Lowering.. Personal opinions.

9th July 2010, 17:06

Alrite you lot.

Basically wanted to open up a little discussion about lowering. Pros n Cons.

My main question is... (Coming into the Cons first)

When you lower your saxo, Does ride comfort drop a lot ?

The reason I ask is because, I want to lower mine, BUT... In all honesty my saxo rattles and jalts about off the roads around Brum a lot as it is.

Round by me its like a pissing rally track, (shit cheap council jobs)....I feel like I need a fucking Co Driver, "Smooth tar mac, 300 yards, Onto loose gravel 200 yards, Sharp bend to right, adverse camber onto Ditch, pot hole to the right, back onto tar mac, and finish" You get the drift.... What i want to know is when you lower your saxo does it reaaally stiffen the ride up. Cause if it does i might just forget it.

On the pros side i think it does look very nice indeed and i know with bottom and top strut Braces its good for handling.... i was thinking on the lines of about 40-50 MM.

Discuss !

9th July 2010, 17:36

It depends greatly on what suspension parts you intend to buy.

Standard dampers are pretty crap where lowering is concerned so just lowering on springs isnt a great option.

There are spring options however which are designed with comfort in mind - Eibach springs are a good option for comfort.

With the dampers it depends how much you're willing to spend. Spax VSX ones would be sufficient.

9th July 2010, 17:55

I have a full Spax PSX kit on my VTR, approx 45mm all round

looks wise, spot on, I think the Saxo is too high as standard and looks a hundred times better lowered

however, ride comfort is shite! motorway driving is fine, normal day to day A and B roads I was getting more and more fed up with the ride, my mum won't go anywhere in it because it's so bumpy lol

I would do it, but be prepared for a firmer ride, some of my mates are amazed at how well it grips around roundabouts, the handling is spot on

I would be reluctant to put lowering springs on standard shocks personally

Pics of mine to give you an idea of how low mine is ... http://www.saxperience.com/forum/showthread.php?t=79665

9th July 2010, 21:41

thanks lads, No i definately wasnt planning on low springs and standard shocks. Ive heard before that this isnt a good idea anyway.. i was going to get full kit with dampers n springs. Just didnt really want to be rattled to fuck by the time i get where im going. But then theres the plus of how much better it looks.

do you ever get the feeling though, when you go over a bad patch of road and the car jaults that somethings going to give way eventually... i just feel like id get that feeling more if i was lowered.

But it will prob get the better of me and ill just go low. ill check out those eibach Willsy, cheers.

10th July 2010, 02:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlvtr88

thanks lads, No i definately wasnt planning on low springs and standard shocks. Ive heard before that this isnt a good idea anyway.. i was going to get full kit with dampers n springs. Just didnt really want to be rattled to fuck by the time i get where im going. But then theres the plus of how much better it looks.

do you ever get the feeling though, when you go over a bad patch of road and the car jaults that somethings going to give way eventually... i just feel like id get that feeling more if i was lowered.

But it will prob get the better of me and ill just go low. ill check out those eibach Willsy, cheers.

lool thats what mine is lowering spring on the standard shocks and it aint a good ride trust me but i cba with paying more money to change them
i would lower yours man is miles off the ground lol depends how low you wanna go mean roads by us are crap is like a industrial site

10th July 2010, 02:56

which part of birmingham you from? most the roads round my area are decent. untill you go wednesbury, smethick etc lol

10th July 2010, 18:33

stechford

10th July 2010, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlvtr88

stechford

My home turf

10th July 2010, 22:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by willsy

My home turf

really ? Shit, small world M8.. So where abouts in stech is your patch (

) mate ? you do your lowering work further away though i take it ?...

11th July 2010, 20:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlvtr88

really ? Shit, small world M8.. So where abouts in stech is your patch (

) mate ? you do your lowering work further away though i take it ?...

I cover quite a bit really, from Washwood heath/Alum rock right across Stechford to Shard End. Huge area.

The garage unit that i do lowering from is in Nuneaton. Its only just down the M6 a couple of junctions. 23 miles in all so not far

11th July 2010, 21:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by willsy

I cover quite a bit really, from Washwood heath/Alum rock right across Stechford to Shard End. Huge area.

The garage unit that i do lowering from is in Nuneaton. Its only just down the M6 a couple of junctions. 23 miles in all so not far

How do you find those areas? A bit "rough and ready"?

11th July 2010, 21:40

Mines is down 50mm.. Saxo's look well better lowered but the ride comfort is horrid lol feel every dent and bump in the road and you need to creep over speedbumps but its really your choice mate

11th July 2010, 21:49

god the roads round by me are just terrible i have to like dodge the holes and that or slow right down in some places lol

12th July 2010, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meto

How do you find those areas? A bit "rough and ready"?

There is never any shortage of jobs to go to put it that way lol. Its the busiest area in Birmingham at the mo by a long shot

BTW is anyones after lowering asap im free all weekend this weekend at the mo. both saturday and sunday.

12th July 2010, 11:27

Sorry to just like ask a question in this thread when its not mine, but willsy, money is a struggle atm, so if i did decide to lower my car 60/60 and buy just springs, what will happen to my car etc etc. Will it fuck it up? how bad will the ride be?

12th July 2010, 11:50

YOu have to find a balance between ride comfort and how low you drop the car. The lower the car the better the dampers need to be, as they have to do the same amount of work with less movement.
For rough roads you probably want to look at keeping the car relatively high. You can get away with using B6 Bilsteins if you don't go lower than 30mm. Then use a progressive spring to absorb the bumps.
http://www.kamracing.co.uk/index.php...nsion-kit.html

Also making sure your tyre pressures are correct and bushes etc are all in good condition will be the difference between the car absorbing or unsettling in the rough.

Kev

12th July 2010, 16:51

In all honesty i was looking to go about 40mm... Sounds about right. I expect ride comfort to be shit but i was merely asking " how bad " to expect it... Sometimes when my car jaults i think to myself... this isnt good... and i suppose i have the notion in my head that when im lower and ride is more stiff, Ill be further jaulting my car Thus maybe further damaging the springs or something. But as you say, If you get the right products, thats what they're designed for.

I wouldnt lower on just springs tho, I genuinly was lookin at the spax 40mm Kit. i think its about 230 odd quid, iirc, off the kam site.

Oh yeah plus i was planing on getting some Vts rims eventually so 40mm with S rims would be enough to get the look im after me thinks

Nice one to everyone for the input though. And yeah Willsy ill get in touch with you when i want mine dropped, Cant see it being this weekend in all honesty but ill Defo keep you in mind when the job comes. Gone to monthly pay now at work aint i So its a bit of a bitch waiting around for my cash.

14th July 2010, 10:53

Cheers mate, gimme a shout whenever you're ready