lowering springs

youdontknow37 · 10-07-2006, 09:51 AM

can i install a set of lowering springs myself with basic hand tools?

MattJ · 10-07-2006, 09:54 AM

http://www.freewebs.com/dndgarage/springinstall.htm

youdontknow37 · 10-07-2006, 10:04 AM

sweet thanks alot, are the roush springs good for just general street use?

r3dn3ck · 10-07-2006, 11:20 AM

yep they're fine for street. you should replace the struts and shocks and add Maximum Motorsports caster camber plates while you're at it.

youdontknow37 · 10-07-2006, 03:59 PM

i dont think i have enough money for that right now, im just looking for the lowered look

r3dn3ck · 10-07-2006, 08:48 PM

the "lowered look" will destroy your stock shocks and struts in short order and will handle like crap. No CC plates makes it almost impossible to get a good tire friendly alignment. if you can't afford to do it right, my advice is to wait till you can save up the extra few hundred bucks and then do it right the first time. A sloppy handling car is no bwaynoh. Used 03 cobra or Mach1 shock/strut sets are all over the market for cheap. CC plates are just 200 bucks you need to find... not a lot of MM plates on the used market.

Take my advice or not... you've been edumacated.

youdontknow37 · 10-07-2006, 09:55 PM

i will take your advice and wait on it then. does eibach or someone sell a kit w springs shocks and struts?

r3dn3ck · 10-08-2006, 08:21 AM

all kinds of peeps sell full kits. Maximum Motorsports sells the Eibach 3530.780 kit for 660, add 200 for CC plates and you're done with a good basic lowering.

I'd just buy the parts one by one and when you have all 3 do the install.

If you want the be all end all of kits, then the Maximum Motorsports street and strip or sport grip boxes at 1400-1500 is a killer deal. Comes with everything you need for solid performance and good looks. You'll be amazed how well it drives.

youdontknow37 · 10-08-2006, 09:20 AM

so will the lowering springs alone destroy my shocks and struts simply because they are weak? like will 03 cobra ones be better just b/c they're more durable?

Adrian Mustang · 10-08-2006, 09:28 AM

On my last stang I had a set of Steeda springs on it and never had a problem. It was a 1999 and a daily driver. No tire problems or shock and or strut.

I also put it on in about 3-4 hours.

r3dn3ck · 10-08-2006, 11:53 AM

lowering springs are much higher rate than stock and the stock struts aren't correctly valved to control them. they thrash the struts (not so bad on the shocks) by exceeding their design specs and to top it off the stock struts are not sufficient to properly dampen the spring rate your adding so the car handles like crap. It effectively ends up overheating the stockers and they go bad really fast.

People will tell you all day about how they'll run lowering springs on their car without upgrading the struts or adding good CC plates but that's:

1. their car, not yours. they can destroy theirs any way they like. Yours is another matter. Would you take the word of someone who half way did a job as important as suspension?
2. dumb. Doing a half-ass job because nothing bad happened to some other guy that did a half-ass job is akin to jumping off a cliff because some guy did it and lived.
3. irresponsible. Every car is different. I recommend good solutions for cars I've never dealt with. they're proven combinations that I know will handle right, be safe, be cost effective and not deliver other problems like rapid tire wear, silly understeer/oversteer, unbalanced handling, etc...

I've done it all... take my word for it. Do it right or don't bother. Just because i got away with cutting stock springs once doesn't mean it was a good idea... it was stupid and irresponsible and I payed for it and learned from it. Given that I've done pretty much every setup you can think of, I'm in a pretty good place to preach.

youdontknow37 · 10-08-2006, 12:33 PM

i hear ya redneck, im not going to do it until i can do it all the way. just out of curiosity, cant you get lowering springs with a similar spring rate to stock? what effect would that have?

r3dn3ck · 10-08-2006, 01:21 PM

yes I'm sure you can but that's insane. you need a higher rate or you'll bottom the k-member out and probably destroy the car. Spring rate is selected based on the weight of the car, suspension geometry and overall suspension travel. Lowering reduces travel and must be accompanied by a change in rate to keep the car's elevation under control. FRPP F springs are my faves for guys that want just a little lowering without major changes in ride quality. Still recommended though taht at minimum tokico blue or illumina level dampners be used.

10-07-2006, 09:51 AM	#1 (permalink)
youdontknow37 Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 38	lowering springs can i install a set of lowering springs myself with basic hand tools?

