which is better. im going to be lowering my car soon but the only thing im worried about is if i get lowering springs then i wont be satisfied with the height. either it would be not low enough or it would be too low. but then on the other hand if i get coilovers im not sure if it would the same ride as lowering springs.
can someone guide me a little in this decision…
you are correct.
the lowering springs have a much nicer ride to them…usually and are much easier to install and maintain. but yes, the front drivers side sit lower than the passenger, and the rears will either sit higher or lower…depending on what you other suspension components you have.
coilovers will allow you to dial the car’s corners to the exact same heigth, alleviate suspension bloopers in track racing, and ride rougher. also they can strip out and slip.
cheaper is lowering springs…there is no reason you wont be happy with them…i use them…they weigh less.
expensive is coil overs…the car will sit perfectly parallel with the ground and look “better” as well as handle much better on the track.
so in the end its up to you. lowering springs…why not…worst that can happen is you buy some, hate them and sell them for half what you bought them for…no big and a risk prob worth taking.
i have tein basic coilover kit, and love it, the price is stiff but there great. it doesnt matter how fast i drive i still handle corners like there nothing. i have never used lowering springs so i dont have any input on tthem. good luck
lowering springs NEVER sit the car right, the front is always to high or something. they set it lower than stock but never low enough so there is no chance of them rubbing. they are awful, they are always a bad decision, never even consider it. when it comes to coilovers, i dont know what is good but i suggest get anything thats not made by ksport. i have them (they were on the car when i bought it) and they suck. this is the 3rd car ive had them on and i have hated them everytime. the last car i bought had them and i tried to lower it some more and the perches were totally locked up from rust and dirt and wouldnt budge. they handle great on my DA but they are very rough and bumpy and the fronts dont go low enough. i would look at skunk2 to see if they have any full coilovers for our cars if i ever buy new ones. ive had a set of pro-c on my fit and they were a dream.
For some reason I don’t think he means true coilovers but instead those sleeve type things.
oh…well…thats a whoel different ballgame haha. i would stil rather have those, at least you can set the ride height where you want it.
I strongly disagree with this. While I personally wouldn’t get springs again, that’s because I’m picky and the extra cost is not an issue. Springs are a great way to go if you want something simple and practical. Stating that springs are never low enough and not the right balance between front/rear amount lowered shows me that you know nothing about suspension performance. Sounds like you’re considering lowering a car to be an aesthetic modification, not a performance one. That’s OK if that’s your bag, but you must remember that lowering a car is both, and therefore lowering springs are designed for performance and looks. A good company will design the spring for performance and the looks are an added benefit - not the priority. You will get better performance by not lowering the car too much. You NEED suspension travel for a good handling car. Also, the general tendency for springs to lower the car more in the rear is also an intentional part of the design. Our cars are FWD and thus front heavy, lowering the rear more provides for better weight distribution. I have coilovers and I still lowered the rear more than the front.
Now back on subject. Overall, shocks are more important than the springs (or coilovers). Ride height, suspension travel, and spring rate are also more important than the decision between coilover and standard lowering spring. And obviously a good pairing of spring rate with the shock is also important. It’s very common for people to run a really stiff spring with a shock that can’t handle it. A lot of people blame the parts they’re using and say their setup is harsh or sucks when it’s really an incorrect pairing and is their fault, not a fault of either of the parts they purchased.
If you’re primarily interested in looks and comfort, I’d suggest a quality shock like Illuminas or Yellows and a relatively soft spring rate coilover. The soft rate will ride smooth, especially when combined with a quality shock, and the coilovers will allow you to tune the ride height to what you like. If you want to go pretty low, then you’ll need shorter shocks or at least some extended top hats in order to regain the suspension travel you need for a comfortable ride.
Colin, don’t forget the illusion of the rear looking lower as a result of the wheel well being higher in the front vs. the rear.
actually, the wheel wells in the front are always going to be higher then the ones in the back becuase the front wheels turn. its not because the wheels are a different height
If you would have read my post closely, you would have read that I did not state anything about wheels being a different height. :roll: :bang:
I am fully aware of the clearance needed for the front wheels to turn.
So quoting my post is pointless and shows you do not read very carefully.
[QUOTE=Colin;2174604]I strongly disagree with this. While I personally wouldn’t get springs again, that’s because I’m picky and the extra cost is not an issue. Springs are a great way to go if you want something simple and practical. Stating that springs are never low enough and not the right balance between front/rear amount lowered shows me that you know nothing about suspension performance. Sounds like you’re considering lowering a car to be an aesthetic modification, not a performance one. That’s OK if that’s your bag, but you must remember that lowering a car is both, and therefore lowering springs are designed for performance and looks. A good company will design the spring for performance and the looks are an added benefit - not the priority. You will get better performance by not lowering the car too much. You NEED suspension travel for a good handling car. Also, the general tendency for springs to lower the car more in the rear is also an intentional part of the design. Our cars are FWD and thus front heavy, lowering the rear more provides for better weight distribution. I have coilovers and I still lowered the rear more than the front.
