GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Okay, I am interested in lowering my vibe. Yeah, yeah...but i have no idea what i'm doing. i know i don't want anything super-aggressive, i just want to make my new 17" rims fill out my wheel wells better, and to have a little better handling in the twisties. i'm not really willing to give up a whole lot in the way of ride comfort. i've read a little on here regarding lowering the car with reference to the ride quality, and it doesn't seem to be too bad if you do it right with the right stuff. so i have some questions: a) is it something that i'd have to change every winter? i live in michigan, and it snows...a lot sometimes. would a lowered suspension be OK for year round use?b) i have neither the time, nor the equipment, nor the knowledge to do this by myself. is lowering a suspension something i can have done by somebody someplace? like a mechanic or something?(forgive my ignorance if that is a stuipid question . i truly am new at this).c) what is the difference between the different options out there...springs vs. shocks, etc. and what the heck are teins? any suggestions?thanks a lot for you help.

Tien is a suspension component manufacturer. They make sport lowering springs and racing adjustable coilover shocks. They make a very affordable set of sport lowering springs for the Pontiac Vibe /Toyota Matrix. If you do not feel that you have the ability or the tools to lower your Vibe yourself then do not attempt it. Take it to a reputable repair shop to have it done. The Vibe is equiped with a strut type suspention that puts the shock cartrige, and spring together in one unit. The strut spring is under immense pressure and even thought it is easy to remove the strut assembly from the car in order to change the spring to a lowered set you will need a spring compressor to dissasemble the the strut assembly. DO NOT DISASSEMBLE THE STRUT ASSEMBLY WITHOUT THE USE OF A SPRING COMPRESSOR. As far as choosing what to use to lower you Vibe you have to ask yourself a few questions.1st Is cost a major factor?? If your answer is yes then a set of adjustable coilover shocks are not the chioce for you. They will set you back at least $1000.00 2nd Is ride quality a major factor??If your answer is yes then sleeve type coilovers are not for you. (These coil over set ups use a threaded aluminum sleeve and a threaded spring purch with a very short coil spring that is to be mounted on your stock strut bodys.) Though these are very affordable and give you the benifit of ride hight adjustability they suffer from the short high spring rate coil spring that makes for a little harsher ride than stock. They do offer the benifit of being able to set the amount of ground clearance you want and they are affordable. There cost ranges from $150.00 up to $450.00. You get what you pay for with a sleeve type coilover.3rd is adjustability my main concern??If your answer is yes then a sport lowering spring will not make you happy. The amount of drop you get will vary by manufacturer and is not adjustable. You can get about a 1.25"-2.25 " drop depending on the spring manufacturer. These springs are very affordable. They range in price around $125.00-$400.00. I hope this helps. If you have any more Questions feel free to email me.

Quote, originally posted by drw2514 »is it something that i'd have to change every winter? i live in michigan, and it snows...a lot sometimes. would a lowered suspension be OK for year round use? I live in Montreal, I have Tein on my Vibe and I drove my Vibe all winter long with my lowering spring without any trouble.The Vibe is quite hight compared to other cars, so even with a 2 inches drop, it does not make it much lower then a stock Civic as exemple.