What are the pros and cons of lowering springs and coilovers?
2 Answers
Pros and cons of lowering springs and coilovers are as follows: Pros and cons of lowering springs: Advantages: Changing the springs can result in complex handling characteristics. It can improve the suspension's ability to suppress body roll, reducing body roll during cornering. Lowering the vehicle height simultaneously lowers the center of gravity, reducing weight transfer during cornering and improving stability. Lowering the vehicle height also enhances aesthetic appeal. Disadvantages: Lowering the vehicle height affects ground clearance, making it easier to scrape the chassis over speed bumps. The entire shock absorber system consists of coil springs and hydraulic shock absorbers. The damping force and extension of the hydraulic shock absorbers are matched to the length and compression distance of the springs from the factory. Simply replacing the lowering springs can increase the load on the original hydraulic shock absorbers. Pros and cons of coilovers: Advantages: Coilovers allow for adjustable shock absorber height and internal damping force, enabling the vehicle to switch between different ride heights and suspension stiffness levels, offering high playability and flexibility. Coilovers have the structural advantage of being simple and compact, with reliable performance unaffected by environmental factors. Disadvantages: Vehicle modifications often involve safety concerns. If the quality of the coilovers is not guaranteed or the installation process does not meet requirements, there can be significant safety risks. The height adjustment of coilovers can be considered their biggest drawback. Due to the limitations of the shock absorber structure, adjusting coilovers requires removing the entire shock absorber from the vehicle and using a large number of specialized tools, increasing the complexity and hassle.
I've always thought lowering springs are a good choice because they're affordable and easy to install, quickly reducing the vehicle's height and making cornering more stable, especially for daily commutes in the city, saving a lot on fuel costs. The downside is the increased bumpiness on uneven roads, reduced comfort, and potential accelerated wear on the factory shocks. After trying them, I recommend upgrading the shocks as well; otherwise, long-term driving could significantly harm the suspension system. If you're on a tight budget, lowering springs are decent, but they have a fixed height and can't be adjusted flexibly. Newbies to modifications should also pay attention to safety settings and not overlook wheel alignment. Regular inspections are crucial to prevent small issues from becoming major problems.
