Lowering '97 Cobra
01-05-2008, 09:19 PM
#11
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kettering, OH
Posts: 31
RE: Lowering '97 Cobra
ORIGINAL: darcnytemare
-1 for Pro kit. I have them on my cobra...barely dropped my car. I still have like a 3" wheel gap. The ride is really harsh too. If i had the money I would get the eibachs out and go with H&R's. u can always go coilovers and do it the right way the first time.
-1 for Pro kit. I have them on my cobra...barely dropped my car. I still have like a 3" wheel gap. The ride is really harsh too. If i had the money I would get the eibachs out and go with H&R's. u can always go coilovers and do it the right way the first time.
01-06-2008, 05:12 PM
#14
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,625
RE: Lowering '97 Cobra
ORIGINAL: uofipilot
I have mixed opinions about bump-steer kits, cc plates, and shocks/struts. I'm sure that if I did it after I bought the car (also a 97 cobra) I would have bought all that stuff. However, the previous owner was a total chauncey and definitly did not install all that stuff when he lowered it. I actually think he just had the stock springs cut because they are bare metal and look like stockers (are there any brands that look like that, or do they all look fancy?). Anyway, my point is that mine's lowered somewhere between 1.75 and 2 w/o cc plates, and I have no problems with alignment. It runs dead straight and the new tires I put on it are wearing very evenly. I also drive it on some pretty crappy roads (almost all roads are in the Chicago area) and never have had a bump-steer issue.
Long story short, if you have the money, go for it becasue stangs need a lot of help in the suspension department. If you're on a tight budget, you can pass on the other stuff and still get decent increases in suspension performance.
I have mixed opinions about bump-steer kits, cc plates, and shocks/struts. I'm sure that if I did it after I bought the car (also a 97 cobra) I would have bought all that stuff. However, the previous owner was a total chauncey and definitly did not install all that stuff when he lowered it. I actually think he just had the stock springs cut because they are bare metal and look like stockers (are there any brands that look like that, or do they all look fancy?). Anyway, my point is that mine's lowered somewhere between 1.75 and 2 w/o cc plates, and I have no problems with alignment. It runs dead straight and the new tires I put on it are wearing very evenly. I also drive it on some pretty crappy roads (almost all roads are in the Chicago area) and never have had a bump-steer issue.
Long story short, if you have the money, go for it becasue stangs need a lot of help in the suspension department. If you're on a tight budget, you can pass on the other stuff and still get decent increases in suspension performance.
01-06-2008, 05:25 PM
#15
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Kettering, OH
Posts: 31
RE: Lowering '97 Cobra
ORIGINAL: 97targa
I'm sorry but I have to strongly disagree. If you lower your car evn 1/2" your alignment is not correct. When I lowered my car I did c/c plates and bump steer and had it aligned. My friend did a 2" drop and his tires are dog-eared bad! Looks terrible. There's no way you car is lowered even 1" without the tires wearing on the insides! Also when you lower your suspension and don't get it aligned with the bump steer kit, your tires point inwards. Just because the car rides "true" down the road doesn't mean the alignment isn't all out of whack. That just means your car was aligned straight before the car was lowered. How much tire to fender gap do you have? 3.5" is stock height for the front with 245/45/17
ORIGINAL: uofipilot
I have mixed opinions about bump-steer kits, cc plates, and shocks/struts. I'm sure that if I did it after I bought the car (also a 97 cobra) I would have bought all that stuff. However, the previous owner was a total chauncey and definitly did not install all that stuff when he lowered it. I actually think he just had the stock springs cut because they are bare metal and look like stockers (are there any brands that look like that, or do they all look fancy?). Anyway, my point is that mine's lowered somewhere between 1.75 and 2 w/o cc plates, and I have no problems with alignment. It runs dead straight and the new tires I put on it are wearing very evenly. I also drive it on some pretty crappy roads (almost all roads are in the Chicago area) and never have had a bump-steer issue.
Long story short, if you have the money, go for it becasue stangs need a lot of help in the suspension department. If you're on a tight budget, you can pass on the other stuff and still get decent increases in suspension performance.
