Which Suspension Springs And Shock Absorbers Suit A Renault 5 GT Turbo?
A customer asked us what to fit to a 1986 Renault 5 GT Turbo: springs, shock absorbers or coilovers. The answer starts with the phase of the car. A 1986 car sits before the July 1987 start of our Phase 2 listings, so the SPAX coilover and adjustable damper kits are not for it. What we do list for your car is SPAX SSX lowering springs at £164.99 and Bilstein B6 dampers for the front and rear.
- Prices read from the live site, inc VAT
- Phase 1 and Phase 2 listings kept apart, taken from each product page
- Every part named here is a live listing for the R5 GT Turbo or the B/C40 Renault 5
For a 1986 GT Turbo, SPAX SSX springs and Bilstein B6 dampers
£164.99inc VAT
Fitment comes from the listings. Send us your chassis number and Cameron will confirm it before you order.
- SPAX SSX Lowering Springs for the Renault 5 GT Turbo Phase 1, £164.99, 35 mm catalogue lowering
- Bilstein B6 front shock absorber, £332.40, and B6 rear shock absorber, £200.40
- SPAX RSX coilovers and PSX kits are listed for Phase 2 cars from July 1987
- Each product page carries its own timings on the Availability and FAQ tabs
Phase 1 or Phase 2: the question that comes first
Our listings split the Renault 5 GT Turbo into Phase 1 and Phase 2, and they treat them as different cars for suspension. The SPAX Phase 2 kits are listed for the R5 GT Turbo type C405, Phase 2, from chassis F 02 7413 and K 0257636, July 1987 to 1990. A 1986 car comes before that, which makes it a Phase 1.
That one fact rules out most of the coilover choice. The SPAX RSX coilover kit, the PSX suspension kit and the SPAX adjustable GT Turbo dampers all carry the Phase 2 wording, and none of them is listed for a Phase 1 car. Send us the chassis number first. The build date on the plate settles it far better than the registration year does, and it saves you ordering a kit that was never meant for the car, so have it to hand before you start comparing prices.
The springs: SPAX SSX for the Phase 1
The SPAX SSX Lowering Springs for the Renault 5 GT Turbo Phase 1 are part number S031000. The listing gives the vehicle type code as B/C40 and the catalogue lowering as 35 mm. It says the kit holds 2 springs, and it tells you to match the part number and every listed restriction to your car before ordering. At £164.99 it’s the cheapest way to change the stance of the car.
SPAX also say the catalogue lowering depends on the original suspension, so a car that has been lowered before may show a different additional drop. On a 40 year old R5 that may have had a change or two already, that’s worth knowing. The first thing we’ll ask is what’s under the car now, and whether the rear needs anything alongside the 2 springs in the kit.
- £164.99 inc VAT
- SPAX part number S031000
- Renault 5 GT Turbo Phase 1, 85-91, type code B/C40
- 35 mm catalogue lowering, 2 springs in the kit
Product cards show prices excluding VAT. Prices in the text include VAT.
The shock absorbers: Bilstein B6 front and rear
Springs change the ride height, and the dampers control what the car does with it. On a car this age the dampers are often the tired part. We list two Bilstein B6 units that match the R5 and the GT Turbo, one for the front and one for the rear, and each is priced on its own page.
The front B6 is Bilstein part 35-221715. The listing is for the Renault 5 (122, B/C40), and it doesn’t mention the GT Turbo by name. B/C40 is the same type code the SSX springs show for the Phase 1 GT Turbo, which is why we list it here, and Cameron will check it against your chassis number before your order goes in.
Bilstein describe the B6 as the uprated damper for a car at or near standard ride height, with monotube gas-pressure damping for tighter body control. The listing says to fit it when the car is standard or on standard-height springs and you want it sharper without ruining the ride. At £332.40 it’s the dearest single part on this page.
- £332.40 inc VAT
- Bilstein part number 35-221715
- Front, monotube gas-pressure
- Listed for the Renault 5 (122, B/C40)
The rear B6 is Bilstein part 24-009942, and the listing names it for the Renault Super 5 GT Turbo (Group N). It carries no years, so the same chassis number check applies. Under the skin it’s the same monotube B6 design as the front.
At £200.40 it’s well under the front, but check the quantity on the listing before you order, because a car has a damper at each corner and you want to end up with the right number.
