Lowering Springs
05-29-2006, 08:25 PM
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Lowering Springs
Alright... so I went to the BBQ meet this past Sunday and as always after hanging out with other S2K members... I feel the urge to drop more money on my child aka the S2K.. (money that I should be spending on paying off college loans). Also watching "Fast and the Furious" again when Johnny Chan whoops that volkswagons ass does not help either (Too soon Jr.!!). So lowering springs... thats the next on the list. Any ideas?? Is there a noticable difference or any difference in lowering springs?? Any feedback would help.
05-30-2006, 12:11 AM
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i have the tanabe grip feel 210........... excellent spring, not to low..... sits just right, although i wish they did lower a bit more for my taste like the rsr ti i am not dissapointed.. significantly stiffer than stock! only took me an hour and a half maybe two to finish aswell
05-30-2006, 04:04 AM
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If you're not worried about performance, sure, something like the GF210's or Espilirs are fine. If you've never swapped springs before, it will take you longer than 2 hours.
A progressive spring(GF210/Espilirs/etc) never really feels stiffer until it is compressed for some time, i.e. a long onramp or a continuously sweeping turn. They are "progressive." The more they are forced to compress, the more they begin to resist compression. This is fine for everyday driving. Performance is not the goal with these springs- lowering is.
Linear rates springs are that- linear; stay the same rate; not designed to compress before yielding its rated stiffness. These types of springs are more directly related to performance.
Using any spring rated higher in stiffness than oem will lead to a more rapidly used-up Showa shock. The amount of time it takes to get to that stage will be determined by spring(rate and heighth) and driving habits/style/miles.
My first lowering springs were the Tanabe GF210's. They were fine for what I wanted initially. As I became more familiar with my car, I knew I wanted more performance; more the way it felt from the factory. I took the next baby step and got Koni Yellows, GC perches, and 380 rate Eibach springs. Tracked them, but were not stiff enough. Currently the car has 500F/550R springs on. That's the limit of the Koni Yellows. If I need more spring, I'll need to change the entire setup.
Good luck with your decision.
A progressive spring(GF210/Espilirs/etc) never really feels stiffer until it is compressed for some time, i.e. a long onramp or a continuously sweeping turn. They are "progressive." The more they are forced to compress, the more they begin to resist compression. This is fine for everyday driving. Performance is not the goal with these springs- lowering is.
Linear rates springs are that- linear; stay the same rate; not designed to compress before yielding its rated stiffness. These types of springs are more directly related to performance.
Using any spring rated higher in stiffness than oem will lead to a more rapidly used-up Showa shock. The amount of time it takes to get to that stage will be determined by spring(rate and heighth) and driving habits/style/miles.
My first lowering springs were the Tanabe GF210's. They were fine for what I wanted initially. As I became more familiar with my car, I knew I wanted more performance; more the way it felt from the factory. I took the next baby step and got Koni Yellows, GC perches, and 380 rate Eibach springs. Tracked them, but were not stiff enough. Currently the car has 500F/550R springs on. That's the limit of the Koni Yellows. If I need more spring, I'll need to change the entire setup.
Good luck with your decision.
05-30-2006, 09:00 AM
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Originally Posted by FF2Skip,May 30 2006, 08:04 AM
If you're not worried about performance, sure, something like the GF210's or Espilirs are fine. If you've never swapped springs before, it will take you longer than 2 hours.
A progressive spring(GF210/Espilirs/etc) never really feels stiffer until it is compressed for some time, i.e. a long onramp or a continuously sweeping turn. They are "progressive." The more they are forced to compress, the more they begin to resist compression. This is fine for everyday driving. Performance is not the goal with these springs- lowering is.
Linear rates springs are that- linear; stay the same rate; not designed to compress before yielding its rated stiffness. These types of springs are more directly related to performance.
Using any spring rated higher in stiffness than oem will lead to a more rapidly used-up Showa shock. The amount of time it takes to get to that stage will be determined by spring(rate and heighth) and driving habits/style/miles.
My first lowering springs were the Tanabe GF210's. They were fine for what I wanted initially. As I became more familiar with my car, I knew I wanted more performance; more the way it felt from the factory. I took the next baby step and got Koni Yellows, GC perches, and 380 rate Eibach springs. Tracked them, but were not stiff enough. Currently the car has 500F/550R springs on. That's the limit of the Koni Yellows. If I need more spring, I'll need to change the entire setup.
Good luck with your decision.
A progressive spring(GF210/Espilirs/etc) never really feels stiffer until it is compressed for some time, i.e. a long onramp or a continuously sweeping turn. They are "progressive." The more they are forced to compress, the more they begin to resist compression. This is fine for everyday driving. Performance is not the goal with these springs- lowering is.
Linear rates springs are that- linear; stay the same rate; not designed to compress before yielding its rated stiffness. These types of springs are more directly related to performance.
Using any spring rated higher in stiffness than oem will lead to a more rapidly used-up Showa shock. The amount of time it takes to get to that stage will be determined by spring(rate and heighth) and driving habits/style/miles.
My first lowering springs were the Tanabe GF210's. They were fine for what I wanted initially. As I became more familiar with my car, I knew I wanted more performance; more the way it felt from the factory. I took the next baby step and got Koni Yellows, GC perches, and 380 rate Eibach springs. Tracked them, but were not stiff enough. Currently the car has 500F/550R springs on. That's the limit of the Koni Yellows. If I need more spring, I'll need to change the entire setup.
Good luck with your decision.
Very good information.
The only thing I would add, is that lowering your car too much (slamming it) can actually decrease performance, and will definitely diminish ride quality. A modest drop on some good progressive springs (such as the Eibach ProKit or Espelir springs) provides better look without really hurting the ride quality.
05-30-2006, 10:15 AM
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Originally Posted by vbeachboy,May 30 2006, 01:00 PM
Very good information.
The only thing I would add, is that lowering your car too much (slamming it) can actually decrease performance, and will definitely diminish ride quality. A modest drop on some good progressive springs (such as the Eibach ProKit or Espelir springs) provides better look without really hurting the ride quality.
I have been lowered on Espelirs for a few months now and ride quality is close to stock. Final drop all around was anywhere from 1.3-1.5in. However like Skip said if you intend to track your car you would be better off with coilovers. But for street purposes Eibach/Esplier/or Tanabe would work fine.
05-30-2006, 12:41 PM
#6
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Actually... 
... if I were to do any kind of real driving, whether it's autocross or track, I'd take the stock setup over any lowering spring. That's based on my personal experience.
... if I were to do any kind of real driving, whether it's autocross or track, I'd take the stock setup over any lowering spring. That's based on my personal experience.
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