Opinions please...

[Squints2See]

Hello all,

I am debating on what upgrades to do. I have a new 2015 Race Red Premium GT (non-PP) with the 20" Foundry wheel upgrade. This will be a semi-daily drive in the late spring, summer, and early fall, and garaged for the winter. No track use. Here is my problem...

My plan was to purchase new wheels/tires as I like the concave look and lower the car around 1.25"-1.5" (Thinking Eibach Pro-Kit). However, I live in WV and though I don't live in the deep mountainous region, it is still Appalachia country and everything is on a hill here, lol. I am worried that by going with just standard lowering springs/shocks it is just a matter of time before I scrape/tear/puncture something.

So I started thinking maybe I should just keep the stock wheels as in my opinion they are rather nice looking, and put the money in an air suspension. I absolutely love the look of them and in this state it would be absolutely functional. It looks like When you factor in what I would have to buy if I do springs and shocks, I wonder if this is the better way to go? I figure:

Springs/Shocks - $1,000-$1,200
New Wheels/Tires - $2,500-$3,000

Sell old wheels/tires - $1,300-$1,500

Net cost: $2,500 approx.

Air Suspension - $3,500-$4,000

Difference: $1,000-$1,500

Now granite I could just keep the stock wheels and just do a conventional suspension upgrade and save a lot more, but if I don't splurge on air I'm splurging on shoes, lol!

Opinions, thoughts are appreciated. I have access to a lift and mechanically inclined friends so install would be free either way.

Thanks,
Todd

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[CB]

How about none. Looking at your user name you're blind anyways. Lol

 

[Eastpointer]

It sounds to me like your hearts in the suspension and honestly you should always just go with what your gut wants.

Else your gonna retire, cash out your 401k, organize your estate, and live the rest of your days in regretsville,

but in all seriousness I do like the stock wheels alot as well.

 

[Aarron_M]

Hello all,

I am debating on what upgrades to do. I have a new 2015 Race Red Premium GT (non-PP) with the 20" Foundry wheel upgrade. This will be a semi-daily drive in the late spring, summer, and early fall, and garaged for the winter. No track use. Here is my problem...

My plan was to purchase new wheels/tires as I like the concave look and lower the car around 1.25"-1.5" (Thinking Eibach Pro-Kit). However, I live in WV and though I don't live in the deep mountainous region, it is still Appalachia country and everything is on a hill here, lol. I am worried that by going with just standard lowering springs/shocks it is just a matter of time before I scrape/tear/puncture something.

So I started thinking maybe I should just keep the stock wheels as in my opinion they are rather nice looking, and put the money in an air suspension. I absolutely love the look of them and in this state it would be absolutely functional. It looks like When you factor in what I would have to buy if I do springs and shocks, I wonder if this is the better way to go? I figure:

Springs/Shocks - $1,000-$1,200
New Wheels/Tires - $2,500-$3,000

Sell old wheels/tires - $1,300-$1,500

Net cost: $2,500 approx.

Air Suspension - $3,500-$4,000

Difference: $1,000-$1,500

Now granite I could just keep the stock wheels and just do a conventional suspension upgrade and save a lot more, but if I don't splurge on air I'm splurging on shoes, lol!

Opinions, thoughts are appreciated. I have access to a lift and mechanically inclined friends so install would be free either way.

Thanks,
Todd

Springs cost about $300. You don't need to upgrade shocks if you go Prokit(1in drop). Get an alignment and you're in for less than $400.

You won't get $1300-1500 for your used wheels/tires.

Even in WV, unless you're driving off-road, lowering the car 1 inch will not be scraping, tearing and puncturing anything.

Find a set of wheels/tires that you like in that concave style you want, and you can be in a set of those for $1500-3000 depending on widths and brands.

 

[TheHorse13]

Before you tear into a perfectly good car, go out and take a nice long ride in a GT that has been modified with air ride suspension. You may find the ride to be not quite what you expect.

Lowering a car, no matter where you live, increases the chances of bottoming out and/or scraping the piss out of the undercarriage. Things like driveways, negative sloped curbs and the dreaded parking space concrete barriers will all become potential damage points. You will have to be careful at all times and God forbid you snag your exhaust on a raised manhole cover. There are many more but you get the idea.

Changing wheels may require spacers for proper offset. Many people, including myself, feel that spacers can be a bad thing and cause wear or damage to the wheel studs.

This is just an opinion. I'm sure there will be many more. No matter what you decide to do, best of luck with the outcome.

 

[SpeedLu]

Before you tear into a perfectly good car, go out and take a nice long ride in a GT that has been modified with air ride suspension. You may find the ride to be not quite what you expect.

