SUSPENSION
Developed by Ford’s TeamRS division at the Nürburgring, the Mk6 Fiesta ST has fantastic handling straight out of the box. It’s fun, playful and communicative; exactly as a hot hatch should be. It does sit too high, though.
You’re unlikely to see many STs with original springs these days, but if yours has then a set of lowering springs from Eibach are the answer; the lower stance not only looks better but it helps performance a little too. The best option is to couple the springs with matched updated dampers; Bilstein’s B12 kit has long been a favourite of ours and works exceptionally well on the Mk6 ST.
So well, in fact, for a fast-road car there isn’t any real need for coilovers – certainly not budget types that will hinder rather than help performance and ride quality. If you’re a track fan you may find that the adjustable settings and stiffer spring rates of a set of a quality coilovers are helpful for perfecting the handling package; ASTs are said to be the best for the Mk6 ST.
Polyurethane bush upgrades from SuperPro or Powerflex are wise investments to replace worn rubber units and stiffen the chassis. Add a performance rear anti-roll bar from Whiteline, and rear axle spacers at the same time, and you’ll have a decent little setup that’s capable of keeping up with most things on track, and then outrunning them on the B-roads on the way home.
Dedicated track and race cars have the option of full roll cages, motorsport-spec rosejointed suspension components to really stiffen things up, but these are often too much of a compromise for any road car. Air ride has been used to great effect on show cars too.