Soliciting long-term reviews of lowering springs experiences

[RKRZ]

Virtually all reviews/posts are first impressions, so it would be nice if people could share insights on their choices / experiences that have come from at least several months or years of use.

I'm interested in lowering springs for my Magneride equipped PP1 GT. 90% daily driver usage, 10% spirited driving / backroads etc. I'm slightly leaning towards Steeda's magneride sport progressive lowering springs. Also their Minimum Drop springs and the Ford Performance lowering springs.

Specifics I'm interested in:

• Has a 1 inch drop made life too tedious for anyone?
• Does it rule out the occasional post-snowstorm drive?
• Anyone wish they picked Linear instead of Progressive springs or the other way around? Or left it stock?
• Was the 'just like stock' daily-ability of any spring misleading?

Most roads here are atrocious so anything significantly stiffer than stock would be punishing for me and the car.

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[Trout1]

Virtually all reviews/posts are first impressions, so it would be nice if people could share insights on their choices / experiences that have come from at least several months or years of use.

I'm interested in lowering springs for my Magneride equipped PP1 GT. 90% daily driver usage, 10% spirited driving / backroads etc. I'm slightly leaning towards Steeda's magneride sport progressive lowering springs. Also their Minimum Drop springs and the Ford Performance lowering springs.

Specifics I'm interested in:

• Has a 1 inch drop made life too tedious for anyone?
• Does it rule out the occasional post-snowstorm drive?
• Anyone wish they picked Linear instead of Progressive springs or the other way around? Or left it stock?
• Was the 'just like stock' daily-ability of any spring misleading?

Most roads here are atrocious so anything significantly stiffer than stock would be punishing for me and the car.

I have the Steeda progressives on a 2020 GT for almost 2 years and really like them. 1 inch drop is perfect. The ride to me is a little better than stock. Daily driver no issues.

 

[geezer stang]

Virtually all reviews/posts are first impressions, so it would be nice if people could share insights on their choices / experiences that have come from at least several months or years of use.

I'm interested in lowering springs for my Magneride equipped PP1 GT. 90% daily driver usage, 10% spirited driving / backroads etc. I'm slightly leaning towards Steeda's magneride sport progressive lowering springs. Also their Minimum Drop springs and the Ford Performance lowering springs.

Specifics I'm interested in:

• Has a 1 inch drop made life too tedious for anyone?
• Does it rule out the occasional post-snowstorm drive?
• Anyone wish they picked Linear instead of Progressive springs or the other way around? Or left it stock?
• Was the 'just like stock' daily-ability of any spring misleading?

Most roads here are atrocious so anything significantly stiffer than stock would be punishing for me and the car.

i had an opportunity to drive two s650's with suspension enhancments,the 1st was an RTR SPEC 2,the springs on that setup were progressives,i think the drop was 1.1 f/.8 r and the initial rates were 206/800,if i recall correctly(also added to that setup were RTR adj.struts/shocks/sway bars)i drove it like i would daily drive my own car,even with the tire/wheel setup,it rode VERY SMOOTH.even more comfortable than stock,but i did not get into the "secondary rate", i would rate the ride as "equal to or better that stock"for a daily.the other car was also a"s650 gt" with "EIBACH SPORTLINES" and a 20 in tire/wheel setup(nitto 555 g2's)these are advertised as progressives also(200/800 initial rates)my measurements put this car 1 inch lower that the "RTR SPEC 2"...despits actually feeling lower that the "RTR" car,it rode just as comfortable,with no tram-lining or obvious quirks.even though i enjoyed driving both cars,i'd say the RTR car was more comprehensive,considering the "adjustability" of the suspension,but ride quality was about equal...for my car(21 gt base) i'm going with "FORD PERFORMANCE TRACK STRUTS/SHOCKS,WITH STEEDA MINIMUM DROP LINEAR SPRINGS...you can review both cars on "TC CUSTOMS" youtube channel.

 

[S550HPP]

I stopped lowering cars only because of the bad roads, parking, drive ways, speed bumps and snow.

Instead I go from 40 series to 45 series, for example, and change the offset a little for more poke the fill the fender gap and get 90% of lowered look. In winter I go back to OE size to minimize road debris splatter down the sides, even though have rokblokz.

