Steeda Minimum Drop vs Stock Performance Pack Springs

[ChitownStang]

Hey guys, I'm about to turn 40 next week and I think I'm going to blow some money on my ride as my Bday gift. I'm looking to install the Steeda fixed Pro Action shocks and Struts but I keep going back and forth on which Spring to pair them with. I really do not want to drop the car but if I had to .5" is max. Car is driven year round and I do not track it, I have no problem with stock suspension most of the time but looking to have a little of the sloppiness taken out of the suspension especially when Im at higher speeds on the highway and go over uneven dips and such, the car can get squirrly.
The minimum drop springs have a much higher rate in the front (200 vs 168) than the PP, will this make for a much harsher ride over bumpy roads which are most in the Chicagoland area? I do not want a harsh ride, wife will not ride in car anymore if it is! lol
Also, as long as I'm doing an alignment I am going to get the Steeda IRS bushing and centering kit.
Do I need the rear shock mounts too at this point or can do later as the stock ones will be fine?
Thank you for advice

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[Rocketman]

For better responses, I would ask this question in the Suspension sub-forum.

I will say that the PP setup is really not harsh at all, so you should use that as your baseline.

 

[ChitownStang]

Thanks Rocketman
I figured the PP is not harsh at all since the spring rate is very similar in the front to mine. Just want to make sure it's enough to make a difference as I'll be spending over $1200 for all this

 

[Brian V]

Ford performance track dampers match up better with BMR SPO 763 springs 0r Bmr s other offerings . And definitely do some reading in the suspension and brake threads to get a good perspective of what you desire .

 

[tj@steeda]

Because of the valving and compression upgrade with the Fixed Action Shocks it should make your overall ride quality much better even with the minimum drop springs.

Given the sale & the benefit of the upgrade, the rear shock mounts are a great add.

TJ

 

[Bluelightning]

Hey guys, I'm about to turn 40 next week and I think I'm going to blow some money on my ride as my Bday gift. I'm looking to install the Steeda fixed Pro Action shocks and Struts but I keep going back and forth on which Spring to pair them with. I really do not want to drop the car but if I had to .5" is max. Car is driven year round and I do not track it, I have no problem with stock suspension most of the time but looking to have a little of the sloppiness taken out of the suspension especially when Im at higher speeds on the highway and go over uneven dips and such, the car can get squirrly.
The minimum drop springs have a much higher rate in the front (200 vs 168) than the PP, will this make for a much harsher ride over bumpy roads which are most in the Chicagoland area? I do not want a harsh ride, wife will not ride in car anymore if it is! lol
Also, as long as I'm doing an alignment I am going to get the Steeda IRS bushing and centering kit.
Do I need the rear shock mounts too at this point or can do later as the stock ones will be fine?
Thank you for advice

I'm running the minimum drop springs with the stock pp shocks/struts and love them. Would definitely ride better with the pro action stuff. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

[Jetnoise]

It's all downhill after 40......
Old Guys Rule
Welcome to the club & save your money & potential headaches on the drop
Enjoy the amazing car you have already built

 

[ChitownStang]

“Headache from the drop” you said it perfectly, Exactly why I haven’t done it.
Did it with my 01 years ago with eibach’s, huge upgrade in ride but made the car horrible in winter.
I may just buy a recently removed 18 pp suspension package as I’m sure that would do exactly what I’m wanting for my ride.

 

[tj@steeda]

I'm running the minimum drop springs with the stock pp shocks/struts and love them. Would definitely ride better with the pro action stuff. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Thank you for the feedback! Always great to see a fellow member provide their insight, much appreciated!

Best Regards,

TJ

 

[ChitownStang]

Bluelightening, Do you notice the bumps in the road much more with these springs?

 

[Norm Peterson]

Hey guys, I'm about to turn 40 next week and I think I'm going to blow some money on my ride as my Bday gift. I'm looking to install the Steeda fixed Pro Action shocks and Struts but I keep going back and forth on which Spring to pair them with. I really do not want to drop the car but if I had to .5" is max. Car is driven year round and I do not track it, I have no problem with stock suspension most of the time but looking to have a little of the sloppiness taken out of the suspension especially when Im at higher speeds on the highway and go over uneven dips and such, the car can get squirrly.

