How bad will lowering springs hurt my launch?

[Bigstang1]

I am considering either lowering my car and putting on some decent upper and lower rear control arms, or sputting on some drag springs with some lift bars in the rear. Now heres the hard part...i heard lowering springs make for a very bad launch and that drag springs make the car handle like crap. now this is my daily driver in the summer keep in mind. How bad is the launch with the lowering springs and how bad is the handling with the drang setup? Is there a happy medium somhow? thanks

 

[9 Deuce GT]

I am by no means an expert, but I have been looking into this for a while. I have noticed a lot of guys getting 2.0's in the 60's with lowering springs and street tires. That is not the best 60' possible, but it's pretty good for street tires. Get some drag radials, and I think you would be okay with a lowering spring.

 

[v8only]

it's important to consider how hard core you are into drag racing, vs spirited street driving. simply put, you just can't be hardcore about drag racing and have a lowered car. Having a proper suspension for drag racing is essential. My friend runs 4 banger springs on his front end with soft struts, and a very solid rear. I'm going to set my vert up the same way. If you drive more on the street, and only make it to the track once or twice a year, then set it up for the street, as you don't track enough for a drag type suspension

 

[ninety15.0]

I noticed a def decreased ability to launch my car after lowering it. The tires spin much easier now right off the line. I noticed it even more when shifting from first to second. When my car wasnt lowered i would only get a quick chirp when shifting 1-2. After lowering the car i get about 10-20 ft of wheelspin when shifting 1-2. I havent brought my car to the track yet after lowering it so i have no experience with the added traction of the track surface but i would assume only slightly slower 60' times ~ maybe a tenth. Its nothing a good set of drag radials wouldnt cure and for the amazing stance of the car after lowering it....its def worth it. Lowering the car made a huge difference in handling and body roll...and the ride quality actually got better aswell. My susp. set up is steeda sport springs (prog rate) and kyb's all around w/ new monroe quads, my car has about one finger width of wheel gap between the tire and fender in the front and about 1.5 fingers in the back. good luck man

 

[Fishhawk]

I concurr with V8only. If your on the street 80/90% of the time lower it. I lowered mine an inch with Ford Racing springs and Koni adjustables and I might hit the track once a month. With Drag Radials I will consistantly get 1.8 60' launch's. Just air down the tires to around 18 psi. I pretty much dead hook. I also replaced the upper and lower control arms with BBK.

 

[tom2001gt]

I would put 4 cylinder springs in the front they lower the car a good bit and let the front end come up quick unlike lowering springs. Cutting a coil off the rear wouldn't hurt either I get 1.6 60ft times with cut springs all around.

 

[ramjetlx]

As long as you dont lower it to the extreme, it shouldnt hurt your launch too much. I now average 2.0 in the 60 on street radials with a pro kit from Eibach. Try also changing your upper and lower arms, and put an airbag in the right rear spring. Its only 50 dollars from Summit and is from Eibach. That should also help your launch alot more. The increased handling and looks is worth the effort to lower the car if its mainly driven on the street.....

 

[L8 MUSL]

Want your cake and eat it too eh?

I think it pretty much kills your launch. Shure I can get a 2.00 60ft with DR's but in a real drag race that pretty much sucks. You just don't get any squat or weight transfer.
Mine is real low though.
I've got eibachs in the rear with adjustable upper and lower CA's with spherical bushings on the lowers and coilovers on the front with all the other chassis stiffining bolt on's and mine is a good 2" all around.
My car rides good and turns even better, but 1/4 mile runs (or around here 1/8th) are just something I do to hang out with my buddies.
A guy with 1/2 my HP and the "right" suspension will kick my but everytime.

 

[ramjetlx]

Thats a 2.0 on street radials, not drag radials. Im sure if I threw on some drag radials it would definately be alot lower. I like my car to handle well also on the street. Lowering springs hurt but its not a big deal if you dont drop it too low. Theres other ways to compensate for it. Stock Corvettes and other cars are dropped alot lower then a stock mustang yet they can still bang out some low 60 foots. Its all about your setup and how will you drive. A 1.25-1.5" drop will not make a big difference in the launch....

 

[L8 MUSL]

Stock Corvettes and other cars are dropped alot lower then a stock mustang yet they can still bang out some low 60 foots. Its all about your setup and how will you drive. A 1.25-1.5" drop will not make a big difference in the launch....