Tire selection is critical. The Pirelli I put on my car in the spring completely ruined the city crap road ride in conjunction with Bilstein B6. I will wear them out by fall and trash them.

I was contemplating changing for Koni Active struts then decided but to wear the tires out fast and have fun. If it's still drap after new tire will ditch the B6 for Koni active struts only.

I would not go lower at all with parking curbs, speed bumps, driveway and parkade ramps, and snow unless you have the patience to crawl when parking and speed bumps or get more than 3" snow that lingers.

 

[Wolfys11]

From my personal experience with drag springs 1” drop from bmr, as well as other cars ive owned and other reviews, ive never heard of a big name brand quality set of lowering springs that drop moderately (1”) to be “worse” than stock, most either feel similar or even better than stock for comfort.
Most springs that are considered good arent necessarily stiffer, just moreso tuned to achieve a better drive. Stiffer doesnt always equal better for for performance the road, unless your road is absolutely perfect like on most tracks

 

[GrabberBargeCaptain]

These cars have a pretty high ride height and very soft springs for how fast they can go and how quickly you can get in trouble.

Ford Performance Track springs along with the FP track dampers-big fan. You definitely feel the bumps in the road more and bad roads can be rough but IMO you should feel the road surfaces-it's a car not a couch and that's a part of driving.

I dont think i've ever scraped, still have plenty of ground clearance.

EVERY car make forum i've ever been on, there are guys who swear up and down that their modded suspensions with springs that are double the spring rate or more, are more comfortable than stock... take those posts with a grain of salt. Personally stiffer springs and dampers got rid of that undulating, boaty pogostick bounce that the stock suspension had, which can be be more comfortable, but on shitty roads there's no getting around that your suspension has a lot less give and a bit less travel. So if you regularly drive on poorly maintained roads, beware.

 

[S550HPP]

Generally the optimal set up for handling and cornering traction is soft like OE springs, and stiffer dampers, unless driving on smooth roads.

I am tempted to change my HPP springs out for standard Ecoboost springs to see how they pair with Bilstein B6 and crap Pirelli AS I bought.

I did notice running Potenza AS and Ultra Grip Plus how the stock springs with B6 were near perfect on broken, wash board and trashed pavement and gravel roads smoothing it out considerably compared to OE dampers.

The Pirelli AS ruined my ride comfort around town but great on highway...strange.

If you do lower be sure to get the bump steer kit to ensure geometry is not compromised. If I was lowering I'd get the Ford Track kit and a bump steer kit though it's probably not needed.

 

[Synergy720]

Currently on Eibach pro-kit springs with FP track strut/shock. Adding the strut/shocks made the ride more stiff. But when I was on the stock stuff it was fine. Granted I'm on German roads so the road are rather comfortable anyways.

• Has a 1 inch drop made life too tedious for anyone?
  • 1 inch drop made a slight difference in the way I go through speed bumps. Most of the time I can go straight over but there are a few times when I have to hit it at an angle to effectively get over without scraping my X pipe. Granted I have 2.5 inch exhaust from the headers back. So a 3 inch you might scrape ever so slightly. Most of the speed bumps in Europe double as a crosswalk so they're a little longer. But I digress.
• Does it rule out the occasional post-snowstorm drive?
  • No. Even in the worst winters (Here in Germany at least). I've come across some pretty high snow buildup from them not plowing the roads immediately and there is barely any change. It is more so in the tires that'll get you through the snow. I find myself plowing my driveway though with my splitter.
• Anyone wish they picked Linear instead of Progressive springs or the other way around? Or left it stock?
  • Linear is probably best if you want consistent driving. I had a set of the progressive FP street springs on stock dampeners and I found myself a little concerned on autobahn corners at high speed. Leaving it stock though? That's crazy talk. But to each their own.
• Was the 'just like stock' daily-ability of any spring misleading?
  • A little. The ride is a little more firm when going through bumps in the road. But otherwise on smooth surface it was about the same. I will say, on stock springs the car had a lot of "sway" at 120+mph. The Eibachs ride like silk at 160 constant

All in all, I find lowering 1 inch makes the car ride a little better at high speeds and taking corners a little smoother as well. I've hit corners on the Autobahn at 145mph and I've never once had a fear of the butt kicking out. In the straights... Well you can already guess.

