Lowering and KEEPING the Stock Ride?

[2010SSRS]

i have started some research on wheels and seen a few lowered rides. i really like the looks of the dissppearing gap between the tires and fenders/quarters.

i will be putting Kooks LT's w/ catts and a Corsa system on very soon and plan on new aftermarket whels and tires. i will however, not be going higher than 20" wheels, but will be going 10" - 11" wide in rear.

i understand the lowering springs drop the hieght but also drop the ride quality which i will not compromise. i live in WI and our roads EVERYWHERE suck ass......this is why i'm staying in a 20" wheel also.

so my question is........what other alternatives to dropping do i have other than springs?

[camarowa]

coil-overs; pfadt, pedders, kw etc

[Indpowr]

Coilover kits but its 3 times the money.

Our car drives just like stock. The H&R Springs give the car a little stiffer ride but its more sporty. We also run 22s and the ride still feels great.

Eibach is a little softer than H&R.

If we can help you with 20s, let me know. The 20s we would sell would be lighter than stock since our 22s weight 28lbs and 32lbs.

[2010SSRS]

Originally Posted by Indpowr

Coilover kits but its 3 times the money.

Our car drives just like stock. The H&R Springs give the car a little stiffer ride but its more sporty. We also run 22s and the ride still feels great.

Eibach is a little softer than H&R.

If we can help you with 20s, let me know. The 20s we would sell would be lighter than stock since our 22s weight 28lbs and 32lbs.

i'd love for you to come up here on these roads with ur car, then make that same statement..

i'm sure in Florida (i go there yearly) springs only and 22's would suffice....no t here. i put 17" wheels and droped springs on our 67' Camaro when we restored it......absolutely murdered the ride on our streets.

on some of our streets and highways, i can't even talk when driving my Sierra Denali with 20's or in the summer in the Camaro.

i was actually thinking about these wheels in 20's:

[ffrcobra_65]

ohhhhh those are nice wheels!!!!! Best I have seen here IMO.

[Bruce@raymondsperformance]

We used the pedders coil overs to lower our car 1.5" and the car still rides as good as it did stock. Pedders coil overs have a 30 way adjustable valve so you can dial in the ride or performance you are looking for.We stayed with the 20" and used the ccw 505's.

[2010SSRS]

Originally Posted by raymo1

We used the pedders coil overs to lower our car 1.5" and the car still rides as good as it did stock. Pedders coil overs have a 30 way adjustable valve so you can dial in the ride or performance you are looking for.We stayed with the 20" and used the ccw 505's.

do you have any pics of the stance?

i'm not looking for adjustability......just want lowered stance with stock ride or better on my 20's.

[oachalon]

2010SSRS, i am more picky than you. I want lowered stance, with better handling, and stock ride.

[axis]

I think it's obvious that if you want the absolutely best ride and be lowered, you'll need to spend $$$ on CO's. For lowering springs, common sense tells me that the lower you go, the more "harsh" the ride HAS to be in order to keep from bouncing off the bumpstops all the time. With this way of thinking, the 1in springs "should" give you the best ride. Just remember when reading peoples opinions about the ride, that everyones perception of ride quality is different.

[grocerygetter]

exactly...my last car was a 06 STI...everyone on the STI forums recommended the best riding springs out there...I bought em. Rode like crap on the interstate but great in town. got rid of the car. LOL
me, well, I'm waiting on Axis to buy the Eibachs then I'm going to ride in his car and see if I like it or not. LOL

[jsharp]

The lexanis are great I favor them for some odd reason lol. However a 1.5 drop is to much for the way these line up with the fenders I would be afraid of bottom out on the fenders under load!

[Orange5thGen]

I used Eibach Pro kit springs, lowered it 1 inch shown with 20x9.5" and 20x8.5" up front, great ride and better performance handling. The ride is awesome and our roads suck a$$ too in IL.

[2010SSRS]

Originally Posted by jsharp

The lexanis are great I favor them for some odd reason lol. However a 1.5 drop is to much for the way these line up with the fenders I would be afraid of bottom out on the fenders under load!

i was thinking 1"

Originally Posted by Orange5thGen

I used Eibach Pro kit springs, lowered it 1 inch shown with 20x9.5" and 20x8.5" up front, great ride and better performance handling. The ride is awesome and our roads suck a$$ too in IL.

this is the stance i'm looking for!

[PfadtRacing]

Installing drop springs will give you a great aesthetic look and a slightly firmer feel to your suspension. There are differences between the manufacturers of drop springs, so investigate exactly which set of springs will get you the right drop, durability and ride quality. A good set of springs will improve the ride by adding a firm but not harsh feel. You'll probably need to get opinions from end users on the relative ride quality of springs. This is a good solution that requires minimal cost for parts and installation, and will provide a similar ride quality to what the Camaro already has.

