Lowering Help

[No1FordGirl]

I'm on the fence about lowering my car. I've gotten some great advice already, but it still leaves me confused and wondering if this would be the best route for me.

My car is a daily driver. I have 2 kids, one being a teenager. At times, there are 4 people in my car. Some of the places I need to travel to are 'rough' to say the least. I would not want to lower it and have to worry about scraping and/or breaking something every time I drive to these particular places.

That being said, I found a set of lowering springs with a 7/8 inch drop. http://www.cal-mustang.com/FORD-RACING-SPORTS-HANDLING-SPRINGS-C4272.aspx

IF I would go with these ^ springs, would I also need to change the cc plates and shocks/struts? This is where it gets confusing for me! Some say yes, some say no.

Ok, I'll wait to hear from you all. Hopefully we can get this clarified :marc:

[Squid]

That is a fantastic question.

I lowered my Mustang with H&R Sport springs. Dropped about 1" in front and 1-1/2" in the rear. The effect is drop-dead gorgeous! :harold1:

Until you get to the 1-3/4" to 2" drop range, you don't have to put in c/c plates. They will make it easier to adjust for alignments, but they are not necessary. I did not replace shocks/struts either. Not necessary.

Here is where the personal choice comes in. I'll use my own observations.
1. Ride height - On smooth roads it's no biggie, however on rough roads or those damn speedbumps it's a challenge. I couldn't get into several hotel parking lots in San Diego because of the bumps. They would high center the car. Again, it'll be much more apparent when you add passengers/cargo to the car.

2. Ride. I love the ride when I'm alone. It's stiffer, you feel the road more plus the handling is helped a LOT. However when you add passengers it can get teeth rattling real quick. You know when you hit bumps and if you're making long trips, it really gets annoying.

I did mine 1 because of the 4x4 stance of the car and 2 because I auto-x mine. If it was a pure driver, I would probably not drop it.

I have had no experience with the FRP springs, however the quality should be okay. Also, check out the ROUSH site, they have an overstock section and have been running v6 springs for $99 there.

Hope this helps your decision.

[tweety]

Tammy this link on spring rates and how much they lower the car should help you
http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/springs_calcs.htm

[No1FordGirl]

That's great info, Thanks so much. It still leaves me undecided. You have some good points and bad points.

OK, I have a 'beater' car, but so far it's not inspected and I am not sure that I can rely on it for being a second car. That is why I still say my Mustang is a daily driver. However, if it would pass inspection here in th next few weeks, that may help with my decision.

I do alot of car shows and I think the lowering would help with that, but at the same time.. I still have kids that need to ride along most of the time. For a couple months in the summer, is it worth lowering a little bit to get that overall look?

Decisions, decisions!

[No1FordGirl]

Tammy this link on spring rates and how much they lower the car should help you
http://www.miracerros.com/mustang/springs_calcs.htm

Thanks Kelly! I will check it out later :)

[Squid]

That's great info, Thanks so much. It still leaves me undecided. You have some good points and bad points.

I do alot of car shows and I think the lowering would help with that, but at the same time.. I still have kids that need to ride along most of the time. For a couple months in the summer, is it worth lowering a little bit to get that overall look?

Decisions, decisions!

If that paragraph alone is decision, then YES, go for it. You can deal with the ride and watching the road carefully if you're occasionally driving the car.

I didn't mean to say that it was undriveable or not worth it, just wanted you to know what you'd be in for. The only time I'm not happy with my decision is when I'm driving from Dallas to Houston or Dallas to Colorado (long trip) or I get the bone jarring WHAM when I hit a bump.too hard.

[sicK]

+1 for H&R Super Sports

It's a beautiful drop without sacrificing too much ride quality. I'm happy with mine and wouldn't want anything else.

[Scooter]

I could show you what your car will look like at different lowered spots if you want me to. :mick:

[No1FordGirl]

Maybe I'm just worrying too much?? That happens alot LOL

I looked into the Roush ones, Squid. Although the price on the site was 122, not 99.

Hmm... well, I can keep pondering this until the end of the month at least.

Keep the suggestions coming, I appreciate them.

[Rubenk]

If you're only lowering it 7/8 of an inch I say go for it. Adding a few kids and cargo will not make it so low that you cant drive but it will look nicer driving around, and then when you park and everyone gets out its still a bit lower than normal. The only issue i've had so far with mine(stock height) is when I ran over something and it caught the muffler, no speedbumps or anything affect it. I still want to lower mine but will have to be super careful when I do.

[No1FordGirl]

If you're only lowering it 7/8 of an inch I say go for it. Adding a few kids and cargo will not make it so low that you cant drive but it will look nicer driving around, and then when you park and everyone gets out its still a bit lower than normal. The only issue i've had so far with mine(stock height) is when I ran over something and it caught the muffler, no speedbumps or anything affect it. I still want to lower mine but will have to be super careful when I do.

Thanks Ruben. Did you check out the link I provided. I dont want to buy bad parts. A member on Mafia says he buys from that place all the time, so I feel they are somewhat reputable.

I figure a lesser height will be better too. I go with a 1-1.5 inch drop and put 3 other people in and the car will be bottoming out.

As long as I dont need other parts too and I can use the 7/8 springs, then Im 95% sure I will lower it with just those springs.

[Rubenk]

Just checked out the link. The only bad thing I see is that they are variable rate springs. That means you can NOT cut them or it will screw up the ride.

hey, these would probably work well too

http://www.americanmuscle.com/h-r-race-springs-79-04.html

1" front and 1.25" drop rear. Not too bad and should ride great!

[No1FordGirl]

Just checked out the link. The only bad thing I see is that they are variable rate springs. That means you can NOT cut them or it will screw up the ride.

hey, these would probably work well too

http://www.americanmuscle.com/h-r-race-springs-79-04.html

1" front and 1.25" drop rear. Not too bad and should ride great!

I wouldnt cut the springs anyway.

Thanks for the link to the others. Hmm, decisions. I will have to send a PM to AMNick ;)

[SammyDeez]

I really want to Drop mine a bit too.... UNfortunatly SETX is nothing but a Bunch of COnstruction and they just redid the roads so when turning into businesses I already have to go at a Drastic Angle... It sucks.

[hot95]

Im not sure what springs i have but my car is LOW if i have a passenger in my car and i hit a bad spot in the road then it fills as i have just
busted my oil pan and trashed my exhaust....how do i tell what springs i have,is it written on the spring?

[No1FordGirl]

I really want to Drop mine a bit too.... UNfortunatly SETX is nothing but a Bunch of COnstruction and they just redid the roads so when turning into businesses I already have to go at a Drastic Angle... It sucks.

There's only one or two places Im really worried about around here. Im still undecided.

Im not sure what springs i have but my car is LOW if i have a passenger in my car and i hit a bad spot in the road then it fills as i have just
busted my oil pan and trashed my exhaust....how do i tell what springs i have,is it written on the spring?

I dont know. Did you buy the car used?

Im sure one of the other members can answer this question better. Good luck =)

[hot95]

yea i bought it used