well here is the car


now, everyone and their brother, tells me that i should lower the car. Ive been fighting it for a while now and am starting to give in. what is everyones opinion? i see sportlines around and that seems to be the spring of choice, any other options for a lowering of 1.75-2"? right now i have spohn's IROZ springs, which i think actually raised the car a bit. my biggest problem with the whole lowering thing is how do you jack up the car? im always working on it, changing things, and as it sits now i have to drive up on ramps made of 2 2x12" just to get my jack under the front without smashing into the air dam. how do you people who have these nicely dropped cars, jack up the front end? i do NOT like the idea that some people have of "jacking up the a-arm one one side, then doing the other." i think that is retarded. is there any other way?

thanks

 

Just get a bigger set of ramps. I've got Sportlines on my Formula and have also used ramps since I bought the car new back in '91. Mine are from Advance made by Rhino I think, made from some plastic material. They get the car plenty high enough to put a jack under the front crossmember with no damage to the air dam. Nice ride BTW.

 

stupid question but, pic of ramps? i tried to make a slightly higher set of 2x12 ramps and the car pushes them before it get up on them. but i never thought i could buy a set of ramps that the car could actually drive up on that would fit under the car and not hit the airdam

 

nice car! but geez it looks like u have a lift kit on that thing...ive fought it too for a while but ive given in, i just got the sportlines since they make the car look amazing, and they will be goin in within the next 3 weeks. i would get the sportlines they will drop the car alot bc of ur new stiff springs and make that thing look even better. oh if u got the stock shocks u will want to put new ones in. im going wit KYB bc i have no money lol and i want better than stock performance but nothing to stiff bc its my daily driver.

i have some really old metal ramps that work great, i would look into a good pair, just google for some setups, u shouldnt have a problem with clearance issues. oh yea dont forget to get LCA relocation brackets and adjustable panhard rod. they are a must for ur lowered car

 

245/50/16s & intrax 2" springs. $180.00 from summit. (i didn't have the locker yet)

 

i drive the fronts up on a set of 2x4s and the lift clears no problem.

 

I drive up on 2 2x4's offset a bit, then the jack fits fine under the front end. Still have to "baby pump it" for a bit.

 

I usually jack it from the sides. The driver side is simple, but the exhaust on the passenger is mind numbing. We have a "speed jack" so it's easier to get under there than the conventional floor jack.

 

i like the all-black.. and stance

 

thanks! the wheels are powdercoated, i've since added a trans-am decklid, and a v6 hood with a summit cowl to clear the stealth ram. i need some new pics.

 

My car is low enough that I can't jack the front up. SO,I usually jack the rear of the car up first, Put the jack under the axle assembly first, - place jack stands under the axle tubes, move the jack to the front and go from there. It is a pain, but I don't have long enough ramps that will clear the front/lower radiator air deflector
-Andrew

 

hey, thanks guys, i think i'm ready to get a set of sportlines, one more question. how much will the handling be affected if i opt not to install LCA relocation brackets? i have a new motor coming and my little ten bolt will be obliterated shortly after, and i don't want to put the brackets on just to throw them away when the rear goes kaput.

 

new motor = enough power to kill the 10 bolt = enough power to twist the car = subframe connectors = best place to jack a car up ever!!
this is the only way i can jack my car up, and the front is lowered about 1.25 inches i think. i just jack up one sude and put a stand under the sway bar mount and go to the other side and do the same thing.

 

and this is exactly the method i do not ever want to do.

and im no newbie here, i have all the suspension work, PHB, LCA, STB, wonderbar, SFC, swaybars, the works, im not going to drop a 500horse motor into a stock chassis and pray to God is works and i dont die. the 12bolt will be comming after the swap is done.

anyway im going to just have to deal with ramps...

thanks guys!

 

and why would you not just use the sunframes to jack the car up? i do it everytime i need to jack it up, and have done this for over a year. it works great and that was my point. im glad to hear your not dropping in a huge motor and praying to live, but my only point from above was about how the sunframes make a great point to put a jack on

 

86 TA I have the same springs you currently have and yes they do raise the car up a bit from stock, but they are stiff and make the cars handle better then the cars I've driven/riden in with sportlines, prolines, intrax etc. My choice was to cut 1/2 coil off the springs and was surprised it dropped about 1 1/4" leaving the car about 3/4" below stock ride height from the factory and looks really good. I am running long tube headers so lowering too much will not work, but a little lower than factory is perfect for me. Just an idea vs. spending $250 on a new set of springs when you actually in my opinion have the best aftermarket springs available for our cars in terms of handeling and ride.

 

I have an extra front set of intrax springs if anyone is interested.

 

i have to apologize for being so snappy, i had a rough day at work and was a bit irritable. let me explain my premise. i don't think its the safest thing to do. i don't like the idea of having all the weight of the front of the car teetering on a swaybar mount, then jacking up the other side of the car, hoping the car itself does not move on the jackstand. i just dont like the idea and have always preferred just jacking up the front with the k-member all at once. also i don't have the perimeter style SFC, i have alston type, and they are inboard, from the trans subframe to the rear, so i really cant get the jack under to that point.
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never thought of it that way, not a big fan of cutting springs though, just dont like the ride height, but i never said the springs dont work, they are actually really good

 

To drive my car up onto ramps I made a set of ramp extentions out of a 2 x 12 about 36" long with rebar hooks on the end to fit into the holes on the ramp. To jack the front end I made ramps out of 2 x 12s stacked two high. Then my jack goes all the way to the 'K' member. Works for me.