 

[MrMike]

I have the FP Track Handling Pack, and I really want to drive the point home that it's important that your springs and shocks match. Just replacing one or the other may not have a desirable effect.

Some min drop springs like Steeda's will be fine on OEM shocks, but I wouldn't put something like the FP Track springs or BMR SP083 on factory shocks. If you have the PP shocks, consider the Ford Street Lowering (X) Springs if you want a 1" drop.

• Has a 1 inch drop made life too tedious for anyone?
  • In general, no, but there are a handful of speed bumps and dips I need to be extra careful with. In reality, should be careful with things like this in general to avoid excessive suspension wear.
• Anyone wish they picked Linear instead of Progressive springs or the other way around? Or left it stock?
  • I do not wish I left it stock.
  • The FP track springs are a "dual-rate" spring in the rear and a linear up front. The dual rate rear only triggers if you really lighten the rear end. It's not an issue and linear is generally more predictable when pushing the car.
• Was the 'just like stock' daily-ability of any spring misleading?
  • Not sure the FP Track Pack is advertised as this lol, but it is not too harsh for the road. Maybe if you live in Michigan or somewhere that the highways are not well cared for.
  • I drove my mom somewhere in the car yesterday (she is 70) and she said the suspension is fine.
  • Small bumps are smoother than stock, harsh bumps are worse than stock if that makes sense.

 

[Bulutt]

Magna-ride lowered with Steeda. 20 inch wheels. No issues, no problem, no regrets. Just do It.

 

[Therealmattlex]

I have the Steeda ultimate handling springs paired with pro action shocks and struts. I've had the springs and shocks for a few years and just did the front struts. It is amazing how much better then stock it rides. I have zero regrets and it's not to low.

 

[TonyT930]

I stopped lowering cars only because of the bad roads, parking, drive ways, speed bumps and snow.

Instead I go from 40 series to 45 series, for example, and change the offset a little for more poke the fill the fender gap and get 90% of lowered look. In winter I go back to OE size to minimize road debris splatter down the sides, even though have rokblokz.

Tire selection is critical. The Pirelli I put on my car in the spring completely ruined the city crap road ride in conjunction with Bilstein B6. I will wear them out by fall and trash them.

I was contemplating changing for Koni Active struts then decided but to wear the tires out fast and have fun. If it's still drap after new tire will ditch the B6 for Koni active struts only.

I would not go lower at all with parking curbs, speed bumps, driveway and parkade ramps, and snow unless you have the patience to crawl when parking and speed bumps or get more than 3" snow that lingers.

I agree with you. I want higher performance struts/shocks etc, but not at the expense of lowering ride height. My conv already rides low enough especially with the 285/35r19s

 

[S550HPP]

I just ordered Koni Active struts. Was close to ordering the Eibach ProKit dampers but found a deal on the Konis.

Looking forward to getting front B6 off. Rears are fine.

I also trashed the new Pirellis. Really like the Falken FK 510.

Post covid many companies have ruined their products I have literally changed 85% of the brands I used to buy faithfully, to previously second tier who are now clear leaders. Takes 20 years to build a brand and 2 years to destroy it.

 

[GrabberBargeCaptain]

I just ordered Koni Active struts. Was close to ordering the Eibach ProKit dampers but found a deal on the Konis.

Looking forward to getting front B6 off. Rears are fine.

I also trashed the new Pirellis. Really like the Falken FK 510.

Post covid many companies have ruined their products I have literally changed 85% of the brands I used to buy faithfully, to previously second tier who are now clear leaders. Takes 20 years to build a brand and 2 years to destroy it.

I have heard a lot of anti Bilstein rumblings in German car forum world post COVID- leaks, internal failures and eventual constant clunking. Wouldn't be surprised if more manufacturers are affected than Bilstein. Every company is of course cutting costs to keep their prices down.. with damn near 30% inflation in the last 5 years it's no surprise

 

[S550HPP]

In my case I failed to consider Ecoboost 200lb front end weight reduction on a product that had commentary re harshness on GTs.

My fault entirely and no bashing on Bilstein. I just wanted the legendary brand and yellow struts. I am keeping the shocks.

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