lowering springs with stock shocks

**Mr.Lee** · 10-12-2009, 09:47 PM

hi

Was wonder if i slapped on some lowering springs on my stock shocks, how long would u think they last? i'm planning on going with the summt racing springs as i heard they r not firm, just for looks... and do i need a adjustable pan handler bar if i were to lower even with stock shocks?

Thanks guys
Mr. LEE

**c5z28** · 10-12-2009, 11:22 PM

How much do the springs lower? Strano, bmr and hotchkiss are good springs first being the best. If you have stock rear width tires you can get away without the the bar, the shocks will last just depends on road, miles, and how much you like your back

**9T8W66** · 10-13-2009, 08:19 AM

Lowering the car for looks is the wrong way to go.
Think about it this way, If you run a shorter spring with the same rate you will be running on the bumpstops more often and this makes for a horrible ride. add to that the stock shocks are forced to do the same job in a less travel situation. (They can barely do the job at stock height on stock springs). Bottom line is you need stiffer rate springs and good quality shocks when lowering the car.

**0verkill** · 10-13-2009, 09:32 AM

its best to do it right the 1st time. the best is strano springs and koni shocks

**Mr.Lee** · 10-13-2009, 04:19 PM

hmmm interesting, so i can get away without getting a pan handler bar cause i do run on stock tires.

**9T8W66** · 10-13-2009, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by Mr.Lee

hmmm interesting, so i can get away without getting a pan handler bar cause i do run on stock tires.

Even stock height cars could use an adj panhard bar because they have a left side bias. Lowering the cars increases this even more.

**c5z28** · 10-13-2009, 06:48 PM

You can get away with it, it would be good to get one but I ran mine for awhile before I got one.

**Mr.Lee** · 10-13-2009, 07:14 PM

c5z28

hey, were u running on stock shocks with lowered springs for awhile? did u need alignment after or did u get away with that too lol?

i'm on the low budget, so konis, kyb and others i can't do rite now..i can only afford springs, and the cheapest springs r summit racing springs 159 bucks for a set of 4!

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...springs&page=3

here is the llink with a member with the summit racing springs running on stock shocks!

**c5z28** · 10-13-2009, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Mr.Lee

c5z28

hey, were u running on stock shocks with lowered springs for awhile? did u need alignment after or did u get away with that too lol?

i'm on the low budget, so konis, kyb and others i can't do rite now..i can only afford springs, and the cheapest springs r summit racing springs 159 bucks for a set of 4!

http://www.ls1.com/forums/showthread...springs&page=3

here is the llink with a member with the summit racing springs running on stock shocks!

Bmr copied strano's springs and are the same price as those summit springs. Strano is the better so get the bmr. I purchased bilsteins, but I have installed springs on stock shocks for others. As for alignment I never bothered so I couldn't tell you.

**Sam Strano** · 10-14-2009, 12:13 PM

Cheap is cheap for a reason, you guys do know that, right?

BMR tried to copy the springs, but they can't exactly because as much as they want to claim otherwise, the only mill in the world that makes the material is in Germany. Also my springs have been around for years now, the "BMR's" haven't, so their durability is far from proven.

Summit springs are cheaper Eibach's (made by Eibach) and we all know how well Eibach rears hold up, don't we?

You will need an alignment because the drop changes the position of the steering rack and the upper control arm. The camber and toe will be way off.

And if you can't do decent shocks, then frankly you need to say with taller, softer springs than what I do, or BMR "does", like Hotchkis. Which is why, unlike others, I still sell other brands--for situations like this. The taller softer springs give the weak stock shocks or a subpar performance shock the best chance of damping the spring.

**camaross1** · 10-14-2009, 03:59 PM

Go with eibach 1.5 you cant go wrong, nice stance, thats what i got on my 2002 and qa1 adj. Shocks, adjust your firmness 1-12 settings

**Mr.Lee** · 10-14-2009, 04:31 PM

cool, didn't that

summit racing = eibach

bmr = strano

So we all saying to with the bmr or strano because the spring is softer and more comfortable ride and a bit more stiffer than stock? i don't want it to be like super super stiff, but some stiffness would be fine.

**c5z28** · 10-14-2009, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by Mr.Lee

cool, didn't that

summit racing = eibach

bmr = strano

So we all saying to with the bmr or strano because the spring is softer and more comfortable ride and a bit more stiffer than stock? i don't want it to be like super super stiff, but some stiffness would be fine.

eibach has a poorer quality material where the rear springs over time may sag.
Strano better quality less drop by .2 inches

**0verkill** · 10-14-2009, 08:42 PM

if you are going to keep you stock shocks you need to go with Hotchkis springs not strano springs. stranos and made to work with a good shock like koni's.

**Sam Strano** · 10-15-2009, 08:47 AM

You keep missing a few sailent points here.

First, the SHOCKS have to work well, or the ride will suck regarless of springs, but only get worse with more spring rate and less travel. You want to lower the car for looks, fine. But if you want it to ride the best it can, let alone handle the best it can, then you need to upgrade the shocks. In fact they are more critical to how the car works.

Second, BMR does not = Strano. That's what they want everyone to think, but there are cheap knock-offs of all sort of things that aren't quite the same as the original. Tires, watches, headers, brakes, TV's, you name it. Similar isn't the same. Big difference.

**shady milkman** · 10-15-2009, 09:27 AM

here lets make it simple...
either hotchks + stock or subpar shocks
or stranos + blisteins or konis ..
that is it..i want to get a 454..but i am not going to put the engine in without the supporting mods..same here

if you dont have the money to do it right...then dont do it at all until you have the money. period

**0verkill** · 10-15-2009, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by shady milkman

here lets make it simple...
either hotchks + stock or subpar shocks
or stranos + blisteins or konis ..
that is it..i want to get a 454..but i am not going to put the engine in without the supporting mods..same here

if you dont have the money to do it right...then dont do it at all until you have the money. period

well put milkman

**Mr.Lee** · 10-15-2009, 10:57 PM

hotchks it is then, any reason y they can with stock shocks?

**c5z28** · 10-15-2009, 11:05 PM

Originally Posted by Mr.Lee

hotchks it is then, any reason y they can with stock shocks?

Hotchkis is not as stiff a spring as strano. If you don't see yourself being competitive in anything other than a straight line I wouldn't worry to much about it.

**0verkill** · 10-16-2009, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by Sam Strano

Cheap is cheap for a reason, you guys do know that, right?

BMR tried to copy the springs, but they can't exactly because as much as they want to claim otherwise, the only mill in the world that makes the material is in Germany. Also my springs have been around for years now, the "BMR's" haven't, so their durability is far from proven.

Summit springs are cheaper Eibach's (made by Eibach) and we all know how well Eibach rears hold up, don't we?

You will need an alignment because the drop changes the position of the steering rack and the upper control arm. The camber and toe will be way off.

And if you can't do decent shocks, then frankly you need to stay with taller, softer springs than what I do, or BMR "does", like Hotchkis. Which is why, unlike others, I still sell other brands--for situations like this. The taller softer springs give the weak stock shocks or a subpar performance shock the best chance of damping the spring.

listen to the man he know's his stuff