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Lowering cars is increasingly becoming a way people can give their vehicles that sporty look they desire. The modification does not just give your car an exotic look but also enhances its handling performance.
It is important to consider some factors before lowering your car. These include the lowering method suitable for your car and its suitable with a stock suspension, stock shocks and stock struts.
Personally I have tried lowering my car by replacing my spring suspension with shorter springs, and the result was impressive. It gave my car a sporty look and the handling increased significantly. However , I had to change the stock shocker of my car.
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Can you lower stock springs?
It is not possible to lower a car with stock springs. This is because you will have to replace the stock springs with lower or shorter springs. Replacing your stock springs is the best and most efficient way to lower your car.
Although there are many ways to lower a car’s suspension, two major ways are popularly used. It involves replacing the string and using lowering block kits.
Many popular cars used on the road today use stock coil springs. These springs fall under compression springs, and have the most energy when the components of the spring are compressed. You will have to replace them with shorter ones to lower this spring type.
The shorter springs are usually less stretchy and are stiffer when compared with the stock springs. They give the vehicle a sporty movement, which most car owners desire.
Using an older car model, lowering your car with a stock spring may be different because most older cars come with leaf spring suspensions. The leaf springs are made from metal strips of different sizes, curved slightly.
Although these springs are not commonly used by car manufacturers today, they are still common on the road. If your car uses this type of stock spring, you will be using a lowering block kit. This lowering method is easy, and all you are required to have is hand tools and a lowering kit.
The process involves using a lowering kit to replace the U-bolts and adding a lowering block in the vehicle.
Can I lower my car on stock shocks?
It is possible to lower your car with a stock shock. Depending on the method you decide to use to lower your suspension, many of these methods require changing the shocks on the car.
As we know, there are different ways of lowering a car’s suspension, and they all have varied requirements. We are focusing on replacing string and using lowering block kits methods.
The replacement of the suspension spring method requires that you also replace the stock shocks of the vehicle. It is crucial to replace the shocks in the car when lowering your car. This is because the shocks are made for the initial suspension spring of the car.
When you replace the normal springs with a lowering spring without changing the stock shocks, it could cause serious wearing. The stock shocks are meant to operate as the coil spring operates, with an up and down range. When the short springs are installed, they are stiff and do not bounce like the stock springs. With the new springs installed, the stock spring can not move freely.
Having a short lowering spring requires that you get a new stock shock that will perform better with the new spring. In the basic sense, you can lower your car through a shorter coil spring without replacing the stock shock. If you decide to do this, you should expect the stock shock to get damaged faster, and the driving experience would be rough.
Progressive spring rate has higher spring rate at the bottom
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Can stock suspension be lowered?
Stock suspension can be lowered through various methods available today. Depending on the type of stock suspension you have, you can either use a lowering spring or a lowering block kit.
If your suspension uses a stock coil spring, you should consider a lowering spring. Most modern cars use coil springs, so this method is considered the most popular and suitable method to lower your suspension.
A lowering spring involves replacing the regular spring in your car with a shorter spring. This replacement process may be more tedious than other forms of lowering a car. To understand better, we will be giving you a detailed guide on how to lower your car using this method.
Guide on How to Lower Your Vehicle Using Lowering Springs
Before carrying out this process, the first thing that you must do is get your tools ready. Here are the tools you will need to carry out this process.
- Jack stand
- A new set of lowering springs
- Air compressor
- Tire chocks
- Hand tools
- Socket set
- Strut spring compressor
Here is a guide to help you install a lowering spring for your car.
- The first thing to do is choose the right lowering spring for your car. You should understand that there are different lowering springs in the market, and finding the right one for your car might be tricky. You should avoid buying cheap springs for your car, as they tend to get damaged faster.
- Jack up the car using a jack stand
- Place the tire chocks; this will prevent the car from moving in installing the lowering spring.
- Remove the lug nuts and then proceed to remove the tires
- Go on to remove bolts that are fastened to the front strut assembly and remove the strut.
- Compress the strut spring until it is safe to remove
- Remove the compressed coil spring
- Install the new coil springs into the strut assembly
- Then go on to install the assembly to the car after reinstalling the upper mount.
If your vehicle uses a leaf suspension, then lowering the suspension will require a different method of lowering the car. In this situation, you will have to use a lowering kit. Here is a detailed process on how to perform this method of lowering cars.
