Finally the time has come!
04-25-2012, 11:10 AM
#1
Finally the time has come!
I have now lowered my car. 
For those who are worried about doing it yourself, have faith. It really is as easy as everyone says. Once you get one side done the next side is even easier and you find out the tricks as you go. We did it all in the driveway with two jack stands, a floor jack, a socket and wrench set, breaker bar, spring compressor, and screw driver (No air tools) within four hours.
I went with:
*Koni STR.T Shocks and Struts
*Eibach Pro Springs
*GT500 Strut Mounts
The ride is far better than I was expecting, I heard the Pro Springs rode a little rough but I think the Koni shocks and struts helped in that area. Some bumps are felt a little more and others are felt less, it just depends.
The handling feels much more stable in the turns and a decent reduction in body roll and even less in a harder turn which is nice. The brake dive is reduced as expected as well as rear squat on take offs.
I have no increased issues with scrubbing so far (partially because I always pull in/out at an angle when I can anyway) and the back end stays planted better when hitting bumps in turns as well as the front (which is the opposite of what I expected).
When I installed the strut mounts I pointed the arrow inward toward the motor in hopes of gaining back camber which seems to have worked (to the naked eye). I will be getting an alignment check to make sure that everything is going as planed though, once I get the money (Kauffman Tire told me $119 since my car is lowered and I blew them off quickly!).
The rear seems to be off only slightly, maybe 2-3mm at the most, I may get a new panhard bar but I'm hoping to go for a Watts Link for better overall performance and balance on the car.
Sorry this was so lengthy, but I hope I have helped some people looking at some of these parts and answered some questions already. Now off to the crappy cell phone pictures. Lol. Sorry for not having any direct side views either, I didn't get to take many pictures.
Before:
After:
For those who are worried about doing it yourself, have faith. It really is as easy as everyone says. Once you get one side done the next side is even easier and you find out the tricks as you go. We did it all in the driveway with two jack stands, a floor jack, a socket and wrench set, breaker bar, spring compressor, and screw driver (No air tools) within four hours.
I went with:
*Koni STR.T Shocks and Struts
*Eibach Pro Springs
*GT500 Strut Mounts
The ride is far better than I was expecting, I heard the Pro Springs rode a little rough but I think the Koni shocks and struts helped in that area. Some bumps are felt a little more and others are felt less, it just depends.
The handling feels much more stable in the turns and a decent reduction in body roll and even less in a harder turn which is nice. The brake dive is reduced as expected as well as rear squat on take offs.
I have no increased issues with scrubbing so far (partially because I always pull in/out at an angle when I can anyway) and the back end stays planted better when hitting bumps in turns as well as the front (which is the opposite of what I expected).
When I installed the strut mounts I pointed the arrow inward toward the motor in hopes of gaining back camber which seems to have worked (to the naked eye). I will be getting an alignment check to make sure that everything is going as planed though, once I get the money (Kauffman Tire told me $119 since my car is lowered and I blew them off quickly!).
The rear seems to be off only slightly, maybe 2-3mm at the most, I may get a new panhard bar but I'm hoping to go for a Watts Link for better overall performance and balance on the car.
Sorry this was so lengthy, but I hope I have helped some people looking at some of these parts and answered some questions already. Now off to the crappy cell phone pictures. Lol. Sorry for not having any direct side views either, I didn't get to take many pictures.
Before:
After:
04-25-2012, 11:28 AM
#3
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Ohio
Posts: 1,212
That.... is a good stance!
Will probably drop a tiny bit more as the springs settle into having weight pressing down on them.
And you are right about an install.. it is a lot of different steps but, it is very straightforward and, as a bonus, you actually have plenty of space to use your tools. Unlike most things. The only challenge that would occur is if a bolt is seized from snow/salt/rust/whatever. I spent a weekend getting a seized shock off my old car.. but, with a dremel and a 4 foot steel tube and some blood cussing and tears, I got it off.
Then I got smart the second time and just took it to Sears and they used an impact socket to break it free in 30 seconds...lol
Will probably drop a tiny bit more as the springs settle into having weight pressing down on them.
And you are right about an install.. it is a lot of different steps but, it is very straightforward and, as a bonus, you actually have plenty of space to use your tools. Unlike most things. The only challenge that would occur is if a bolt is seized from snow/salt/rust/whatever. I spent a weekend getting a seized shock off my old car.. but, with a dremel and a 4 foot steel tube and some blood cussing and tears, I got it off.
Then I got smart the second time and just took it to Sears and they used an impact socket to break it free in 30 seconds...lol
04-25-2012, 11:39 AM
#5
Thanks guys
xkape: Yeah I'm hoping they will drop a little more in the rear as it doesn't appear as low all the time. Maybe I will get some friends to ride in the back to help accelerate the process or take off a little faster more often. Hahaha. You're very right about the space to work, it's quite refreshing. Some things are a little hard to break loose up front if you don't have the steering wheel turned but it wasn't too bad at all.
My dad who did most of the work, while I assisted and spectated, thought it was going to be a nightmare. Now he is talking about opening a shop to do suspension work. Lmao. That should tell people something there.
xkape: Yeah I'm hoping they will drop a little more in the rear as it doesn't appear as low all the time. Maybe I will get some friends to ride in the back to help accelerate the process or take off a little faster more often. Hahaha. You're very right about the space to work, it's quite refreshing. Some things are a little hard to break loose up front if you don't have the steering wheel turned but it wasn't too bad at all.
My dad who did most of the work, while I assisted and spectated, thought it was going to be a nightmare. Now he is talking about opening a shop to do suspension work. Lmao. That should tell people something there.