I have mixed opinions about bump-steer kits, cc plates, and shocks/struts. I'm sure that if I did it after I bought the car (also a 97 cobra) I would have bought all that stuff. However, the previous owner was a total chauncey and definitly did not install all that stuff when he lowered it. I actually think he just had the stock springs cut because they are bare metal and look like stockers (are there any brands that look like that, or do they all look fancy?). Anyway, my point is that mine's lowered somewhere between 1.75 and 2 w/o cc plates, and I have no problems with alignment. It runs dead straight and the new tires I put on it are wearing very evenly. I also drive it on some pretty crappy roads (almost all roads are in the Chicago area) and never have had a bump-steer issue.
Long story short, if you have the money, go for it becasue stangs need a lot of help in the suspension department. If you're on a tight budget, you can pass on the other stuff and still get decent increases in suspension performance.
01-07-2008, 10:10 PM
#16
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 678
RE: Lowering '97 Cobra
I dont have any pictures of it right now. Next time I'm out in the garage, I'll measure the gap. The previous owner lowered it (but as I mentioned, he appeared to be __________ (Insert negative adjective there). I think he claimed 2.25, which is way off. I've never really measured it, but it's got to be somewhere between 1.5 and 2, as I bottom out on just about everything and can barely get in on/off the lift in our garage. Anyway, my thought are that I bought the car and tires on it were shot, but VERY evenly shot. I put new tires on it and have put 7000 on them with perfect wear. I'm going to rotate them in the sping, so even if the fronts are a tiny bit off, they'll even out when they're on the rear.
I guess my point is that I would rather not spend $$$ for CC plates, spings, install, and another alignment if nothing is wrong. I don;t want to spend a **** ton to protect tires that cost 115 a piece and are gonna get smoked when they're switched to the rears.
You say 3.5 is stock gap? I'm assuming thats 3.5 from the fender lip to the top of the outside of the tire? I'll take a look. I'm curious as to what it really is. I've got 17's (stock[:'(]) with 245/45s on it.
I guess my point is that I would rather not spend $$$ for CC plates, spings, install, and another alignment if nothing is wrong. I don;t want to spend a **** ton to protect tires that cost 115 a piece and are gonna get smoked when they're switched to the rears.
You say 3.5 is stock gap? I'm assuming thats 3.5 from the fender lip to the top of the outside of the tire? I'll take a look. I'm curious as to what it really is. I've got 17's (stock[:'(]) with 245/45s on it.
01-07-2008, 10:38 PM
#17
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 678
RE: Lowering '97 Cobra
Well, i went out and measured it. My gap is right on 1.75 up front and 2.25 in the rear, so I guess that makes it about a 1.75 drop in front and 1.25 in back. I like the raked look, so I'm happy with it. I'll try to figure out how to post a pic or two.
01-07-2008, 11:04 PM
#18
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 678
RE: Lowering '97 Cobra
Ok...found some pictures from right after I bought it. Not really the best for seeing the actual drop, as they are not straight on. You'll have to imaine. I guess my whol thought is that if I would have don' it, i would hae done it right. Now that it is already done and works perfectly, I A) dont want to fix what ain't broke because half the ime its more effed up after you put time and money into and B) I would rather save the dough for some 4.10's, which are next on the list.
01-07-2008, 11:24 PM
#19
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 3,625
RE: Lowering '97 Cobra
Yeah, it's a 2" drop you've got on there. Hard to tell but it does look like the front has some negative camber, but then again it's hard to tell with the wheel slightly turned and from that angle. Take a look at your strut towers under the hood. If there are extra holes where the plates mount, then it's been aligned after it was lowered! Something had to have been done. When I did my 1.5" drop the tires looked pretty bad until I messed around with the c/c plates enough to get it down to have it aligned.
01-08-2008, 10:57 AM
#20
2nd Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location:
Posts: 265
RE: Lowering '97 Cobra
I went with the eibach pro kit on my cobra and i love it! I had the eibach sportline kit on my GT and it was one of the roughest rides i have ever rode! But my pro kit feels like im riding on stock suspension...i dont know if that has to do with the IRS or what but its nice and at the same time it didnt put the car on the ground which is something else i liked about it! I hate it when some one slams there stang or cobra on the ground it just doesnt look right to ME!
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