Why Lower?
Why Lower? My question is why does "the average Joe" lower his car? When I look at my car I see a large gap between the top of the tire and the bottom of the fender well and I would like that to be less, however this is the way the car was designed. There are only 2 solutions to my quest. #1 is change the spring so the tire sits higher in the opening or #2 fill up more of the opening with Tire.
Option #1 requires a lot of work because you get into "physics", like making the spring do the same amount of work in half the space, then alignments in the geometry of the entire drive train of the vehicle again a lot of work and $$$$$.
I put one of the 19" wheels from my corvette on my Z28 and it looked terrible, kinda like one of those 1985 Monte Carlo's driving around with 22" wheels where the wheels are worth more than the car. I understand that lowering any car is good for certain types of racing but I do not race my Z28 (much)
. So back to my question why do most people lower their car? Since I went back to (MOOG) rubber bushings and installed Koni Str.t struts I do not feel much of a loss in handling compared to Monroe struts and Poly bushings. I'm thinking about different sways but that is another topic for another thread. Is it appearance that most are looking for? If the larger wheel/tire combination is the best answer for me then is there anything that I am missing?
Option #1 requires a lot of work because you get into "physics", like making the spring do the same amount of work in half the space, then alignments in the geometry of the entire drive train of the vehicle again a lot of work and $$$$$.
I put one of the 19" wheels from my corvette on my Z28 and it looked terrible, kinda like one of those 1985 Monte Carlo's driving around with 22" wheels where the wheels are worth more than the car. I understand that lowering any car is good for certain types of racing but I do not race my Z28 (much)
. So back to my question why do most people lower their car? Since I went back to (MOOG) rubber bushings and installed Koni Str.t struts I do not feel much of a loss in handling compared to Monroe struts and Poly bushings. I'm thinking about different sways but that is another topic for another thread. Is it appearance that most are looking for? If the larger wheel/tire combination is the best answer for me then is there anything that I am missing? 
Appearance and performance. IMO the car rides and handles better than stock with my setup. Looks good and changed how the car feelsto drive in general. Win win in my book. The only downside is ground clearance. Unless you like the somewhat floaty, cushy stock suspension lowering is one of the best things you can do to these cars.
Appearance and performance. IMO the car rides and handles better than stock with my setup. Looks good and changed how the car feelsto drive in general. Win win in my book. The only downside is ground clearance. Unless you like the somewhat floaty, cushy stock suspension lowering is one of the best things you can do to these cars.
Joined: Nov 2001
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From: Schiller Park, ILL Member: #317
The appearance aspect is all subjective. I personally dislike the slammed look, especially on Trans Ams as the tire becomes noticeably off-centered within the wheel well (the ground effects make this more noticeable), and would rather have stock height than that. But a slight drop can certainly look nice.
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
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From: St.Charles MO
Appearance and performance. IMO the car rides and handles better than stock with my setup. Looks good and changed how the car feelsto drive in general. Win win in my book. The only downside is ground clearance. Unless you like the somewhat floaty, cushy stock suspension lowering is one of the best things you can do to these cars.
Im guessing you put lowering springs and shock on at the same time?
I did everything separate, one at a time. The loose, floaty feeling you got when stock was 100% the shocks, not the springs. Koni sports on stock springs feels amazing, super glued to the road (zero float), BMW like ride and composure. You tell the car what to do and it does it effortlessly and with actual grace (compered to the bull in china shop feel on stock shocks). The performance difference you felt when putting both the shocks and springs on at the same time was 80% the shocks, 20% the springs IMO, yes the yellows make THAT much of a difference, they certainly did for me.
Lowering takes some of that good ride quality away, but improves handling obviously (with proper lowering springs).
TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,798
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From: St.Charles MO
This is a compromise you have to deal with when lowering a car or driving a low car in general. You have to figure out if its worth it to you for the look to have possible scraping issues.
Used to be an old beer commercial... "Why ask Why"..
For me, I like the look of the "slightly" lowered 4th gen fbod... BMR springs and some Bilsteins along w other supporting mods makes for an aesthetically pleasing look, and a far better ride. But, maybe that's just me.
For me, I like the look of the "slightly" lowered 4th gen fbod... BMR springs and some Bilsteins along w other supporting mods makes for an aesthetically pleasing look, and a far better ride. But, maybe that's just me.
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Ok so how much would it cost me to get "the look"? I already have Koni Str.t shocks, and how much ground clearance do you have?
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Verdad Gallardo TECH Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: St.Charles MO
May also need an adjustable PHB to recenter the rear end, but thats up to you.
11 Second Club
Joined: Mar 2012
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From: South Florida
I also hate scraping & that's why I'm still at stock ride height. From your OP, about bigger wheels/tires, it will take up some of the gap between the fender but it will also raise the vehicle higher off the ground.
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Joined: Jan 2004
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I'm not a fan of lowering at all. But I changed my shocks and springs at the same time. I wanted aftermarket springs for better handling and I choose a setup that lowered the least (from what I've read). I went with Strano springs. The car sits lower and I have gotten used to it. I actually like the look better now versus the 4x4 look of the stock springs. I don't like slammed but a slight, tasteful drop is not bad.
Of course, now the car sits level as it had a slight rearward rake. I might do the heater hose mod on the Strano springs to bring up the back a little bit. I still have the stock rear isolators but would like that slight rake look again. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
Of course, now the car sits level as it had a slight rearward rake. I might do the heater hose mod on the Strano springs to bring up the back a little bit. I still have the stock rear isolators but would like that slight rake look again. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
I didn't lower mine for looks, it was only for performance; I don't care for a huge uneven gap going around the circumference of the tire in the wheel well. Mine's built for street/AX/HPDE so it's corner balanced; I think my frame LCA bolts are about 6.5" high in front and 7" high in the rear. The lowest part of the chassis is the ARH intermediate exhaust pipe, which is about 3" from the ground. I do have flat spots on the collectors from when the car was lower in the past, but when I had the Koni's rebuilt I raised the height a little to extend the life of the collectors..
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Joined: Oct 2014
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From: Daytona Beach, FL
Long story short my BMR springs will be here today. I'm not in a hurry to install them because the car does look fairly low and because of the weather. That being said those of you with experience with the BMRs, are you slammed or is it tastefully lowered?