FK Automotive - Bunch of Useless ......

Thread in 'Other Chat' started by Doz_SR20, Feb 26, 2013.

  1. Doz_SR20

    Doz_SR20 Member

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    Bought some FK coilovers for my daily Micra :euge: last year and I'm not too impressed with them. To cut a long story short, the rears make a heavy clunking noise when I've got people in the back, and the rear spring/damper rates feel like they would be more suited to a 2 tonne car. I've complained directly to FK and they are useless and won't do fuck all, the company I bought them from don't deal with them any more because they are a bunch of useless wankers.

    So while I'm happy with the fact the cars low and goes round corners well, It rides like utter shit and makes loads of noise when I give people a lift to work. I know the ride will be compromised with coilovers, but this is properly discraceful.

    Short of 'suck it up princess' not sure what I can do?
     
  2. Rossc0

    Rossc0 Diesel Skidder

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    Buy other coilovers
     
  3. Doz_SR20

    Doz_SR20 Member

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    Yeh it was either FKs or BC's which where double the price. I wrongly assumed that German stuff would be better quality than Taiwanese stuff....
     
  4. kam

    kam I've touched Chris Parry

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    You'll get what you pay for.
    Probably a generic damper for the entire range of FK.

    It's not where an item is made that matters, it's the QC. TUV doesn't mean a product is any good either.
    There isn't anything you can do to change them, are the rears are bottoming out?
     
  5. niko

    niko md

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    Got to agree with Kam.

    Unfortunately "made in xxx" doesn't really mean much nowadays. For instance, a supplier can have all components manufactured abroad, but as long as it assembled in [insert country here], it's marketed as a product made in that country as well.

    The name itself doesn't say anything anymore. FK has (probably all) their stuff manufactured in cheap countries. Honestly, I'm not even sure if high-end brands such as KW or H&R are really made in Germany either. Engineered perhaps, but manufactured?
     
  6. Doz_SR20

    Doz_SR20 Member

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    Yeh thats true, they must have carried over something that will fit the Micra as they probably sell 4/5ths fuck all coilover sets for the Micra every year (its the later k12 shape).

    They're not bottoming out, the cars not even that low. As the rear spring compresses its riding over the edge of the spring seat/height adjustment collar and creating a clunking noise. I've added bump stops to try and prevent it to no prevail. I guess I will have to shop for some generic springs/dampers that will fit to try and make it better. I've used AST Suspension in Tewkesbury before and they can re-build dampers etc to your requirements so may go down that route, just didn't want to have to. I suppose another option would be having a new height adjustment collar machined that wont allow the spring to pass over the edge of it....

    Just hastle that I could have done without on a daily let alone a Micra.... But like you said you get what you pay for and I'm a firm believer of that. When I bought the coilovers they where unexpected - forced by a snapped spring - coilovers the obvious solution :)
     
  7. Doz_SR20

    Doz_SR20 Member

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    Thats the thing, its not the quality of the component thats at fault, more so the design in my eyes. I work in the Automotive industry and deal with different tier suppliers daily and I agree on what you've said. Everything comes from all over these days, sometimes unfortunately...
     
  8. kam

    kam I've touched Chris Parry

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    The spring is coming off the collar?
    Just needs a bigger seat making then?
     
  9. hug - lo

    hug - lo Active Member

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    FK are not German made - They are however TUV approved, safety standard is all.. They're made in taiwan/malasia/china like alot of the cheap brands.
    i've had at least 3 sets that have been faultless for years at a time! It's a micra daily, you snapped a coil spring that are £20 max so you thought coilovers was the answer! I like the thinking but moaning about a budget coily months later playing up!.... Odd!!!
     
  10. Doz_SR20

    Doz_SR20 Member

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    yeh if you like the coil is beehive shape, the upper coils are clicking over the edge of the collar. So yeh a bigger seat may solve it, going to have a go at making a bigger one when the weather perks up...
     
  11. Doz_SR20

    Doz_SR20 Member

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    Ha yeh, I just wanted my daily life to be a little less mundane. Yeh I know I'm moaning about budget coilovers but a) I'm British and b) I still paid £400 of my hard earned for them so they should work properly. If they where £150 race lands or something I'd have grinned and beared it a bit more. Just having a bit of a good old British rant thats all :)
     
  12. cefiro_drifta

    cefiro_drifta Mad pointing Munky

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    how low are they ? that might be the clunking noise at the rear. I had a mk2 mx5 that was slammed with brand new hsd's and it would bang badly. Raised it up 10mm and it was good as gold
     
  13. Doz_SR20

    Doz_SR20 Member

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    It's not silly low at all, I drive a and b roads to work 40 miles cross country and have a full car every few weeks so for those reasons I haven't gone nuts. I'll get a pic up but I would say it's far from silly low. May raise it up a bit to see of it helps.
     
  14. jap.drifter

    jap.drifter Member

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    i have fks on my mk4 golf and they are rubbish and the ride is awful
     
  15. yogi bear

    yogi bear Active Member

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    £400?? Don't make me laugh, I would not expect £400 coils to last much more than a year. You get what you pay for, I have spent more money than that on a roof rack
     
  16. Stavros

    Stavros Active Member

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    That's purely because people sell overpriced dogshit and we're all happy to pay it, not because something is 'worth' that price.
     
  17. yogi bear

    yogi bear Active Member

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    I think the problem lies with penny pinchers that think they can build a race car for a pound then moan that it falls apart 20 mins later. Just makes me laugh.
     
  18. docwra

    docwra Active Member

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    #18 docwra, Feb 27, 2013
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2013
  19. Burger93

    Burger93 Member

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    You are a wise man stavros
     
  20. Stavros

    Stavros Active Member

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    Not wise, just know exactly the quality, or lack of, of parts.

    "You get what you pay for" really really isn't close to the truth in most things, especially not tuning.

    Unless you paying for trendy logos.
     

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