whiner your just trying to be certian its kewl...

Yea the koni can be ordered adjustable and your can literly adjust it to be stiffer or softer depending on your liking that way when your not around the speed bumps you dont have to suffer.

dblsg · Post by **dblsg** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:28 am

KrackstaR wrote:well iam going to need you to never forget to do that sam.

not a speed bump, but a parking block

[/hijack]

davidalindsey · Post by **davidalindsey** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 1:37 am

So Shiny,
That sucks but its not bad as this one-

That's from running over a Piece of semi truck tire going 90MPH Driving towards Houston Tx at night. My poor Tercel.

KrackstaR · Post by **KrackstaR** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:04 am

dblsg wrote:not a speed bump, but a parking block

[/hijack]

WTF did you lay the car out on the block? when did this happen?

Mr Josh Zombie · Post by **Mr Josh Zombie** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:07 am

give me your air ride dblsg!!

You don't deserve it!!

Wisher2 · Post by **Wisher2** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 9:59 am

Vincentvh

After you pointed it out i noticed that I was quating the wrong person.

You can rebuild your struts yourself. There is a sticky somewhere on here that shows how. The Koni's are the best next anything in my opinion

But there are some good coilovers out there that arent as much as you would think....Also here is a link to what SportCompactCar did to a 1gen neon suspention....You can use the formula the same for the 2gen except that the 2gen uses the stock struts with Koni inserts

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/proje ... on_part_1/

dblsg · Post by **dblsg** » Wed Dec 20, 2006 11:14 am

KrackstaR wrote:WTF did you lay the car out on the block? when did this happen?

that was last summer, right after i got the bags

. thats the reason i didn't make it to carlisle... bumper was in the shop.