Guide to Lowering Your Car Using a Lowering Kit
When carrying out this process, the first thing you need to do is get your tools ready. Here are the tools you will need to get this process going.
- Jack stand
- Tire chocks
- Hand tools
- Lowering block kit
When you have the material ready, you can proceed with the process. Here is a detailed step on lowering your car using a lowering block kit.
- Raise the car using a jack stand
- Place the tire chocks under the tire
- Proceed to remove the U-bolts of the suspension
- Then proceed to use your jack to raise the axle of the side where you are currently working on
- Raise the axle until there is enough space to put in the block
- Then put in new U-bolts from the lowering block kit. The bolts will be long; this will help fill up the space created
- Make sure that it is well installed
- Then repeat for all sides of the vehicle.
When this is done, your car is ready to use. If you notice any unusual development in the car, you should take it to a professional to be fixed.
These are the major methods to lower your stock suspension. If you are doing the installation yourself, do not forget to put on safety gear.
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Is it OK to put lowering springs on stock shocks?
It is not recommended to put a lowering spring on stock shocks; this will cause the parts to wear easily and encourage rough driving in the vehicle.
When installing a lowering spring, you must change the stock shocks. However, many people do not change their stock shocks, so they experience noise from their suspension and rough driving. The stock shocks are not meant for the lowering springs and need to be changed.
The stock shocks are built for the regular suspension spring with the car. They are meant to move freely with the stock springs. A lowering spring is usually shorter, stiff and does not allow much movement like the stock springs.
It would be best to get a shock that can work better with the lowering springs. Although it depends on how low your car will be going, this will determine whether you get new stock. If you are lowering your car by 1 or 2 inches, you can still use the stock shock. If the drop is more than 2 inches, you should consider getting a new shock.
You should get a shock made specifically for the lowering spring you will be installing.
Can you cut stock springs to lower your car?
It is possible to cut the stock spring, this will indeed lower your car, but it could also lead to more problems like bad handling and stiff spring.
Cutting your stock spring is another way to achieve a lower car. Cutting stock spring is not entirely a good idea, as it comes with its problems. Cutting the spring will reduce the amount of movement made by the spring, which could be good if you are trying to achieve a sporty drive.
However, this comes with its cons, which include poor driving experience. The car’s handling will be bad, which people hate about this method of lowering. Also, your string becomes stiff, which is not entirely bad because it will give the driver a sportier driving experience.
It is also important to note that you will still have to change the shocks on the car with this method of car lowering. It is because there is less movement with the cut spring, and the bounce of the spring is stiff now. So, the stock shocks will not be suitable.
Can I put lowering springs on stock struts?
A lowering spring can work on a stock strut, but it depends on how low the lowering spring will make the car. Having a lowering spring that is too low on a stock strut may damage some parts of the strut.
The strut in a car includes parts such as the suspension and the steering. It may also include the shock absorber. It is considered more stable and reliable than the shock. However, the strut may not be suitable with a lowering spring, especially when the lowering spring is above 2 inches. A lowering spring on a stock strut will encourage bouncing and rough rides and increase bouncing when driving.
How much does it cost to lower your car?
A lowering spring will cost between $100 to $700, and an additional cost may be incurred if you use professional assistance. A Coilover will cost about $200 to $500 depending on its parts.
The cost of a lowering spring depends on several things, including how low you want your car to go and if you will install it yourself or get a professional to have it installed. Without professional assistance, you will be spending within the range of $100 to $700. You will incur an additional $100 to have the modification installed by a professional.
To have a Coilover modification installed on your car, you will be spending between $200 and $500 depending on the extra parts you may want to add. Also, you have to spend an extra $100 to $200 on alignment.
Lowering your car with a lowering kit with a block may cost more than any other form of lowering technique. A lowering kit with a block can cost as low as $200 and can go up to $5,000 depending on several factors like how low the car will be going.
You should also note that other factors could affect the price of these modifications, such as inflation, luxury brands, and many other factors.
Final Thoughts
Lowering cars has become a popular way to give cars that sporty look and enhanced handling. As we have mentioned earlier, there are many methods to lower your car and choosing from these methods may be tricky. The type of suspension and suspension spring used by your car will give you an idea of what type of modification will be suitable for the car.
