Are Leda's worth the extra $$$

[rebby]

From what I've heard, they are the best... There is a BB going on for them right now so I'm trying to get in on that... If that doesn't work out I may go w/Eibach's and Tokikos... What are you guys running on?

[MN Probe GT]

They are the best. I am skeptical on the prices that guy has. And I am also in the BB for GCs. Otherwise, I would consider it. Apparently it's a strut/spring combo and is cheaper than GC/struts combo. But that is for the non adjustable shocks or something. You can pay up for 24 position ones. I'm not really sure how they work. In an e mail someone sent him, they mentioned something about the prices being in pounds. That's when I steered clear of that BB. But I was already in the GC one.

[rebby]

thanks for the heads up... i will have to check into that...

[everetty]

Dude, if it were me, I'd save the money and get something cheaper. Personally I am more into aesthetics than anything else so I bought Intrax, best drop for cheapest dollars. They ride fine, nothing special, nothing too bad.

[rebby]

i'm not positive on this one... i guess if the bb goes and the price is right i will go w/the leda's... i don't want to drop it that much w/the ground f/x... if this doesn't work out, i think that i will go w/eibachs & tokikos... does anybody have this setup?

[Racer X]

yeah ledas are supose to be the best we can get they will cost you about 1300 us dollars for the chaepest ones. i would go this rout if you can aford it. my gc's and tokikos cost about $1150. if you do go with gc's and the rest of the suspention stuff i got your will handle great i once out cornered a type-r through the 94 tunnel on the way to midway. may car has controlable under and oversteer. i do thing the rear springs are a little to soft though. i have gotten the car side ways a couple of times. i cant find anyone who has had ledas to hear how the handle

[rebby]

thanks for the input... i guess that their is currently only 1 known prober w/ledas... i'm hoping to append my name to that short list...

[tracer bullet]

Ugh, way too much for me. $1150? You got robbed.

My Illuminas were just under $500 shipped to the door, GC's were $340 through CB performance (yes, the VW shop in S.F.) ~$840 total.

Ledas - hopefully you like what they send you. Non adjustable struts... GC's I got to choose how stiff and length of the springs. And with the Illuminas, I can adjust how firm they are. Soft for the winter, hard for the summer. Can adjust the front and rear relative to each other too. Put an Addco on the back, so I have the front set stiffer for better balance, etc. Also - going 1/4 mile racing? Set the fronts all the way down and the rears all the way up - that alone will lower your ET's.

I think all cars should have adjustable struts. I don't see a time soon where I wouldn't have them on whatever car I own. They just kick ass.

Adjustable Leda's, last timne I looked, in $USD were like $2400. Yeah, right! I'll take my GC / Illuminas, with their adjustability, and spend that $1560 somewhere else.

[MN Probe GT]

So you really do adjust your struts? I really don't see me doing that a lot. How do you take off the trunk panels everytime? I attempted to take them off once. They wouldn't move. Crutchfield said you have to remove all the interior trunk panels and the rear quarter panels to get to the rear speakers. Yeah right.....all you have to take off is the rear quarter panels.

[tracer bullet]

I adjust them several times a year, at least for Summer and Winter, but it's fun to play with too throughout the rest of the year.

And - even if you don't adjust them much - stock struts are about the same as 3 settings on the Illuminas. So - you might prefer 4 settings on the Illuminas, or 2, all the way around. You might not ever change off of that - but it's an option you never would have had to even try out if you didn't have the adjustables. You'd be stuck on "stock" feeling whether you liked it or not. And from my experience, strut settings make a much bigger difference on handling, body roll, etc. than the springs.

I put on GC's with the Illuminas on 3 front, 2 rear. It is stiffer than stock, but not that much. Handling too - a little better, but not much. However, put the Illuminas on 4's all the way around (not even up to 5, just 4), and whoa! Big change. Corners flat, speeds go up, body roll goes down, etc. Bumpier ride too of course.

I did a trick I was shown on the PT UBB. I took the entire rear panel off one last time - the flat piece over where the struts mount screws into it. I undid the screws, and now I can take it on and off whenever I want. It sort of press fits into place, so it doesn't rattle. And it's a little bit of a pain, but only about a minute to get it off.

I think the extra $ for the adjustables is totally worth it. I'm not much for appearances, body kits and such (I think a lot of them look nice, buy I don't want one) - but I see people putting thousands into a kit plus painting with no problems. But them not paying an extra $100 for their struts to be adjustable, given what else they spend that money on, seems silly.

Just my opinion...

[MN Probe GT]

Hmmmm.....I must see this thing you did with the trunk panels. Do you have any pictures? The only reason I don't want the adjustables is the time involved with changing the settings. If that could be shortened, I'd be all over them.

[tracer bullet]

I just now went and found the old thread on PT, but the picture links are invalid - Hans must have pulled them back off the 'net.

I've done this to mine, and can show you next time we meet up. Just keep it mind, in case I forget to show you.

They don't rattle, and it's easy to do... Seriously a minute per piece.