LS_Power

So I just got a set of SLP Bilstein shocks. Now I need to find some springs but I don't want lowering springs my long tubes already scrape the ground over some parts of the road and all the roads in my city are horrible. Can anyone point me into the right direction of some good springs to match up with these shocks?

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

Why not stock springs?

stp001

There aren't many, and I mean I have never seen any, aftermarket springs that don't lower and stiffen your car. That doesn't mean you can't use spacers both front and rear to get the height you want and the handling upgrade associated with a stiffer spring rate.

LS_Power

LS_Power

Stew2000

iTrader: (2)

SLP springs that are packaged with the shocks barely lower the car

handyandy

The Strano springs seem to give the most modest drop - I think they used to advertise around a 1" drop, but stopped advertising a number after getting complaints from people they were hoping for more of a drop. These would put you slightly lower, but also stiffer and better rebound with new struts might mean you actually bottom out your headers less.

As another poster noted, if you put them in and you really want to raise it, you can always use spacers of some kind to raise it. It's much easier to add shims or material to raise the car than it is to make it sit lower.

black sky

iTrader: (3)

Hotchkis springs are worth a look as well. They are my part of my current setup and my favorite spring as of yet. Nice package of looks and handling. Springs are advertised as 1" drop, but it's more like 1.25".

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

I say get a set of your favorite lowering springs, then use a combination of thicker isolators, heater hose, spacers, etc...and get the height you want

LS_Power

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

Good deal. I pulled mine at around 80k and they were fine as well. Just remember though, if you're not happy with the height it's much more involved to go lower than it is to go with a slightly shorter spring and then go a little higher if desired

LS_Power

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

Gotcha. It sucks that these cars have clearance issues even when lowered just a tiny bit. I lowered mine about 1 inch and now my ORY only has 3" clearance from the ground lol

UMI Tech

UMI 2061's are around 1.25" nominal. We daily a 2002 on them and it's pretty a-ok. It looked like a 4x4 before the springs.

BTC

3” of clearance sounds pretty good. I’m pretty sure that my car with Kooks headers on Strano springs doesn’t have 3” of clearance at the lowest point, which is the y-pipe on the driver’s side. I’m not sure how much clearance is normal with that setup. I still have factory wheels, bushings, motor mounts etc. Some of that stuff may be sagging a bit, but I’m not sure whether, or how much, it might impact clearance.

handyandy

Ground clearance is all kind of relative - if the roads are actually horrible where you live and you already bottom out then 3" might not be enough.

But like I said too, if you're on soft springs and sloppy old shocks then you might bottom out with 3" of clearance, but be ok with less clearance on a stiffer spring and new shocks.

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

For the record, because I find people forget this stuff often. I have my springs, but also Hotchkis, UMI, and a lot of others beyond my springs. So I have you covered if you want something else other than mine, but I gotta say I have my reasons for preferring mine.... which are the same reasons I pulled the trigger on building them in the first place.

Hotchkis, drop is modest, but frankly they are a pain in the *** to install in front due to how they are wound. Getting a spring compressor on and off them is a nightmare. And at their stiffest in front, they don't get to my nominal rate. Now I am not one to make the car as stiff as you can but you want to have enough rate to support the drop and have the car work correctly when on decent shocks and good bumpstops. And no issue with stops either in general, except Bilstein use OEM front stops which are short, hard and hitting them is abrupt. Add the too soft rate to the bigger spike in wheel rate and at times it's less than a great combo if you drive the car hard. Rides nice, but had customers report mine rode as well, some thought better. YMMV, but I have those.

My springs. PICTURES, look at pictures. I just quit putting a "drop" number on them because well, people aren't always understanding of what approximate means, or that not all these cars weigh the same, and didn't all come with the same base spring, and those things effect height. Hell, negative camber effects height. More of it lowers the car more than zero, with no change in springs. So I thought it was best that folks looked at pics of cars and decided for themselves if that was a look they were after. Simple as that. And no we don't slam cars because part of a suspension is having, well, a suspension. And cars decked don't have much working travel left.

I don't much see the point in stiffer springs, particularly in the rear on a street car. The car is basically a pickup, solid axle and not a lot of weight in the rear. Making the rear stiffer than you need to for the load you carry does the same things as a pickup, it makes the rear less planted and ride firmer. Remember the car is only supposed to carry something like 500 pounds total in it, not 700 or 800, or 1000.

LS_Power

Sam Strano

iTrader: (41)

And that's a viable option!

The shocks. Are. Toast. Get something decent on there and prepare to be amazed at the difference.

01Z0H6

iTrader: (63)

Two words... STRA NO....