A "stock Corvette" is not lowered.
When you drop a Mustang, you are limiting the articulation and travel of the suspension, resulting in less squat and weight transfer.

 

[393Bird]

This is how you have your cake, and eat it also.

Fully adjustable coil overs. Get the springs for your front end weight, and set the heigth as you wish.

 

[L8 MUSL]

This is how you have your cake, and eat it also.
Fully adjustable coil overs. Get the springs for your front end weight, and set the heigth as you wish.

Yeah, I agree.
My front coil over's helped both my ride and height adjustment but for the rear end of a Fox, If you were to raise the ride height in the back by adjusting your coil overs, you would just be preloading the spring and making it stiffer so again, you would lose the squat and weight transfer.

 

[9 Deuce GT]

For a front coil over set up, if you were to use a stiffer spring, say a 350-400 # spring, wouldn't that have a negative result in weight transfer compared to a drag coil over set up?

 

[L8 MUSL]

For a front coil over set up, if you were to use a stiffer spring, say a 350-400 # spring, wouldn't that have a negative result in weight transfer compared to a drag coil over set up?

Yes.

I'll tell you though, going with coil over's on the front of our Fox's sure helps them ride/handle better. I think it's just because you are positioning the sprin farther outboard on the arm. The only thing it does on the rear is gives you ride height adjustability, which is cool.

 

[K.C.90gt]

In the five years that I've owned my stang, it has always been lowered.. It was my daily driver for a few years until I got a winter beater. Now i have another daily driver that I keep insured all year that way I can drive the stang on nice days, then drive the daily on crappy days and trips etc.. it just works out better this way. well, after going to the track alot in the summers and getting more power.. I have never cut a better 60' than 1.9 WITH drag radials. I usually get 2.0 or 2.1 60' with drag radials now. I had steeda sport springs and tokicos and they handle great and all but I spin those drag radials and there is no squat or weight transfer it feels like. I am in the process of changing it over to drag right now. Going with front drag coilovers, rear moroso trick springs, and 10 way adj strange struts/shocks. I think if its mostly street driven and you dont mind 2.0 60' fts at the track than go with the lowering, if you like to cut better times and dont mind taking it easy around curves then go with drag. Or keep it stock for a medium just my two cents....

 

[ramjetlx]

A "stock Corvette" is not lowered.
When you drop a Mustang, you are limiting the articulation and travel of the suspension, resulting in less squat and weight transfer.

What I mean is that a stock Corvette has a lower stance then a stock Mustang. Check out the gap in their fenderwell compared to a Mustang. Last night I ran a 13.6 quarter mile with my car that is lowered 1.5" in front and 1.25" in the back. Thats pretty good for a lowered aod street car. I thought we are talking about the effects it has on a street car, not a car setup just for the strip. We can all get overboard and say a drag setup is better, I agree. But the guy just wants to know will it hurt his launch if he lowers it for his street car, and I say no, as long as its not dropped too low. I plan to keep my car as streetable as possible, I could just throw on slicks and run 12's all night. But some of us want a car that is good all around, not just set up for one thing. We all know a stock stang handles like junk. So its possible to have your cake and eat it too, as mentioned earlier by someone else.....

 

[rsw007]

well ihave moroso drag springs with 2 coils cut out and lowering springs in rear with 1/2 coil cut out. its very low and ive cut a few 1.69 60fts.

remember lose spring in front and stiff pring in rear. that will give you the best launch.

see pics in my garage

 

[9 Deuce GT]

Are consistant 1.8 - 2.0 60's possible with Drag Radials and lowering springs?

 

[L8 MUSL]

Are consistant 1.8 - 2.0 60's possible with Drag Radials and lowering springs?

Yes.

The only thing that will hurt you in your combo is your rear gear ratio.
Throw on some 3.73's and DR's and you'll see sub 2.00 60ft times.

I can in my car and it's slammed, plus I pretty much suck at the tree.

My answer to the original question of "will lowering springs hurt my launches"? is still YES. but I guess it's all relitive.

 

[9 Deuce GT]

Not trying to hijack the thread, but.....

I deff. need help. I am installing 3:73's and a TFS stage 1 cam. Last year, w/o those mods I could only manage a best of high 2.2's on the sreet with a G-tech. If I trap at 105 mph, what would that be with a 2.0 60' in the 1/4?