Lowering a daily driver 1LE, advice please

[Kleen]

I'm in the same boat as you and will either go with BMR or Hotchkis. I've seen post where Hotchkis lowered the car 1-1.1 in. after they've settled which is perfect for a daily driver IMO. DSE is double the listed price of all the others.

[Firefighter]

I'm currently sitting on a set of Hotchkiss Springs on my '13 1LE.

I did the install about 3 weeks ago.

They feel similar ride wise to the stock Springs and definitely closed up the gap but don't look stupid.

The rates are higher than the stock and improve responsiveness.

I would normally defer to Pete's advice on the DSE Springs but I had the Hotchkiss already. If I recall properly they are at 210lbs Front and 440lbs Rear.

I neglected to do a before and after measurement but I was told that the Hotchkiss 1" drop was more like 3/4" on the 1LE.


I plan on running this set up until the struts go bad then I'm going coil overs.

[MBaseman]

^^^car looks good. Got anymore pics? Still on the stock tires in that pic above?

I feel like the Hotchkis get the best consistent responses from users. They are linear, correct?

I really like the red BMR's and think they would look the best with the red brembos. Plus they offer the 1.25" drop, but I have read a lot of mixed reviews on them.

Fun stuff...

[Firefighter]

Originally Posted by MBaseman

^^^car looks good. Got anymore pics? Still on the stock tires in that pic above?

I feel like the Hotchkis get the best consistent responses from users. They are linear, correct?

I really like the RED BMR's and think they would look the best with the RED brembos. Plus they offer the 1.25" drop, but I have read a lot of mixed reviews on them.

Fun stuff...

They are stock 285/35 but Michelin PSS.

If I had to do it all over again I would do the same. More drop than this is a bit too much IMHO.

Any other pics she's dirty but lets see...

[SS MoFo]

Originally Posted by JusticePete

Front Drop Springs

The Drop springs have an increased spring rate and lower the ride height to give your car a more aggressive stance. They are a direct replacement and retain the factory isolators.

Detroit Speed Front Drop Spring Rate:
220 lbs/in.

OEM Stock Spring Rate:
V8 SS - 156 lbs/in.
V6 - 145 lbs/in.

Rear Drop Springs

The Drop springs have an increased spring rate and lower the ride height to give your car a more aggressive stance. They are a direct replacement and retain the factory isolators.

Detroit Speed Rear Spring Rate:
425 lbs/in.

OEM Stock Spring Rate:
V8 SS - 383 lbs/in.
V6 - 300 lbs/in.

DSE shows list price for a set at $510. I can check stock and pricing on Tuesday for you if you would like.

I like the idea of increased spring rate..

What's the ride height of a 1LE after front/rear DSE coil install?

I'm on some worn out 285/35r20 's with factory SS springs:

Front 740mm
Rear 765mm

[Nor Cal ZL1]

Originally Posted by MBaseman

I'm interested to see and hear about your outcome. I wonder if DSE over estimates their drop at 1.5"...because that does seem a bit aggressive for what I'm going for. But the spring rates posted by JP seem interesting. Looks a bit softer than BMR and Hotchkis. If DSE was advertising at a 1.0" - 1.25" drop, then I think I would jump on them in a heartbeat. They are expensive springs to purchase only to realize they slammed the car way too low.

Maybe 1.5" drop on SS struts and not quite as much on 1LE struts? Anyone know the answer to this? Justice Pete?

Most of the drop measurements are based on the SS ride height.

[MBaseman]

Originally Posted by Firefighter

If I had to do it all over again I would do the same. More drop than this is a bit too much IMHO.

Thanks for the extra info. This statement right here might be the deciding factor that pushes me over the hump. It's nice to hear someone say this. We tend to have a "grass must be greener" mentality, especially on mods like this.

I had someone else tell me they have used pfadt, then BMR (both 1.4 and 1.25) and says "if I had to do it over again, I would not mess with the springs and I would have kept it stock". I wish he had feedback on the 1.0" BMR. He say pfadt was a bit soft and the BMR's were noisy. Maybe the spring insulators would make the BMR's better?

[MBaseman]

Originally Posted by Nor Cal ZL1

Most of the drop measurements are based on the SS ride height.

That's what I was thinking but wondering how that really translates in real life to the 1LE. How much difference in ride height would a standard SS have compared to the 1LE? And, in theory if the 1LE is say 0.5" lower, would a 1.0" drop spring for an SS give only a 0.5" drop on the 1LE, or would it give it the full 1.0" drop? Or somewhere in between? I'm very curious about this question.

Anyone???

[Firefighter]

Originally Posted by MBaseman

That's what I was thinking but wondering how that really translates in real life to the 1LE. How much difference in ride height would a standard SS have compared to the 1LE? And, in theory if the 1LE is say 0.5" lower, would a 1.0" drop spring for an SS give only a 0.5" drop on the 1LE, or would it give it the full 1.0" drop? Or somewhere in between? I'm very curious about this question.

Anyone???

Part of the 1LE drop is tire diameter.

I was told that the Hotchkiss do 3/4" on a 1LE when I purchased my Springs from JDP way back. I'll measure in a few here and we can get an idea.

I think some one posted stock 1LE height if anyone else wants to measure for comparison it'll be verified.

[1leNPP]

I when with Hotchkiss 1" lower springs they been on my car for over a year now and I got 70K on the 1LE now . For a DD I would not go lower than a 1" . They gave me the look I wanted but still be able to drive the car every were and with a ride I can live with . I did cut my bounce stop when I put my springs on just so you know.

[1leNPP]

Firefighter
Thank You for the pics of your car, I was thinking of getting that hood for my car to . It was nice to be able to see what it look like .

[Firefighter]

Originally Posted by 1leNPP

I when with Hotchkiss 1" lower springs they been on my car for over a year now and I got 70K on the 1LE now . For a DD I would not go lower than a 1" . They gave me the look I wanted but still be able to drive the car every were and with a ride I can live with . I did cut my bounce stop when I put my springs on just so you know.

I contemplated cutting my stops but I didn't. I think one time I took an intersection a little too fast and maybe bottomed out. It hasn't happened since though.

[Firefighter]

I just measured and the fronts were at 720mm and the rears were about 735mm. These measurements are give or take a mm.

This is measured from the top/center of the wheel arch to the ground.

Going by the previously noted stock measurements it looks to be an even 30mm which is roughly 1.1 inches.

[Firefighter]

Originally Posted by 1leNPP

Firefighter
Thank You for the pics of your car, I was thinking of getting that hood for my car to . It was nice to be able to see what it look like .

NP man. If you check my build thread in my signature I have a number of posts on it. That and my saga to get it painted...

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=285054