- £200.40 inc VAT
- Bilstein part number 24-009942
- Rear, monotube gas-pressure
- Listed for the Renault Super 5 GT Turbo (Group N)
If any of this is unclear, drop us an email or click to open a chat with the chassis number and what’s on the car now, and we’ll work through it with you.
Springs alone, or springs and dampers?
Garreth and Cameron don’t quite agree on this one. Garreth wouldn’t put new lowering springs on a 1986 car and leave 40 year old dampers underneath them. He’d fit the SSX springs and the B6 dampers together and do the job once, so the car isn’t taken apart twice.
Cameron’s view is that it depends on the dampers. If they were replaced in the last few years, and the car sits level and doesn’t wallow, he’d fit the springs first and see how it feels before spending £332.40 on a front damper.
Neither of us would call the springs alone a bad choice, and the price gap is real. The B6 listing describes the damper as one for standard-height springs or near enough, and a 35 mm drop is a small step from there. If you’re unsure, ask us before you guess.
If your car is a later Phase 2: coilovers and adjustable dampers
For a Phase 2 GT Turbo, from July 1987, the choice opens up. All four of these SPAX listings are for the R5 GT Turbo type C405, Phase 2, from chassis F 02 7413 and K 0257636, and they run from the PSX suspension kit at £884.99 up to the RSX coilover kit at £1,164.99.
The PSX kit, TAP053, is an adjustable-damping suspension kit with a fixed 35 mm lowering at the front and rear, and SPAX list it separately from the height-adjustable coilovers. The RSX coilover kit, RSX579, has single adjustable damping and lowering of 35 to 60 mm at the front and rear. The listing warns that some rear suspensions keep separate springs or torsion-bar adjustment, so read both axle figures. The adjustable front damper TAG1034 and rear damper G256 are priced individually.
Doing the brakes at the same time
Customers who change the springs often look at the brakes next. We have a separate guide on the big brake kits we would fit to a GT Turbo, from HiSpec’s two listing generations to Tarox’s 330mm Super Sport. It is called Our Top Recommended Big Brake Upgrade Kits For Your Renault R5, and it is worth a read before you book any suspension work.
Common questions
Will the SPAX RSX coilovers fit my 1986 GT Turbo?
The RSX579 is listed for the Phase 2 GT Turbo, built from July 1987 from chassis F 02 7413. A 1986 car comes earlier, so we do not list a coilover for it. Send us your chassis number if you think yours is later.
How far do the SSX springs lower the car?
The listing gives 35 mm as the catalogue lowering.
SPAX note that the figure depends on the original suspension, and a car that has been lowered before may show a different additional drop. Tell us if yours has.
Do I need new dampers with new springs?
The listing does not make it a rule, and Garreth and Cameron differ on it. Garreth would change both together on a car this age, because he does not like new springs on old dampers. Cameron would check the condition of the existing dampers first, and fit the springs alone if they are in good order.
Are the Bilstein B6 dampers sold singly or as a pair?
Check the quantity on each product page before you order, because a car needs one at each corner. The front is £332.40 and the rear is £200.40. Ask us if the page leaves any doubt.
What are Bilstein B6 dampers for?
Bilstein describe the B6 as an uprated monotube gas-pressure damper for a car at or near standard ride height.
Is the front Bilstein listing for the GT Turbo?
It’s listed for the Renault 5 (122, B/C40) and doesn’t name the GT Turbo. The SSX springs show B/C40 as the type code for the Phase 1 GT Turbo. Send us your chassis number and Cameron will check the match before you order.
What we would buy
Garreth
What I would buy
For a 1986 GT Turbo I'd take the SSX springs at £164.99 and the Bilstein B6 dampers all round, and fit them together, because the car's 40 years old and I wouldn't put new springs on tired dampers.
If your chassis number turns out to be Phase 2, I'd look at the RSX coilovers at £1,164.99 for the ride height range.
Cameron
What I would check first
I want the chassis number before anything else. It decides Phase 1 or Phase 2, and that decides what you can fit. Then I'd want to know what dampers are on the car, and whether anyone's lowered it before.
Where I differ from Garreth is the dampers: if they're recent and the car sits level, I'd fit the springs first, see how it feels on the road, and leave the £332.40 front B6 for later.
Not sure which phase your Renault 5 GT Turbo is?
Tell us the chassis number and what is on the car now. Cally, our digital receptionist, takes your details. Cameron comes back to you with the right springs and dampers before you order.
