These guys have several different spring available. I have the TEIN S 2" drop on order; several Autocross racers have told me they are good quality and one of the best known in Japan. Hope so, because they sure are the cheapest! http://www.optauto.com/webstore/product ... &dept=1680
I think andrewmva has his Matrix lowered 3" with 19" rims. He was saying that the ride is very hard on bumpy roads but the handling was improved. Having a wider tire will not make you feel the bumps in the road any more than narrower tires, you will just have better grip on the road. Although fuel economy may suffer a bit because of the extra rolling resisance. If you get tires with shorter sidewalls (low profile tires), roadhandling is improved, but the ride becomes harsher and you feel more bumps and risk damaging the wheels if the sidewalls are short enough and the pothole big enough.There was also a company called Ground Control that makes a lowering kit for the Vibe that had adjustable height shocks so you could "dial in" the height of your ride and change it later if you wanted within a certain range. Pissedoffgokart has them on his Vibe and put up some pics. I think it was a 2" drop kit.try this link http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=1527 Try using the site's search function and you will probably get a lot of good results for your question.
Former owner of a 2003 Vibe GT---Great car that gave me 8 years and 83,000 miles of trouble-free service.Current owner of a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe Limited AWD.
Check out http://www.hotchkistuning.com Click on the Silver Matrix... Check out what I offer... Let me know where you are located and I'll refer you to one of our distributors...
"Don't settle for less, cause that's what you'll get"
pttuning.com seems like they have some good products. ANyone purchased yet? THey have some lowering springs that appear to be perfect...... 1 stupid question, when you are quoted a price for the springs, they are complete (meaning there are 4 springs included in price?)
The ride will be affected both in handling and normal ride. The car will have less body roll on quich left to right moves (even nore w/larger sway bar). It will more responsive on turn ins and dip alot less in hard braking. The actually ride quality will vary. If you get progressive rate spring with a modest compression rate the ride will be okay not to soft or too hard. If you do linear rate springs the springs will compress to a certain point and stop. This make the ride more harsh. Shocks will also make big difference. When you decide on your springs ask the tech/salesperson what shock is recommend. I have Hotchkis front and rear on my camaro and it is very tight and harsh, I like that type of ride. Their customer service is top notch. Other companies are eibach, H&R, Intrax, Suspension Techniques, plus all the others that have been posted. Dont forget about threaded body suspension either.
03 Abyss Vibe GT 72 VW Beetle stdThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other b*****d die for hisGeorge S. Patton