406 suspension

[Baz W]

My 2003 406hdi is about ready for a suspension change as its still on original shocks etc. I will be running stock wheels and want a slightly firmer ride but dont want to lower it.

Any ideas on what i can get as i find the standard ride a bit to soft.


Cheers

[steve_earwig]

Ride is all down to personal preference, I find mine fine on the rubbish roads they have here, it handles ok but I don't get whiplash going to the supermarket, so I wouldn't mess with it. TBH it's a bit weird you reckon your 4 year old car needs new suspension, unless it's got intergallactic mileage I'd leave it be.

[Baz W]

Its just got to 60k miles. I just assumed the life of the shocks was about over.

[mbell666]

mines on 157k, on it original front shocks (there getting a little soft now) but i did replace the rear. This was because one of them went spft so the hadling was all over.

AT 60k i would leave it, new shocks would probably stiffen it for bout 5k only. If you bothered about handling get lowering springs and matching shocks. Lowering springs are quite cheap, think GSF do some for about £50!

[steve_earwig]

Do they do bash plates too?

[Welly]

I would not even think about changing the shocks on a 2003 406.

They last a good while (particularly more on peugeots than vauxhalls etc) not sure if they're gas or not (I don't think the are).

It's something you will change at 8 to 10 years I would say.

The more important thing first will be bushes and drop links etc as they really take a pounding from our lovely smooth roads

[bargainbro]

Hi. The rear shocks were done at 130 000km (aw crap...don´t know what that is in miles.I let the smarter ones do the math) in my car. And they were original. Replaced all with Sachs Advantage gas shocks and now I´ve also got Eibach springs under the car. I have to recommend those springs. You don´t even notice the -30mm lowering (and neither does your neighbor) and the car gets firm and steady yet not uncomfortable. And the lowering hasn´t made my every day driving a bit more difficult. And I have to drive on gravel roads, etc. quite often...

and by the way I´ve always been in the belief that all the facelift models had gas shocks

[steve_earwig]

130,000 Kilometres = 80,778.25499 Miles.

[bargainbro]

Thanks,bud.I DO suck in maths.

[steve_earwig]

Me too, but I know how to use a search engine...