LoweR, Is IT reALLy BeTtER
LoweR, Is IT reALLy BeTtER
Senior Member
Joined: 09-09-07
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From: Vancouver, WA
for me i like lowering because of both looks and performance. And as for having a sore ass......depends on the springs and shocks u got. a well paired spring and shock can make all the difference in the world. the next setup I'm gonna do is probably gonna be the ss springs with the kyb agx's WHEN they come out. I think that the strong shock will compliment the remaining ride quality and bring in performance.
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Joined: 01-12-07
Posts: 6,449
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From: N. Side Chi-Town
Banned
Joined: 01-12-07
Posts: 6,449
Likes: 0
From: N. Side Chi-Town
it does help handling,but to a certain point...when u lower a car you lower the center of gravity so it handles better and looks better..but when u go beyond that,it will look even more better,but wont handle as well due to weight shifting around so fast
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Joined: 05-11-07
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From: Cincinnati
best explanation right there
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Joined: 02-05-07
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From: buffalo/ny
x2. everything he said. but i've never heard performance gains. lol. unless u drive a honda.
Member
Joined: 01-06-08
Posts: 208
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From: Sultan, WA
IMO it does help performance, you can corner harder(faster) and come out of turns accelerating at a faster pace. lowering allows you to go faster in corners...and to move faster is performance increasing in my book.
Basically the BEST suspension has the control arms parallel to the ground. This allows the best reaction and holds the car the best in corning. Like SUPER said, if you slam the car to the point the control arms are WAY past parallel... you'll receive more body roll and ruin the whole point.
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Joined: 03-13-06
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From: Michigan
when you get a front spoiler lower to the ground you get some more down force on those front tires as well. We dont' really have much of a front bumper to gain downforce from from, but downforce, lower center of gravity for better grip distribution and lower drag coefficient are all good aspects. Then if you get stiffer shocks you can benefit even more, but it will shake you to **** on the roads that i live around.
New Member
Joined: 06-08-07
Posts: 148
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From: Minneapolis, MN
Lowering has only a mild performance advantage due to the lower center of gravity reducing the effect of weight shift during cornering, braking, and acceleration. However, you can get the same results without lowering the car by reducing mass, especially up high (lightweight roof, windows, etc). I think the carbon-fiber roof on the M3 CSL only saves like 5lbs, but it has the same effect on weight transfer as a 50lb reduction at the floorpan.
It also has an indirect advantage in that lowering a car properly necessitates stiffer springs and shocks, which further minimizes the effect of weight transfer, allowing you to maximize the traction at all 4 wheels.
It does have some disadvantages as well. If you lower too far, you will bottom out your suspension resulting in a complete loss of traction because the suspension can no longer compensate for road imperfections. If the springs are too stiff, it will not allow the suspension to actuate fast enough to respond to the road, resulting in a wheel coming off the ground, and a loss of traction. It can also cause alignment issues (even with a camber kit) reducing your contact patch and traction. It also alters the suspension geometry and give it a more diagonal travel than a vertical. Plus if you're too low it just looks ghetto.
I personally think the stock SS S/C height is as low as you can while still looking good.
It also has an indirect advantage in that lowering a car properly necessitates stiffer springs and shocks, which further minimizes the effect of weight transfer, allowing you to maximize the traction at all 4 wheels.
It does have some disadvantages as well. If you lower too far, you will bottom out your suspension resulting in a complete loss of traction because the suspension can no longer compensate for road imperfections. If the springs are too stiff, it will not allow the suspension to actuate fast enough to respond to the road, resulting in a wheel coming off the ground, and a loss of traction. It can also cause alignment issues (even with a camber kit) reducing your contact patch and traction. It also alters the suspension geometry and give it a more diagonal travel than a vertical. Plus if you're too low it just looks ghetto.
I personally think the stock SS S/C height is as low as you can while still looking good.
Senior Member
Joined: 04-24-06
Posts: 1,269
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From: Rhode Island
Basically does lowering hurt the car more than help it? I want springs because the wheel gap is massive but if our cars cant handle it because of the wear it will have then I wont do it. Input is it worth it or not and what springs?
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Joined: 01-12-07
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From: N. Side Chi-Town
stock struts are designed to work with the stock springs and ride height...if u lower ur car,the struts have to work more harder over bumps and corners,so they wear out faster..any aftermarket spring that's out there will affect ur stock struts..some make your car handle like crazy and look good,while the others make it look good,but dont help that much with handling..so its a gamble on what you want...looks vs stiffness