Sounds like it's "composure" that you're looking for, more than either roll reduction or squat/nose-dive control, and that says "shocks & struts" to me. On that note, I nearly always recommend adjustables because you can start them out full soft and adjust up as you either find out you want a little more damping or to compensate for gradual wear that occurs over time/mileage/suspension movement. Something else you can do as a completely separate modification is upgrade the stabilizer bars to something somewhat firmer than stock (adjustable here is nice, if only to find a handling balance that best suits you).

FWIW, I drove my '08 for at least 5 years with just adjustable shocks & struts and adjustable bars as suspension-firmness mods, everything from daily driving to trips to track time without doing anything besides adjust the dampers (up for the track, down for different situations). The bars I set once, reset the rear once after that, and left them alone until last summer when I finally got around to doing springs (like you, I was not interested in lowering, and managed to end up at about 0.6" down after all was said and done). These general approaches to chassis tuning apply to any car regardless of its rear suspension type.

The minimum drop springs have a much higher rate in the front (200 vs 168) than the PP, will this make for a much harsher ride over bumpy roads which are most in the Chicagoland area?

200 really isn't all that stiff. Stiffer springs (within reason, which in my opinion most springs sold as "lowering springs" are) make for a firmer ride, but ride harshness typically comes from excessive high-piston-speed shock damping - think sharp bumps, railroad grade crossings, and hitting the far sides of potholes - that mainly makes for a harsh ride.

I do not want a harsh ride, wife will not ride in car anymore if it is! lol

That right there could be a selling point for adjustable shocks & struts. Dial them back for when the Mrs is along if her preference in ride is somewhat softer than your own and you're going more than just a few miles. Been there.


Rear shock mounts seems to be commonly recommended at least when there's some really hard driving involved. There's likely to still be value in more moderate street driving, but I think you're going to need an opinion from somebody with an S550 who has done this mod (BmacIL?).


Norm

 

[rum_punch_ruby]

I had to redo the rear shock mounts after blowing out one of mine. Definite must do IMO, especially with any new springs or shocks and our crap roads which give them a workout.

 

[ChitownStang]

Thank you Norm, your explanation is very informative! I just don't think I would be constantly adjusting my dampers, I don't even know whats involved in that. It seems like most of the roads around here are the sharp cracks in the road like railroad crossing almost, and this is why the 200 spring rate worries me. Maybe grabbing used PP springs with pro action dampers and rear shock mounts is best approach.
Rum-Punch, were you racing when you broke yours?
What do you guys think is more important, shock mounts or IRS centering bushing kit?

 

[BmacIL]

Thank you Norm, your explanation is very informative! I just don't think I would be constantly adjusting my dampers, I don't even know whats involved in that. It seems like most of the roads around here are the sharp cracks in the road like railroad crossing almost, and this is why the 200 spring rate worries me. Maybe grabbing used PP springs with pro action dampers and rear shock mounts is best approach.
Rum-Punch, were you racing when you broke yours?
What do you guys think is more important, shock mounts or IRS centering bushing kit?

As Norm mentioned, 200 is not very stiff. Most are quite surprised at how well my car rides with 250 lb/in fronts and 980 lb/in rears. Dampers are so important to this.

You can get used PP springs very cheap ($50) and I already know where you can get some locally. That said, there are a few favorable things that come with mild lowering and a small stiffness increase. Text me later and I can go through it.

The shock mounts remove a source of unnecessary isolation that actually causes resonant behavior from higher frequency inputs (expansion joints on the highway in particular). This is because as the shock is compressed and articulates through the travel, it is being bound up by a rubber isolator, rather than being free to rotate. I don't know what chassis engineer thought that was a good design, but they ought to be slapped.

The shock mounts offer a tangible improvement to the car, the centering sleeves do not once they're installed. They're crucial to getting the cradle centered in the absence of the CB005 lockout kit, though.

 

[Norm Peterson]

Thank you Norm, your explanation is very informative! I just don't think I would be constantly adjusting my dampers, I don't even know whats involved in that.

Once you've found settings that you like, or better yet arrive at a Goldilocks solution (something that's not too soft for you or too stiff for her), you stop fiddling with them unless you pick up an autocross or track day habit somewhere along the way. Between track days, I might not touch mine at all once resetting them back to "street".

The adjustment procedure itself depends on the specific dampers, but if the adjuster comes out the top of the stud it takes less than a minute to do the fronts including the time spent opening and closing the hood. I'm not sure how access at the rear of an S550 compares to the S197.


Norm

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