Are coilovers better than lowering springs?
Do they wear down the struts and shocks like lowering springs do? Also what is the normal/general price range for installation of these coilovers from a mechanic?
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By Maverick off Top Gun, 18/03/2010 @ 11:53 am
Coilovers are better than lowering springs. The problem with lowering springs is that they are usually just very short springs and don’t give you the increased stiffness that you need to have to stop your car from bottoming out over bumps and potholes. Additionally you may need to replace the dampners to match the springs and new ride height otherwise your car will handle like a shopping cart Some of the brands out there are of very questionable quality too. Coilovers are a much better option.They don’t place the wear and tear on your car they way lowering springs do. The downside is that they are more expensive. I couldn’t give you a quote as to how much it would cost to have them installed but I don’t think you should expect a couple of hundred bucks to get them installed. Your best bet is to get a number of quotes from different places. Choose a place that specialises in suspension too.
By Mad Scientist Matt, 18/03/2010 @ 12:30 pm
Often the issue is not wear, but stiffer springs simply need stiffer shocks or struts to keep the car from bouncing. Coil-overs have the exact same issue, but many of them already come with shocks designed specifically for the springs if you buy them from a reputable brand, and others (Ground Control, for instance) do not include shocks but can recommend what ones to use. You shouldn’t use significantly stiffer springs with stock shocks or struts, whether they’re coil-overs or lowering springs.
The main advantage of coil-overs is that they let you adjust the car’s ride height and cross-weight (the way the weight is distributed between the corners of the car). However, moving the ride height around on your coil-overs without checking your cross-weights can give you handling problems if you’re pushing the car to the limits.
Whatever you go with, it’s worth doing things right and not cheaping out by using no-name eBay parts or trying to run stiff coils on stock shocks. Unless all you care about is the stance and don’t care about how it handles.
By Sal1022, 18/03/2010 @ 12:51 pm
If you are looking to improve the suspension on your vehicle and you just want to get a better than factory feeling then you should go with the lowering springs. Just remember to get a kit that includes the shocks and struts that way you don’t have to deal with replacing the factory ones a few months later. Coil over suspension kits include the shock. Coil over is just that a shock that has the coil over it to help improve the stability and response of the suspension. There are various coil over kits to choose from and they are definitely are going to cost more than your standard lowing springs and shocks. They can be a simple bolt on and go or they can have adjustments such as ride height and firmness(These types you should only purchase if you are actually going to race the car and need to make suspension adjustments to improve the cars performance on the track). Visit these sites for ideas eibach.com/ or http://www.hrsprings.com/
By Justin H, 18/03/2010 @ 1:39 pm
lowering springs are for winning car shows, coilovers are for winning road races….the end.