Advice, info from those of you who are lowered

[CAMOGIRL]

OK, I have done some searching and all I am coming up with is little bits and pieces. I'm most likely going to get some lowering springs this summer before school starts, I'll probably go with Tein because they seem to have a good rep and are in my price range. I like the Canuck ones because they are red, lol. I am looking to figure out how to achieve the look I want, and ask a few questions. Those of you who are lowered, can you chime in here with what you're rolling and post a pic? I'm looking to get a visual, as well as your input on how appropriate you feel your level of drop is. I can adjust the way I drive around town a bit, but I don't want to be dragging belly everywhere either. Tightness of the ride would be a good thought to include too. I'm not particularly worried about smoothness in the ride as I know I'll be giving some of that up.I have visited some garages but I don't know for sure who all have lowered cars. THANKS!!!

[03VibeOttawa]

Hey CG!I love my Tein S springs. The drop was a little more than specified..a little over 2.5" all around. There's a couple of pics at the bottom of my garage page in my sig. For me, it's the perfect sporty ride, with just the right progressive spring rate; nice and tight in a hard turn, yet still smooth enough on the highway or around town when they aren't pushed hard. Unless you have some wheels with big openings, or spend a lot of time looking under your back bumper, I don't think you'll really notice the color of your springs.

[CAMOGIRL]

Thanks! Yeah, I know nobody else will know, but I'll know lol. The S-techs are what I am really thinking about. Just a tidbit skittish about the ride height. You don't have any bellying out? How about maneuvering through dips in the street?

[03VibeOttawa]

Quote, originally posted by CAMOGIRL » You don't have any bellying out? How about maneuvering through dips in the street?I only bottom out in road construction when the pavement drops more than 6-8" (hasn't happened in a couple of years). The Vibe starts out really high to begin with, so dropping it 2-3 inches doesn't really make it much lower than most cars out there. From what I've read on here, I can't recall anyone having clearance issues unless they put a body kit on.

[KITT222]

I've done my own little research into heights and such. Basically, the Tein S-Techs give a 2.5 inch drop, the Tein H-techs give a 1.5 inch drop, and the Canuck springs give a 1.75 inch drop, which is what would be good for me, given my current snow situation. All for about the same price, too.

[lovemyraffe]

I love my H-Techs. 1.5" drop and smooth ride (doesn't shake your fillings out). I do scrape my front bumper every time I back out of the driveway.

[ou.grizzly]

If anything, I would lift it possible...

[Kamikaze]

If I were going with Tein, the S-Techs are probably too much of a drop for what you are looking for... I would go H-Techs. overall, they are probably going to work best for what you want to achieve.I would suggest Canucks, if you can get a better price than the Teins (that's what I have) but I had AWD ones that I had to modify in order to achieve a equal drop front and rear. check out my garage to see pics of my vibe on the canucks.

[CAMOGIRL]

Quote, originally posted by lovemyraffe »I love my H-Techs. 1.5" drop and smooth ride (doesn't shake your fillings out). I do scrape my front bumper every time I back out of the driveway. I hadn't though about that. We have a pretty steep driveway but it grduates out at the bottom, I think ill have hubby watch as I back out and stop me at the nearest point to measure...So maybe Canucks offer me the best middle ground then.. Hmm. Thanks for all the input guys!

[vibedrivermatt]

Hey, Ive found when driving on small steep slopes or going through entryways through sidewalks and such, you can do a maneuver where you kinda drive over it in a diagonal path so that only one wheel goes over the steep part at a time. Doing that usually prevents the car from bottoming out. Good luck with whatever springs you end up getting!

[CAMOGIRL]

I'm thinking that's how I'll have to approach the driveway. And that will make hubby happy, he will get the "good" spot back lol. I'm still undecided, I think I'm hanging out waiting to see if I find a deal on one or the other, make the decision for me.

[CAMOGIRL]

Alright...here's the million dollar question:Do I *NEED* different shocks/struts if I go with the S-Techs? It's what I really want, but not going to be able to afford the whole kit-and-caboodle this summer. I can afford one small project. Can I ride S-Techs on stock strut/shock combo til next summer? Help!?

[KITT222]

Yes you can. In fact I have emailed Tein about that myself.

[CAMOGIRL]

Well, I think that makes up my mind then THANKS!!