Lowering Springs Question

[Doctor Fishtail]

I am looking at springs for my GT. I am curious what springs still retain the best ride quality without turning it into a lumber wagon. My last car I had coilovers all the way around and it was a rough ride. I would like to keep the ride quality close to stock if possible.

I have been looking at the following:
~VOGTLAND SPORT
~SR PERFORMANCE
~EIBACH SPORTLINE

Anyone have any of the above listed and wanna share their input?

Check out the Swift springs. I am running them now and the ride is on the money. I have Sportlines brand new in box in my garage and will be installing them. But if I do not like the ride I will put the Swift springs in again. I like a low drop that is the only reason I am thinking of trying Sportlines. I am on Koni struts also. http://www.swiftsprings.com/products/sport-compact/spec-r.html

Sponsored

 

[RoushStang]

I ended up doing BMR Performance Springs about 3 weeks ago. So far I love the look and the ride is perfect!

 

[Doctor Fishtail]

Good luck. The BMR springs are priced nice but for me the drop just aint there. Spring rates are so it is a give and take. The Swift springs give ya both. A drop and sweet spring rates. But they are not cheap when you compare pricing with the BMR springs. Guess ya get what ya pay for. :cheers:

 

[BMR Tech]

Good luck. The BMR springs are priced nice but for me the drop just aint there. Spring rates are so it is a give and take. The Swift springs give ya both. A drop and sweet spring rates. But they are not cheap when you compare pricing with the BMR springs. Guess ya get what ya pay for. :cheers:

You should see how many people have gotten more than what they paid for! (6 people alone, in just this short thread......)

Pretty cool, do a search sometime and see how popular our Springs are.

There is a 60~ page thread in this section all about them.

:cheers:

 

[Doctor Fishtail]

You should see how many people have gotten more than what they paid for! (6 people alone, in just this short thread......)

Pretty cool, do a search sometime and see how popular our Springs are.

There is a 60~ page thread in this section all about them.

:cheers:

It looks like you took offense to my comment. Did not mean it that way. If y'all gave us more of a drop your springs would probably be on my car. But if I am going to buy lowering springs I want a reasonable drop. Not slamming your springs. Being in customer service industry myself I have developed thick skin. ;)

 

[scott_0]

[MENTION=24290]RoushStang[/MENTION], car looks great! are you on stock struts and shocks? I on Koni yellows and BMR Performance springs, the car rides awful, Im thinking about removing the Konis and going with the stock struts and shocks, how is your ride? is it bouncy?

 

[BMR Tech]

@RoushStang , car looks great! are you on stock struts and shocks? I on Koni yellows and BMR Performance springs, the car rides awful, Im thinking about removing the Konis and going with the stock struts and shocks, how is your ride? is it bouncy?

Feel free to call me to discuss.

This is something you will see more and more of in the future once hundreds or thousands of cars are equipped with those dampers. (regardless of springs)

Their valving is very aggressive. It always has been.

When you have aggressive valving with spring rates that are on the lower side of the spectrum, your "comfort" zone becomes much smaller.

On the SP080s, I typically do not go much higher than 1/4 to 1/2 turn on the rear and 1/2 to 1 full turn on the front. More than that, and I am not a fan of the ride, in terms of specifically comfort.

 

[BMR Tech]

It looks like you took offense to my comment. Did not mean it that way. If y'all gave us more of a drop your springs would probably be on my car. But if I am going to buy lowering springs I want a reasonable drop. Not slamming your springs. Being in customer service industry myself I have developed thick skin. ;)

I didn't necessarily take offense.

I was primarily responding to the "you get what you pay for" comment.

I do see that you want to try out the Sportlines. I tested those out for about a month when we were developing our spring line up. I am not a fan, but many are. I look forward to seeing your results / feedback on those.

 

[wildcatgoal]

Good luck. The BMR springs are priced nice but for me the drop just aint there. Spring rates are so it is a give and take. The Swift springs give ya both. A drop and sweet spring rates. But they are not cheap when you compare pricing with the BMR springs. Guess ya get what ya pay for. :cheers:

BMR's springs are not "inferior" because of their price. They're priced the way they're priced because they have managed their R&D, materials, and manufacturing costs such that they can still cut a profit at "SR Performance" pricing. Their springs are excellent quality and the reason they do not have a 1" drop in the back is on purpose: suspension travel.

 

[BMR Tech]

BMR's springs are not "inferior" because of their price. They're priced the way they're priced because they have managed their R&D, materials, and manufacturing costs such that they can still cut a profit at "SR Performance" pricing. Their springs are excellent quality and the reason they do not have a 1" drop in the back is on purpose: suspension travel.

Now this is awesome. wildcatgoal hit the nail on the head, I am happy to see people that are aware of the concepts behind some of our decisions.

To go into the reasoning behind why we do not go much more than 1/2" out back, they are as follows:

1: Suspension Travel
2: Suspension Geometry
3: Wheels and Tires (non OEM)
4: Driving dynamics and charactersitcs

#1 - This IRS wants and needs to promote grip. One of the quickest ways to reduce grip (common application here) is to reduce suspension travel via a significant drop spring with high rates. This is Suspension 101. Now of course, there are other variables at play...like dampers and tires, and sway bars...track, driver etc. But I am talking the "common application" or rather: majority.

