Lowering spring is one of the most affordable and straightforward methods of lowering your vehicle. We always refer to them as the first step in analysing your vehicle’s handling. This is due to the fact that most lowering spring can be installed as a stand-alone update, requiring no other modifications to the vehicle.
They can also be just one component of a larger upgrade kit. For a small investment, you can gain access to a plethora of handling upgrades.
Why do I want to drop my car in the first place?
As we discussed in our car handling blog, lowering the car lowers its centre of gravity. When you lower your car’s centre of gravity, it will roll less when you corner. This ensures that less weight is transferred to the outside wheels and away from the inside wheels. This ensures you get more clasp from all four tyres, resulting in a stronger relation with the road surface.
When changing directions rapidly (as in an S-bend), the vehicle requires less time to adjust back between transitions. It also enhances the appearance. Arch holes are seldom appealing. You will reduce the arch gaps by lowering your car slightly. This makes the wheels appear larger and brings your car a sporty, aggressive appearance.
How Do Lowering Spring Work?
When contemplating lowering a van or car, a common concern is how it will travel afterward. It’s a tough question to answer precisely but there’s always some pure speculation involved unless you’ve ridden in the particular model of vehicle with the particular lowering product concerned fitted.
Unlike some of the inexpensive springs on the market, most lowering springs are specifically designed for the vehicle they are being fitted to. This will be reflected in the ride quality, with some models reaching standard shock comfort levels.
Fitting stiffer springs may also have a more significant effect on the car’s secondary travel. This is how the car handles minor bumps and rough roads.
This is somewhat dependent on the state of the rest of the shocks. Rubber bushes and shock absorbers are installed into your car to help buffer you from the ground surface you’re driving on. If the other parts are worn, you will note stiffer springs more than you would usually.
How low can I go with springs?
There are some drawbacks on what you can do if you use a spring that must be combined with a regular shock absorber. Mild lowering spring usually deliver about 30mm of dropping. Sportier springs usually range between 45mm and 60mm.
This is very dependent on the vehicle. Since newer cars have less suspension movement to begin with, the available lowering would be less. It’s probably better to go to the related section of the website, enter the details of your vehicle, and see what’s open.
Lowering a car while keeping it moving well is a bit of a form of art, and if ride quality is important to you, we’d recommend skipping the budget coilovers in favour of better-quality dropping springs and possibly shock absorbers.