Lowering a car, no matter where you live, increases the chances of bottoming out and/or scraping the piss out of the undercarriage. Things like driveways, negative sloped curbs and the dreaded parking space concrete barriers will all become potential damage points. You will have to be careful at all times and God forbid you snag your exhaust on a raised manhole cover. There are many more but you get the idea.

Changing wheels may require spacers for proper offset. Many people, including myself, feel that spacers can be a bad thing and cause wear or damage to the wheel studs.

This is just an opinion. I'm sure there will be many more. No matter what you decide to do, best of luck with the outcome.

Good advice here. Don't spend money until you are certain that what you're getting into is livable for you.

 

[ForTheHordeKT]

Lowering a car, no matter where you live, increases the chances of bottoming out and/or scraping the piss out of the undercarriage. Things like driveways, negative sloped curbs and the dreaded parking space concrete barriers will all become potential damage points. You will have to be careful at all times and God forbid you snag your exhaust on a raised manhole cover. There are many more but you get the idea.

Haha, ditto to this is where I sit, at least with my own car. I already gave the bottom of my chin spoiler a little bit of road rash just leaving a lot not going sideways enough. Luckily you'll never see it unless you get down and lay on the ground and look directly up. I can say thanks to UDOT for going the lazy route and just laying more pavement down on top of old pavement over and over again when they finally go through areas and fix what the snow plows tear up lol. End up with some deep rain gutters and big slants leaving some lots.

I'm happy enough with my stock height. But also, to each their own lol. Lowered cars do look cool. :cheers:

 

[Aarron_M]

It's a learning curve for sure, if you've never had a lowered car. I've been driving em for 16 years, so it isn't an issue for me. You learn how to approach driveways and speed bumps, and how to park without going over the front end of the car.

 

[shelbywannabe]

How about none. Looking at your user name you're blind anyways. Lol

:lol: Good one !

 

[jbailer]

I live a stone's throw from the Appalachian Trail and have had my car lowered with Steeda Progressive springs for a year with no problems. The nice thing with the progressives is they give a little better ride if you aren't tracking the car and need consistent spring rate for predictability. At the same time, providing that lowered stance, closing the 4x4 wheel gap. If you do lower it with anything, you'll either want to replace the wheels with ones having a more aggressive offset or spacers for your factory wheels. I'd recommend 25mm (1" all around) or maybe 23mm in the back if you find them. A good source for the wheel adapters if you go that route is Motorsport Technology. I love my factory PP wheels so I got adapters.

As far as having to worry about curbs and parking blocks and stuff, I had to watch those with mine at stock ride height. You're only talking 1" difference. Air is nice when it's parked... I drive my car and park it in a garage where nobody sees it. So if you like your factory wheels, springs and wheel adapters would be an inexpensive solution. Alternatively, springs and wheels.

 

[Joe 5.0]

I think the Eibach Pro-Kit is a perfect drop (1")! Like another member said, struts are not necessary.

That should cut down some cost.

 

[Squints2See]

Thanks for all the input. If I go with springs I thought about the Eibach Pro Kit because I figured that would be as far as I could go without problems here. I thought that I had read that not matching the shocks/struts to the springs will cause premature wear and failure. Is this not correct? Again, I have the non-PP suspension.

I've never rode in an air ride vehicle before and don't know where I could go to experience that, lol. And I've never owned a sports car lowered past factory, so both methods of drop would be a new experience. So for me, this is totally based on aesthetics to my liking, which for me is the lower the better. (i'd really rather go lower if I could, but with springs probably not a good idea).

I'm sure the longer you have owned lowered vehicles the better you would get on how to drive them without messing up your car. Unfortunately for me this would be the learning vehicle, lol which I would rather it not be.

I do think that if I went the traditional route I could probably get $1,300-$1,500 for the wheels/tire as I have under 300 miles on the car and am not driving it until I get a clear bra put on it in the next couple of weeks. But, I could be wrong. I would definitely do 1" spacers with springs if I kept the stock wheels. If I do air, I would possibly still do a smaller spacer depending on how close to the inner fender the face of the rim was. I like it when it looks like it just barely tucks. If I replace the wheels I am looking at doing 10 or 10.5" wide squared.

Open to more opinions. And if anyone knows of the best place to shop for air suspension if I go that route, let me know. Thanks again

 

[Excelerater]

springs- Ford shocks and struts are fine

rims/tires,defiantly

Cat back

 

[Braski]

Eibach pro kit and wheels is what I plan on doing.

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