Cheap Springs (Brand) / Install thread

[DC4Integra98]

As above
plus
Just wanted to know whether purchasing cheap springs will adversely affect handling, ride quality or even possibly be dangerous?

I am currently looking for a set of cheap springs to fit to my dc4 and lower it approximately ~1-1.5 inches in order to fill the gap that the 17" rims have made. Yet I am reluctant to spend too much (still a jobless uni student)

I am quite a 'noob' and am unable to to purchase and fit these springs myself, thus can anyone suggest a place in Melbourne to get this done?

Also I read that the other way to lower your car buy keeping the stock springs is to fit (height) adjustable shock absorbers. Is this a cheaper/better option?

[teh_mechanic]

use springs to lower your car,the car sits on springs and the shocks are there to stop the car bouncing down the road on the bouncy springs when you hit a bump,so no you cant lower by just getting height adjustable shocks.

ofcourse you get what you pay for,a king spring will definitely feel different to a tein for example.stiffer, less prone to sagging after time, less research into keeping ride quality while improving handling.

monroe is a good cheap brand that sounds like it would suit your needs,good quality but also good price.
then pedders is abit better,about middle,more expensive.
then you get into the tein range

[BlitZ]

cut them...

[55EXX]

yeah cut them and make sure your bump stops are in good order as you will be hitting them heaps. dodgy and is not recommended but does the job.

otherwise kings make cheap springs that do the job. is easy to install see if there is someone on here that can do it. i'd do it for 50 bucks its that easy. literallyjack up car take wheel off, undo control arm bolts, shock tower bolts and in the front the bolt that holds the bottom of the shock. take it out change the spring inspect bump stops while your there and reasemble. not even a hour to do.

[DC4Integra98]

Are you serious, cut them?

Isn't that like 'unsafe' and 'illegal'?
Would most suspension places cut?

[Drew]

As long as its hubcentric its A-OK

You can get decent sets of coils for like ~$900

[55EXX]

[QUOTE=55EXX;1582826]yeah cut them and make sure your bump stops are in good order as you will be hitting them heaps. dodgy and is not recommended but does the job.
QUOTE]

hence why its not recommended. plus the spring rate will be too soft to stop you from bottoming out etc and handling won't really be increased as it is still the same spring rate so body roll etc will be the same if not worse due to a changed roll centre. its dodgy and is not recommended but does the job. get yourself a set of kings. cheap no where near as dodgy and does the job better.

[mattc]

im in the same situation as well....
wanting to drop it.. but dont have the cash..

so if you did just get lowering springs i.e kings with OEM shocks.. ive heard that ur shocks get stuffed after a while.. how does this effect things?
how does the ride change? does it just get bouncier?

[bennjamin]

guys

do NOT cut any springs of any type. Cutting springs totally ruins the rates and can make unforeseeable handling characteristics. Dangerous too , and illegal too.

Just get some properly made springs

[teh_mechanic]

do not cut them,unless you are planning on joining the vl commodore forums.dangerous and uber dodgy

yes your stock shock will get worn out quicker if you use it with a lowered spring.thats why they make height adjustable and shortened shocks.for your application you will be fine with the stock shock since your on tight budget,then you can replace it if it wears.

dont give him a false idea of how easy it is to change springs.for someone who knows not much about suspension obviously (no offence) he could do some real damage if he doesnt know how to use spring compressors or god forbid doesnt use them at all....we are talking about smashed faces/knees and a trip to the emergency ward

[Feverpitched]

Yep, don't cut them and don't oxy lower them either (heating and compressing).

Springs aren't THAT expensive, and you'll be relying on them a lot. Just suck it up and spend the cash on a reasonable set. Lovells are a good mid range brand that might suit your budget.

[DC4Integra98]

Ok looks like I won't be cutting them and instead will be looking for quotes for springs to lower 1.75 front and 1.5 rear

Cheers keep the advice coming :D

[Sydsyd]

if u're on a budget, use lots of bricks or some really heavy stuff and place it all inside the footwells of the car and also the boot...lol...jks:p

please don't cut springs no matter how cheap u wanna go...just bare the feeling of that 4WD mode for a while, then get a proper set of lowering springs...

[EG5]

pedders pricing is cheap for lowered springs

[dahon]

4wd/rally mode rawks... haha not..
i too gotta lower my ride.. sigh... need money..

so pedders springs are decent? ive been hearing mixed reviews about them.
what would you say would be an average quality and priced lowering spring set? price range around what figure?
some recommendations might help him save up for a certain set.

tein > monroe > pedders > kings????

