Lowering springs - are they worth it?

[Critical_Mass 10]

Hi guys,

 

Got an email today saying Europerformance.co.uk are having a 50% sale, You can get a set of lowering springs for £50. Got me thinking, is just using lowering springs on standard shockers worth doing or should i get saving for a set of coilies? Any disadvantages to using lowering springs as oppose coilies? I was thinking a 40mm drop all round.

 

http://www.europerformance.co.uk/pages/ ... id=3657656

 

ta!

 

Gaz

[dinkus 10]

You really need uprated, shorter shocks to go with the lowering springs, otherwise the suspension's just going to bottom out all the time and you'll kill the shocks.

[Critical_Mass 10]

I hear you Dinkus. According to the website though, it states at the bottom that "if you are lowering more then 40mm shorter shockers are required" which implies that a 40mm drop doesnt require shorter shockers. Or are they talking nonsense?

[dinkus 10]

If you're lowering it more than 40mm your shocks will probably bottom out all the time. If you're lowering less then they'll only bottom out most of the time.

 

Seriously though - getting suspension right is finding a combination of spring and shock to make sure you get the right stiffness, return rate and damping.

 

There's a reason the Corrado got such rave reviews for it's handling when it first came out and a similar reason why good suspension is expensive.

 

If you just want the car to look lower, you can put lowering springs on standard shocks, but it'll give you a hard, bouncy ride because the springs aren't matched to the shocks. Similarly, it'll probably kill your shocks fairly quickly too.

 

Personally, I'd save the money until you can afford a decent set of springs and shocks, or coilovers.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Cheers Dinkus. Coilovers it is then.

 

Thanks mate.

[Jim Bowen 1]

i did it once and the bang i got when going over bumps was scary, i kept thinking the shocks would fly out of the top of bonnet :lol:

[StuartFZR400 0]

Normal shocks shouldn't bottom out in all cases. Only if the shock is designed to have a high up short travel - which is not normally the case. Typically a normal shock has lots of travel; just means on a shorter spring you'd be working from point 2.5 down to 0, versus maximum point 4 down to 0, per say.

 

Problem with a regular shock and short stiff springs, is that the rebound goes all wrong; the car bounces back up, off the very strong spring, and has no real resistance from the normal shock. Sports shocks are much slower.

If you bottom out on the wrong set up, you would most likely bottom out on the normal springs too; drive slowly over the humps and avoid potholes.

 

Running on stiff springs and regular shocks, expect them to be knackered in a short while. Also expect handling to be a bit bouncy. Best go for entire set. ..... and that doesnt mean coilies. Those are a different world again.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Afternoon guys,

 

Thanks for the replies. I gave europerformance a ring this afternoon who said the standard shocks should be ok, but the guy advised me to cut down the bump stops by 0.5 - 1.0 inches. Though I did send an email last night asking if shorter shocks were required. The response i got was, "no using regular shockers should be fine and wont cause any bottoming out, the ride should be comfortable". Anyway looked on ebay today and saw these -

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... :IT&ih=013

 

(apologies for the long link). A set of FK shockers and springs for £162 inc postage. Decided to pick these up instead and send the springs back.

[dinkus 10]

That looks like a much better idea... :)

[Critical_Mass 10]

Glad you think so :D :D and a bargain at £150 inc p+p

[Jim 1]

Be interested to know how you get on with those mate with a PM or update on this thread. Been looking for a good set of shocks for a while now and don't really need coilovers as I never touch the height or anything, or even change the damping on the ones i've currently got. Provided they give a nice drop and aren't too crashy i'd be interested in picking up a set at that price :)

 

Please keep us (well, me) posted! :)

[Critical_Mass 10]

Will do Jim. Dont know when i'll get round to fitting them, But when i do i'll let you know.

[Critical_Mass 10]

UPDATE-

 

Right, Fk suspension kit came today. Really fast delivery, friendly service with good comms.

 

I've ordered some rear and front bumpstops from GSF. Anything else ill have to buy to fit the shockers/springs or can the old bits be used for the new shockers and springs?

 

One last thing, the rears are adjustable, but cant see how you actualyl adjust them, anyone got a set of these already who can enlighten me?

 

Sorry for the n00b Qs.

