I have a 2004 z and I would like to lower the car a bit. Is there much of a difference in the two bettween spings and coilovers?

 

thread Fail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Adjustability and having a spring and shock vs. not having

 

Are you being serious asking this????

Coilovers all day long, multiple adjustabilty and ride heights.

 

Probably asking from a cost prespective, springs if you're not doing hard twisties and on a budget just be prepared for your stock shocks to give out. I also do recommend doing the coilovers if you can fund it, if not just throw springs until the shocks go and then upgrade

 

another alternative is to use a stiff spring that is close to the factory spec,
such as cobb (15% stiffer) or rsr, etc.
in fact, cobb says they designed the springs to the stock struts, i am not too sure about others.

don't forget that there is a high percentage need for a camber kit(at least the rears) and higher install price with the camber.

still, coilovers will be more expensive even if you could pick up a decent used.
i believe they do require camber kit front and back and also higher installation prices.

so, as pun1sh3RZ says, if you are not much into the auto-x or other forms of tracking, springs will save you couple of hundred bucks; on the other hand, if you plan to do so some day down the road, it is worth saving extra $$ for coilovers.

just my .02


-jason

 

Here's my take on this. Keep your stock shocks on (unless you're auto-x'ing in the close future), because they should still be good. If they are shot, get coil overs. If they are still good, keep them until either you start racing/auto-x/track/etc or until they give. Get springs that are compatible with a set of coil overs. That way, when you do need the shocks you can use the springs you already have and you are replacing a part instead of junking perfectly good parts for "overkill" performance parts.

This is my general concept for all modifications. For example, I'm not planning on buying new rims until my OEM tires are done. Because by that time, I'll need to drop $900-$1200 on tires and for a bit more I can get a rim/tire package. At least that will be my argument to my wife.

My 2 cents.

 

to answer the OPs question - yes, there is a HUGE difference.

Which is right for you? Define your budget, define your needs, define what you like about the suspension on the car, and what you wish was different, and from there, it's easier for us to make recommendations.

 

I wish we could get something like ground control

 

They designed the springs for oem 2004.5+ shocks. They had no clue that 03/04 oem shocks and rear springs are totally different then what their 2005 or 2006 R&D Z had. I would not run the Cobb springs on a Z that doesn't have the revised suspension. Some 2004 car's have the revised suspension, some don't as it was a mid cycle product change.

 

Even if they did, Koni's don't like higher spring rates, D-specs have a 450lbs rate cap and you still have biggest catch of all that effects shock/spring setups. Shock piston stroke.

https://my350z.com/forum/showthread....highlight=Koni

 

^+10000000000

 

oh yeah. i think i read that the springs were designed for 04.5+.
thanks for the reminder +_+

gsedan35 the suspension guru +_+/