[DC4Integra98]

tein > monroe > pedders > kings????

Pretty much the brand path I'm going to follow except current insufficient funds may shorten it to...

pedders > kings :(

Will take some quotes and update you guys on the prices/costs

[dahon]

cool
yup keep us updated, and when you get em installed
pics!

[bodaas]

if u're on a budget, use lots of bricks or some really heavy stuff and place it all inside the footwells of the car and also the boot...lol...jks:p


even cheaper, just date couple of Fat chicks ask them to sit at the back

[DC4Integra98]

even cheaper, just date couple of Fat chicks ask them to sit at the back

I'd rather not own a car!

[rahul]

how cheap is cheap? put a dollar value on your max budget and you might get recommendations for the money you want to spend

[DC4Integra98]

how cheap is cheap? put a dollar value on your max budget and you might get recommendations for the money you want to spend

looking to spend max of $500 as this is all I got atm. I've done some research and it seems a set of 'cheap' springs (king lows) should set me back around $280-350 thus adding around $100 for installation should set me on par to my budget.

[nick_sixx]

get king super lows, theyre really stiff so the ride is a bit harsh but i dont give a fuk. they lower the centre of gravity, and i have very little body roll with mine, mind you i have dc2 shocks so that might help. otherwise get tein flex coilovers :)

[bodaas]

looking to spend max of $500 as this is all I got atm. I've done some research and it seems a set of 'cheap' springs (king lows) should set me back around $280-350 thus adding around $100 for installation should set me on par to my budget.

rougly 530-540 including installation
mechanic wont do it for 25 dollar/spring installation
maybe backyard jober might do it for you

[joey99]

never buy cheap springs ! you'd regret it for sure.
you'll be bouncing down the road and will kill your back.
I see a lot of cars on the road that are lowered and you can see the car body going up and down instead of just the wheels .. and that's just uncomfortable.

[bodaas]

never buy cheap springs ! you'd regret it for sure.
you'll be bouncing down the road and will kill your back.
I see a lot of cars on the road that are lowered and you can see the car body going up and down instead of just the wheels .. and that's just uncomfortable.

they use the stock suspension with hard rated spring,
say if you go very very low it cause no air left inside the stock suspension to go up and down, only bouncing the spring and bump stop thats y it feels hard

[SeverAMV]

head to ebay, you should be able to get a set of tein flex springs well within your budget.

[qikteg]

if, for example, kings springs were being used with extremely worn shocks, would you find that the spring quality will be affected once the shocks are changed (to higher performance shocks)?

[55EXX]

spring quality is always the same. dampening quality is what will change. because the dampening has changed that is what will affect the feel of your ride.

i love me rough ride. i feel one with the road.

[DC4Integra98]

if, for example, kings springs were being used with extremely worn shocks, would you find that the spring quality will be affected once the shocks are changed (to higher performance shocks)?

I second that question =)

[qikteg]

just for further clarification... i'll be going from leaking shocks with literally no dampening, to 5 way adjustable tokico illuminas... i'm just wanting to make sure that the kings will still do their job, even though they've been exposed to some seriously terrible shocks

[55EXX]

yes they will still work. the spring will just have a more dampened movement from the shock. they will still do there job

[bebeq008]

from my experience with quotes from pedders and other big aussie brands they seem to be through the roof. im not sure but it seems they overcharge and prey on those who dont know much or havent done research on suspensions. i do admit they will do a good job though.

id suggest you save up couple hundred more and get nice springs and shocks and get some small garage shop to install for cheap.

[55EXX]

i have pedders springs and kyb agx shocks. love it. pedders springs are finely suited for street driving. not happy with body roll SWAYBARS. its not the springs job to decrease body roll. its the sways that do that.

[Lukey]

i got mine cut coz im a cheapo

[DC4Integra98]

Going to be doing a whole lot of stuff to the car this weekend, anyone got a recommendation on how much to drop the car thats currently on stock running 17" wheels.

The current height is very embarrassing (think 4x4) but I don't want to compromise too much by dropping it too far and having to go back and readjust etc.

This car is a daily driver and will be going through many speed bumps =(
Just wanted to know how much of drop/gap is perfect and safe!

Cheers

[spastic]

im running pedders sports ryder springs and this is how low it goes.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj81/alriight/random/mini-IMG_0191.jpg

[[ricer]]

im running pedders sports ryder springs and this is how low it goes.
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj81/alriight/random/mini-IMG_0191.jpg

ur cars hot man

[kairi_k]

are KYB Excel G shocks any good?