 

Gaz

[Critical_Mass 10]

BUMP.....

[Jim 1]

As I understand it the spring plate at the base of the spring is movable, and is held in place with a big circlip that sits above it. You can remove the circlip and move the spring plate up or down to one of something like 2 or 3 positions.

 

I think thats how it works anyway - seems to be a common solution for rear shock height adjustment.. my knackered shocls have the same setup on the rear!

 

Buy new topmounts (and for the front, topmount bearings) and buy em from VAG.. GSF ones I don't think are up to much!

[Critical_Mass 10]

One on left is the front, Right is the rear.

 

The circlip is on the front shocker and the rear doesnt have any obvious way of adjusting??? Theres only a ring on the rears, but only goes so far down due to it resting on the metal going around the shocker? (confused). The circlip will come off the fronts when i come to fit them, right?

[Jim 1]

The one on the right (the rear shock) - as you can see going down the body of the shock underneath that circular piece of metal, there are another 3 or so grooved slots. Somehow that circular piece of metal can come off and be moved down the strut to the other notches allowing you to lower or raise the rear end.. i've no idea how you do it though as i've never had to! Mine is already set as low as it goes.

[Critical_Mass 10]

Ah beg your pardon then, i got it wrong. Sorry new to this uprated suspension lark. Ill have a look to see if theres a way for it to come off.

 

Cheers for the replies Jim. Oh and i'm hoping to get this lot fitted this weekend, so hopefully will be able to tell you how it looks, though not rides cos car is off road until next month. They have 2 lots of these springs left.

 

Cheers

 

Gaz

[Critical_Mass 10]

OK figured it out, with a little help. Jim - the circlip needs prising apart and put onto the lower grooves. :D just for your future reference.

[staffs_til_i_die 0]

Like the sound of these too. Keep us posted on the thread if you can...

[snattrass 0]

Critical mass looking forward to seeing how these look and perform for you! i want to do something sharpish to lower mine! I wonder if theyll lower it enough? Alternatively, i could go for the cheap ebay coilies and put some uprated shocks on too! it seems to me to b a shot in the dark this suspension business!

[Critical_Mass 10]

Well going to get as much fitted today as possible, starting with the back shockers. Ill get some before and after pics for those who are interested.

 

I realised that my rear shockers (at least) are knackered, the new ones - when the shocker is pushed down, it comes back out as it should, BUT the old ones didnt do this, once pushed in the shocker bar had to be pulled back out by hand. So i should get ALOT better handling with these new ones.

 

Ill keep you posted

[Critical_Mass 10]

Rear shockers fitted today, BUT i now have an ISSUE - before fitting i decided to adjust the rear shockers so they were on the lowest setting, which i assumed was the 40mm drop (max). I let the car down off the axle stands and now the bottom spring discs on both sides are seriously rubbing the tyres.

 

So tomorrow ive got to take them apart and re-adjust the rear shockers. BUMMER! You learn from your mistakes though... so they say.

[Critical_Mass 10]

UPDATE - for those who wanted to see what the shockers looked like fitted here are a few pics ( and a few questions). Sorry its taken so long to update but had other things going on that stopped me from fitting the fronts sooner.

 

My 1st question is - does the front look too low for a -40mm drop, or does it look about right? Personally i thought it looked too low for -40mm, though it does look cool and no rubbing etc going on. I also think the back could do with taking down a peg but im not sure the bottom spring disc will clear the tyres if i take it down a groove.

 

2nd question - Anyone else had issues with the top mounts inside the engine bay, theres a slight gap.( EDIT - read around and found that this is normal and nothing to worry about) But the related Q regarding the top mounts : Are the top mount discs inside the engine bay suppose to turn a bit when the wheel is turned and even tilt opposite of each other depend if wheel is turned left or right? Everything has been tightened up. The Drivers side (whole car) is sitting slightly lower then the passenger side too but only noticeable when measured about half inch higher.

 

3rd question - The second bolt that sits inside the rubber top mount, is it possible to over tighten that nut and compress the spring a bit, thus could lead to the car being too low as per question 1.

 

Cheers guys

 

Let me know what you think, im not 100% sure myself at the mo, could do with some reassurance.

 

Gaz.

[Critical_Mass 10]

BUMP.....