Great writeup BMR guy!
And I can attest to the absolute need to "Time" the bushings after a ride height alteration.
I installed the Pfadt drop springs and balance bar on my car last weekend. Today was the day to get the bushings "timed" and the 4 wheel alignment completed.
On my way to the shop for alignment I was beginning to think I'd made a mistake by lowering the car because of the ride quality I was experiencing. I knew there would be a slight trade off of ride compliance for handling improvements but the ride was much more harsh then I'd expected.
Once on the rack for a while, after timing but before aligning, the technician asked me who manufactured the spring package I had and who installed them? I immediately thought something must have been wrong. But to my relief he said that the drop was perfectly square side to side and just right front to back. (slightly lower in front then in back) He stated that the rear settled almost 1/2" after the bushings were timed!
Those bushings must have been under quite a bit of preload to hold the tail of the car up as much as a 1/2"! The tech wanted me to take him for a ride to make sure everything was to my liking before he signed off on the job and as soon as we wheeled out of the parking lot I could tell the difference in the ride quality.
Yes it still rides a bit stiffer then the factory set-up but the harshness that I felt on the way to the shop was gone! I LOVE the way the car looks, feels and takes the curves.
People......... if you alter the ride height of your car, take the time or pay the price to have those bushings "timed". The difference is night and day!
