Corellian Vette

I'd like to get some of the 4x4 look out of my 86 Firebird. This is a street car, I just wanted a slightly lower look. It appears the Eibach Pro-Kit is only around 1", which is perfect.

I've read the lowering 101 and several other posts, but still have some questions.

First, if I'm using the 1" drop springs, is this really going to put my car in a bind/wheel hop/suspension problem?

Second - can I use stock shocks or not with the 1" drop? The only options for lowering shocks (according to Summit) are Brillstein's. They show nothing for lowering shocks in the front.

I'm hoping I don't need to move up all the way to Konis just yet, for a simple spring drop. That's $800 right there just in shocks and struts. I was hoping I could use GR-2's...

If this is going to be a major undertaking, I'll probably pass.

Thanks!

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Depends on what it's a 1" drop from.

"Lower" is a comparative term: it doesn't exist in a vacuum. You gotta start out from some point of reference and then compare.

If it's "from" where the car was WHEN NEW, no problem; it's already probably 1" lower than where that would leave it.

If it's 1" from where a bunch of 25-yr-old wore-out saggy stock limp weenie POS springs are TODAY, well, could be an ALTOGETHER different matter.

Here's what your car started out life as. Most likely, 1" lowering springs will locate the car 1" lower than what you see in these pics.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/hist...factory+photos

Just because the box says "lowers 1" " doesn't automatically mean that you open the box, pour out whatever is in it all over your car and rub it in, and your car magically is now 1" closer to the Earth than wherever it happens to be at the moment.

Be aware that QUITE OFTEN, people buy "lowering" springs and put em in, only to discover that their car has ALREADY lowered itself FAR MORE THAN whatever the springs claim to "lower"; and in fact their car GOES UP.

Alice89

iTrader: (6)

Have you measured the front ride height of your car? You should before you spend any $. To measure it you take a tape measure and measure from the front center fender lip to the center of the bottom of the tire.

Stock height in front is *around* 27.5 inches.

Believe it or not lowering springs will sometimes raise the ride height due to the stock springs sagging.

Could you post a picture, or give me the measurement of your front ride height?

Also, if your car still has it's spring isolators, then removing them will lower your car about half an inch all round. You would have to add some heater hose to the top coil to keep metal on metal contact at bay.

Here's a picture of where to measure: (My wheel is turned in this pic, but you get the idea)

kx3g

I'm about to do the same thing, but I already have newish (low miles) KYB shocks and struts (put on by the previous owner). I will take some measurements tonight.

kx3g

Mine measures:

Driver front - 27 7/8
Pass front - 27 1/2
Driver rear - 28
Pass rear - 28 1/4

85Z28NOS

iTrader: (2)

Ride height and spring rate from eibach is almost perfect for our cars. I have tried summit 1" lowering springs and new factory cut springs and although the ride height was ok the spring rate not to my liking. installed the pro kit and have been very happy for of the shelf springs.

johndinu

I just put in the prokits with moog insulator (front) I measure 26 5/8.
the car looks obviously lowered...
I have used the founders camber plates and gr2's in front gas a just in the back.
I doubt the stock springs sag any. took out the stockers and relaxed heiht was 13", exactly 1" more than the prokits. also orig insulator was almost completely worn thru.
my next upgrade will be sfc's and then konis
btw rode just a little but love the ride.
heard good thing about the vogtlands, but got an awesome deal for the prokits off ebay (old stock, $170 shipped)

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

You dont need lowering shocks and struts, just quality ones. Konis will likely outlast the car, but in a pinch something like the GR-2's will be fine. As long as you dont put Monroe's in it or something.

kx3g

I'm ordering my Pro-kit, insulators, and control arm bushings this weekend. Already have new GR-2s, sway bar, and end link bushings (from the previous owner) on the car. Can't way to see how that changes the car!

johndinu

tossed a wonderbar in as well (tds)
u'll love the springs.
btw, I have used two 10000lbs ratchet straps to compress the springs and 2 smaller cambuckle straps to keep em compressed while installing.
found safer to use than a cheapo rental internal spring compressor. (u'll only need when installing, when removing just lower slowly with the jack

kx3g

I thought about rachet straps. Good to know that has been used before. Haven't completely decided which method I will use.

A wonderbar is definitely in my future.

InfernalVortex

iTrader: (4)

ratchet straps sounds a lot safer to me than those spring compressors. Those things make me SUPER nervous.

I prefer my crowbar method. This is a photo of me using my crowbar method.



Takes a minute to get the hang of, but once you get it you can have the front springs in place in a matter of 30 seconds per side and as someone who is a stickler for safety, I feel extremely comfortable with it. You're not compressing a spring NEARLY as far as a compressor will and you aren't handling the compressed spring with your hands and fingers. I've had it fall all over the place, with this method it doesnt get compressed far enough or hard enough to do anything except just fall near you as fast as gravity can pull it. At the point where it's over the spring pocket and you're pulling the pry bar out, it's almost completely uncompressed. The harder you push up on the bar while sliding it the LESS compressed it becomes and the less energy is stored in it. Plus with the angle, even if the spring pops out, which it will, it's going to bounce away from you. I've sat there and played with it a lot, and even if you seat the top in the spring pocket and push up on the spring as hard as you can and intentionally throw the crowbar out of the way so that it will "bounce" at you, it still wont "shoot" at you. It just falls.

Its easier, safer, and simpler than using a traditional spring compressor, but it's a little unnerving at first. I would suggest wearing boots, but I've done it in sneakers too. Not a big deal.

Just tape your isolators to the top of the spring and have a partner with a jack ready to jack up the a-arm after you get the spring in.

johndinu

that's an awesome method (crowbar). I'd definitely give it a try.
any method which keeps your face and fingers away from a compressed spring is gr8