Now back on subject. Overall, shocks are more important than the springs (or coilovers). Ride height, suspension travel, and spring rate are also more important than the decision between coilover and standard lowering spring. And obviously a good pairing of spring rate with the shock is also important. It’s very common for people to run a really stiff spring with a shock that can’t handle it. A lot of people blame the parts they’re using and say their setup is harsh or sucks when it’s really an incorrect pairing and is their fault, not a fault of either of the parts they purchased.
If you’re primarily interested in looks and comfort, I’d suggest a quality shock like Illuminas or Yellows and a relatively soft spring rate coilover. The soft rate will ride smooth, especially when combined with a quality shock, and the coilovers will allow you to tune the ride height to what you like. If you want to go pretty low, then you’ll need shorter shocks or at least some extended top hats in order to regain the suspension travel you need for a comfortable ride.[/QUOTE]
i agree with what you are saying, but from a looks only stand point, and a performance standpoint, coilovers are still better for both %100. always a good decision. the only advantage to springs is that they are cheaper, but to me, spending money on lowering springs and still have it not look like i want it to or perform like i want it to is just a waste.
yea you did
imo coilovers are a little more stiff compared to lowering springs. if you get those coilover sleeves off like ebay, they are pretty stiff, which will hinder your cars handling performance in the rain ALOT! i guess it depends on how much money you are dropping into suspension bit id look at some one piece coilovers that have adjustable struts. mabe some function forms or somthing
I stated “wheel wells”.
Very different meaning than what you have stated as just “wheels”, which can be interpreted differently.
its not because the wheels are a different height
Yeah, it’s really how you phrase it I guess. It’s not so much the “amount” by which each end is lowered but the “look” you get at the end. So what I mean is that they’re designed such that they don’t upset that balance by trying to make the front look even with the rear…
Again, I don’t see this as being true. Yes, generally I’d take a coilover over a lowering spring any day. But there’s no reason to say that coilovers are always better for both looks and performance. That statement is WAY too broad. There are varying levels of quality in both lowering springs and coilovers. Although I would agree that the range in quality of cheap coilovers to expensive ones (talking slip over design only) is fairly small compared to the range in quality of cheap lowering springs compared to expensive ones.
Lastly, you cannot compare true coilovers (I use that term to describe a threaded shock body coilover opposed to a slip over coilover design) to lowering springs because you’re comparing a spring/shock combo to a spring only. It’s a worthless comparison.
owned
colin’s pretty beast
[QUOTE=Colin;2174652]
Lastly, you cannot compare true coilovers (I use that term to describe a threaded shock body coilover opposed to a slip over coilover design) to lowering springs because you’re comparing a spring/shock combo to a spring only. It’s a worthless comparison.[/QUOTE]
so what you’re saying is coilovers are better? glad we agree.
OP save your bucks and get some coilovers. (not the sleeve type ones but real ones)
Coilovers are the better decision if you want the ability to adjust your stance and ride-height.
That being said, I see no issue with using lowering springs. I have a set of Eibach Sportlines w/ OEM shocks on my DC Integra and the stance is great. Front/rear tires tuck, the ride is great and I’ve had many compliments on the look and handling of it. The springs are on my daily, and I have a set of Pro-Cs on my DA, so i’m familiar with both systems.
If you want to drop $650+ on a coilover system so you can adjust/balance the car perfectly and to your desired height, then the answer is obvious… Get a true coilover system. If you just want to lower it and still maintain a nice ride, get a quality set of lowering springs… Just research whichever spring setup you want and find reviews/pictures of the system and see if its what you’re looking for.
In closing… If you’re trying to squeeze the maximum potential out of your car, a coilover setup is best suited for this, obviously. But if you just want a simple & decently inexpensive drop with good ride quality… Springs can do the trick.
Edit
I didn’t even touch on a coil-sleeve/spring setup… I really dislike the idea of them and personally wouldn’t use something like this on my car.
[QUOTE=unified112;2174887]Coilovers are the better decision if you want the ability to adjust your stance and ride-height.
That being said, I see no issue with using lowering springs. I have a set of Eibach Sportlines w/ OEM shocks on my DC Integra and the stance is great. Front/rear tires tuck, the ride is great and I’ve had many compliments on the look and handling of it. The springs are on my daily, and I have a set of Pro-Cs on my DA, so i’m familiar with both systems.
If you want to drop $650+ on a coilover system so you can adjust/balance the car perfectly and to your desired height, then the answer is obvious… Get a true coilover system. If you just want to lower it and still maintain a nice ride, get a quality set of lowering springs… Just research whichever spring setup you want and find reviews/pictures of the system and see if its what you’re looking for.
In closing… If you’re trying to squeeze the maximum potential out of your car, a coilover setup is best suited for this, obviously. But if you just want a simple & decently inexpensive drop with good ride quality… Springs can do the trick.
Edit
I didn’t even touch on a coil-sleeve/spring setup… I really dislike the idea of them and personally wouldn’t use something like this on my car.[/QUOTE]
you have pro-c on your DA? how do you like them? i had them on my fit and fell in love with them very quickly. i hate the ksports that came on my DA and plan to upgrade them eventually, i would look at the pro-c if users like em.