Non-Audio Stuff > Car Talk
Springs or Coilovers?
ROK:
Opinions?
I want to get some Eibach springs but my friends (who also happen to get air bags in their cars and drop them to an inch off the ground) keep telling me to get coils since I'd want to lower it more than what springs can do for me...
Anaxilus.:
Umm...well, if u want to lower the car more than springs can do.....what was the question again?
What are you trying to do? Drop (how much?), go faster, reduce roll, increase compliance or stiffness? More information needed...
ROK:
--- Quote from: Analixus on August 13, 2013, 07:14:35 PM ---Umm...well, if u want to lower the car more than springs can do.....what was the question again?
What are you trying to do? Drop (how much?), go faster, reduce roll, increase compliance or stiffness? More information needed...
--- End quote ---
I just want to get rid of that terrible wheel gap in my car without rubbing. However, I feel that my car could use some stiffening up and reduce that body roll ugh.
Chris1967:
The question whether to lower the suspension in a car is primarily the issue...
Most people do this for aesthetic reasons, not understanding that the geometry of the suspension is thus altered... furthermore the use of spacers to get the wheels "looking better", or to use wider tires and rims than the manufacturer recommended.
In my opinion lowering the vehicle with lowering springs (retaining the original shock absorbers) is completely wrong and in some cases may prove even dangerous... the reason being that the stock shock absorber might not work properly if it is somewhat compressed, because the remaining length might not have enough bump/rebound and even might bottom out.
Coilovers are better in this respect, because they take into consideration the lowering and pre tension of the coil, at same time bump and rebound adjustments make it easier to match with the weight and type of roads you are going to use the vehicle, plus the variety of spring tensions might make it compatible with your vehicle.
There is a very good reason for a manufacturer to choose the height of the suspension, spring tension, and bump/rebound... this is because road vehicles are supposed to drive on roads, and roads have a variety of surface and quality of tarmac... furthermore there must be a level of comfort.
Track day cars, will usually be driven only on track, and they can be lowered quite a bit, and the srping tensions can be very high... such a vehicle although very competent and safe on the track, it is by no means safe on the road, because the road has a vastly greater variability in quality, ie bumps, potholes, unevenness etc...
I went into these variables very briefly,... my general recommendation to you is firstly,...to leave the car alone and don't mess with it..., secondly if you do want to mess with it, make sure you have a good understanding of what i explained to you above and then get yourself coilovers from a REPUTABLE brand (stay away from cheap Chinese brands), that most users of your vehicle seem to like and have come to an agreement what adjustments should be made...
When you have have installed them, take your time to relearn your car, preferably in a safe environment such as a race track (not the oval type)... make notes of what you like and dislike, and then proceed into final adjustments...
On the matter of body roll... it is inherent in the car's design (suspension geometry)... reducing body roll, would not make your car have better grip, nor will it make your car more agile... it will only affect how you feel about the car under these conditions, and in many cases it might make you feel more confident than you should... your car would be less gradual and more sudden...
Sport cars are designed from the beginning to have the suspension characteristics they have, one cannot transform a day to day saloon car into a sport car...
Hope you found these few points helpful, and good luck with your lowering project!! p;)
Anaxilus.:
Agree wholeheartedly will all points above though there are a few exceptions:
1-The effect of lowering springs is relative to each cars particular design, so some will handle it better than others. A FRS will handle a one inch drop a lot better than a 90's Nissan Sentra which is one of the worst designed suspensions in automotive history and pretty much an accident waiting to happen w/ lowering springs.
2-There are ways to offset the effect via roll-center adjusters which correct back toward a stock geometry. There are also particular tophats that can be used to allow for lowering springs but retain or improve the compression range of the dampers despite using shorter springs. This all equals money.
3-Before picking wheels/tires, figure out the spring coilover question first as you'll have to account for clearance issues relative to the new suspension components.
4-I'm going to have to disagree a bit on the body roll issue. Lateral inertia definitely affects grip and cornering. Most drivers will never realize this in actuality because you need the speed, environment and ballz to do so w/o killing anyone, namely yourself. That said, physics does apply side to side independent of what's going on front to rear. Two examples. One, a lifted truck is easy to experience the ill effects of body roll on grip, four tires on the road are better than two. Reduced roll height is an easy way to manage leverage and torque upon the top of a vehicle by lowering the CoG. It shifts the mass lower, the leverage is reduced. Two, Porsche active engine mounts. That's a lot of money and technology to actively compensate for the inertial effects upon the engine when cornering if grip is not impacted. Reducing center of gravity is a very real handling benefit, just as real as stiffening front springs to prevent nose dive during braking. An inverted pendulum is a bad sports car. So the question is, can do this safely w/o making your car actually drive worse. Yes you can.
All cars are a compromise of sorts, nothing wrong w/ an owner shifting the balance to be more in tune w/ their preferences if they know what they are doing. It is even possible to improve dynamics and comfort/compliance if you have the specific know how and wallet required. Granted these are rarely the cases.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
Go to full version