anyone else think their car needs lowered?

[MNBoxster]

Hi,

Interesting debate and no one answer will fit all owners. As I see it, there are really only 3 reasons to lower the car, each has it's own merits and drawbacks:

• A. To make a better Track car by lowering the CG.
  
  B. For the aesthetics, to remove any wheel well gap.
  
  C. It's the one area where you haven't modded the car.

For A., lowering the car also lowers the CG, decreases body roll and weight shift, which reduces the inside wheel's potential for lift. But, suspension travel is also reduced altering the ride quality. Notice I didn't say negatively altering ride quality because this is somewhat subjective. What some may deem too harsh or jarring, others appreciate as more feedback or tauter feel.

B. while reducing the wheel well gap, will also alter ride quality in addition to reducing ground clearance, which on a primarily street driven car could have some inherent negatives (which one may well be willing to assume) such as grounding out or not clearing obstacles. Be sure to re-aim your headlights if you do.

C. for some people is an obsession. They are never done. So, after Wheel, Tire, Intake, Exhaust, Interior, Sound System and the like are completed, this may be the only remaining area to be modded. Perfectly OK, it's their car, their money; Porsche even recognizes owners desire to customize their car(s) and encourages it.

There have been a few reports of people lowering the car and regretting the results, while many others praise this mod. The smartest thing is to objectively evaluate what you want from the car and how you use it. This may mean that lowering doesn't make sense for you, or maybe it does. If it does, people will often use any, or some combination, of all 3 reasons to justify it.

For me, it doesn't make sense to do it (already have 18" Turbos and am satisfied with it's appearance, don't Track this car), but it did make sense for one of my other cars (for some of each reason - A., B., & C.).

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[dmcutter]

Based on comments from another forumite and the posted measurements of lowered vs stock cars, I am about positive my S was lowered by the original owner. Is there an easy way to visually verify what was done, i.e. any sort of identifying marks on springs, etc? Is this something that the car would have to be on a lift to look at? I guess the obvious answer would be to try to track down the original owner and ask him...

[dmcutter]

Okay, that was easy. Googled the original owner and called him. Sho nuff, Eibach springs. Dang, there's like NOTHING left to do to my car except the turbo or supercharger....

[Bavarian Motorist]

Just a question:

Can I lower my car w/ just lowering springs? Do I NEED the entire setup?

If so, I would like to do this. They aren't that expensive!

Well... You could...
You could also take a blow torch to the springs to collapse them, thatd be "cheaper" if thats what your looking for. Oh ya, they wouldnt work any more and itd be like driving a cinder block.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Well, is it realistic to just use the springs? I guess that's a better question.

Ya, people do it all the time. You wont get the same benefits as a full coil over suspension, but if you dont track the car you wont mind too much. The reasoning against only getting springs is that if your gonna blow $600 bucks on install, you might as well pay another $700 for the shocks.

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

Just a question:

Can I lower my car w/ just lowering springs? Do I NEED the entire setup?

If so, I would like to do this. They aren't that expensive!

Hi,

One drawback to using only springs to lower the car is that the geometry is not preserved. You will increase the negative camber which will increase the car's tire-eating abilities...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

[z12358]

Originally Posted by MNBoxster

Hi,

One drawback to using only springs to lower the car is that the geometry is not preserved. You will increase the negative camber which will increase the car's tire-eating abilities...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99

Any drawbacks to using spacers like lwc did?

[MNBoxster]

Originally Posted by z12358

Any drawbacks to using spacers like lwc did?

Hi,

Generally not, but there are a couple of caveats.

• Not all spacers are created equal. Be sure to use quality hub-centric spacers. The cheaper ones are often not machined to exacting tolerances and vary considerably. This can induce a tire imbalance. Also, they must be installed carefully, it's very easy to introduce some variation just by installing them willy-nilly.
  
  Keep the spacers to no more than 17mm. Going wider effectively softens the Spring Rates because you are essentially lengthening the lower control arm and it's angles. Too wide, and again, you induce greater negative camber. It will also change your steering response at the limit, something which may cause someone unfamiliar with the feel to improperly respond with negative consequences.
  
  Finally, whenever doing any work to the Wheels, Tires, Suspension, you need to get a full 4-wheel alignment. Alignment isn't as permanent as many people seem to think. Hit one good bump or Pothole, and you'll likely throw it off. Everytime I auto-x my cars or track my formula vee, the alignment is altered. This needs to be done much more often than many people think to remain spot on. On a Street Car, it should be done annually, or whenever doing any work to the areas mentioned above.

Hope this helps...

Happy Motoring!... Jim'99