Lowering springs.. your experience?

[pistol pete]

So as said in a couple other threads, on the 2001 silver road car, going for a full suspension overhaul
ARB's Polybush etc
Decided to stich with shocks and springs rather than coilovers as it is a road only car and I mainly drive on B roads, the other girl who drives it goes motorways

So at the moment I do not think the suspension has every been touched. I "think" it has TTE lowering springs but no way to tell.

It grind out pretty badly on all speed humps, down my road and back roads. those who run lowering springs do you have much issue with grinding out?
or is it ours is so tired its just sagging and bouncing badly,
Before I order some new lowered springs or go stock height

IT drops quite a bit with 2 people in it, grinds a lot more and it all feels very loose so its defo needs an overhaul

[Tomo70]

I had tien springs on new shocks,and after 6 months i found i was freighted of speed bump.

I then went for H&R springs on KYB shocks they have been on 2 years 5 thousand miles speed bumps don,t cause any issue and there is no pogo

They are slightly more expensive but worth it 

[Iain]

Just fitted eibach springs on brand new kyb shocks. A bit early to tell if it'll bottom out but i very much doubt it. Hasnt lowered it that much to cause issues and the ride is very very close to oem.

[1979scotte]

I had TTE springs on stock dampers car had done 55k.
Only problems I had were on the split humps or whatever they're called. Obviously you have to go slow over any humps in an mr2 it's much lower as standard than most normal cars.

[pistol pete]

Cheers yeah I am always slow over them but the other day actually managed to beach and stall the Mr on a speed hump!!

H and r or eibach with kyb was what I was looking at
Had apex and tein on other cars before always hav terrible pogo effect

[thetyrant]

Im on Koni inserts on Tein springs and it works very well, bit low really especially on 15" wheels with extra under bracing but just have to be careful on speed humps etc.  Your welcome to have a drive if we are at a meet together.

[Carolyn]

I've had quite a few lowered cars in the workshop.  They look lovely, but they all cause problems when navigating over 'terrain'.

So I went for totally stock springs and shocks when I refreshed my own car.  Glad I did. 

I can't see how she 'sits' from inside, but I sure can feel it when bits start to scrape.

[thetyrant]

I wish someone would make a inbetween lowering spring for these cars, im tempted myself to get my spring guys to do them as i feel something like a 15mm drop would be much better for clearance and still give improved visual looks and flatter feeling to handling, also a bump in spring rate would be good as well for the handling side especially if using uprated dampers like Koni and going on track when Teins are too soft really.

One of my future projects is to convert the stock strut casing so it takes a normal 2.5" coilover spring then i can play with ride heights and rates, but the more i think about it i wonder if there is market for inbetween lowering spring kit for these cars in a couple of spring rate options, softer/stockish rate for oem dampers and road users just wanting the drop without any extra stiffness, then a uprated rate for those running on track with Konis etc....might ponder that some more but i think cost might be an issue though especially for road owners as custom spring kit is probably going to be north of £200 as it was for my Celica GT4 a couple of years ago.

[Petrus]

Cheers yeah I am always slow over them but the other day actually managed to beach and stall the Mr on a speed hump!!

Regardless of how high which springs ALWAYS try to cross at as much an angle as space/traffic permits. It is simply less shocking to everything.

[Petrus]

I wish someone would make a inbetween lowering spring for these cars,

TRD Sportivo kit was moderate.

Alternative is cut the OEM springs a whiff. As Carolyn explained it also makes them that same whiff stiffer.
Before I was lucky to find a Sportivo set, I cut my rear ones just over half a coil and the front almost a complete coil. This also introduced a bit of rake whch deos wonder for illegal speed and side wind stability.

[cptspaulding]

I've had quite a few lowered cars in the workshop.  They look lovely, but they all cause problems when navigating over 'terrain'.

So I went for totally stock springs and shocks when I refreshed my own car.  Glad I did. 

I can't see how she 'sits' from inside, but I sure can feel it when bits start to scrape.

Do I recall seeing you had "shaved" 10mm off a standard set of springs? How did that work out? (or do I need to change my prescription?)

[Carolyn]

I've had quite a few lowered cars in the workshop.  They look lovely, but they all cause problems when navigating over 'terrain'.

So I went for totally stock springs and shocks when I refreshed my own car.  Glad I did. 

