Can a car carry five people after installing lowering springs?
3 Answers
It can carry five people, but the comfort will be reduced. Here are the relevant details: Legality of lowering springs: It is illegal. Although the law allows for the replacement of shock absorbers, it does not mean that the vehicle's ground clearance can be altered. Therefore, all types of shock absorbers that can adjust the vehicle's height, such as coilover suspensions, lowering springs, and air suspensions, are illegal. Replacing these parts involves modifying the vehicle's structure. If the traffic police discover during an annual inspection that lowering springs have been installed, the owner will be required to restore the original setup and pay a fine. Pros and cons: The advantage of lowering springs is that they are relatively affordable and beginner-friendly. Additionally, lowering springs generally provide better support for the vehicle body compared to factory springs, and the reduced ground clearance significantly enhances the car's appearance. The downside is that lowering springs are not adjustable, making it difficult to achieve a good balance between daily use and performance. Most importantly, installing lowering springs requires matching them with appropriate shock absorbers, so a good understanding of related products is necessary to create a high-performance suspension system.
I have some personal experience with shortening springs because I've modified the suspension on my own car. Short springs are designed to lower the vehicle or improve handling, but they have significantly reduced compression travel. Under normal conditions, they work fine, but once you load the car with five people, the added weight can easily push the suspension to its limits. Think about it—five people plus luggage can easily add an extra 300–400 kg. Short springs already have less bounce space, and if the spring stiffness isn’t sufficient or isn’t properly tuned, the car might sink too low, causing handling to go haywire—excessive body roll in turns, unstable braking, or even damage to the shock absorbers or springs. Worse, rough roads could harm the chassis. Factory springs are designed for full-load conditions, but most aftermarket short springs, unless they're high-performance and reinforced, are only suitable for light loads. From my experience, carrying five people is risky—safety first. If you really need to transport passengers, it’s best not to exceed limits. Before committing, get the load capacity tested at a shop. Modifications aren’t a joke—you have to think long-term.
I've been driving for decades, and after lowering springs are installed, don't even think about carrying five people. Simply put, the suspension can't handle it. Think about it: the car sits lower with shorter springs, but the spring travel is reduced. It might drive smoothly when empty, but with five people onboard, the weight presses down, potentially causing the car to sag. Handling deteriorates, bumps feel harsher, and high-speed stability suffers. I've seen this issue firsthand while helping a friend fix his car. Lowering springs are mainly for looks or handling—they don't have the same load capacity as stock springs. Overloaded, the springs compress excessively, and the shocks wear out faster. On long trips or mountain roads, safety risks multiply. My advice? Don’t risk carrying five. Check the spring specs before modifying, prioritize safety, and stick to three or four passengers when possible.
