Hi guys
I am thinking of lowering my 2005 Enthusiast Z about 1-1 1/2 inches by installing lowered springs.
I want to use my factory shocks and hope that I will not need any adjustable camber arms etc.
Can I "get away" with this mod or do I need to spend some serious money to lower my car?
Just want to keep things as simple as possible.
Thanks

 

No....

 

If you don't care about actual performance gains and only want the aesthetics, sure. But it's a waste of time and a futile effort to save money, IMO, if that's the goal.

There will be zero benefits from lowering on stock shocks. If the shocks aren't blown yet, they will soon be under the stress of trying to tame a set of performance springs with already marginal shocks. And without adequate damping of the springs, all you'll have is a car with a "cool look" and a worst ride than you started with. "Form over function...."

Lowering ALWAYS affects alignment, NO MATTER WHAT. You might be able to lower down to about -1.0"/-25mm without enough camber/toe change to warrant adjustable alignment; but anything beyond that, likely to put you out of the standard camber and toe range. Might be OK to run slightly out of range but if you're trying to save money, increased tire wear will negate that.

Do it right to start with. Lower with matched shocks & spring combination (or coilovers, for whatever reason you'll need adjustment) AND at least budget in adjustable FUCAs and rear camber/toe adjusters to add after checking post-install alignment.

 

This is very helpful to know
Looks like I need more than I hoped for but I do not want make my ride worse
Yes I do want to lower for aesthetic reasons but keeping suspension geometry in spec would be more important
Definitely don't want the handling and ride to become worse for sure
Thank you very much for your response

 

As stated above, if you lower over .75" the inside 1/3 of your tires will wear out really quickly. If you have a set of $800+ performance tires you'll kick yourself for not getting FUCAs and rear camber arms and alignment.

 

I like my short and sweet answer

 

Sure, but do you want the thread to be short n' sweet or carry on with question after question after question?

And that gets exhausting.

One answer, done.

 

I know the search function works......

 

Lol, that video got me laughing.

 

At that height drop, you will at a MINIMUM need rear camber arms and toe bolts. Front FUCA’s are a good idea, but some people like myself get away without them. (I’m on swift spec R’s). Also, you will blow your shocks out very soon if you use your stock shocks. Save yourself the trouble and money and do it right the first time with the right parts. You’ll just be spending what you saved replacing your shocks and tires.

Also, this topic has been beaten to death. Use search.

 

Thanks for your reply

 

Installing new shocks/struts will be the same labor as putting the old ones back in after installing springs anyways, so whether you intend to do this yourself or have a shop, you'd only be out the cost of the new shocks and struts. Toe bolts are cheap and easy to install as well, and although my FUCAs weren't easy to remove due to a rusty bolt there isn't a more ideal time to get to them then while the shock/spring assembly is out...

 

Thanks mate
You make a very good point