Lowering rumor.

[johnt785]

I've heard from some people that if you lower your car by just springs and nothing else that your actually slowing your car down. And if you want to keep your speed then you need to do other things. Like shocks, struts, and other suspension things to keep your car at its full potential. Is this a rumor?

 

[bhuff30]

It depends on what you are doing. Lowering destroys the suspension geometry which really hurts you, but if you put in a stiff enough springs to limit suspension travel, you will increase the handling.... albeit the wrong way to do things.
Personnally, I am not lowering mine because it creates so many problems! You get exagerated bump steer, an EVEN WORSE camber curve, and less overall suspension travel.

 

[jerry beach]

I just removed a set of Eibach lowering springs from my car, I dont know if they are progressive rate or not, but they made the car ride like total crap. They were in the car when I bought it. My 3/4 ton truck rides much nicer, and it is rough. It was low, and looked pretty nice down there. I had virtually no fender gap. I never had any probs with bumpsteer, even though I had almost no suspension travel. They are saying it hurts speed because there is no weight transfer off the line. It hurts traction more than anything, and it beats the car and you to death. Kinda like riding a roller coaster. Not a good plan IMO. Let me know if you are interested in some cheap lowering springs. I have pics of how the car sat with them on.

 

[johnt785]

Ok, two against lowering a fox body. Anyone for it? What are the benefits to lowering your car... just looks and control? I ask these questions because I'm thinking of lowering my car. Is there a way to do the suspension just right so that your not f***ing everything up on your car?

 

[88mustangGT]

i lowerd my car and put some good shocks there with it, yes it is a harsher ride, but it takes corners so much better now, it sticks and stays flat so nice. also before i ddid this it would kind of get a floating feeling about 80 and that is gone now. that was probly because of shocks though. but i am all for lowering it if care more about corners than the straights.

 

[88stangnut]

Buy shocks and springs as a set made buy the same brand as a package, Ive had them on my Accord and all it did was make my car handle like a muther ******* and it really dident disrupt the ride much, well maybe a little but bot enough to bother me. But they were a bitch to put on cuz u had t take the struts out and decompress the spring and put the new spring in and try to compress it, without makin it shoot in the air lol well my advice is if your makin it for speed keep the stockers, if you want a good cruzin car drop that bitch lol. It affects u a little in the 1/4 mile but i dont think if you lowered it 1 or so it wouldent matter much

 

[88mustangGT]

also get drag springs if you are looking for 1/4 times. they will help transfer weight to the back

 

[johnt785]

So what are the items that you all recommend to go along with the lowering springs?

 

[88stangnut]

shocks and struts, and drag springs if your gonna make it for 1/4 mile

 

[Sicarius428]

An inch is about as far as you want to go for a street car. Lowering springs will improve your handling by lowering your CG, stiffening up in corners for less body roll thus planting your tire better. Lowering any more will not give you much if any more performance because it will start to tweak your geometry, make drivability pretty harsh and speed bumps become a hazard. Remeber this is just for a street car not a track car. Cutting the stock springs is not good. You have to get a stiffer spring to compensate for the loss of suspension travel or else you can bottom out your suspension or worse your car. To compensate for the stiffer lowering spring you need a good shock. You guys ever see a lowered car(rice rocket) bouncing down the road? The shock will dampen the the springs tendency to compress and decompress which is its only job the shock does. It is near impossible to beat the quality of Koni for a aftermarket replacement shock but they are quite steep so a set of KYBs are probably best bang for the buck right now. Whenever you put lowering springs on your car, ride quality suffers. Its a give and take thing. For strait line performance a drag spring and shock is what you need but you will be sacrificing your turning performance a lot. Unfortunately you can't have it all. Just some thoughts.
Kevin

 

[bock]

Im about to take off the lower spring to go back with th e stock spring.

Its a 2½ drop .. technik brand..... really its-->

Im a drag racer so... lookin g for more transfert and a smoother ride will gooing to the track.

www.geocities.com/caulisse2001 check my piks if you wanna see what its look with the lower spring.


Any one have a piks with stock spring and 245-50-16 tires ?

 

[johnt785]

Good post Kevin. What brand of springs would you recommend to drop it around an 1''?

 

[sleeper89]

Good post Kevin. What brand of springs would you recommend to drop it around an 1''?

for 1" i'd go with the bullit spring package. otherwise i like my pro-kit.

-steve

 

[Sicarius428]

I have the Ford Racing springs which probably aren't made by Ford at all. They lower the the front about an inch and the rear a 1/2 inch. I live in a gated community with speed bumps so I couldn't go too low and the Ford Racing ones were about the right height I need. My cats do scrape if I am running late and in a little bit of a rush as it is. Any lower my car will be part of the speed bump. I have an LX so I dont have the GT ground effects to use as a feeler and if I had full length headers I probably wouldn't ever make it out of my driveway. If you were wondering I am running 225/50/16s on Pony rims too. I am a big fan of progressive lowering springs but they are typically about 1 1/2 lowering job which I can't do for an everyday driver. I have a set on my 70 mustang and I think they are great. They absorb all the small bumps and don't transfer it to the rest of the car. Some people do not like the handling characteristics because they say that they do not have a good feel as to where the tire will plant though. I think the response is for the handling is very good in my opinion. I have not experienced that problem probably because I have a 1 1/8th sway bar up front to compensate for anything like that. Some people like the flat feeling when cornering which in reality you really want some give because that plants the outside tire for better handling. Stiffer or flatter is not Necessarily better. On older Mustangs it is not uncommon for racers to take out the rear sway bar or put a really light one because in hard cornering it lifts the rear end up planting the front outside tire in a turn. All preference I guess. I say try driving the progressives namely the Eibachs. I am going to be biased towards them because I have a set and have not experienced any others. If you live in the city and parking, everyday driving, speedbumps and want your bumpers to actually work in an accident, don't go lower than 1 inch. I am not sure as to which springs are offered besides the Ford Racing in the one inch area but there has to be more out there. I just ordered them from Summit and figured I couldn't go too wrong with the Ford springs. I also have the Koni reds on the car and the car handles great. Side note, your suspension will only work as good as your tires will allow. Great suspension and crummy tires will not make your car handle better... probably worse. If you are worried about strait line acceleration, a set of lower control arms will help plant your tire. I have a set of Hotchkis lower control arms which I haven't mounted yet. I am not sure how good they are(if anybody has any input please let me know) but I heard that the Maximum Motorsports ones are probably the best... along with a lot of their other products. Hope this helps.

 

[YardSpecial]

I am ProLower, BMW look the best from the factory ! (lowered)
99 & up look like 4X4'S !!

I have H&R race springs, progressive and LOVE it !

I did not buy this car for comfort.

Drop is about 1 1/2 all around and looks killer !!

Getting the right combo is the key to success.

The FACT lower then 1 1/2 will cause problems, bump steer, rougher ride, bottoming out and a Bitch to get under !!

My 2cents

 

[87gtconv]

I have Saleen (Eibach?) springs maybe 1" lower than stock, Monroe shocks, stuts, and quads, stock sway bars, Ford HD rear upper arms and Edelbrock non adjustable lowers. 16" Pony wheels with 245-45-16 Yoko tires, Steeda camber/caster plates. Ride is better than stock and handling is great, traction only about as good as stock with sticky tires! Not that great in the wet so I slow down!!!