#2 - Geometry. We usually try to take advantage of the engineering that OEMs give us as a base. Ford designed this Integral Link IRS to perform as it comes from the factory. Like any other car in our segments...when you significantly lower the chassis of the car, you will always change the geometry of the suspension. This is also Suspension 101, you have links such as the upper camber link, the vertical links, the toe links and the actual RLCA that all swing on an arc in some way or another. When you have links and angles that vary - you affect the arc (during suspension travel). The least amount you can get by with dropping the rear of the S550, the better it will perform. I haven't even touched on the toe and camber limitations from the factory, BTW.

#3 - Tires and Wheels. We know that our customers usually upgrade their tires and wheels. Whether it is simply replacing the OEM tires with something larger, or upgrading the entire wheel and tire combo. If you look at the common tire sizes being used...you will notice that many people, especially the ones who stagger their widths....will go to a stock-ish height front tire...with a slightly taller rear tire. Once you go that route, I am not a fan of the "sagging" look the car gets. If you check out all of the cars equipped with the popular 1"+ drop amount springs, with larger aftermarket wheels and tires, the wheel gaps trend towards the sag look. Even if the car is not technically raked, the wheel gaps will give the look of the car being lower in the rear.

#4 - That front end though! The "stance" our springs give....is one thing. But, when you spend hours in a stock car, then use the BMR spring, you instantly notice a huge increase in driver confidence, capability, and comfort. Splitting the drop up like we do, promoting more rake, makes a massive difference when behind the wheel. An example everyone can understand is parking your car. When you park your S550 in its stock form...it can be scary feeling like you are making a 6 ft guess. When our springs are on the car, you can actually tell how close you are to that curb. ;)

All of these things, play a factor when we develop springs for cars. This is why we are never the first company to offer springs - although we are usually one of the first to start designing the springs, and legitimately test the springs on multiple combos and applications before signing off on them.

Just some quick explanations as to why our "drop" is where it is on the S550 springs. :cheers:

 

[wildcatgoal]

I wish I could see over my hood, I just hit something this morning... :(

 

[Doctor Fishtail]

I didn't necessarily take offense.

I was primarily responding to the "you get what you pay for" comment.

I do see that you want to try out the Sportlines. I tested those out for about a month when we were developing our spring line up. I am not a fan, but many are. I look forward to seeing your results / feedback on those.

Sportlines are not for the drag strip. Way to stiff. I can understand that you do not like them due to you mainly concentrating on 1/4 mile times. Have spoken with many guys that concentrate on more of handling (auto cross) and they love them. I am not gearing my car for straight line runs diwn the drag strip. Thus getting my cars center of gravity lower helps immensely this is why I am looking for springs that give a decent drop. The Konis help with damping no doubt. The Koni Sports allow for lowering springs and allow for the limited travel. Make us sone handling springs that give us some decent drop and ship me a set. I will give you an honest review.

 

[BMR Tech]

Sportlines are not for the drag strip. Way to stiff. I can understand that you do not like them due to you mainly concentrating on 1/4 mile times. Have spoken with many guys that concentrate on more of handling (auto cross) and they love them. I am not gearing my car for straight line runs diwn the drag strip. Thus getting my cars center of gravity lower helps immensely this is why I am looking for springs that give a decent drop. The Konis help with damping no doubt. The Koni Sports allow for lowering springs and allow for the limited travel. Make us sone handling springs that give us some decent drop and ship me a set. I will give you an honest review.

I do not focus on anything specifically. We are much different than most Chassis and Suspension companies. We have a very broad focus.

Our car we tested them (Sportlines) on rides on squared 18x10.5 HREs with Hoosier R7 slicks. Far from a 1/4 mile dedicated car my friend.

[ame]

Pardon the horrible music in the background. :headbonk:

 

[BMR Tech]

[MENTION=21434]Doctor Fishtail[/MENTION] - perhaps you should familiarize yourself more with our offerings.

We already have Handling Specific springs, which I do not need to send out for people to test because we do that in house, and cannot keep up with the demand already.

 

[slythetove]

Feel free to call me to discuss.

This is something you will see more and more of in the future once hundreds or thousands of cars are equipped with those dampers. (regardless of springs)

Their valving is very aggressive. It always has been.

When you have aggressive valving with spring rates that are on the lower side of the spectrum, your "comfort" zone becomes much smaller.

On the SP080s, I typically do not go much higher than 1/4 to 1/2 turn on the rear and 1/2 to 1 full turn on the front. More than that, and I am not a fan of the ride, in terms of specifically comfort.

This is one of the debates raging in my head currently (and I try to read every conceivable thing I can on here about/by BMR/you).

I have a '17 PP and I would like to "tighten" it up a little. I keep going back and forth between doing SP080 or doing front SP089 rear SP082 combo I see you selling. Here's the kicker, I think (THINK) I would want to run Konis as well to really achieve what I'm after.

1. Drop for visual effect is the least of my concerns - but I do think a bit of a drop looks good.
2. I don't want too much rake but I don't want "front end above rear end" visual perception.
3. I want to feel the car "plant" more and roll less in turns, and wallow and bounce less at higher speeds.
4. This is my daily driver and I don't want to get overboard with harshness or sacrifice ride quality beyond reason.

Based on all of that - and your expertise - what do you think has the best shot at achieving my desired result?

EDIT: Oh, and thanks for all the information you provide on the forums - it's incredibly valuable!

Sponsored