[spastic]

the rides stiff.

[DC4Integra98]

the rides stiff.

How is it on bumps/potholes?

[vipaccord]

hey ricer i got pedders sports rider on my accord also but its no where as low as yours.i asked if that was the lowest springs they have and they said that is the only ones they have.i still have about an inch gap and i have 18's on it.

[[ricer]]

hey ricer i got pedders sports rider on my accord also but its no where as low as yours.i asked if that was the lowest springs they have and they said that is the only ones they have.i still have about an inch gap and i have 18's on it.

lol its spastics car
i cant afford luxury cars

[spastic]

How is it on bumps/potholes?

yeah, i go over railway tracks and that often so yeah, its pretty stiff, not bouncy. bumps? its scraps the car lol


hey ricer i got pedders sports rider on my accord also but its no where as low as yours.i asked if that was the lowest springs they have and they said that is the only ones they have.i still have about an inch gap and i have 18's on it.

yeah, we went fishing that day the rears were lower then usual. but it still sits pretty low.

[DC4Integra98]

What do you guys think of king springs, lowering 1-1.5" with stock shocks
Note: stock shocks at ~110,000kms

Or should I cash up for new shocks as well?

[shibbii]

hey new here but heres my question.
thinking of lowering my car also 93 integra ls. probably looking at lowering back and front 2 inches or so.want it so its sitting on top of the tyre look.
also dont know much about suspension so yeah wheres some budget springs i can get? couple hundred bucks say? or anyone on here happen to be selling lol

would the shocks be okay? cars done 170,000k's and i have a feeling back ones might be just about stuffed or its the rubber bump stops ? if thats what they're called.

[JohnL]

never buy cheap springs ! you'd regret it for sure.
you'll be bouncing down the road and will kill your back.
I see a lot of cars on the road that are lowered and you can see the car body going up and down instead of just the wheels .. and that's just uncomfortable.

And that's not the fault of the springs, it's that the damper has't got a high enough rate to adequately control the spring. Blame the evil damper, not the poor misunderstood spring!

I hear it so often; "I had brand X spring and the ride was really bouncy (or stiff), those springs are just crap". Any spring will behave badly when paired with a damper that is of poor quality or has a substantially incorrect damping rate for that spring. Really, there is so much misunderstanding about springs out there...

[JohnL]

spring quality is always the same. dampening quality is what will change. because the dampening has changed that is what will affect the feel of your ride. i love me rough ride. i feel one with the road.

Agreed (even the bit about the "rough ride"!).

Something that needs to be understood about springs (but seems to be very commonly mis-understood):

If you have two different brand springs that have the same spring rate and the same ride height, then the only real difference between them will be the quality of the spring as reflected in how long either spring will last before it starts to sag. Other than that both springs will perform identically, or so close there will be no driver detectable difference.

[JohnL]

just for further clarification... i'll be going from leaking shocks with literally no dampening, to 5 way adjustable tokico illuminas... i'm just wanting to make sure that the kings will still do their job, even though they've been exposed to some seriously terrible shocks

When you have the springs off the damper bodies, compare them for free length. If both springs on a spring pair are the same length (to within a couple of mm) then they are OK.

It could (possibly) be that both springs might have sagged to an identical degree, but unless this has caused ride height issues (too low) then it's not a problem because the spring rate won't have changed despite some sagging.

If one spring is slightly / somewhat shorter than the other then it's fine to shim that spring at the upper spring seat by the same amount as the difference in spring length (to other spring). This will restore equal ride height and stock weight distribution, and spring rate will still be the same as when the springs were new (unless they are on the verge of fracturing).

[JohnL]

i have pedders springs and kyb agx shocks. love it. pedders springs are finely suited for street driving. not happy with body roll SWAYBARS. its not the springs job to decrease body roll. its the sways that do that.

I've heard lots of hearsay reports of Pedder's charging a lot of money for less than top products and services, and my personal experience has been that their pricing is pretty steep (have always crossed Pedders off the list after getting a quote from them).

K-Mac may well be worth a try for springs or ARBs. They do custom springs (i.e. rate, height, linear or progressive etc), for a reasonable price. From memory they quoted me something like $400 for a set of 4 custom springs for an Accord).

[teh_mechanic]

no disrespect to them but pedders are very pricey
even when we get quotes for shocks for instance the trade price is normally a few hundred less than retail for other customers....
which makes you think if they can give such a high trade discount how huge must theyre markup be....
if you like them use them,just pricey imo