2G springs on stock struts?

[Robbyd]

want to lower my car but dont have the money for coilovers. wondering if my stock struts could handle lowering springs. about 1.5" 2". maybe some teins or something. let me know what you think. stock suspension feels brand new rides really good too.

 

[jtmcinder]

You like how the car rides right now? (I'll assume that your answer is Yes since you said so in your post.) Well, that goes out the window when you drop a 2G by 1.5" on low-rate springs and almost any shocks, OE included. The new ride will be absolutely awful. Yeah, the babes will want to get in your car, but they'll want back out after one or two blocks.

Plus, if you lower the car and fail to get an alignment, then the money you saved goes to the new tires.

In short, the answer to your question is No and my advice is to do it once and do it right. When you have $1500, let's talk.

 

[simple jake]

You'll blow out those struts in 6 months tops. The previous owner of my car lowered it on stock struts and the ride quality sucks. If I were you I'd try to find some used KYB GR-2's if you're really on a budget.

 

[dsm03]

springs on stock struts?

Answer:
Bad Idear

Don't be hood rich, like the 2nd poster said

jtmcinder " do it once, do it right! "

 

[obsidian]

I'm jumping in on this now as I've got personal experience with this.

NORMALLY, a car's stock struts can handle a drop up to 1.5". Of course the further down you go, the worse they will be.

I plan on dropping 1" on stock struts but the alignment is necessary.

 

[jtmcinder]

NORMALLY, a car's stock struts can handle a drop up to 1.5". Of course the further down you go, the worse they will be.

This is generally true, but mostly because a majority of cars have struts in the front (which is the end of the car that usually limits lowering). But a 2G DSM has double wishbone fronts and, therefore, a lot less available travel. If you over-lower a 2G using low-rate (i.e., soft) springs, you end up on the bumpstops which is devastating to the handling and ride. Add in the funky, offset, twin, lower balljoints that love to bend shock-shafts and you have to be really careful.

As Dirty Harry so wisely said: "a man has got to know his limitations." A corollary to this is: "a modifier has got to know the limitations of his or her car."

 

[16g DSM]

Ok but if your looking to lower it only an inch, as long as you get an alignment afterwards you should be ok with a nice set of springs like tien or ground control right?

 

[jtmcinder]

Yes, a 2G can be lowered an inch on stock shocks with cut bumpstops (and then re-aligned) and not be too awful and not kill the shocks immediately. If this is intended as a temporary, cosmetic mod, it's OK. To save yourself money, search for and read up on DIY rear camber kits and either get the rear camber under control before you get the alignment or have all the needed parts in a bag when you go in. Then have them zero the front toe with just a smidgeon of rear toe-in and no matter what your camber, your tires will be fine.

Note: you can cut the springs on a 2G and have your slightly lowered car for the cost of an alignment.

 

[Robbyd]

can you cut the springs on a 1g and be alright?

 

[jtmcinder]

Nope. The springs need to a constant diameter at the end that you cut so that the cut spring still fits the perch and hat. 1G springs are not like that at at least one end (I can't recall which), so they can't be cut safely. Sorry.

 

[goodbuds]

can you cut the springs on a 1g and be alright?

Nooo... ### listen to some of them members keep it like it is until you got the funds to do it right... if you got the springs already and got a boner for putting them on. wait till you can afford kyb agx's and an alignment... instead of spending the time installing those things. spend some time on the forums getting ideas that will one day make your car great.
and if those springs are ebay garbage just sell them to someone else because they last about as long as an ebay 16g.

 

[Robbyd]

ADJUSTABLE BL COILOVER SPRING FRONT+REAR 89-94 ECLIPSE | eBay

could you throw these on stock struts and be okay and have a good ride?

 

[Boostinsideways]

wondering if my stock struts could handle lowering springs. about 1.5" 2".

Nope

The biggest drop I would suggest on the stockers is a .75" drop.

You can't cut the springs on a 1g and still have suitable tension on them at full droop.

 

[jtmcinder]

You can't cut the springs on a 1g and still have suitable tension on them at full droop.

I was unaware of the need for tension. I heard that always keeping the springs under a little compression was good (hence the existence of tender and helper springs); the need for tension is a new one for me.

tee hee

As I said above, you can't cut 1G springs because they aren't a constant diameter at either end.

 

[jtmcinder]

ADJUSTABLE BL COILOVER SPRING FRONT+REAR 89-94 ECLIPSE | eBay

could you throw these on stock struts and be okay and have a good ride?

Probably not. eBay sleeves and springs just seems a bad idea from the start. Wrapping them around OE shocks is just asking for major headaches, along with backaches, toothaches, and, if you drive with you tongue hanging out a la Michael Jordan, bleeding tongue-aches.