lowering springs

[fla 9]

Hi Guys,

 

Just want some advice on lowering. I want to lower my car about 25mm, just to lose the 4wd look, but i want to retain the soft ride. The car is used for general use, no track days or anything. What is the thinking on simply changing to shorter (non-uprated) springs? Most springs I've seen are at least 25% uprated, which I dont really want, as the kids sit in the back and dont want to bounce all over the road, no matter how cool I tell them the C is. How would this affect the shocks (reduced travel)?

Thanks in advance.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Can you actually get non-uprated shorter springs though? I've never seen any. The closest you'll get to that are H&R's OE Sport springs which lower about 20mm and mildly uprated - but they only do them for newer cars. A 1998 MK3 8V is as old as they go.

[fla 9]

Hmmm. what do you suggest then?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

You can speak to companies that do custom work, such as Leda, or buy a suspension kit. Uprated springs and dampers doesn't always mean a harsh and crashey ride...... but it's not cheap for the good stuff though.

[Supercharged 2]

What about the lowering caps Kev? - i know they'll only go down 10mm or so...

[pablo_vr6 0]

non uprated springs sound like OE springs with a coil lobbed off :)

[GIXXERUK 0]

get the kids a harness each they'll be happy 8) you cant lower without altering the "soft" ride cos your altering the amount of travel allowed by the spring (less recovery time) but as kev said some are a lot less harsh than others and remember they will bed in

[oxfordpaul 0]

While we're on the subject, anyone any experience of the difference between Koni shocks/springs and Koni shocks/H&R springs? Larkspeed do a full Koni kit for £380 which effectively makes the springs FOC - are the Koni springs harder or softer is basically what I want to know, thanks.

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Don't even go there.... get the H&R springs. The Koni springs aren't even Koni, they're made by Vogland and completely cr@p.

[fla 9]

PabloVR6,

 

Lowering caps seem an interesting idea. I used to race RC buggies (actually just bought a couple of new ones again - wot a kid!) years back and we used caps on the shocks to harden the suspension up a bit. Are these the same sort of thing or do these just limit the travel of the shock? If the latter, is it feasible to use, say 2 per shock to get 20mm lowering (assuming 1 lowers it by 10mm)? Again is there any dverse effect on the dampers?

[Kevin Bacon 5]

Lowering caps don't work that way unfortunately. All they are is a reprofiled spring top plate and you can only use one of them per spring....and they're only for the front aswell.

 

If you've got rear koni shocks, you can also lower those in 5mm increments.

 

Your best bet is coilovers or a mcpherson setup. You can take a coil out of the springs but it's not really advisable, even if done properly.

 

If you shorten a spring, ideally the dampers need shortening aswell to stop them topping or bottoming out over bumps.

[fla 9]

OK. Now if I opt for 25mm lower springs, uprated by say 25% (presumably that will be the lowest upating) would this also be bad for the shocks, again bearing in mind how the car is used? Sorry to labour a point. Presently the car is totally standard.