I can't see how she 'sits' from inside, but I sure can feel it when bits start to scrape.

Do I recall seeing you had "shaved" 10mm off a standard set of springs? How did that work out? (or do I need to change my prescription?)

Yes, I did take half a coil off the fronts, come to think of it.

[andyroo104]

I Have a practically new set of springs, only done 100 miles, when purchased i was told that they were from a well known German manufacturer and also had the same ones fitted to my old 2000 pfl car on standard suspension and never had a problem.Let me know if interested.

[J88TEO]

dids if you are selling, pending confirmation of brand etc...

[Beachbum957]

I had tien springs on new shocks,and after 6 months i found i was freighted of speed bump.

I then went for H&R springs on KYB shocks they have been on 2 years 5 thousand miles speed bumps don,t cause any issue and there is no pogo

They are slightly more expensive but worth it 

I switched from Tein to H&R as well.  Although some specs show they have the same lowering, on our car the H&R sit about 1/2" higher.  They also seem slightly stiffer in the front. I never measured the car with stock springs, but compared to other cars, the H&R lower about 1.2" (30 mm)

We started with KYB struts, but switched to Koni inserts which can be adjusted to match the springs better.  The combination works very well and rides almost as well as stock

[Tomo70]

I had tien springs on new shocks,and after 6 months i found i was freighted of speed bump.

I then went for H&R springs on KYB shocks they have been on 2 years 5 thousand miles speed bumps don,t cause any issue and there is no pogo

They are slightly more expensive but worth it 

I switched from Tein to H&R as well.  Although some specs show they have the same lowering, on our car the H&R sit about 1/2" higher.  They also seem slightly stiffer in the front. I never measured the car with stock springs, but compared to other cars, the H&R lower about 1.2" (30 mm)

We started with KYB struts, but switched to Koni inserts which can be adjusted to match the springs better.  The combination works very well and rides almost as well as stock

I must say the idea of Koni adjustable sounds good.

[thetyrant]

I switched from Tein to H&R as well.  Although some specs show they have the same lowering, on our car the H&R sit about 1/2" higher.  They also seem slightly stiffer in the front. I never measured the car with stock springs, but compared to other cars, the H&R lower about 1.2" (30 mm)

We started with KYB struts, but switched to Koni inserts which can be adjusted to match the springs better.  The combination works very well and rides almost as well as stock

Thats good to know about the H&R i presumed from the specs they were pretty much identical drop/rate to the Teins, maybe i should try some of them next...

[pistol pete]

some great comments people thanks!!
I am not a fan of cutting springs personally, so won't go that route.
I might stick with stock springs as my road is a private road and very bumpy!
If i go H&R ill take off the face lift brace from underneath as that's mainly what catches.

Lowered or Brace will become the question i thinks!

[1979scotte]

some great comments people thanks!!
I am not a fan of cutting springs personally, so won't go that route.
I might stick with stock springs as my road is a private road and very bumpy!
If i go H&R ill take off the face lift brace from underneath as that's mainly what catches.

Lowered or Brace will become the question i thinks!

Taking any bracing off a roadster is madness

[Petrus]

I am not a fan of cutting springs personally,

Do not confuse the internet loons nor the counter-preachers with reality.

I mean; even Carolyn did it.
Seriously, there is nothing wrong with it persé. As with everything though; if done right.

[Petrus]

some great comments people thanks!!
I am not a fan of cutting springs personally, so won't go that route.
I might stick with stock springs as my road is a private road and very bumpy!
If i go H&R ill take off the face lift brace from underneath as that's mainly what catches.

Lowered or Brace will become the question i thinks!

Taking any bracing off a roadster is madness

My appologies Scotte but I agree; even I would not take OEM braces óff ... (unless to fit something bracier still)

[cptspaulding]

I mean; even Carolyn did it.

so what, @Carolyn did it? It's not like she's a rocket scientist or anything! Oh, wait...

[Petrus]

I mean; even Carolyn did it.

so what, @Carolyn did it? It's not like she's a rocket scientist or anything! Oh, wait...

:-)

[pistol pete]

It's a pre facelift. So it never had the brace originally..
Hmm much to think about

[Iain]

If i was making a choice between braces or lowering springs keeping the brace would win all day long.