If you are interested in gaining more performance also, you could achieve the same drop with a coil-over solution and gain a lot of other things in the process. The benefits of coilovers in general and Pfadt units in particular are tunable damping and adjustable ride height. The adjustable damping fits well with your ride quality concern, because the damping plays a large role in ride quality. With the Pfadt coilovers there are 20 damping positions that will allow you to tailor the ride to suit your taste. Think of this as custom valving that you can change with a few twists of a knob. The softer damping settings provide better ride quality. If you have further questions, please feel free to give us a call. There is obviously a substantial increase in cost when making the move to coilovers. But the added performance, ride tuning aspects, and height adjustability make them well worth a consideration.

Hope that helps!

[verboten]

Doesn't anybody cut existing springs anymore. Just chop off an inch or however much you want to lower. Especially if you want to keep the same ride. The Porsche guys have been doing it for years. A very cheap alternative.

[xtreme industries]

i dont know how well cut springs will work, arent the springs in the camaro tapered? i dont think they will seat correctly if you cut them. i would not recomend cutting the springs on a camaro. especially since there are some low cost alternatives out there like Eibach or HR.

[BMR guy]

A lot has changed since the days of cutting springs and it definitely cannot be done on this platform. Not only do the springs have indexed seats they have to fit into but their are specific free heights (spring height that keeps the spring on the seats when the suspension is unloaded) that have to be maintained to keep the spring seated when the suspension is unloaded.....

[hypurone]

Originally Posted by verboten

Doesn't anybody cut existing springs anymore. Just chop off an inch or however much you want to lower. Especially if you want to keep the same ride. The Porsche guys have been doing it for years. A very cheap alternative.

In addition to what has been posted on this already... when you remove a coil or half-coil, the spring now has less to work with and usually suffers in its ability to control things. As well as usually sagging further than desired after some drive time. Using heat is a bog no-no as well. It is just not worth it...

[Mindz]

D1BADZ has the Pfadt drop springs on his and the stance is almost perfect. I think it's a 1.25" drop and he said he hasn't lost any ride comfort in the least. They're only a couple hundred bucks I think.

[urr2slo]

i went with the hotchkis track pack, lowered it 1" has the right stance now, handling is awesome, and the ride is great,hardly changed at all. the trick to making it work i think is the right wheel and tire package, if you put a heavier wheel and tire combo the ride will be affected due to the increase of unsprung, the shocks in the car arent tuned for more wieght. i went with axiom 20x9, 20x11 and pirelli pzeros 275 and 305 and was able to reduce my unsprung wieght at the corners so my ride is great.
you can see it at hotchkis's website, click on the track pack and then details and it's the abm ss/rs.
you wont be dis-appointed with this setup, dont forget about your wheel wieght, those lexani's you like are heavy.

[2010SSRS]

Originally Posted by urr2slo

i went with the hotchkis track pack, lowered it 1" has the right stance now, handling is awesome, and the ride is great,hardly changed at all. the trick to making it work i think is the right wheel and tire package, if you put a heavier wheel and tire combo the ride will be affected due to the increase of unsprung, the shocks in the car arent tuned for more wieght. i went with axiom 20x9, 20x11 and pirelli pzeros 275 and 305 and was able to reduce my unsprung wieght at the corners so my ride is great.
you can see it at hotchkis's website, click on the track pack and then details and it's the abm ss/rs.
you wont be dis-appointed with this setup, dont forget about your wheel wieght, those lexani's you like are heavy.

i would to see pics of your ride......specifically the 20x11 wheels with 305 tires (i was thinking 315) and the 1" drop.

got any to post?

[SSCamaro2010]

when installing these drop springs how hard is it?? should they be professionaly installed or can it be done by someone at home?

[urr2slo]

Originally Posted by 2010SSRS

i would to see pics of your ride......specifically the 20x11 wheels with 305 tires (i was thinking 315) and the 1" drop.

got any to post?

it's the abm ss/rs on hotchkis website, and their springs post.

[PfadtRacing]

Originally Posted by SSCamaro2010

when installing these drop springs how hard is it?? should they be professionaly installed or can it be done by someone at home?

You can certainly do it yourself! If you do not have a spring compressor, most local auto parts stores will rent them for free or a small fee. Here is a link to the DIY procedure for our Pfadt Drop Springs. Please let us know if you have any questions!

http://www.camaro5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=60238

[toehead93]

To the OP, what is your budget? Are coilovers even an option? If they are too expensive you can opt for springs and sway bars. The big advantage coilovers provide over springs is they retain full travel length in the suspension. If coilovers are in your budget I have two sets of Pedders coilovers available now.