10-07-2006, 09:54 AM	#2 (permalink)
MattJ Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Racine, WI Posts: 10,243	http://www.freewebs.com/dndgarage/springinstall.htm __________________ 2001 Mustang GT Premium - Mineral Grey

10-08-2006, 09:28 AM	#10 (permalink)
Adrian Mustang Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 61	On my last stang I had a set of Steeda springs on it and never had a problem. It was a 1999 and a daily driver. No tire problems or shock and or strut. I also put it on in about 3-4 hours. __________________ 2006 Mustang GT conv. Black/red stock and killing

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10-07-2006, 10:04 AM	#3 (permalink)
youdontknow37 Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 38	sweet thanks alot, are the roush springs good for just general street use?

10-07-2006, 11:20 AM	#4 (permalink)
r3dn3ck Wowbagger hates me too! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Magrathea/California Posts: 6,868	yep they're fine for street. you should replace the struts and shocks and add Maximum Motorsports caster camber plates while you're at it.

10-07-2006, 03:59 PM	#5 (permalink)
youdontknow37 Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 38	i dont think i have enough money for that right now, im just looking for the lowered look

10-07-2006, 08:48 PM	#6 (permalink)
r3dn3ck Wowbagger hates me too! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Magrathea/California Posts: 6,868	the "lowered look" will destroy your stock shocks and struts in short order and will handle like crap. No CC plates makes it almost impossible to get a good tire friendly alignment. if you can't afford to do it right, my advice is to wait till you can save up the extra few hundred bucks and then do it right the first time. A sloppy handling car is no bwaynoh. Used 03 cobra or Mach1 shock/strut sets are all over the market for cheap. CC plates are just 200 bucks you need to find... not a lot of MM plates on the used market. Take my advice or not... you've been edumacated.

10-07-2006, 09:55 PM	#7 (permalink)
youdontknow37 Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 38	i will take your advice and wait on it then. does eibach or someone sell a kit w springs shocks and struts?

10-08-2006, 08:21 AM	#8 (permalink)
r3dn3ck Wowbagger hates me too! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Magrathea/California Posts: 6,868	all kinds of peeps sell full kits. Maximum Motorsports sells the Eibach 3530.780 kit for 660, add 200 for CC plates and you're done with a good basic lowering. I'd just buy the parts one by one and when you have all 3 do the install. If you want the be all end all of kits, then the Maximum Motorsports street and strip or sport grip boxes at 1400-1500 is a killer deal. Comes with everything you need for solid performance and good looks. You'll be amazed how well it drives.

10-08-2006, 09:20 AM	#9 (permalink)
youdontknow37 Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 38	so will the lowering springs alone destroy my shocks and struts simply because they are weak? like will 03 cobra ones be better just b/c they're more durable?

10-08-2006, 11:53 AM	#11 (permalink)
r3dn3ck Wowbagger hates me too! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Magrathea/California Posts: 6,868	lowering springs are much higher rate than stock and the stock struts aren't correctly valved to control them. they thrash the struts (not so bad on the shocks) by exceeding their design specs and to top it off the stock struts are not sufficient to properly dampen the spring rate your adding so the car handles like crap. It effectively ends up overheating the stockers and they go bad really fast. People will tell you all day about how they'll run lowering springs on their car without upgrading the struts or adding good CC plates but that's: 1. their car, not yours. they can destroy theirs any way they like. Yours is another matter. Would you take the word of someone who half way did a job as important as suspension? 2. dumb. Doing a half-ass job because nothing bad happened to some other guy that did a half-ass job is akin to jumping off a cliff because some guy did it and lived. 3. irresponsible. Every car is different. I recommend good solutions for cars I've never dealt with. they're proven combinations that I know will handle right, be safe, be cost effective and not deliver other problems like rapid tire wear, silly understeer/oversteer, unbalanced handling, etc... I've done it all... take my word for it. Do it right or don't bother. Just because i got away with cutting stock springs once doesn't mean it was a good idea... it was stupid and irresponsible and I payed for it and learned from it. Given that I've done pretty much every setup you can think of, I'm in a pretty good place to preach.

10-08-2006, 12:33 PM	#12 (permalink)
youdontknow37 Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 38	i hear ya redneck, im not going to do it until i can do it all the way. just out of curiosity, cant you get lowering springs with a similar spring rate to stock? what effect would that have?

10-08-2006, 01:21 PM	#13 (permalink)
r3dn3ck Wowbagger hates me too! Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Magrathea/California Posts: 6,868	yes I'm sure you can but that's insane. you need a higher rate or you'll bottom the k-member out and probably destroy the car. Spring rate is selected based on the weight of the car, suspension geometry and overall suspension travel. Lowering reduces travel and must be accompanied by a change in rate to keep the car's elevation under control. FRPP F springs are my faves for guys that want just a little lowering without major changes in ride quality. Still recommended though taht at minimum tokico blue or illumina level dampners be used.